Weird History

When American Parcel Post services launched on January 1, 1913, citizens suddenly found themselves with a revelatory new way of getting objects from point A to point B. And back in those days, "objects" often meant parcels in the form of unlikely entities like live chickens, bizarre medical supplies (such as cadavers), and even flesh-and-blood tots themselves. Yes, children were sent through the mail.

When you hear the name "Captain Morgan," images of bros posing with a handle of spiced rum with one foot danging precariously in the air probably come to mind. While there were plenty of pirates whose reputations were built on boozin' it up with bar wenches à la modern rum-guzzling frat bros, the real Captain Morgan is not one of them. Sir Henry Morgan doesn't sound like the name one of the most terrifying pirates in the Caribbean - but the ruthless Captain Henry Morgan propelled himself to fame and riches by terrorizing his enemies and seizing a fortune in gold from the Spanish. The history of piracy is full of surprises, and these Henry Morgan facts are no exception.

From the hulls of ships to the sides of trucks to the walls of bathroom stalls across the world - and even engraved into national monuments - one iconic phrase has appeared in seemingly every place across the globe: "Kilroy was here." Along with a cartoon of a bald man with a big nose peering over a wall, the famous declaration took root during WWII and remained popular among soldiers through the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and up to today.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, was more than the man behind the Panama Canal and the inspiration for the teddy bear. He was a cowboy. A soldier. An explorer. A badass.When Teddy Roosevelt, or T.R. as he was commonly known, was a child, he had health issues. He overcame these by living what he called a "strenuous life." That's putting it lightly.

The Elizabethan ruff is easily identified - a large, stiff, upright, usually lace collar that, in all honesty, looks uncomfortable and awkward. The Elizabethan collar that dominated fashion during the late 16th and 17th centuries, however, was an indicator of wealth, prestige, and social status. Ruffs became increasingly large and elaborate as methods to create them advanced. Hours were spent looping, ironing, and starching lace and linen into place. Embroidery, jewels, and precious metals were added to heighten the glamour of the ruff. By the late 16th century, what was once a simple collar had transitioned to become the ultimate display of excess.

In the 19th century, physicians argued that Victorian hospitals offered modern, scientific care. But in Vienna, one doctor realized physicians were inadvertently ending the lives of their patients. That's because 19th-century medical practices did not include handwashing. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis spent years trying to convince other doctors to wash their hands after performing post-mortems. He proved that handwashing could save thousands of lives, and yet most doctors ignored his evidence. One stated it simply wasn't possible for doctors to harm their patients, as "a gentleman's hands are clean." Even after Semmelweis provided solid proof that washing hands and sanitized tools decreased the maternal mortality rate, doctors dismissed his findings.

Many believe that Dina Sanichar, the Indian wolf boy, was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's famous work, The Jungle Book. Just like Mowgli, Dina was a feral boy raised by wolves, although his life was quite different from his fictional counterpart's. Mowgli the man-cub entranced readers with his fascinating upbringing. After wandering into an Indian forest, he was adopted by the animals who fed, protected, and sheltered him. Dina, too, was raised by wolves. But the boy who inspired Mowgli did not have such a fantastical life.

Civil Rights activist and Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., is most remembered for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience to advance civil rights and pursue equal opportunities for African Americans. He opposed segregation and marched on Washington, DC, to deliver his famous "I Have A Dream" speech in 1963 and, the following year, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for opposing racial inequality through nonviolent resistance.

The Presidential Limousine, known officially as "Cadillac One" and called "the Beast" by the Secret Service, is a remarkable machine. The president's car is capable of transporting and protecting him, letting him work undisturbed, and if necessary, unleashing nuclear hell. President Obama's car is a unique vehicle built around a Cadillac DTS that almost everyone has seen, but almost nobody knows anything about. And that's on purpose - the details of its protection and weapons are closely guarded secrets.

He could barely eat because of his disfigured jaw. He suffered from rickets, hallucinations, and an oversized head. He was impotent and infertile. Charles II of Spain, king of one of the largest empires in the world, was barely able to talk or walk - all because his dynasty was so inbred. Royal inbreeding caused mutations and birth defects that could be even worse than the already estimable genetic mutations from incest. In fact, Charles II of Spain's inbred birth made him more inbred than the children born of a union between brother and sister. And that's what ultimately explains Charles II of Spain's cause of death: by 35 all his hair fell out and he could barely walk, and before he turned 39 he died without an heir, plunging Europe into a bloody war as various nations vied for his crown.

Picture a citizen of the Roman Empire. What are they wearing? Most likely, you imagined someone wearing a white toga, sandals, and maybe some kind of laurel on their head. But most ancient Romans didn't really dress that way in their day-to-day lives. Many of us get our ideas of how Romans dressed from pop culture - movies like Spartacus or Gladiator, or TV shows like Rome. But no movie or TV show can perfectly recreate a historical era no matter how big their budget, and many don't try very hard.

In the 1870s, rich Americans came up with a new scheme: they sold their daughters abroad, marrying them off to British aristocrats in exchange for a title. In a country without an aristocracy, suddenly every rich American wanted a duchess in the family. The young women, who often didn't have a choice, became known as the Dollar Princesses. Buying noble titles was an old practice, of course, but Americans took it to a new level with Gilded-Age marriages. American brides carried huge fortunes across the sea, including some of the most lavish dowries in history.

Wild West saloons have been portrayed in popular culture as dens of vice and violence. Located throughout the American frontier, Western saloons were part of the landscape, present in small camps and growing towns alike. Saloons in the Wild West served as repositories of information, houses of companionship, and refuge points amid isolation and loneliness. The activities that took place at saloons were emblematic of the American West itself; just as settlers gambled everything to embark into the unknown, saloon patrons could bet their earnings on a friendly game of faro or poker. Saloons provided a means of survival, even offering a chance at wealth and prosperity on the frontier.

The Aztecs thrived in the area corresponding to Mexico between the 14th and 15th centuries until they were overthrown by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1521. This complex Mesoamerican culture revolved around growing and consuming food, particularly maize (what is now known as corn) - but what else did the Aztecs eat? What did they grow? What did they eat for dessert? How did they cook their food?

After Black voters helped elevate Black politicians to power in US politics, tensions over race started to flare up. Black men were called various disrespectful terms, and messages were put out in the media that stoked fear and guilt. In 1898, white citizens seized control of the government in North Carolina, and initiated the only successful American coup, by overthrowing the elected government in Wilmington, NC. In those days, the Democratic party openly promoted laws that benefited white citizens and wanted to take control and keep it. After the insurrection, the Democrats in power passed poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise Black voters further.

Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, built the huge Terracotta Army to protect him in the afterlife. An elaborate tomb complex in Xi'an, the city-size compound came equipped with everything the emperor would require in the afterlife. Like the Egyptians, the ancient Chinese believed the items they took with them to the grave would accompany them into the afterlife. But instead of burying actual people with him underground, the emperor created clay reproductions of warriors, servants, horses, and other objects. An incredible feat of design, the army also features a number of ancient Chinese inventions, many of which no one realized dated back as far as the Qin dynasty.

Conjoined twins have long been the subject of great curiosity due in part to the rarity of the condition. Not to mention, many different ways exist for siblings to become anatomically connected to one another. Fueled by that curiosity, a Soviet physiologist named Pyotr Anokhin - who studied the development and structure of human circulatory and nervous systems - made Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova the focus of many of his science experiments - experiments that were conducted for the majority of their lives.

The Black Seminoles were a group of people that history, for the most part, forgot about. Their alliance with the native Seminole tribes resulted in a unique relationship that had never been seen before, and that changed the course of history for both the Seminoles and the State of Florida as a whole. The Black Seminoles, sometimes called Maroons, were a group of freed men and runaway slaves living in Florida during the mid-16th century. They settled the first free Black town in American history, attained their freedom by joining the Spanish and converting to Catholicism, and formed a tight cultural bond with the Seminole tribes.

