Topic

History

A collection of 368 issues

The Devil's Bargain: How the US Navy Partnered with the Mafia to Secure the Home Front in WWII

Fearing sabotage after a ship's mysterious capsizing, the US government secretly allied with imprisoned mob boss Lucky Luciano. This 'Operation Underworld' used the Mafia's control over the docks to protect New York's vital harbor, a pragmatic and controversial chapter of WWII history.

Shot, Trapped, and Falling: The Impossible Survival of WWII's 'Sky Rammer'

Soviet pilot Boris Kovzan is the only person to score four aerial kills by ramming. His last came after being shot in the eye. Trapped in his cockpit, he collided head-on with a bomber, was thrown clear, and fell 20,000 feet before waking up to pull his parachute and land in a swamp.

Confess to the Skeleton: The Bizarre 1930s Patent for a Robotic Ghost Interrogator

In 1930, Helen Adelaide Shelby patented a terrifying device: a skeleton with glowing red eyes, a hidden megaphone, and a camera, designed to be used in a dark room to scare suspects into a supernaturally-induced confession. It was a ghost in the machine for criminal interrogation.

The Spy in the Stacks: How a KGB Archivist's Secret Notes Exposed 50 Years of Soviet Secrets

In 1992, disillusioned KGB archivist Vasili Mitrokhin defected to the UK with 25,000 pages of notes. Hidden beneath his dacha, they detailed 50 years of Soviet covert operations, becoming one of the greatest intelligence coups of the 20th century.

The Dragonfly and the Engine: Disney's Cleverest Character Name in 'The Rescuers'

The heroic dragonfly Evinrude from Disney's 1977 film 'The Rescuers' wasn't just a random name. He was intentionally named after the Evinrude Outboard Motors company, a clever nod to his role as the sputtering, buzzing engine for a leaf-boat in the Devil's Bayou.

One Letter Off: The Story of the Only Misspelling on the Borg-Warner Trophy

Johnnie Parsons is the only Indianapolis 500 winner whose name is misspelled on the Borg-Warner Trophy. After his rain-shortened victory in 1950, the silversmith engraved 'Johnny' instead of 'Johnnie,' a permanent error that adds a unique human touch to motorsport's most famous prize.

Dialing the Divine: The Curious Case of Vatican City's Unused Country Code

Vatican City was assigned the international dialing code +379 but never implemented it. For practical reasons, the world's smallest state is integrated into Italy's telephone network, using the country code +39 followed by Rome's area code, making its numbers indistinguishable from local ones.

When Ego Met Improv: The Story of SNL's Worst Host Ever, Steven Seagal

In 1991, action star Steven Seagal hosted SNL, claiming he'd never heard of it. He refused to be the butt of any joke, scrapped planned skits, and wrote his own where he beat up his personal stuntmen, earning him a permanent ban and the title of 'worst host ever' from Lorne Michaels.