In the winter of 1887, Parisian journalists gathered at a curious construction site on the Champ de Mars. There, amid wooden scaffolding and the rhythmic clang of hammers, they witnessed what one reporter would describe as men "reaping lightning bolts in the clouds."
For over 30 years, one name appeared again and again as the director of some of the worst movies ever made -Â Alan Smithee. But Alan Smithee wasn't a real person. He was a pseudonym used by Hollywood directors who wanted to disavow their finished films.
In the late 1990s, a brazen fraudster named Emmanuel Nwude pulled off one of history's most outrageous cons - selling a fictional airport to a gullible Brazilian bank director for a whopping $242 million.
The next time you find yourself composing an angry email to customer service, take comfort in knowing you're participating in a tradition nearly four millennia old. Long before Yelp reviews and Twitter rants, an irate customer named Nanni etched his frustrations into clay, creating what would become the world's oldest documented customer complaint. His target? A copper merchant named Ea-Nasir...
For centuries, the phrase "burning of the Library of Alexandria" has conjured an image of mankind's greatest collection of knowledge going up in flames. It's become a metaphor for the triumph of ignorance over learning, a cautionary tale passed down through generations.
Beer is as old as history — and by some counts, even older. Many experts assert that the emergence of Sumerian cuneiform in the fourth millennium BCE marks...
Located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is one of the most breathtaking natural wonders in the world. Its steady stream of water plunges some 350 feet down into the basin of a vast gorge, creating a...
Alligators and crocodiles have a lot in common. They’re both beefy reptiles with a serious set of teeth and strong Triassic vibes. However, there are some big differences between...
As the sun sets over Central Texas, an amorous suitor emerges in the fading light. Spreading his wings, he takes to the skies and begins his sultry serenade, crooning for a mate's affection. His love song rings into the night air, a soulful ballad crafted just for her.
Few simple joys compare to blowing iridescent bubbles into the air on a sunny day. Now imagine a plant oozing with natural bubble solution, needing only a gentle breath to send orbs floating skyward. This real-life bubble factory exists in the form of the aptly named bubble bush.