Discover the strange brilliance of Gustave Verbeek comics, including the upside downs comic strip that literally flips the page. Explore early newspaper comics history and one of the most inventive experimental comics pioneers.
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Discover how a 1939 Ronald Reagan movie inspired Secret Service Agent Jerry Parr to save the President from an assassination attempt on March 31, 1981.
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) took her responsibilities as Empress of India quite seriously. On her 70th birthday, she undertook lessons in Hindustani and got to the point where she wrote in Hindustani in her diaries. Queen Victoria’s diary, dated January 11, but it was actually from January 14, 1892, written in Urdu/Hindi and English: “Today I…
As George Bernard Shaw perused the shelves of a secondhand bookstore, he came across a volume of his plays. He opened the book and found his handwriting on the flyleaf, addressed to a friend, with the words, “With the compliments of George Bernard Shaw.” Mr. Shaw purchased the book and sent it back to the…
Senator Robert Dole, upon seeing a picture of former presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon lined up at an official event, pointed them out and identified them, in turn, as “See no Evil. Hear no Evil. And Evil.” source
Learn about Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher — a military genius and a total nutcase.
The oldest bridge in Paris, France is Pont Neuf. The name means “New Bridge.”
Aristophanes (427 BC – 386 BC) was groundbreaking with his plays. His skills as a satirist and as a keen observer of everyday life led him to give us one of the most revealing pictures of what life was like in ancient Athens.
Known as the Scourge of God, Attila the Hun (c. 406-453) terrified the eastern and western Roman Empires as he led his armies on a campaign of destruction and conquest. He also terrified people for other reasons. Contemporary accounts of his personal appearance depict him as “an extremely short man, built like an ogre, who…
Søren Kierkegaard earned the nickname “The Fork” in his youth, due to his ability to identify an opponent’s weaknesses and stick it to him. Generally this took the form of surgical strikes from his rapier-sharp wit, but occasionally he could bluntly lob a cannonball, as well. When moved to frustration in his debates with Hans…
Irish playwright Brendan Behan (1923-1964) was known for his sardonic wit. It is unknown whether it was this quality or distraction by his circumstances that led him to utter his last words to the astonished nun who attended him: “Bless you, Sister. May all your sons be bishops.” Discover more memorable last words and epitaphs
The world watched the peaceful transfer of power on January 20, 1961, as the oldest President to that point, Dwight D. Eisenhower, handed the reins of power to the youngest elected President, John F. Kennedy. As the two men stood side-by-side on the inaugural platform, listening as Cardinal Richard Cushing prayed the invocation, they noticed…
Discover the untold story behind the infamous insect scene in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Learn whether Paul Freeman really swallowed a bug on set.
Theodore Roosevelt was a man’s man — the very image of individualism, strength, and courage. It is hard to imagine anyone making fun of the man who would become the 26th President of the United States.
Learn about the Scottish words for “idiot” and why Scotland holds such people in such low esteem.
Mid-air refueling is impressive by any standard. For two or more aircraft to join together while flying at 300 mph, it requires pilot skill and technological sophistication well beyond average. Among the many impressive things about this feat is how quickly it happens. Modern refueling tankers deploy fuel at a rate of about 6,000 pounds…