All western schoolchildren have heard of Sacagawea, and even more know the story of Pocahontas either from class or the Disney movie. But who was the great – and comparatively unknown – Marie Dorion? No less than one of the most resilient, courageous, and frankly badass women in history. Dorion (1786 – 1850) was the daughter of a French Canadian father and a Native American mother. A seasoned survivalist, she would go on to become the only female member of John Jacob Astor’s legendary Astoria expedition, whose goal was to establish the first trading post at the mouth of the Columbia.

Presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt battled it out in the election of 1912, even though Roosevelt had handpicked Taft as his successor just four years earlier. What made the Republicans turn on each other? And did the invention of the teddy bear play a role? In 1909, just after being elected president, Taft took on his biggest opponent yet: the teddy bear. In a year-long battle, Taft supporters tried to replace the beloved teddy bear with a new stuffed animal, Billy Possum, declaring, "Good-bye, Teddy Bear. Hello, Billy Possum."

If you've ever played the video game Nioh, you might have noticed a tall, ax-wielding, black samurai named Yasuke. Maybe you're a fan of the Afro Samurai anime. Perhaps you're a Hollywood insider all about Lionsgate's Black Samurai film, which was announced in spring 2017. All of these projects are based on a real person. Yasuke was an African samurai who arrived in Japan with Jesuits during the Sengoku period.

Although it resulted in some of the most remarkable artwork ever created, the life of Vincent van Gogh was marked by poverty, loneliness, rejection, and mental illness. Vincent van Gogh's biography is sad enough on its own; that his paintings would ultimately become the most sought after and expensive status symbols in the art world is an irony practically too cruel to comprehend. To an individual who frequently had to choose between purchasing food or canvas and paint, the idea that even a single Van Gogh would today fetch hundreds of millions of dollars would seem inconceivable. But in the context of the painter's life, it is only appropriate, considering these sad and bizarre facts about Vincent van Gogh.

On April 15, 1865, Lincoln was gunned down in Ford’s Theater by John Wilkes Booth, a man sympathetic to the defeated Confederacy. In the years following the end of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, his successor Andrew Johnson proved utterly incapable of unifying a fractured nation. Under Johnson, everyday life during the Reconstruction was a gauntlet of simmering hatred, short supplies, and an onslaught of new means for oppressing African Americans.

King Richard III of England is remembered as one of history’s most villainous royals: a cruel, calculating hunchback who did whatever it took to secure power for himself. But there’s a lot more to Richard than what the detractors want you to believe. So, who was the real Richard III?

Plenty of time periods evoke groans of regret when it comes to fashion, from the bullet bras of the 1950s to the Hammer pants of the 1990s. However, the towering wigs and frilly outfits of the Macaroni style of the 1760s and 1770s led to so many "what were they thinking" moments, entire industries developed to make fun of its followers. More than 200 years later, Macaronis are still the butt of fashion jokes. While the fashion term "Macaroni" may not be instantly recognizable, you've probably heard it if you've ever sung "Yankee Doodle." Although it would seem the rhyme is referring to pasta, the Yankee Doodle Macaroni in the song actually referred to this strange trend.

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack claimed more than 2,400 American lives and sank multiple navy ships. Firsthand accounts of the Pearl Harbor attack captured the devastation and trauma of the event. But what happened immediately afterward?

When the Russian submarine Kursk sank in 2000, it was a conspiracy theorist's dream come true. Immediately, conflicting stories started pouring in from official sources, ranging from a US submarine ramming the Kursk to a potential Russia-China torpedo sales plot. The Russian Kursk submarine disaster captured the attention of millions, and the families of the crew were left struggling to find out what really happened to their loved ones. So what really happened to the Kursk?

When you think of hygiene during the Great Depression, you might automatically assume the widespread unemployment and poverty resulted in a generally dirty and unkempt population. However, while many people were forced to live in unsanitary conditions, in truth, the Great Depression was as much a time of struggle as it was a period of innovation for keeping clean. During the 1930s, maintaining a clean body and home was a point of pride. With economic and social hardship all around, cleanliness was something that was relatively controllable.

Weird History Presents Timeline: 1990. Oh, 1990, the start of a new decade and it would be all that and a bag of chips. 1990 would be a year where the world would see the rise of the world wide web, civil unrest in the states, and a hairstyle called “The Rachel” dominate the landscape. Join Weird History as we explore the year that was 1990.

Have you ever wondered what people did in the Wild West for fun? Life on the American frontier was hard, without question, but cowboys, pioneers, settlers, miners, and the like also had a fair amount of time to enjoy their surroundings. At the very least, they needed some outlets to blow off steam. Many pastimes in the Wild West took place at well-known sites like saloons and brothels; however, as various sporting events and recreational activities spread across the country, people in the Wild West were also able to take part in some unique experiences as they came along. Entertainment in the Wild West might not be your idea of fun, but men, women, and children out on the frontier had a fair number of options for ways to spend their free time.

Providing a brief history of Australia is hardly possible, especially when you consider the nation's long and fraught history with Britain. Australia started as a penal colony - a place for lawbreakers to reside outside the confines of England's general population. Britain believed getting rid of responsible parties would end crime altogether, so it sent them across the ocean to the largest island in existence. While many penal colonies in Australia were known for their heinous conditions, other British colonies across the ocean offered a chance for people to start fresh, with little connection to their past life of misconduct. But why did the British send convicts over to Australia in the first place?

Those who trekked across the country to begin new lives in the Wild West were known for their resourcefulness, and it shows in many of the foods they ate. While pioneer cuisine may seem strange to us today, the settlers had no choice but to use what they had to survive - and they got pretty creative. Life in the Old West was harsh, journeys were long, and settlers had no guarantees the food they packed on a wagon train would last until their final destination. They hunted local wildlife, used replacement ingredients that traveled well (such as apple cider vinegar to make a passable pie), and preserved everything they could.

What was hygiene like during the Black Death? In the 14th century, the bubonic plague swept through Europe, wiping out as many as 50 million people - or more than half the continent. During this time, it was common for people to dump their chamber pots in the streets and sleep on dirty straw. These unsanitary practices attracted rodents and spread disease. Could better hygiene have prevented the black plague?

Samuel Clemens (the real name of author Mark Twain), is one of the most well-loved writers of all time, certainly up there with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Charles Dickens. But for most, the details of his most famous works (The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn) are more memorable than his biography. In truth, Mark Twain's life story was in many ways as dynamic as the adventures in his books: he traveled widely, underwent his share of tragedy, collaborated with Nikola Tesla, and was even said to be a dead-on-the-money psychic.

Timeline 1991 - Weird History is going back to the year 1991 to explore the news, culture, sports and entertainment in year two of the 90s. From the premiere of Beavis and Butthead to the Gulf War, to the Chicago Bulls winning their first championship. Sit back, relax and enjoy 25 minutes of 1991 memories.

As a frequent flyer, the president of the United States deserves relief from typical travel nuisances like baggage fees and shoe removal in security lines. Access to the Air Force One plane, however, is the ultimate travel perk, based on facts we know about this flying fortress of freedom. The president's life is far from normal, from ordering at a restaurant to remaining under the watchful eye of the Secret Service, but the way the commander-in-chief travels is especially removed from the rest of the public's experiences.

Before 2015, it was common to hear that Alexander Hamilton was, by far, the most undervalued of all the American Founding Fathers. But with the explosive popularity of the Broadway musical Hamilton, that statement is no longer accurate. Hamilton fever swept America, and he became one of the most popular Founding Fathers, as fans of the musical flocked to historic sites and bought out shelves of books associated with him. Hamilton was not just important in the founding of America. He was also a fascinating historical figure and tireless public servant.

