Historical Events

From the Age of Enlightenment to the Christmas Truce, learn about some of history's most pivotal events.

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After nearly half a century capturing the attention and imaginations of millions, the infamous D.B. Cooper plane-hijacking case has been closed. Will we ever know the true culprit?

By Josh Clark

Spite is not just for kids with broken toys. Many adults have gone to unbelievable lengths to pay back someone who did 'em wrong. Here are 10 classic examples.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The Gold Rush-era Egg War of 1863 saw business competitors in San Francisco engage in lethal violence... over eggs?

By Laurie L. Dove

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The presidential digs have housed more than a few untraditional pets through the years. Rebecca the Raccoon and Josiah the Badger are but two.

By John Donovan

Being a stunt performer requires people to be a certain kind of crazy. We're not talking about stuntmen here. We're talking about the daredevils who try and pull off insane stunts just for the hell of it. You know, to see if it can be done. These are the people who fly off cliffs, jump [...] The post 10 Of The Most Insane Stunts Ever Performed appeared first on Goliath.

By Jack Sackman

Identity errors have led to a range of awfulness, from lengthy prison sentences to the wrong person being declared dead.

By Nicholas Gerbis

How about a list dedicated to the oddities and impressive nature of Guinness World Records? Before video was everywhere, Guinness World Records would publish a book annually that was a best seller. The records cover everything from longest hair to most piercings to the most people to dance the "YMCA" at a single location (that [...] The post 15 Of The Craziest Guinness World Records appeared first on Goliath.

By James Sheldon

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On the first Sunday in October, a fountain in the Italian town of Marino flows with wine. One year, however, things didn't go as planned.

By Rachel Pendergrass

With oil prices dropping, a report showed some cargo ships found it cheaper to sail around South Africa, rather than paying $465,000 to go through the Suez Canal.

By John Donovan

On Aug. 25, 1835, The New York Sun ran the first of several newspaper columns on the moon's geography, vegetation and humanoid inhabitants. There was just one problem.

By Bryan Young

A phone call from an early-1900s rural homestead was at the forefront of communications technology, and farms were the most networked communities of the time.

By Laurie L. Dove

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Imagine a researcher eavesdropping on your conversation from underneath your bed and recording it for an experiment. That really happened.

By Bryan Young

How to go from a Bible verse to carving canals with nukes in just a few easy steps - almost. Learn how operation plowshare worked at HowStuffWorks.

By Oisin Curran

Think systemic racism was only a problem in the Southern slave states? Think again. It was alive and well in the Northwest, too. Is it still?

By Bryan Young

Imagine 2.3 million gallons of molasses pouring down city streets in a massive, lethal wave. That was the scene in Boston on Jan. 15, 1919.

By Bryan Young

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Mass hysteria epidemics are not as rare as you might think. They often occur in small, insular worlds like schools and factories where people feel stressed. We've got examples from the 16th century to the 21st.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

A placid lake above a hydroelectric dam on the border of Brazil and Paraguay was once site of Guairá, among the world's most awe-inspiring. Why'd we get rid of it?

By Laurie L. Dove

Windows shattered, furniture broken and dozens of cadets including Jefferson Davis nog-wild on smuggled booze. A "party" in 1826 nearly altered the course of history.

By Laurie L. Dove

They may not seem stealthy to us, but back in World War I, zeppelins were airborne war machines. And some of them were made from cow intestines.

By Candace Gibson

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In a battle of the valiant versus the vermin, Australian veterans rose up against a few thousand flightless birds. Care to guess which side won?

By Candace Gibson

As they say, if we don't learn from history, we're doomed to repeat it. And as these 10 historical events prove, humans seem to be more prone to repeating than learning.

By Clint Pumphrey & Melanie Radzicki McManus

UCLA's Urban Simulation Team is freeing the 1893 World's Fair from the musty pages of history books and turning it into something you can experience virtually.

By Jonathan Strickland

Yes, at one point in American history, a company tried to market its doughnuts as a healthy, vitamin-packed snack. Did it work?

By Sarah Gleim

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During the sweltering summer of 1858, a foul smell inundated London. No one's nose was safe. This is how Londoners responded.

By Candace Gibson

No need to buy a movie ticket for thrills and chills. The real world is full of creepy happenings to keep you awake at night.

By Nathan Chandler