The Madness of Pythagoras
Pythagoras? Yeah, he was a cult leader.
read nowWe delight in discovering the strange, mysterious, sexy, untold stories behind the people, places, and things we think we know everything about. Read along with us as we chase down amazing stories from around the world.
Pythagoras? Yeah, he was a cult leader.
read nowIf it doesn’t have cryptic death dioramas, brutal sacrifices, and alcohol poisoning, it ain’t a Viking funeral.
read nowThe Greeks played it while besieging Troy, Caligula cheated at it, and the church tried to ban it: it’s backgammon, and it’s been around for a while.
read nowWWII was a nightmare, but that didn’t stop Mad Jack Churchill from having the time of his life.
read nowThis is the story of Violet Jessop, an Irish woman who survived not one, not two, but three of the most catastrophic ship disasters of the 20th century.
read nowAlexandria was home to the world’s greatest library, until someone set it on fire.
read nowAsaph Hall was a very good astronomer, until his wife Angeline Stickney made him a great one.
read nowLong before Winifred Sanderson told the partygoers of Salem, MA, to “Dance! Dance until you die!” a small town in the Holy Roman Empire was consumed by a serious, if strange, affliction: its citizens were struck by a dancing plague.
read nowIn November of 1872, the Mary Celeste sailed from New York for a transatlantic voyage. The ship eventually made it to Europe, but her crew never did.
read nowYou know that one dude at works who always claims his IQ test says he should be in MENSA? Well, you have a French psychologist named Alfred Binet to thank for developing this test.
read nowCleopatra wasn’t just some incredibly beautiful woman hellbent on having affairs with Roman rulers. She was closer to Cersei Lannister: a ruthless military and political leader that Rome was absolutely terrified of.
read nowBy turns both Queen of France and England, Eleanor of Aquitane was beautiful, intelligent, and took no prisoners. We can learn a lot about female leadership from her.
read nowBeing the first casualty of the Salem Witch Trials isn’t exactly an honorable tag but it is one that makes for an interesting story.
read nowIn 1717, Stede Bonnet had it all: wealth, status, a family, a home on Barbados. But he gave it all up to become a philanthropist. Nah, just kidding. He became a pirate.
read nowYeah, Titanic this is not.
read nowDead bodies. Blood spatters. Grisly murder scenes. These are not the dollhouses of your childhood. They’re the brainchild of forensic science pioneer Frances Glessner Lee.
read nowFrench astronomer Charles Messier spent his whole life trying to find comets. In the end, he didn’t find one. He found thirteen.
read nowRugs aren’t just for walking on! They’re also to look at and sneak into Renaissance paintings.
read nowLe Chevalier d’Eon was a diplomat, soldier, and spy—and the first openly transgender person in European history.
read nowWe know them, we play them, we spend way to much time and money staring at them, but how did these coin-operated machines we love so much come to be?
read nowWas Grace Marks a murderer or a misunderstood teenager who was in the wrong place at the wrong time?
read nowThe Beast of Gévaudan may have killed hundreds of people in 18th-century France. But what was it?
read nowEven if you were bored to death learning about the famous playwright in high school, we’re pretty sure these 10 facts about Shakespeare will blow your mind.
read nowDo you want to know the very best story? Like no story ever was? Happy (Almost) International Pokémon Day, everyone!
read nowBig Alma Spreckels was a big woman with an even bigger story. But who was this larger than life lady who graced the golden gated city by the bay?
read nowIt’s almost Valentine’s Day! Have you been struck by Cupid’s arrow yet? Oh, who’s Cupid? He’s that guy that flies around and shoots people and then they fall in love and stuff. Wait, what? Okay fine, here’s the real deal with Cupid…
read nowValentine’s Day is right around the corner, and we know exactly what you were hoping to receive for this joyous Hallmark holiday: 1,000 words on dinosaur sex. After all, nothing says “I love you” quite like a frank, in-depth discussion about how a bunch of extinct reptiles got freaky. In all seriousness, we’re here to […]
read nowDemon bride. Nymphomaniac. Shrewd business manager? Meet Gala Dali, the badass bitch who helped catapult Salvador Dali from starving artist to master painter.
read nowHave tours, will recommend food. Check out our favorite bars, brunch spots and so much more!
read nowGood food, great museums, and even better lists? You’ve come to the right place.
read nowLook, museums make you hungry. We’ve got you covered.
read nowIo Saturnalia! Many of the December holiday traditions we have can be traced back to the Roman holiday of Saturnalia. In this article, we explore five reasons why Saturnalia was a totally badass party.
read nowSan Francisco may not have traditional holiday weather, but this amazing city is bursting with holiday cheer. Here are five fun holiday things you can do to get your fesitive spirit on this year.
read nowIs there anything like the holiday season in New York City? Get your cheer on with some of the best holiday markets NYC has to offer.
read nowYou could devote over a year of your life to living in the AMNH and still not see everything the museum has to offer.
read nowHey you! You looking for where to eat near Fisherman’s Wharf and the Musee Mecanique! We know, we know – it’s Fisherman’s Wharf. You could throw a stick in any direction and hit someone trying to sell you a bowl of clam chowder. But no matter how you put it, we can all agree that […]
read nowSeventy years ago, Hitler’s Vice Chancellor, Hermann Goering, treasured a priceless painting by Vermeer. Two years after the war, he found out his favorite painting was a forgery.
read nowOur Los Angeles tour guide extraordinaire, Adrian, recently took a trip across the pond where she visited some incredible museums in the UK, France, and Germany.
read nowOh, first dates. We’ve all suffered through some pretty terrible first dates: the uncomfortable silences, the awful movies, the overly expensive restaurant reservations. First dates can be make-it-or-break-it for a budding romance, and a terrible first date venue can plant you firmly in the “break-it” category. That’s why we’re suggesting a revolutionary new first date […]
read nowIf you think of dancing princesses and singing birds when you think of castles, think again. Many haunted castles around the world have a much more sinister history.
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