In a time before smartphones, social media, and binge-watching, the Victorians were remarkably creative in finding ways to spend their free time. A culture obsessed with the afterlife, the Victorians would spend the day enjoying a meal next to a grave and then the evening trying to contact a lost loved one. Fascinated by the teachings of Charles Darwin and the scientific revolution, they paid fortunes to collect rare plants and witness medical anomalies firsthand. Even expired animals could be grouped into entertaining tableaux for audiences to wonder at.

What’s better than regular Coke? Clear Coke, of course! Or, at least that’s what a majority of the top soda brands in the US thought back in the early '90s. Leading the "Clear Cola Craze" was PepsiCo., which released the first of many clear cola beverages, with their aspirational hit Crystal Pepsi. Anyone who grew up in the 1990s is likely to recall the suspiciously pure-looking soda, and its just-as-curious departure from stock shelves nationwide. So, what really happened to Crystal Pepsi, and the clear-cola movement that succeeded it?

Giacomo Casanova is remembered today for his many illicit affairs. After all, the word "Casanova" still denotes a cad who knows his way around women. But however legendary or unbelievable the stories about his life seem to be, the vast majority of them were at least partly true. Who was Casanova, the living legend?

Weird History presents Timeline: 1992 - We're going back to the early nineties and explore some of the highlights of 1992. From the 'Olympic Dream Team', to the Rodney King trial, to Joey Buttafuoco, Timeline 1992 will relive some of the most iconic 90s memories. Weird History is going to talk about the news, culture, sports, entertainment and all that was weird in the year 1992.

The 1932 kidnapping and death of the then almost-two-year-old Charles "Charlie" Lindbergh was the stuff of tragic melodrama. The case of what happened to the Lindbergh baby drew worldwide attention. After all, aviator Charles Lindbergh, Sr. was the most famous man in the world, having been the first person to fly solo and non-stop across the Atlantic. Everyone loved handsome and daring "Lucky Lindy," and the world rejoiced when he married the lovely Anne Morrow and produced the adorably blond and chubby "Baby Lindy." But on a cold March night in 1932, the child was mysteriously taken from his crib. Within just a few hours, the Hopewell, New Jersey crime scene was hopelessly contaminated, muddying the evidence forever, and further clouding the strange circumstances discovered by case investigators.

Corsets became popular in the 16th century allegedly because Catherine de' Medici, wife of French King Henry II, banned women with thick waists from attending court. She was a tyrannical monarch, but the Italian-born woman created beauty standards that held up exceptionally well. Corsets remained incredibly common during the Renaissance, up until the 20th century. Certain historians, however, suggested the restrictive undergarments contributed to the patriarchal system of female oppression.

Let’s bust one Great Depression myth right off the bat, courtesy of Megan McArdle: “even at the height of the Depression, when a quarter of the workforce was unemployed, most people were not on relief, and most were not suffering malnutrition.” Even if it wasn’t all hobos sharing beans on a garbage can lid, the American diet during the Great Depression did change dramatically, thanks to the rise of the refrigerator, and, of course, the prioritization of thrift.

The ancient Egyptians were one of the first great civilizations on the planet. A foundationally well-structured society, the Egyptians had a sophisticated agricultural economy, a highly organized government, and proper law enforcement which created a sense of stability in their everyday lives that nurtured research and documentation. Through trial and error, the ancient Egyptians were able to discover medical treatments that were far ahead of their time - many of which are still employed today.

Over centuries, the Roman Empire conquered almost the entirety of Europe, giving generation after generation the chance to spill blood on the Roman battlefield. From the cold marshes of Britannia to the burning deserts of Carthage, the infamous Roman army invaded, conquered, and occupied massive tracts of land. As a civilization, Rome remains an impressive chapter in the history books.

Weird History presents Timeline 1993. We are going back to the middle part of the 90s and check the news, culture, sports, entertainment, and all that was weird with the 1990s. From the raid on the Branch Davidians to the attack of Monica Seles to Lorena Bobbitt becoming a household name, 1993 would have plenty of memorable moments.

If you're interested in knowing about the origins of government agencies like the FBI, the Secret Service, and the CIA, look no further than Pinkerton Agency history. It may seem like the vestige of a bygone era, but it's still around. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, founded by Allan Pinkerton, established itself as a surveillance and intelligence body during the second half of the 19th century. The agency created the foundation for the "alphabet soup" of US security existing today.

If you've heard of General Hannibal (247-183 BCE), you're probably thinking of the guy who rode several elephants into Italy, and that would be correct. In reality, though, there's more to Hannibal Barca's life story than his fabled crossing of the Alps with war elephants. This general made it a habit of outright embarrassing the Roman Army, defeating them by a landslide on multiple occasions. It wasn't until Rome drew upon the skills of another name from the list of notable generals—Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (AKA Scipio Africanus the Younger)—that they were finally able to defeat Hannibal.

What did it mean to eat like a Victorian? There was no single culinary experience in the 19th century. Just like the era itself, Victorian Britons had diverse tastes and habits, and the food they consumed often reflected their ingenuity. The Victorian era was a long period of time filled with shifting trends, attitudes, and innovations. Food was no exception.

In October 1871, the Great Chicago Fire nearly wiped out one of America's leading cities. But what happened after the Great Chicago Fire? In the wake of a blaze that claimed hundreds of lives and left more than $200 million in damages, some feared Chicago would never recover.

The Mongols created the largest contiguous land empire to have ever existed. Founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, the Mongol Empire spanned across Asia, extended into Eastern Europe, and reached into the Middle East. As warriors and rulers, the Mongols facilitated the integration of language, populations, and belief systems and, while their accomplishments have long been acknowledged, so, too, have their unique hygienic practices.

Weird History presents Timeline 1994. We're going back to the mid-90s to show you the news, culture, sports, entertainment, and all that was weird in the year 1994. This year would have some seminal moments - from OJ in the White Bronco, to Nancy Kerrigan getting whacked, to Michael Jordan stepping up to the plate. Join us as we look back at the 90s decade and focus in on 1994.

There are so many ways beer changed history, you have to wonders what kind of world we would live in if the vital, hoppy nectar had never been invented. From the earliest civilizations to the modern day, beer has had a major impact on the trajectory of history. Read on for a deeper understanding of how and why the carbonated delight changed the world.

Nobody saw comedy genius Sam Kinison’s death coming - at least not the way it happened. Most people assumed he’d succumb to substance abuse, but Kinison said he had that under control. Things actually looked good for Kinison leading up to his death: He just got married days earlier, and he was experiencing a career resurgence. Then an intoxicated teenage driver in a pick-up truck came along...

When the US government passed the Anti-Hijacking Act of 1974, it was a direct response to the "Golden Age" of skyjackings. The act mandated that all airline passengers and their carry-on bags be screened before getting on the plane because, in the early '70s, hijackings from the US were out of control. Between 1960 and 1974, there were 240 hijackings or attempted hijackings between the US and Cuba alone.

The Reign of Terror destroyed thousands of lives, but in the scientific community, Antoine Lavoisier's death was arguably the most devastating. Known for revolutionizing chemistry and conducting groundbreaking experiments during the Enlightenment, Lavoisier's aristocratic status eventually condemned him. Lavoisier and his wife, Marie-Anne, worked together as the father and mother of modern chemistry, designing and carrying out experiments. Together, they built an international reputation.

Abraham Lincoln was possibly our greatest president, and you would think his body would be treated with respect after he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on April 15, 1865. And in a way, it was: Lincoln became one of the first people in America to be embalmed. Seeing a well-preserved body drastically changed how people thought about death and funerals. Instead of seeing the ravages of time, they were able to look at a corpse that hardly seemed to have altered at all. People were comforted by the idea that death didn’t change anything, and decided embalming was the best way to go. Soon this process became a normal part of American death rituals.

