Posts

Although religious institutions are no longer legal sanctuaries, they continue to operate as powerful symbols in a gray area. As such, various churches and religious establishments have still harbored fugitives and lawbreakers over the years. Here are ten examples, ranging from the 19th century to recent times. 10 The Friends Meeting House In Wilmington Harbored Slaves Thomas Garrett, a member of the Religious Society of Friends, more commonly known as the Quakers, grew up in an Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, household that hid runaway slaves....

Yet, when it’s a leader who’s doing the deed, history loves to turn the image of their rule into a blood-stained epic adventure, filled with triumphs, egomaniacal escapades, all climaxing at wife killing. And you know where all that glory got them? On this top ten list. Here are the top ten rulers who killed their wives. 10 King Henry VIII 1491–1547 King Henry VIII is a celebrity on this list....

If having a serial killer around is scary, having them operate under an alias would definitely be scarier. And as we are about to find out, it’s not that uncommon. 10 Dr. Marcel Petiot During World War II, Dr. Eugene started the business of smuggling people from occupied France to South America. In truth, however, he never smuggled anyone to South America. Rather, he smuggled them to their graves by injecting them with cyanide under the guise of vaccinating them in preparation for their trip....

10 Carl Tanzler Carl Tanzler fell in love with one of his patients, Elena de Hoyos, right before she died. Tanzler didn’t let a little thing like death stop his budding romance. He paid for de Hoyos’s burial so that he could keep the key to her tomb. Then he snuck her out of her grave and moved her into his house. With plaster, wires, and wax, Tanzler propped Elena’s dead body up like a taxidermied animal....

Despite its fame, however, many of us don’t really know how the university works. Its history, traditions and achievements are still a mystery, and some of the things we widely believe about Oxford are actually false. Prepare to be enlightened: today we’re going on a crash course of Oxford facts. 10 Deeply Troubling Facts About American Colleges 10 Had its own police force until 2003 Until recently, crime at Oxford was handled by the uni’s own police force....

Top 10 Tone-Deaf Celebrity Coronavirus Messages That Are Cringey AF Many forces began investigating the minutiae of everyday life, taking an unprecedented interest in the public’s shopping habits, exercise routines, social behaviors, and means of travel. Citizens were punished for spending too long outdoors. Police vans patrolled park benches and shopping precincts. The “non-essential” activities of walkers and sunbathers were chronicled across police Twitter accounts, shaming the non-compliant. But it soon became clear that many constabularies were abusing their new powers....

I bet you weren’t expecting to see St Francis on this list. St Francis is best remembered in popular culture as the animal patron – the saint who could talk to animals and sooth wild beasts. While it is true that there were many reports of miracles regarding animals in St Francis’ life, he is more revered in the Church because of his strict poverty, stigmata and efforts to fix problems in the Church during a time of crisis....

D’agapeyeff Cipher The D’Agapeyeff cipher is an as-yet unbroken cipher that appears in the first edition of Codes and Ciphers, an elementary book on cryptography published by the Russian-born English cartographer Alexander D’Agapeyeff in 1939. Offered as a “challenge cipher” at the end of the book, it was not included in later editions, and D’Agapeyeff is said to have admitted later to having forgotten how he had encrypted it. It has been argued that the failure of all attempts at decryption is due to D’Agapeyeff incorrectly encrypting the original text....

Underwater rivers aren’t the only bizarre things you can find beneath the waves. There are also lakes under glaciers, waterfalls below the surface of the ocean, and an ocean deep inside the Earth’s mantle. Here are ten pools, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls that are right under another river, ocean, or glacier. 10 Cenote Angelita Cenote Angelita (Angelita meaning “Little Angel”) is one of the cenotes in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. A cenote is almost like a sinkhole except that it is filled with water....

Sometimes, what hides in the cracks can solve sticky secrets or confound the experts further. Myths can be scientifically supported or old beliefs banished. Remarkably, at times, the unexpected shines through—the personality of an ancient artist or the cringeworthy ingredients used to create dyes. 10 The Smiley Pot It is not often that one encounters an ancient potter with a sense of humor. A 4,000-year-old pot has archaeologists smiling because of an unexpected discovery on its surface....

