Let's set the scene. You're livid, you want to scream at someone. But for some reason, you can't speak. What gesture do you give them? That's right - the good ol' middle finger comes immediately to mind, right? The middle finger has been known as a way t...

The American West stirs up grand images from movies: daring escapades, shootouts at high noon, tough sheriffs and marshals keeping the peace, and the cavalry riding in to save the day. The history of the Wild West is full of myths and stereotypes, but the...

Who was Catherine the Great? You definitely know the name but probably not the life of the fascinating woman behind it. In reality, the Russian empress truly earned her "The Great" epithet, though her achievements weren't necessarily "good."

In the late 19th century, nefarious groups ruled the streets of London, but one stood out: the Forty Elephants, London's all-female organization. Contemporaries of the real Peaky Blinders, these women were the best shoplifters in London, able to hide mult...

Edward I (actually the fourth, but who's counting?) is familiar to most as the antagonist in the 1995 film Braveheart. Played to malevolent perfection by veteran Irish actor Patrick McGoohan, Edward is typically remembered as a tyrannical but brutally eff...

The Bermuda Triangle isn't the only watery region with a reputation for unexplainable events and tragedies. For centuries, a triangular portion of Lake Michigan has been ground zero for sunken ships, disappearing crews, and vanishing aircraft. As if these...

During the Revolutionary War, food was often at the center of the clash between the American colonists and the British. From the Boston Tea Party to coffee riots, Americans used food to express their anger at the British. Others stocked up on rum and Made...

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...

Crinolines put the hoop in the Victorian-era skirt. For two decades, women wore crinolines - lightweight cages attached to their waists - under their clothing to create a wide, bell-shaped silhouette. Thanks to crinolines, hoop skirts may be the most icon...