'Roar' is the most dangerous movie ever made. Does that sound like hyperbole? It’s not. The 1981 film follows a man who lives peacefully among wild animals in Africa – until his family visits and all hell breaks loose. But the real hell happened behind the scenes; 70 members of the cast and crew were injured on set. And that’s just the beginning of the wild tales about filming 'Roar'.

Alan Turing was one of the world’s greatest geniuses. He basically invented the modern computer and was instrumental in helping end WWII, even though he never set foot on a battlefield. The Germans had invented the ultimate message coding device, the Enigma machine, and if the Allies wanted to take down Hitler, they were going to need to figure it out. Fortunately, there was Alan Turing’s code breaking park, Bletchley, where he and others achieved movie-worthy feats. In fact, it did make a great film, The Imitation Game, released in 2014 and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the man himself.

Just as the Victorian era is incorrectly portrayed as a period of demureness, misconceptions about the British monarchy – specifically, Queen Victoria – are equally persistent. In reality, crazy stories about the royal family abound from Victoria's court, the most well-known of which typically have to do with the standards Victoria set for Victorian mourning customs. However, despite accounts of her puritanical tendencies, Victoria was actually quite fond of sex and had a deep appreciation for the naked human form. Even the contents of her grave – the things she wanted to be interred with for eternity – had some highly sexual overtones that spoke to the question of what sex was like during the Victorian era.

Survival during war is often about more than just time spent on the front lines. During the Civil War, finding sufficient, edible food was challenging on account of a devastated landscape, insufficient labor after farmers went off to fight, as well as blockades and barricades preventing access to much-needed provisions. Much like settlers headed out West during the expansion of the United States or millions of poverty-stricken individuals impacted by the Great Depression, Civil War soldiers and their civilian counterparts resorted to whatever they could find to eat.

As you pour milk in your cereal bowl every morning, you might not even be fully awake yet, and you probably haven't thought much about the origins of corn flakes. After all, it's a pretty simple, unassuming cereal as far as the modern plethora of sugar-coated options go — some might even call them bland. But the question “Why were corn flakes invented?” actually leads to some shocking (and disturbing) answers.

Mel Blanc was nicknamed "The Man Of 1,000 Voices" and that moniker was not far off. The man thought of as America's greatest voice-over artist created hundreds of unique voices for radio, TV, movies, and some of the most beloved cartoon characters of all time. Blanc is perhaps best known for his work with Warner Bros. on their Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons.

There were a lot of lessons that came out of WWI, including many related to hygiene during armed conflicts. Those who served in WWII benefited from post-WWI research and concern for personal hygiene, sanitation, and overall cleanliness, allowing for a cleaner wartime experience. WWII hygiene involved a lot of innovation, including everything from chemicals to prevent infestation to footwear designed to keep feet dry and clean.

In 1970, there were few - if any - people in America more famous than Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon. Both the King of Rock and Roll and the president of the United States were at the top of the world, and only a few years away from their dramatic falls from grace - which is part of what makes their December 21, 1970, meeting at the White House so fascinating.

The Soviet Union took shape after a series of revolutions during the early 20th century. Characterized by some of its best-known leaders, namely Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin, the Soviet Union spanned thousands of miles and was made up of hundreds of ethnic groups. As the administrative and cultural hub of the Soviet Union, Russia was the largest socialist republic. After WWII, Soviet Russia and the whole of the Soviet Union found itself under the authoritarian rule of Josef Stalin, the dictator who implemented collectivist policies, gulags, and other repressive tactics to maintain his power. Standards of living declined and people struggled to survive, often scrounging for whatever food they could find.

Weird History presents Timeline 1995. We're taking you back to the year 1995 to check out the news, culture, sports, entertainment, and all that was weird in the mid-90s. Timeline will look back at some of the major events, including Mike Tyson getting out of prison, Michael Jordan's un-retirement, the Oklahoma City bombing, and more. Join Weird History as we look back at the 90s.

The man in the iron mask is a centuries-old tale that has been passed down through stories, art, and even movies starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It all began in the 1680s, when a mysterious prisoner, locked up by order of King Louis XIV of France, was spotted wearing a mask made of iron. No one ever saw his face, and the age old question lingered for hundreds of years: who was the man in the iron mask?

Sure, you might know the famous movie quote "I am Spartacus!," but who was the real gladiator Spartacus? He was a Thracian-born mercenary-turned-probable deserter who was sold into slavery in the first century BCE, becoming a gladiator at a famed school in Italy. In 73 BCE, Spartacus and about 70 of his pals fled their bondage; over the next few years, they gathered tens of thousands of slaves in a conflict against Rome.

Well-heeled aristocrats, gilded halls, manicured gardens - the Court of Versailles is remembered for its opulence. But the reality of French court hygiene revealed that life at Versailles was likely dirtier and smellier than most people imagine. After all, thousands of people lived cheek by jowl in a 17th-century palace without the convenience of modern plumbing.

Straitjackets. Sedatives. Bars on the windows. In 1900, patients at mental hospitals in the United States faced inhumane treatment, often because doctors could not identify the cause of their melancholy or mania. Officials at psychiatric hospitals in the 1900s, known at the time as lunatic asylums or insane asylums, locked patients up against their will, with few ideas on how to properly treat their problems. As Nellie Bly witnessed when she went undercover at Bellevue Hospital in New York, patients were beaten and choked, and their living quarters often looked more like prison cells than hospital rooms.

Coors is a regional sector of the world's third-largest brewer, Molson Coors, and operates the largest single brewery facility in the world from its headquarters in Golden, Colorado. After the CEO of Coors – who was also heir to the Coors industry – tragically perished, however, the Coors family nearly lost its beer-brewing fortune. The crime received substantial international attention, but even after after the CEO's death was confirmed, the suspect remained at large.

Weird History presents Timeline 1996. We're taking you back the year 1996 and reliving the news, culture, sports, entertainment and all that was weird in '96. From the divorce of Princess Di, to Richard Jewel getting falsely accused of the Atlanta Olympics attack, to the Unabomber getting arrested, 1996 was filled with some of the most iconic moments in the 90s decade. Sit back and enjoy Timeline.

Joyce McKinney is a former beauty queen who made headlines in 1977 when she kidnapped Mormon missionary Kirk Anderson. McKinney alleged she turned him into her sex slave. At the time, the case of the “manacled Mormon” made headlines both in England and in the United States. After McKinney kidnapped and imprisoned Anderson, she continued to attract the public’s attention with her fame-seeking behavior and unusual backstory.

Maps have the power to change minds, as the 1861 map that convinced Lincoln to end slavery proves. Maps also have the power to save lives. One such map, the John Snow map, single handedly ended a cholera outbreak and revolutionized epidemiology. Dr. John Snow’s cholera map of London charted deaths in the Soho neighborhood during the 1854 cholera outbreak.

The Aztec, a collective of Mesoamericans who thrived from the 14th to the 16th centuries, were the inheritors of ancient cultural traditions from their Olmec, Mayan, and Toltec predecessors. Aztec hygiene practices reflected earlier practice, continuing a dedication to cleanliness and purity. When Spanish conquerors first encountered the Aztec peoples during the early 16th century, they were amazed by their techniques for keeping themselves and their surroundings clean. A stark contrast to European practices at the time, the Aztec empire went to great lengths to provide clean water to the masses, rid the air of perceived pollutants, and use natural ingredients to promote health and hygiene.

Chances are, you've heard the saying "don't drink the Kool-Aid" - which, contrary to popular belief, is technically incorrect since the victims actually drank Flavor Aid. The adage refers to Jim Jones, a cult leader who gave his followers cyanide-laced punch, resulting in the mass murder-suicide of more than 900 people. The Jonestown cult started as the Peoples Temple, in which Jim Jones preached racial equality and an end to segregation, and even won awards for his civil rights work. However, as Jones's teachings got out of hand, by including fake healings and violent outbursts, the Peoples Temple took a different turn.