However, 2020 or no, some traditions will be upheld on New Year’s even if festivities will be largely muted. On this list are just some of the weird (and wonderful) traditions you can partake in, come the last day of 2020, all the while adhering to Covid-19 protocols of course. 10 Traditions That Are Way Newer Than We Think They Are 10Bleigiessen Should you find yourself in Germany on New Year’s Eve, you could take part in Bleigiessen or ‘lead pouring’ with a group of friends and family....

It is fortunate then that our ancestors too couldn’t imagine a world without music. Primitive flutes dating back 43,000 years have been discovered by archaeologists and the earliest musical notation can be found on a 4,000-year-old Sumerian clay tablet. The oldest extant song is believed to be Hurrian Hymn No. 6 which was an ode to the goddess Nikkal. The history of music is a long and interesting one, and on this list are just some of the colorful facts that dot its journey around the world....

These peculiar professional sports prove that humans have become accustomed to bizarre sporting events. Let’s dive into the top 10 weirdest professional sports we can’t believe. 10 Arm Wrestling Arm wrestling is a game we’ve all tried at least once in our lives. You probably have even won against your family or friends. While arm wrestling has been around for ages, it wasn’t recognized as a professional sport until a few decades ago....

In a 1980 General Election Debate between incumbent president Jimmy Carter and challenger Ronald Reagan, Carter said, “I had a discussion with my daughter Amy the other day before I came here to ask her what the most important issue was. She said she thought the control of nuclear weaponry.” Carter was mocked for taking policy advice from his thirteen year-old daughter. This helped Reagan win the election. During a 2000 General Election debate, Al Gore repeatedly attacked George W....

These include cities such as New York, islands such as Hawaii, and old-world countries such as Italy, Spain, and Turkey. Each destination has unique factors or quirky characteristics that make them tourist magnets. On this list are 15 facts that might just inspire you to add a place or two to your travel bucket list. 10 Misconceptions About The ‘Most Dangerous’ Travel Destinations 15 Safest Place For Babies Iceland...

Facts 1 – 10 The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses. It’s impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it. Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you’re sleep deprived....

10The Kidnapper Of Frank Sinatra Jr. Is A Wealthy Businessman On December 8, 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr., the 19-year-old son of legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra, was performing in a hotel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. That night, a knock on his dressing room door introduced him to demented gunman Barry Keenan, who proceeded to kidnap him and demand a $240,000 ransom. (Frank Sinatra Sr. actually offered $1 million, but Keenan insisted on $240,000....

10The Knights Templar And The Mandaeans The Mandaeans are an enthno-religious people native to southern Iraq and southwestwern Iran. Their religion, Mandaeanism, closely resembles the Gnostic faith of Manichaeism. According to some scholars, the Mandaeans first appeared either before or during the arrival of Christianity. During the time of the Crusades, the Mandaeans were known as skilled goldsmiths. This trade may have brought them into close contact with the Knights Templar, the legendary warrior-monks who frequently relied on local trade to survive....

That’s the Olympics now. The first modern Olympics in 1896 was an altogether different affair. Only 14 countries competed, professionals were nowhere to be seen, and one of the US teams had to spend their spare time writing news reports on the games because no actual reporters thought they were worth covering. Despite being considered a success at the time, the 1896 Olympics now seems adorably amateur . . ....

Crispin Andrews talked to Peter McAllister to find out just who could beat whom in today’s sports scene. Here’s what he found out: 10Usain Bolt vs. Ancient Australians Usain Bolt ran 100 meters (328 ft) in 9.69 seconds to break the world record at the Beijing Olympics. That’s 42 kilometers per hour (26 mph) for the world’s fastest man. But 20,000-year-old fossilized tracks from Australia show that, back then, ordinary people could manage 37 kilometers per hour (23 mph)—running in soft mud, barefoot....