Biography History Mystery

Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy: The Richest Pirate in History

The “Prince of Pirates,” the “Robin Hood of the Sea,” “Black Bellamy;” Samuel Bellamy’s short career as a pirate captain was dramatic enough to earn him such epithets as these. Forbes Magazine, of all places, has named “Black Sam” as history’s wealthiest pirate. This is shocking considering the fact that Bellamy’s entire career as a […]

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Artifact History Mystery

What is the Pedro Mountain Mummy?

In 1934, a pair of prospectors ventured into the Pedro Mountains in central Wyoming and discovered a treasure far outside of their expectations. The history of this object is shrouded in mystery and scandal and has inspired theories which range from superstitious to paranormal. The object in question is a mummy. Discovered within a sealed […]

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Biography History Mystery

The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe is a literary giant, famous for his poems and short stories which are known for their gruesome imagery, themes of loss and melancholy, and chilling horror. Poe may be most known for tales such as The Fall of the House of Usher and The Black Cat, or poems like The Raven and […]

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Biography History Mystery

The Strange Story of Mesmerism and its Namesake Franz Mesmer

What is Mesmerism? The phrase “animal magnetism” evokes mental images of emanating sensuality, of raw primal attraction. Colloquially, this is what animal magnetism means. However, animal magnetism once held a very different definition. There was a time, in fact, when it was thought, albeit by a small group of believers, that animal magnetism would completely […]

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History Mystery

The Princes in the Tower: A Medieval Murder Mystery

Richard III was never meant to be the king of England. He was, in fact, several degrees removed from this position for most of his life. Born in 1452 as the fourth surviving son to the powerful Duke of York, Richard was certainly positioned to be a man of importance, however his elder brothers would […]

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History Mystery

An American Mummy: The John Wilkes Booth Conspiracy

John Wilkes Booth was a celebrity in his own right long before the act that would install him permanently as one of the most infamous figures in American history. Born to a family of British actors, Booth was touring the United States performing in Shakespearean plays and other productions by the time he was about […]

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Biography History Mystery

The Murder of Christopher Marlowe and the Mysterious Life He Led

Who is Christopher Marlowe? Christopher Marlowe, also referred to as “Kit” Marlowe, led a short but impactful life. Born in 1564, the young Marlowe studied at The King’s School in Canterbury on a scholarship before earning another scholarship to study at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge. Marlowe earned a bachelor’s degree in the arts in […]

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Biography History Mystery

Was the Last Pharaoh of Egypt the Son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII?

Gaius Julius Caesar was a conqueror, dictator, reformist, and divisive politician whose name remains synonymous with empire and dominance. He was assassinated by a group of sixty conspirators including several men whom he considered to be steadfast allies. His death on the “Ides of March” in 44 BC has endured as one of history’s greatest […]

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History Mystery

The Dog Who Became a Saint

St. Francis of Assisi is often associated with animals. His philosophy of respect and stewardship over nature has cemented him in history as a patron of ecology, nature, and the creatures with which we share this planet. Like many other saints, Francis’s gentleness towards animals is just one of the many pious behaviors associated with […]

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History Travel

The Salton Sea: How a Desert Resort Became an Abandoned Wasteland

In 1905, a dry lake bed in Southern California called the “Salton Sink” was filled with water once more as the Colorado River surged and newly constructed irrigation canals funneled the entire volume of the river into this low-elevation desert land. The event was an unprecedented once-in-a-lifetime failure in irrigation planning, and the result was […]

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