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The Hon Violet Gibson: The Irishwoman Who Shot Mussolini
On 7 April 1926, a slight, grey-haired Irishwoman in a black shawl fired a revolver at Benito Mussolini, the strutting, bare-chested...
1,442 views

Peter Freuchen: The Most Ridiculous, Badass Explorer You’ve Never Heard Of
In the grand tradition of over-the-top adventurers who defied both death and common sense, few figures stand as tall—literally and...
2,974 views

Corporal Wojtek: The Beer-Drinking, Cigarette-Eating, Ammunition-Carrying Bear of World War II
It is often said that war brings out the best and worst in humanity. But in the case of Corporal Wojtek, it also brought out the best in...
81 views

My Good Friend Roosevelt: The Time Young Fidel Castro Wrote to the U.S. President (and Asked for a Tenner)
It is an amusing yet historically revealing episode that, in 1940, a young Fidel Castro—yes, that Fidel Castro—decided to write a letter...
54 views

Artists And Their Brilliant Studios
An artist's studio is a crucial space. Our creative studios may sometimes appear cluttered or chaotic, yet this is where remarkable...
176 views

Liberace v The Daily Mirror: The Libel Trial That Kept a Secret Hidden
In the late 1950s, Władziu Valentino Liberace, the flamboyant American pianist and entertainer known simply as “Liberace,” was at the...
290 views

The 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape from East Germany
It was a cold, clear night on 16 September 1979, when two East German families—the Strelzyks and the Wetzels—stood in a secluded forest...
3,832 views

"I Hope Your Ol' Plane Crashes" - The Death Of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson
Waylon Jennings (left) in the last photo of Buddy Holly. The 1950s had been a golden era for rock and roll, filled with energetic...
3,001 views

The Abernathy Brothers: The Wildly True Adventures of America’s Youngest Trailblazers
Picture this: two young boys, aged just 10 and 6, embarking on an audacious journey across the vast expanse of early 20th-century...
8,896 views

The Charles M. Schwab House: A Titanic Vision on the "Wrong" Side of the Park
Imagine walking along Riverside Drive in the early 20th century and encountering a mansion so grand that it dwarfed even the gilded...
610 views

The Tragic History Of John Pemberton — The Man Who Invented Coca-Cola
When John Stith Pemberton was born on July 8, 1831, in Knoxville, Georgia, few could have predicted that this small-town boy would invent...
430 views

The Story Behind Chanel No. 5: A Revolutionary Fragrance
It's 1921, an impossibly clever French businesswoman and belle of the Parisian social elite has created a scent that is revolutionising...
161 views

The Story of Sarla Thukra, a Trailblazer in Indian Aviation and Art
Sarla Thukral’s life is a testament to determination, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Born in 1914 in Delhi, she became one of the...
107 views

The Rollercoaster Life and Loves of Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn’s life was nothing short of cinematic. Born on 20 June 1909 in Hobart, Tasmania, he lived a life filled with adventure,...
6,606 views

Coco Chanel: Fashion Icon, Innovator, and Controversial Figure
Few figures in fashion have left as enduring a mark as Coco Chanel. Known for revolutionising women’s style with innovations like the...
2,641 views

Dr. Serge: The Man That Made Millions in the 1920's Transplanting Monkey Testicle Tissue into the Ballsacks of Millionaires
Few figures in medical history have managed to balance fame, controversy, and sheer eccentricity quite like Dr Serge Voronoff, a man who...
1,886 views

The Sullivan Brothers: A Legacy of Sacrifice and Symbolism
In the late evening and early morning hours of November 12-13, 1942, the waters north of Guadalcanal became a maelstrom of fire and...
1,510 views

The Grossly Glamorous Life of Royal Palaces: A History of Filth in High Places
When imagining royal palaces, the mind conjures visions of gilded halls, glittering chandeliers, and extravagant banquets. But beneath...
369 views

A Cheat’s Guide to Cheats: Exploring The London Guide and Stranger’s Safeguard Against the Cheats, Swindlers, and Pickpockets (1819)
Imagine stepping out onto the bustling streets of Regency-era London. The city teemed with life, from towering gentlemen in their...
168 views

The Soviet Sex Alphabet: Sergey Merkurov’s Peculiar Visual Lexicon of 1931
When you think of the Soviet Union, what springs to mind? Hammer and sickle iconography, sweeping industrial landscapes, or perhaps the...
14,616 views

Elizabeth Magie and The Real Origins of Monopoly: A Legacy of Creativity and Theft
Few stories in the history of intellectual property are as disheartening as the tale of Elizabeth Magie and the board game now known as...
1,054 views

Irving Klaw: The Pin-Up King and Fetish Pioneer of 14th Street
Irving Klaw was born on 9 November 1910 in Brooklyn, New York, into a family supported by his father’s work as a Brooklyn-Manhattan...
9,430 views

The Remarkable and Tragic Story of Mary Ann Bevan: A Mother’s Sacrifice
In the early 20th century, Mary Ann Bevan became known to the world under the cruel moniker of “The Ugliest Woman in the World.” To many,...
3,041 views

Roberto Donetta: The Forgotten Photographer of Swiss Village Life
In the remote Blenio Valley of Ticino, on the southern side of the Swiss Alps, a man once roamed its rugged paths armed with a camera,...
7,954 views
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