Topic

History

A collection of 369 issues

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.

From Spite to Spice: The Fiery Origin of Nashville Hot Chicken

Nashville Hot Chicken began as an act of revenge. A woman tried to punish her cheating boyfriend, Thornton Prince, with an overly spicy chicken dish. Instead of suffering, he loved it, perfected the recipe, and opened the now-famous Prince's Hot Chicken Shack.

The Unlikely Best-Seller: How a Computer Named MADDIDA Dominated 1952 with Just Six Sales

In 1952, the commercial computer market was born. The best-selling digital computer wasn't a giant mainframe, but the 'desk-sized' MADDIDA, a specialized machine that sold a grand total of six units, marking a pivotal, if tiny, first step in the digital revolution.

Lost in the Amazon: The 20-Year Separation and Unbelievable Survival of Isabel Godin

Separated from her husband for 20 years by colonial politics, Isabel Godin des Odonais undertook a perilous 3,000-mile journey through the Amazon to reunite with him. She was the sole survivor of her 42-person party, enduring unimaginable hardship before their eventual reunion.

From Dachau to Duke: The Incredible Life of Franz of Bavaria, Britain's 'Other' King

Meet Franz of Bavaria, the 90-year-old Jacobite heir to the British throne. A survivor of Nazi concentration camps at age 11, he became a celebrated art connoisseur and has been in a same-sex partnership for over 40 years. His life is a remarkable story of resilience and dignity.

Europe's Hidden Buddhist Republic: The Incredible Story of Kalmykia

Discover Kalmykia, Russia's autonomous republic and Europe's only Buddhist-majority region. Learn about its Mongol origins, tragic Soviet-era deportations, and the remarkable post-communist revival of its unique culture and faith on the vast European steppe.

When a Penny Was Too Much: The Strange History of America's Sales Tax Tokens

During the Great Depression, states issued fractional-cent tokens so consumers could pay exact sales tax on small purchases. This prevented them from being overcharged a full penny (worth ~$0.22 today) on a 5-cent item, a huge burden when every cent mattered.