The Great Fire of London (1666): Strange Facts Behind the Famous Disaster
The Great Fire of London wasn’t just a disaster—it was full of odd decisions and strange moments. Here are the quirkiest facts from 1666.
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Cher Ami: The Heroic Pigeon of WWI Who Saved Nearly 200 Lives
Read more: Cher Ami: The Heroic Pigeon of WWI Who Saved Nearly 200 LivesLearn about Cher Ami, the heroic pigeon who saved 200 people during World War I.
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The $1 Million Coin Heist: The Creation, Theft, and Mysterious Disappearance of the Big Maple Leaf
Read more: The $1 Million Coin Heist: The Creation, Theft, and Mysterious Disappearance of the Big Maple LeafDiscover the incredible story of the $1 million Big Maple Leaf coin—the largest gold coin ever minted. Learn about its creation, daring coin heist from Germany’s Bode Museum, and why it may never be found again!
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Rabies — 100% Fatal and 100% Preventable
Read more: Rabies — 100% Fatal and 100% PreventableLearn about rabies — a disease that has a 100% fatality rate but is completely preventable.
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How a Missed Train Saved a Life and Changed a Nation
Read more: How a Missed Train Saved a Life and Changed a NationJohn was running late, and the timing could not be worse for him. He was preparing for the biggest meeting of his life. It was a meeting with one of the most important men in the country, and the outcome would decide the fate of his fledgling business. Already on a very tight schedule, it…
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The Time Politicians Messed With Time to Prevent Anyone Messing With Time
Read more: The Time Politicians Messed With Time to Prevent Anyone Messing With TimeThere have been situations where politicians have thought themselves capable of legislating against nature itself, such as the time Indiana considered changing the value of pi, or the Norwegian town where it is illegal to die. There have also been those instances where political antics have pretended that time had stopped, such as the day…
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The Indiana Pi Bill and the Attempt to Redefine Mathematics Through Legislative Fiat
Read more: The Indiana Pi Bill and the Attempt to Redefine Mathematics Through Legislative FiatDo you remember when you first learned of the concept of π? Have mathematics always been at least a little bit difficult for you? Haven’t you wished you could just pass a law to make it all a lot easier to understand? When some elected legislators attempted to use their political power to change some…
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Visit the Museum Where Peanut Butter is Art
Read more: Visit the Museum Where Peanut Butter is ArtIf you like art, and if you are particularly fond of peanut butter, a visit to Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has all the makings for your perfect day. It is the home of an exhibit that will make any peanut butter lover’s mouth water.
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The Crazy Story of Aimo Koivunen, the Soldier Who O.D.’d on Speed, Stepped On a Mine, Skied 250 Miles, and Outmaneuvered the Soviet Army
Read more: The Crazy Story of Aimo Koivunen, the Soldier Who O.D.’d on Speed, Stepped On a Mine, Skied 250 Miles, and Outmaneuvered the Soviet ArmyDiscover the extraordinary survival story of Aimo Koivunen, the Finnish soldier who skied 250 miles under the influence of amphetamines during WWII.
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The Wolves That Fought in World War I
Read more: The Wolves That Fought in World War IWar can bring about some uneasy alliances. In the right circumstances, opposing forces can sometimes be persuaded to stop killing each — for a little while, anyway. This happened on Christmas Day, 1914 when British and German troops paused their fighting long enough to play a few matches of soccer. It also happened a couple…
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Are Teddy Bears More Deadly Than Real Bears?
Read more: Are Teddy Bears More Deadly Than Real Bears?Bears and teddy bears. The difference between the two could not be starker. One is massive, terrifying, and dangerous. The other is small, cuddly, and goes hand-in-hand with small children. It seems ridiculous to ask which one is more dangerous, but the answer might surprise you.
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Mount Tambora: The Volcano That Triggered a Year Without Summer, Defeated an Empire, and Gave Birth to a Monster
Read more: Mount Tambora: The Volcano That Triggered a Year Without Summer, Defeated an Empire, and Gave Birth to a MonsterDiscover how the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora caused a ‘Year Without a Summer,’ defeated Napoleon, and inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
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Chairman Mao and His Disastrous War on Sparrows: How a Pest Control Campaign Led to Ecological Disaster
Read more: Chairman Mao and His Disastrous War on Sparrows: How a Pest Control Campaign Led to Ecological DisasterDiscover how Chairman Mao’s war on sparrows, part of the Four Pests Campaign, triggered an ecological disaster and mass famine in China, leading to millions of deaths.
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The Thatcher Warning for Moderates
Read more: The Thatcher Warning for ModeratesWhile many decry partisan politics and point to moderates as the ideal political philosophy, Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) thought otherwise. The former prime minister of the United Kingdom was famously known as “The Iron Lady” because of her resolute will. She embraced conservative politics and cautioned against those who thought otherwise. She warned, “Standing in the…
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“A Cacophony of Hell” — The Terrifying Crocodile Massacre at the Battle of Ramree Island
Read more: “A Cacophony of Hell” — The Terrifying Crocodile Massacre at the Battle of Ramree IslandWar can be terrifying enough when humans are the only combatants. Imagine how much worse it can be when nature takes sides. Such was the case during the Battle of Ramree Island when more soldiers were slaughtered by saltwater crocodiles than by enemy bullets.
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Are You Afraid of Not Being Good Enough?
Read more: Are You Afraid of Not Being Good Enough?Atelophobia. Does it bother you if you don’t know the meaning of that word? Does that somehow make you feel inadequate or less than perfect? Does the very notion of being imperfect drive you to distraction? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may very well suffer from the condition of atelophobia.…
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementFebruary 5, 2020
