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Every English student knows The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope’s mock-heroic satire of the social mores of 18th-century British gentry. What fewer people know is the model Pope used: Alessandro Tassoni’s 1622 masterpiece, La secchia rapita. Its subject is quite an unusual historical event—a 14th-century war fought over a stolen bucket!
Read the amazing story of Wojtek, the bear. There are memorials to this bear in two major cities in Europe. He left an impression on all who met him.
A tale of six Sultans and suspicious successions led to what’s become known as the shortest war in history, the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which lasted approximately 38 minutes.
German-American athlete George Eyser won six Olympic medals in one day, and did it all with a wooden leg. So whatever happened to him?
The satanic leaf tailed gecko, found only on the island of Madagascar, is the only flat-tailed gecko who camouflages itself by looking like a dead leaf.
The 1904 Olympic Marathon had 32 questionable athletes who engaged in ridiculous acts that would’ve gotten them disqualified today.
A fear of large objects such as statues, boats, planes, and elephants, megalophobia is an anxiety disorder that can be treated with counselling and therapy.
More than twice as hot as the ghost pepper, the Dragon’s Breath pepper is so lethal that it must be carried in a sealed container.
Though the ten-gallon hat doesn’t actually hold 10 gallons, this Stetson classic has become an indisputable part of cowboy culture.
Otherwise known as “giving the finger” or the “one-finger salute,” flipping the bird has its origins in ancient Greece, becoming the obscene hand gesture it’s known for today.
The phrase “shiver my timbers” first appeared in a book by Captain Frederick Marryat published in 1834. Since then, it’s appeared in numerous books and films.
Fried food connoisseur and culinary chef Jonathan Marcus found a way to make deep fried water but admits that it’s “the blandest deep-fried thing” he’s ever tasted.
Count Eugen Wilhelm Theodor von Keyserling discovered the wrap-around spider, including it in his oeuvre considered to be “one of the finest iconographies of arachnids ever published.”
If your hair turned white or gray almost overnight, you may have Marie Antoinette Syndrome
New research study finds garter snakes are surprisingly social, forming strong friendships with their peers
Formerly known as Dr. Brown’s Celery Tonic, Cel Ray soda was marketed as a healthy beverage to calm the nerves. These days you can find it in New York delis.
The Condylura cristata can locate, assess, and consume its food in 230 milliseconds—1/6th faster than it takes for you to stop at a red light
17th century plague doctor’s outfit included bird-like mask… eery but effective
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