The incredible details of the cat-and-mouse game between war criminal Adolf Eichmann and those who spent years chasing him seem like they could be ripped from the pages of a Hollywood script. The decades-long hunt for Eichmann is among the most infamous fugitive pursuits in history. Eichmann managed to evade capture until 1960, when Israeli agents seized him in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eichmann was quickly smuggled out of the country -- unbeknownst to Argentine authorities.

Weird History presents Timeline 1997 - We're going back to the late 90s and talking about the news, culture, sports, entertainment, and all that was weird in '97. From the tragic passing of Princess Diana, to the emergence of a young golfer named Tiger Woods, to Mike Tyson taking a bite out of Evander Holyfield during their heavyweight rematch, Timeline is bringing nostalgia to your face.

The Atlantic Slave Trade saw millions of Africans removed from their homeland, shipped across an ocean, and forced to work in brutal conditions in the Americas. The trip itself, known as the Middle Passage, was a horrible, deadly, and inhumane experience. The conditions on slave ships were dirty, scary, and offered no amount of comfort to the enslaved passengers. With little understanding of what was to come and even less hope of ever being free again, captives on slave ships would resort to tears, acts of defiance, and even suicide to try escaping their plight. To this day, we are still uncovering evidence that attests to the horrible realities of slavery - but no amount of scholarship and understanding will change the scarring experiences of slave ship conditions.

The Brooklyn Bridge is not only one of the top attractions of New York City, but it is also one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world. It connects Manhattan to Brooklyn and crosses the East River. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. But building the bridge was a huge undertaking and fraught with tragedy. It took 14 years to complete and nearly 30 people died from various incidents during its construction.

The Great Depression was an era of financial toil for nearly everyone in the United States. But those in the Dust Bowl were hit particularly hard - the Southern plains region of the US experienced a drought that led to severe dust storms. Farming grew difficult because of the lack of rain, and people who lived in the Dust Bowl became desperate for food, even more so than others who lived during the Depression. Dust Bowl meals focused on nutrition over taste.

The small town of Bedford, VA, suffered greater losses than any other single location in the United States on D-Day. On June 6, 1944, out of the 30 men from Bedford who stormed the beaches of Normandy, 19 died. A handful more perished in the days following. The Bedford Boys served as the inspiration for Saving Private Ryan, but this unique group had its own distinct story. In the midst of the heroism and horror of World War II, the brave men from Bedford represented the patriotism and courage of thousands.

Death by molten gold isn’t just a grisly Game of Thrones invention. In the third century, a Roman emperor named Valerian is alleged to have died when his rival poured liquid gold down his throat. Valerian’s gruesome death was nearly as bad as the horrific executions in Henry VIII’s time, and that's really saying something. Unfortunately for Valerian, his execution was only one part of his humiliating captivity in the hands of the Persians. That is, if we're to believe the account of Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius, an early Christian author who was no fan of Valerian's.

The Japanese word kamikaze translates to "divine wind." It refers to the storms that saved Japan from the invading Mongol fleets under Kublai Khan, and thus it was the moniker given to the pilots of the Special Attack Force in World War II. The force, known in Japanese as Tokkotai, carried out suicide attacks on the American fleet by crashing their planes, loaded with explosives, into American ships. The life of a kamikaze pilot was as difficult as it was short.

The Black Death devastated Europe, claiming 25 million lives and up to 80% of the population in some cities. Survivors of the plague, which lasted from approximately 1347-1353, struggled with skyrocketing food prices, psychological torment, and survivor guilt. Even Renaissance scholar Petrarch wished he was never born. In spite of the many tragedies it caused, the Black Death also had ripple effects that improved conditions in Europe in its aftermath. The awful time period didn't only galvanize pub culture, it transformed Europe's feudal society, spurring the 14th-century Renaissance in Italy and shifting wealth from the aristocracy to workers and peasants.

Life for peasants in the Middle Ages was difficult, to say the least - Medieval peasant jobs could often involve long hours of back-breaking labor in less than sanitary conditions - but it wasn’t all bad. Peasants actually had a lot more free time than you might expect. They got every Sunday off, as well as special holidays mandated by the church, not to mention weeks off here and there for special events like weddings and births when they spent a lot of time getting drunk. One estimate is that during the 1300s, peasants might only have worked 150 days a year.

It's good to be the king - or the emperor. Pleasure, power, and extreme wealth often come with the job. The exploits of Caligula are legendary, and he even took those activities to the water when he built two luxurious party ships and parked them on Lake Nemi near Rome. The Lake Nemi ships were intentionally sunk during the second half of the first century and were finally recovered during the 1930s. Artifacts from the ships went to a museum in Italy but many items were destroyed in World War II. Recently, a mosaic from one of the ships turned up in New York City, proving all is not lost for Caligula's sex ships, but it does raise interesting questions as to how it got there.

There are about 100 uncontacted native groups around the world, but none of them are more isolated than the Sentinelese tribe. Located in the northern Andaman Islands of India, these indigenous people conscientiously separate themselves from the outside world. In fact, their isolation has likely saved lives, as nearby tribes have suffered losses at the hands of outsiders who carry diseases or create hostility. Explorers commonly exploit native people and kill the animals they hunt for food.

When George Washington died on December 14, 1799, the nation mourned the loss of its first President and the heroic general of the American Revolution, but one man didn't accept the President’s death. Instead of waiting for a divine presidential resurrection, Dr. William Thornton came up with his own plan to bring George Washington back to life.

France was a country torn apart by years of religious and civil wars when Marie de Medici married King Henri IV in 1600. It was one of the unhappiest royal marriages of all time. Desperate for power, she watched from behind the scenes for years while her husband tried to control a country that was intent on destroying itself from within - she watched, and waited for her moment to strike. After 10 years of marriage, she was finally crowned Queen of France in her own right. The very next day her husband was conveniently murdered by a fanatical priest and Marie took control of the kingdom for herself.

Weird History presents Timeline 1998. Timeline is going back to the 90s and showing you all the news, culture, sports, entertainment, and all that was weird in the year 1998. '98 will be remembered for Bill Clinton getting impeached, the Chicago Bulls winning their second three-peat, and Oprah getting sued by Texas cattlemen. Take a nostalgic trip back to 1998.

What if a secret society of rogues operated in plain sight, using code words to plot elaborate felonies and hoaxes? From the 16th to 19th centuries, Europeans believed exactly that. According to multiple authors, rogues spoke a secret dialect called thieves' cant, which even the police couldn't crack. Honest folks needed to learn the language quickly so they could avoid "priggers" and "badgers" - known in standard English as thieves and villains.

In the 19th century, child labor was legal, and thousands of children were sequestered into mines and factories. The life of a child worker was grueling, and often short. Many were forced to begin working before they were 10 years old, as jobs like chimney sweeping required children who could fit into small places. While working conditions left much to be desired, at least the children were making money on the up and up; the same cannot be said for the gangs of child criminals who plagued England.

The concept of hygiene was still emerging during Ellis Island's heyday, with healthcare workers doing their best to deal with the possibilities of new illness and disease. Despite millions of people coming through, there were fewer than 4,000 lives lost during the duration of Ellis Island's operations. Considering the resources available at the time, it is fascinating to look at the healthcare techniques that were used in order to not just keep the facility flowing, but keep it as clean as possible.

Necklaces, rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings - we usually associate jewelry with women, but in the past men wore way more jewelry. So why don't men wear jewelry today? Male beauty standards change over time, and the same is true for jewelry standards. In the past, kings had rubies sewn into their clothes and ropes of pearls draped around their necks, showing off their wealth and power. Male jewelry was especially popular during the Renaissance, when men with earrings became a fashion trend. Of course, earrings never went out of style for pirates, and pirates loved their hoop earrings for some strange reasons.

