If you stand on the summit of Mount Kosciusko, you have made it to the peak of Australia’s highest mountain. You share that achievement Pawel Edmund Strzelecki, the first Westerner to reach […]
Australia’s Name-Changing Tallest Mountain
The Scam to Search for a Country that Didn’t Exist — And What Was Discovered Instead
Bob was a con man. That’s not how he would have described himself. He would have told you that he was a visionary and hero — someone who sought out new frontiers […]
How Marco Polo Owes His Fame to an Inquisitive Inmate
History so often hinges upon accidents, such as the time Gutenberg was forced to invent the printing press because he missed an important date by an entire year, or the time Constantinople […]
Christopher Columbus and the Phony Logs
Christopher Columbus famously discovered America in 1492. In so doing, he earned accolades as a great explorer, adventurer and visionary. He also earned one other title that is not as well recognized: […]
Who Got Ripped Off When Manhattan Was Purchased for $24?
At some point in every history class, the subject invariably comes up that Manhattan Island was purchased from naive Native Americans by savvy Europeans for mere pocket change. When you hear about […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 