14 Surprising Facts About Marco Polo
He claimed he was besties with Mongol emperor Kublai Khan.
2023-08-18 01:27
The Origins of 13 Mythical Creatures
Unicorns, mermaids, vampires, and leprechauns are some of the most widely known mythical creatures, but where did these legendary beings come from?
2023-08-18 00:18
11 Weirdly Spelled Words—And How They Got That Way
Ever wonder why there’s a ‘k’ in ‘knead,’ or a ‘d’ in ‘Wednesday’? While there isn’t always a good reason for why some English words are spelled the way they are, there are reasons.
2023-08-17 05:22
The Lost Library of Herculaneum: Unravelling the Scrolls That Mount Vesuvius Almost Destroyed
Historians were struck by the tantalizing possibility that this library might contain missing works of some of history’s greatest writers—works thought to have been lost forever.
2023-08-17 05:21
11 Facts About John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’
John Steinbeck’s 1939 book ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ humanized the “Okies,” captured history as it was happening, and earned its author so much personal trouble that he started carrying a gun for protection.
2023-08-17 03:28
The Iceman Baldeth: New Genome Analysis Shows Ötzi Had Surprising Ancestry—and Male-Pattern Baldness
Ötzi the Iceman may have gone bald in middle age—but hey, at least he had tattoos.
2023-08-16 23:46
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’: The Grim True Story of the Osage Murders
'Killers of the Flower Moon' tells the story of the Osage murders, an especially bleak chapter of American history.
2023-08-16 22:19
Why Ulysses S. Grant’s Wife Julia Always Posed in Profile
After a sweet plea from her husband not to change her looks, the first lady was careful about how she presented herself in pictures.
2023-08-16 05:15
The Presidential Candidate Who Ran on a UFO Ticket
Gabriel Green explained that “I’m running for president because I was asked to do so by emissaries from outer space.”
2023-08-16 01:15
Why Do We Like to 'Nip It in the Bud'?
The idiom goes back centuries. And no, it's not 'nipping it in the butt.'
2023-08-15 22:24
The Noteworthy Fears of 10 Famous Figures
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”—unless you also fear the number 13. Or insects. Or being buried alive. Here are the fears of just a few of history’s most notable figures, from FDR to Dalí.
2023-08-15 20:15
The World's Oldest Restaurant Has Been Operating Continuously for 300 Years
Many elements of Restaurante Botín in Madrid date back to when it opened in 1725, including the fire in the oven.
2023-08-15 04:16