Explore the 1923 movement to make Henry Ford president—how the auto magnate outpolled Warren Harding and why his unlikely campaign suddenly collapsed.
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Drinking coffee in Turkey was against the law in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Those caught breaking the law were put to death. source
Cleopatra married her brother, Ptolemy XIII. She was 18 years old and he was 10 years old at the time. They married in keeping with the Egyptian tradition and served as co-regents. Not only were they far from affectionate toward each other, they actually fought a civil war against each other, attempting to claim sole…
In the Greek monastery of Mount Athos, nothing female is allowed. Men can enter, but not women; roosters, but no hens; horses, but no mares, bulls, but no cows. The border is patrolled by armed guards to ensure that nothing feminine passes the gates. It has been this way ever since an official proclamation by…
In Calama, Chile, a town in the Atacama Desert, no rain fell for 400 years, from 1570 to 1971. source
They say that genius and eccentricity go together. Perhaps that’s why these creative geniuses required Rudyard Kipling would only write when he had black ink in his pen. Ludwig von Beethoven poured ice water over his head when he sat down to compose music, believing it stimulated his brain. Charles Dickens wrote (and slept) facing…
Australian tennis player Samuel Groth holds the record for the fastest serve in a game. He smacked a ball at 163 mph (263 km/hr) in an event in Busan, South Korea in May 2012. source
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States more often than any other person. Despite being elected four times, he failed to carry his home county, Dutchess County, New York, in any of the elections. source
Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, witnessed the assassinations of three U.S. presidents—Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Explore his eerie reputation as America’s unluckiest VIP guest.
When he was a child, Blaise Pascal once locked himself in his room for several days and would not allow anyone to enter. When he emerged, he had figured out all of Euclid’s geometrical propositions totally on his own.
Matthew Buchinger (1674-1740) was known as “The Little Man of Nuremberg.” Buchinger was born without hands, legs, or thighs and was less than 29 inches tall.
What is the scientific definition of a second? Find out here.
About 20 minutes before the onset of pain from a migraine headache, many sufferers experience a phenomenon called “the aura.” During this time the sufferer may see intense colors, flashing lights, and even hallucinations such as monsters and ghosts. Lewis Carroll, who suffered from migraines for most of his life, is said to have been…
A Japanese scroll art created 200 years ago during the Edo period (1603-1868) is dedicated to gas warfare, but not the kind of gas traditionally used in combat.
In a move certain to make Grumpy Cat even more surly, Russian tax collectors have started arresting cats and holding them in custody to motivate delinquent taxpayers to make good on their obligations.
One of the last official acts of President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) before leaving for Ford’s Theater where he would be fatally shot was to sign legislation that created the United States Secret Service.
