WEIRD HISTORY
Dubbed “America’s Cowboy Philosopher,” Rogers was a vaudeville, newspaper, radio and movie star By Sarah Wells – In today’s media landscape, we’re used to seeing Jacks and Janes of all trades — celebrities writing memoirs, starring in movies or expressing their 2 a.m. thoughts …
By Genevieve Carlton – Everyone’s heard of Lucille Ball and I Love Lucy. But not as many people are familiar with Desilu Studios, and even fewer know the true story behind Lucille Ball and Star Trek. In fact, according to an influential studio executive, Star Trek never would …
By Melissa Sartore – Why did the US want Hawaii? With even a glance at its sensual beaches and lush jungles, it’s no surprise that the scenic islands have always been desirable. But as with any story of settlement, the development of Hawaii didn’t come …
“We know that a lot of innovation is coming out during that time period.” By Nina Pullano – Over a thousand years ago, the Maya civilization was dealing with an unpredictable climate. In response to natural obstacles including overpopulation and drought, the Maya …
It gave them access to water, drainage, and ready building materials. By Sarah Wells – Machu Picchu, the 600-year-old Incan citadel in modern-day Perú, is notoriously hard to get to. Built on a narrow ridge in the Andes Mountains, this UNESCO world heritage …
In more than a dozen countries as far apart as Portugal and Russia, ‘Smith’ is the most popular occupational surname. By Frank Jacobs – Image: Marcin Ciura. ‘Smith’ is not just the most common surname in many English-speaking countries In local translations, …
A new study casts doubt on historical lore. By Sarah Sloat – The saying goes that history is written by the victors. But sometimes that history is written inaccurately by the disease-bearing colonizers who defeated the original (and supposed) victors. Case in point: …
No wonder the dinosaurs didn’t survive. By Passant Rabie – The day a massive asteroid hit our planet about 65 million years ago may have been the most chaotic day on Earth, and we’re not just talking about the mass extinction part. New …
Woodhull sought to unite a coalition of African Americans, abolitionists, laborers, suffragists and 19th-century Spiritualists — groups that found themselves without a voice in government and relegated to the fringes of power. By Kayla Epstein – Five women are running for president of …
Meet Greater Adria. By Sarah Sloat – Around 180 million years ago, Earth fundamentally changed when Gondwana began to dismember. Today, present-day places, including South America and Australia, are visible chunks of this former ancient supercontinent, as well as not-so visible slices of …