When did nose jobs become popular? The first cosmetic nose job didn't happen until the late 1800s, but the procedure dates back 2,500 years. Around the 6th century BCE, an Indian doctor wrote about a process for grafting a flap of cheek skin over the nose. Unlike other early medical practices causing more harm than good, such as leeching or rubbing animal dung into wounds, methods used by ancient plastic surgeons were surprisingly effective and modern (but incredibly painful).

Northern California and the Pacific Northwest were forever changed by gold rushes, from population increases to economic growth to the introduction of new foods. People from all over the country - even all over the world - were crammed together in overcrowded camps and settlements, mixing ideas and recipes. Supplies were often limited, and food rations had to last much longer than normal, especially in remote regions. Resourceful gold miners knew how to pack accordingly for long journeys and use the flora and fauna available to them. This list brings together some of the more interesting and unusual foods consumed by those who participated in these gold rushes, some of which have become staples of American cuisine, and some of which have not survived the passage of time.

Many people know George Washington owned slaves, but what was life like for the slaves at Washington's Mount Vernon plantation? Hundreds of enslaved people toiled on the estate, where Washington expected them to work all day, six days a week. Many saw Washington as a harsh slave owner, and dozens of his slaves attempted to escape.

Soon after the Ford Motor Company introduced the Pinto to the public in 1970, the inexpensive subcompact model became one of the most popular cars in the United States. However, by the end of the decade, the Pinto had earned a reputation as a "firetrap." The car's fuel tank could explode if the car was involved in a rear-end collision - a danger that Ford engineers were aware of but failed to address.

The Victorian Era, which spanned from 1837 to 1901, was a great time for not only industrialization, science, and economic prosperity, but also for the development of crime-solving techniques. While police tactics of the 1800s left much to be desired, the 19th century saw many important discoveries and developments in the world of criminal forensics that created a blueprint for modern day investigations. From fingerprinting to the development of crime scene photography, Victorian era detective work made considerable progress over 60 years.

Encounters with monarchs were not reserved for the rich and powerful alone, but did medieval peasants ever meet their lords? Surprisingly, they sometimes did. "Commoners" denotes a large group of men and women who didn't have noble titles. This included everyone from wealthy merchants to peasants who struggled to make ends meet. Surviving records reveal that medieval monarchs had encounters with these commoners - though it's hard to get a sense of what exactly commoners thought of these meetings. Were they cynical, excited, or indifferent about them?

On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant at Virginia's Appomattox Court House, effectively ending The Civil War. During the final, decisive battles of the war, many men lost their lives as the Confederacy desperately tried to fight against the Union troops that overran them. But on that fateful day in 1865, General Lee's surrender set the precedent for other massive surrenders that led to the official end of the war.

Weird History presents Timeline 1999 - We are taking you back to the last year of the 90s. 1999 would end the decade, and the 20th Century, on a cliffhanger with the dreaded Y2K. The year '99 would feature infamous moments like Bill Clinton's impeachment trial and Columbine, but also, iconic ones like the release of "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "The Matrix" going to the big screen. Take a trip back to 1999 with Weird History.

There once was a Medieval land of plenty, known as "Cockaigne," where food literally fell from the sky. It was imaginary, of course, but it was the over-the-top inspiration for a very real type of festival that was popular in Italy in the 1700s. It was known as "cuccagna," and it represents an important if not slightly disturbing moment in Italian food culture. The aristocrats and royals would build temporary palaces and statues, which they covered with food and then - on their signal - allowed poor villagers to ransack.

In September 2017, archaeologists began excavation on an outhouse, or a privy, found behind the Pierce-Hichborn house, which sits next door to Paul Revere's family home in Boston. Revere, most known for warning the colonists that the British were coming during the Revolutionary War, is an important historical figure in American history — and apparently, a lot can be learned from his bathroom habits.

The Silk Road was a network of markets and trading posts throughout Asia and the Indian Ocean Basin that extended from the eastern Mediterranean to the interior of China, and it earned its name thanks to the most valued commodity on the route: silk. Because of the large number of travelers making their way down the road, the different cultures that came into contact on the route, and the luxury goods that were being exchanged, intimacy on the historical Silk Road was an interesting, complicated, and nuanced cluster of encounters.

Alexander the Great didn't enjoy a long life, but few people have had such a profound effect on the world. In an odd way, perishing so young was probably the best thing Alexander could have done for his legacy - he didn't grow old and frail, and he wasn't crushed by the unbearable weight of actually running such a vast and disparate empire. He perished almost as dramatically as he lived.

In July 1967, two separate groups of young men set out to climb Denali (Mount McKinley). Those groups ended up merging into what's now commonly called the Wilcox Expedition, named after group leader Joe Wilcox. His name is unfortunately associated with the deadliest climbing disaster in American history, as a lethal storm killed 7 of the 12 men who set out to summit the mountain.

The early 1800s proved to be an interesting time. This period experienced one of the earliest recorded instances of global climate change. In addition, the War of 1812 ended; Napoleon Bonaparte lost at Waterloo; and Otto von Bismarck was born. The year 1816, in particular, stands out as being almost as tragic as 536 CE. Known as the "Year Without a Summer," 1816 negatively impacted the entire world, from the most poverty-stricken farmer in China to Thomas Jefferson. In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted, and its aftermath spurred droughts, crop failure, and endless winter.

The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious awards a person can earn. Among its many recipients, it is an honor won by chemists, physicists, and authors who have contributed vast amounts of tireless work to shaping the world we live in, and for their efforts in paving the way for humanity to move forward. The prize is named after its benefactor, Alfred Nobel, who, among a great many other things, was noted for his revolutionary invention that oftentimes literally helps to shape our world: dynamite. Although it would eventually be used as a weapon, dynamite was commonly used to blast rock underwater or to carve away tunnels. That is, at least, until November 12, 1970, when local authorities in Florence, OR, realized Mr. Nobel's invention could be put to another use: blowing up the rotting carcass of a beached whale.

The Mummy franchise traces its roots to the 1930s, when Boris Karloff portrayed the historic embalmed character at the height of the Universal Classic Monsters heyday. The first film, made in 1932, framed Imhotep as a mummy carrying an ancient curse. But Imhotep was a real-life priest in ancient Egypt, and he wasn't anything like his character in The Mummy movies. So who was Imhotep? The real Imhotep lived around 2600 BCE and was one of the first recorded geniuses in world history. He was an engineer, a physician, a politician, and a priest. Over the course of his life, he worked his way through the Egyptian ranks to hold a key position in the governments of two different pharaohs. He was also the mastermind behind the first pyramid.

Throughout history, many societies have used tarring and feathering as both punishment and humiliation. The practice reaches as far back as the 12th century, and the last instance occurred as recently as 1981, despite most people associating the ritual with the late 18th century. Traditionally, the practice of tarring and feathering is seen as a form of protest as well as punishment.

There is an old saying: “Live every day like it’s your last.” We live in an unpredictable world and are threatened by everything from nuclear fallout to heart disease. But how many of us really live each day as if we’ll never get another? Late in the year 79 CE, the citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum would have found this question extremely pressing. When the nearby stratovolcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, it set off a cycle of chaos that wiped out both towns and their citizens.

Winston Churchill was much more than the British Bulldog who held Britain together during the Blitz. He was also a prisoner of war with a bounty on his head who secretly sold paintings from a Paris art gallery - and that's just the beginning when it comes to weird Winston Churchill facts. Did you know that Churchill once ordered firefighters to let a London building burn to the ground rather than try to save the people inside? Or that 50 years before the Blitz, a teenage Churchill predicted, "I tell you London will be in danger - London will be attacked and I shall be very prominent in the defense of London?" Or that Churchill once jumped up during a dinner party, told his kitchen staff to run for a shelter, and sat back down three minutes before a bomb destroyed his kitchen? These strange facts about Winston Churchill might seem like fiction, but they're all true.

