Topic

Biography & Personal Stories

A collection of 181 issues

Before the Jumpsuit: The Earthmover Wheelie That Plunged a City into Darkness

Long before he was a world-famous daredevil, a young Evel Knievel was fired from his copper mining job after an audacious stunt went wrong. He attempted a wheelie in an earthmover, severed a major power line, and accidentally blacked out the entire city of Butte, Montana.

An Appointment with Death: The Bizarre Coincidences of King Umberto I and His Doppelgänger

King Umberto I of Italy met his doppelgänger, a restaurateur. They shared a name, birthday, birthplace, and wife's name. On July 29, 1900, the king learned his double was shot and killed. Hours later, the king himself was assassinated. Their parallel lives ended in parallel deaths.

From the Schoolyard to the Stratosphere: Billie Eilish's Forgotten Life as a Movie Extra

Before she was a global pop icon, Billie Eilish was an uncredited extra in films like 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' and 'Ramona and Beezus.' It was a brief foray into acting that she found so unenjoyable it solidified her true passion for music.

The Dictator on the CIA's Payroll: Manuel Noriega's Betrayal and the US Invasion of Panama

Manuel Noriega, the Panamanian dictator captured in a US invasion, was a long-time CIA asset. For years, he received up to $200,000 annually from the US for intelligence while simultaneously collaborating with drug cartels. This tangled web of convenience and crime ultimately led to his downfall.

The Man Who Lived the Escape but Wasn't 'Heroic Enough' for the Movie

WWII POW Peter Butterworth helped orchestrate the famous 'Wooden Horse' escape from Stalag Luft III. When auditioning for the 1950 film adaptation, he was rejected for a part because the casting director felt he didn't look 'heroic or athletic enough' for the role.

The Unspeakable Tragedy: How the 2004 Tsunami Shattered Richard Attenborough's Family

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami brought unimaginable grief to beloved actor Richard Attenborough. While on holiday in Thailand, the disaster tragically claimed the lives of his eldest daughter, Jane Holland, her daughter Lucy, and her mother-in-law, a personal story within a global catastrophe.