Topic

History

A collection of 343 issues

Riding the Waves: The Glorious, Doomed Story of Brighton's Seagoing 'Daddy Long Legs' Railway

In 1896, Victorian inventor Magnus Volk launched the 'Daddy Long Legs,' a remarkable electric train on 23-foot stilts that traveled through the sea off Brighton's coast. This audacious feat of engineering was a popular attraction but was ultimately defeated by storms and coastal defenses.

From a Fiery Box to Freedom: The Incredible True Story of Clarissa Davis

In 1854, an enslaved woman named Clarissa Davis orchestrated a daring escape from Virginia. Disguised as a man and aided by an ally, she spent 75 days in hiding before being nailed into a box and shipped to freedom aboard a steamship, enduring a fiery ordeal to reunite with her family.

The Six-Day Siege: When an Islamist Coup Unfolded Live on Television in Trinidad

In July 1990, the Jamaat al Muslimeen, a radical Black Muslim group, attempted a violent coup in Trinidad and Tobago. They stormed parliament, took the Prime Minister hostage, and announced control on live TV, leading to six days of chaos before their surrender.

Oceans of Time: The 50,000-Year Gap Between Australia's and New Zealand's First Peoples

The human settlement of Oceania presents a stark contrast: Aboriginal Australians arrived on the supercontinent of Sahul over 50,000 years ago in a slow expansion, while Māori purposefully navigated the vast Pacific to settle Aotearoa (New Zealand) just 700 years ago.

The Other Ronald McDonald: How a Small-Town Restaurateur Defeated the Fast-Food Giant

In a classic David vs. Goliath tale, fast-food giant McDonald's sued a small Illinois restaurant named 'McDonald's,' which opened in 1956. In a twist of fate, the owner, an actual man named Ronald McDonald, won the 1996 lawsuit, defending his family's legacy against the corporation.

Flame On! The Story of Bill Murray's Forgotten Role as the Human Torch

Long before his iconic movie roles, comedy legend Bill Murray voiced Johnny Storm in a 1975 Marvel radio drama. Narrated by Stan Lee, this forgotten 'Fantastic Four' series marks one of the earliest screen-to-audio adaptations of the famous superhero team.

Thirteen Days on the Ice: The Harrowing True Story of the 1946 PBM Mariner Crash in Antarctica

In 1946, a U.S. Navy plane crashed during Operation Highjump, stranding six crewmen in Antarctica. For 13 agonizing days, they battled extreme cold and dwindling hope before a dramatic rescue. This is their incredible story of survival against all odds on the frozen continent.

The Strange Tale of Australia's Giant Worm Museum: From Wonderland to Abandonment and Rebirth

In Bass, Victoria, the Wildlife Wonderland Park housed a unique Giant Earthworm Museum. After the park's 2012 closure over welfare concerns, the iconic worm-shaped building was abandoned before being saved and relocated, preserving a piece of weird Australian history.

From Miracle Cure to Macabre Meal: The Strange History of Why Europeans Ate Mummies

For centuries, Europeans consumed ground-up Egyptian mummies as medicine. This bizarre practice wasn't ancient magic but a colossal misunderstanding. It all began when the word for a medicinal tar, 'mummia,' was confused with the embalmed bodies themselves, leading to a grim trade.