What was the iron maiden, and how did the iron maiden work? The medieval torture device, a human-sized sarcophagus filled with spikes, seems almost too gruesome to be true. According to 19th-century scholars, the iron maiden caused a slow, painful end, as people bled from shallow wounds while their torturers opened and closed the contraption's doors to impale them. Sharp spikes lined up with the eyes, causing blinding pain. It might be featured in multiple torture museums, but did the iron maiden exist?

Born in 1748, Jeremy Bentham was a 19th-century English philosopher, economist, and social reformer. Bentham had interesting ideas about mortality and mourning, which shaped how he wanted his remains handled after his passing. By Bentham's request, his preserved body was on public display and used for instruction. Bentham adopted and followed a practical life philosophy - he aimed for usefulness even in the afterlife. The reality of what happened to his body after he passed in 1832, however, wasn't quite what he intended. Bentham's remains, especially his head, took on a fascinating, if not horrifying, transformation.

The story of Julia Brown stands today as one of the most well-known Louisiana voodoo legends. "Aunt Julia" was the community healer for the tiny town of Frenier, LA. Although she was their healer, many people believe she put a curse on the town. Frenier, located just east of New Orleans along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, was completely wiped out by the Great Storm of 1915 on the day of Brown's funeral. It's rumored that Aunt Julia placed a voodoo curse on the town that leveled the community when she passed.

What is life like in Buckingham Palace? That continues to be a bit of a mystery. As a royal residence and an official state building, Buckingham Palace operates in both private and public spheres. Buckingham Palace on the inside contains rooms designated for official purposes, with private apartments nearby for the queen and members of her family. Living and working in Buckingham Palace comes with a variety of perks - staff enjoy everything from medical services to exercise facilities. Some of the challenges of the aging structure, including a leaking roof and falling detritus, may not seem like the ideal living situation, but as part of Buckingham Palace's history, these defects could just be considered part of the building's charm. The size and grandeur of Buckingham Palace exceeds general knowledge, and maybe even expectation, giving individuals living in Buckingham Palace access to much more than meets the eye.

Picture the amazing works of Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo – the Mona Lisa, David, the Sistine Chapel. Now picture a corpse. It's a jarring juxtaposition, but the master artists of the Italian Renaissance learned how to create such realistic, beautiful masterpieces by studying remains. Renaissance anatomy was a new field, and artists were at the forefront. Famous anatomical artists, including da Vinci and Michelangelo, knew more about the human body than most doctors.

In 1956, the world watched as American actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco. It was one of the first major media events surrounding a celebrity marriage, comparable only to the hype of Queen Elizabeth II's marriage to Prince Philip. But Grace Kelly's marriage had far deeper implications than just a man marrying a woman. But joining her wealthy family with the royal family of Monaco, she essentially insured the tiny principality's future prosperity. And one man was responsible for the whole affair.

We should all be thankful the process of foot binding is finally over. But what is foot binding, exactly? Well, imagine bending (and occasionally, breaking) your feet to grotesque angles from the age of five - and that's just scratching the surface. So why would anyone want to mangle their own toes to look like a vacuum-sealed pack of cocktail sausage smokies?

If modern movie and TV versions of the world’s most famous detective have taught us anything, it’s that the popularity of Sherlock Holmes is forever ingrained in our collective pop-culture memory. Even Star Trek told tales of Holmes and Watson through the lens of the 24th century. But the man who brought Holmes to the world—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—was a bit of a detective in his own right. And in the early twentieth century, he became involved in a supernatural investigation of his own that would give Sherlock a run for his money.

On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was reentering Earth's atmosphere after a two-week routine mission when it exploded, killing all seven astronauts aboard and scattering debris across multiple states. It was a horrific tragedy, particularly considering that the shuttle was on its 28th mission and had been a solid vehicle for space exploration and research since the 1980s. What happened to the space shuttle Columbia effectively ended NASA's shuttle program. In 2011, NASA's space shuttle fleet was officially retired.

The Victorian Era - in tandem with the reign of Britain's Queen Victoria - lasted throughout most of the 19th century. The Victorian period isn't exactly known for its go-with-the-flow attitude about social convention, and it's probably no surprise that death and mourning were not exempt from a set of strict rules of decorum. During this time period, elaborate mourning rituals became the norm, to the point of socially shaming those who didn't follow these highly regimented grief practices. Some of these rituals, such as having meals after funerals and surrounding the body of the dead with flowers, are still practiced today; while other of the death practices, some quite odd indeed, faded away after the end of the era.

What ever happened to the children of the most evil men in history? Some of their stories may surprise you. While we all learn about history's worst villains in school, it's rare that we hear anything about their descendants. Some of the offspring of these hated men have followed in their famous fathers' footsteps to become brutal leaders and dictators, undoubtedly making their parents proud. Yet, there are also the tales of children who do whatever they can to separate themselves from their nefarious relatives...

Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to https://keeps.com/WeirdHistory to get 50% off your first order of Keeps hair loss treatment. Greek, Roman, and Renaissance art stands out for its beauty and its attention to the human form. But millions of art lovers want to know: Why do old statues have small penises? From Michelangelo's David to the ancient Greek Laocoön, many classic sculptures stand out for what's missing. Was David experiencing shrinkage before his battle with Goliath, or did something else convince Michelangelo to keep chiseling?

The Conjuring, directed by James Wan, is one of the best horror films of the 21st century. It looks amazing, it plays on the audience’s worst fears, and it is based on a true story. But how true is it? There are a lot of films that say they are based on a true story just to get in an extra scare, but those claims rarely add up to anything more than a disclaimer on a movie poster. Throughout the '70s, the Perron family claimed to have lived The Conjuring. The family members were thrown out of their beds, ghosts kissed them in the middle of the night, and they were preyed upon by the spirit of a witch named Bathsheba Thayer. Was The Conjuring a true story?

Though Vikings are known for pillaging the coasts of Europe, Viking facts reveal that the marauders were more than just bearded warriors filled with blood-thirsty rage. Analysis of what Vikings ate shows that the ancient Norse people had surprisingly modern appetites. The Viking diet went beyond slabs of meat and tankards of mead to include a healthy balance of vegetables and breakfast staples like yogurt. The perception of Vikings as crude, dirty troublemakers doesn't match up with the refined nature of their meals. Viking cuisine incorporated a range of food and drink options, creating the balanced diet that made Viking men such notorious bruisers.

Many a curious renaissance fair or historical park visitor has probably wondered: “What was it like to be in the stocks?” A lot of people picture having their head and neck restrained for a few minutes and being pelted by old tomatoes, but punishment on the stocks (and its cousin, the pillory) was rarely so pleasant. Today, the stocks and pillory are often confused with one another, but they were two different devices that had different effects. Stocks restrained the feet, with the offender sitting; the pillory restrained the head and hands, with the offender standing.

Americans who stayed home during WWII were asked to make sacrifices to support troops overseas. People changed jobs, took on new responsibilities at home, and even changed their diets. Food rationing was a must. The military got the best meat, coffee, and nonperishables, while everyone else tightened their belts and made do. Instead of grumbling about it, people got creative.

Common causes of death in ancient Greece and Rome had a lot to do with a lack of modern healthcare and wellness. In an urban society with no central plumbing, impure water supplies that transmitted bacteria, and insufficient medical knowledge and disease prevention, it's not surprising that life expectancy in the ancient world was low and health was precarious.

Medical science has come a long way in the last hundred years, but that doesn't mean every medical mystery has been solved. The cause of the mysterious sleeping sickness that struck New York in the 1920s, Encephalitis lethargica, remains unsolved to this day. Originally called "the sleeping sickness" because the first few cases involved active people spontaneously falling asleep, it had a wide variety of symptoms and presentations.

During the Golden Age of Piracy, the growing British Empire went to great lengths to prevent lawlessness on the high seas. For centuries, pirates, privateers, buccaneers, and corsairs had taken to the water to wreak havoc against fellow seafarers, taking whatever they could find of value regardless of who suffered along the way. By the 17th and 18th centuries, however, piracy threatened European empire-building, so to curb such behavior, Britain punished the marauders and put them on display. Unlike what you may see in the best pirate movies, the life of a pirate was hard - long months, even years, on a ship amid the elements made for dirty, treacherous days and nights - but doom for a pirate was even worse.

In the peace- and love-themed summer of '69, giant music festivals became a standard event for the younger generation to experience rock-and-roll, hallucinogens, and the predictable chaos from cramming thousands of intoxicated people into a relatively confined area. One of these festivals, the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, would be cemented as one of the most famous music festivals in history.

Arsenic: it’s been called the “king of poisons” and the “poison of kings.” And for good reason – it has a lengthy, storied history, one full of mysterious poisoners and sometimes less-than-sympathetic victims. It's been a tool for thousands of years, used to kill countless people by shutting down their cells; a pea-sized amount of the stuff is enough to cause excruciating death.

Alaska became the 49th state to join the United States in 1959. Far removed from the contiguous US, Alaska remains the "last frontier" in many ways - including in the kitchen. Alaska frontier food has always blended practicality and indigenous tradition, combining influences from Inuit populations, Russian fur trappers, Yukon gold prospectors, and other groups who have occupied - and cooked in - the area. The culinary contributions of each make for some unique pairings, surprisingly simple flavors, and ingenious recipes - all of which constitute some version of native Alaskan food.

For the healing of the nations there must be good will and charity, confidence and peace," President Calvin Coolidge declared at the end of 1923, as the shadow of WWI continued to loom over America. What was life actually like in the decade that came to be known as the Roaring Twenties? While most history textbooks emphasize the country's recovery from war, the 1920s were full of great change and progress for many Americans. During this decade, the economy doubled, meaning people bought more goods and had more time to invest in leisure activities. It was an era of seemingly endless prosperity, which came to a sudden halt when 1929's Wall Street crash triggered the Great Depression.

People come in all colors - to an extent. Still, you wouldn't expect to see a human with naturally blue skin, but that's the case for the Blue Fugates. Who are the Blue Fugates? The title refers to members of the Fugate family of eastern Kentucky, particularly those who lived in the early- to mid-20th century. And according to firsthand accounts, the title is no exaggeration. Why did the Fugates turn blue? The short answer has to do with a genetic mutation arising from inbreeding. The longer answer has to do with recessive genes and bizarre happenstance. If the Fugates hadn't lived in such a rural area, their condition might not have become so pronounced.

The period between WWI and WWII brought about major political changes in Italy, and yet it's fairly uncommon to discuss what actually went on in Benito Mussolini's fascist state during those years. Mussolini implemented policies and reforms that led to a wave of censorship, nationalist propaganda, and widespread militarism, making daily life under Mussolini a tenuous existence.

It’s a tale as old as time – or, at least as old as the 1500s. But the real couple that inspired Beauty and the Beast lived a tragic life. The real life Beauty and the Beast were Catherine and Petrus Gonsalvus, and they were treated like freaks of nature by Europe’s kings and queens. Although the tale of Petrus and Catherine Gonsalvus isn't the single inspiration of the tale – it has much deeper folkloric roots than that – its optics match those of the fictional couple.

Like most things aboard the Titanic, hygienic practices and resources were dictated by class. First-class passengers traveling on the Titanic enjoyed some of the most luxurious bathing, dining, and recreational facilities to have ever been found at sea, while third-class passengers had to prove themselves clean just to get on board. Passengers on the Titanic spent their days and nights on the magnificent vessel, enjoying food in abundance while being tended to around every turn. In first and second class, Titanic passengers had access to public and private spaces with state-of-the-art amenities. Even in steerage, travelers didn't have much to complain about, with regular meals, electricity, and other comforts they may never have experienced before. The Titanic was tidy, shiny, and almost everything it was advertised to be - a true Queen of the Ocean.

The creativity with which Native American groups brought ingredients together reflected an awareness of and respect for the environment. When it comes to what kind of foods Native Americans ate in the past, their meals were often about both sustenance and ceremony. Native American groups thrived on staple foods like corn, beans, and squash. When available, meat, fruit, and other vegetables were mixed in, not to mention roots and greens. Many foods Native Americans ate were high in fat, protein, and carbohydrates - intentionally loaded with nutrients in order to combat potential hardship and struggle. Food was also used for celebrating and bringing people together.

There were some pretty unusual Viking rituals practiced from the late 8th century into the late 11th century. It’s no secret that Vikings were fierce warriors with a reputation for raiding nations and brutalizing their inhabitants. These intense, seafaring Scandinavians would slaughter dozens and perform some pretty severe ritualistic executions. What’s known is that the Viking age is littered with some extreme rituals from the Norse religion but also a few oddball traditions that Vikings practiced exclusively.

Modern people often think of the Middle Ages as an unsophisticated period, when science and technology were almost unheard of. This is especially true of medieval weapons and warfare. Depictions of medieval warfare often portray it as chaotic and brutal, with two armies bashing away at each other with swords and shields. In reality, medieval warfare could be nearly as complex as it is today. Though medieval and early modern societies didn't have modern advantages like electricity, combustion engines, or industrial manufacturing, they were still capable of producing massive weapons that could devastate the battlefield.

The norms and conventions of the ancient Roman world largely dictated the hygiene practices of its emperors - as did their personal vanity, practicality, and access to luxury. Physical representations of these men on coins and in busts give us an idea of their appearance while surviving literature provides insight into just how clean they really were.

Europeans were creative when it came to torture. They developed some of the most excruciating and slowest methods of torture in history, including the horrific blood eagle torture method. But one of the worst forms of torture was not even considered torture by the court. It was an official sentence: pressing to death. The men and women who were sent to death by crushing in Britain had not been found guilty of any crime.

When Bitcoin came screaming back into the public consciousness in late 2017, there was a lot of talk about whether or not Bitcoin is an economic bubble. The crypto currency flew under the radar for several years and then all of a sudden it skyrocketed in market value. But what goes up must come down and nowhere was this more evident than the Tulip Mania which inflamed Europe in the 1630s.

Across all eras of human history, people have craved luxurious and extravagant foods not only to excite the palate, but also to show off social status. The aristocrats of the Middle Ages (the fifth to 15th centuries) may not have thought of themselves as "foodies," exactly, but they certainly were obsessed with exotic and delectable fare. Medieval banquets were grand affairs, and they promised a spectacle of strange, ostentatious dishes.

For decades, knowledge of America's role in the 1953 Iran coup, which led to the ejection of the country's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and the installation of a despotic shah, was fragmented and vague. However, when CIA documents were declassified in 2000 about what it called Operation Ajax, it became clear American and British agents played a central role in the Iran coup d'état.

In the years after WWII, Americans became more affluent than they had been in previous generations. Veterans were going to college and buying homes in droves, the population boomed, and cities around the country grew rapidly. As Americans enjoyed greater prosperity, their day-to-day habits changed due to new innovations and technologies. They wanted to be able to come home after a long day of work, put on their favorite 1950s TV show, and enjoy a quickly cooked meal with their families. Refrigerators were more accessible to the average family than ever before and they soon came to change the American palate.

Even the weirdest death row last meals make sense, because how do you limit yourself to small fare when you know it's the last food you'll ever eat? Serial killers like Steven Michael Woods order as much food as possible so they can make their last meals count. The prisoners last meals below contain everything from the best cuts of meat to heaps of ice cream. Would you choose a large lavish meal for your final dinner?

In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles shot and killed the man sleeping with his wife. After escaping a prison sentence, Sickles disobeyed orders in the Civil War and lost a leg. After the war, General Dan Sickles donated the leg to the Army Medical Museum. And that's just the start when it comes to the wildest general in the Civil War.