History

Interesting, at the very least — In 1999, a Swiss-Canadian filmmaker and aviator wanted to create something special with the advent of the new internet age. Bernard Weber asked himself: “What could be the smallest common denominator, a sentence, a word, a concept that anyone on this planet would understand immediately and, hopefully, would get excited…

A healthy dose of scientific realism is the first step towards a saner future. The first thing everyone ought to accept about America is that it has already collapsed. Why? Because too many Americans living in geographically distinct areas hold different truths to be self-evident. It’s right there in publicly…

A common tank in WWII largely overshadowed by better variants — You can always tell which weapon platforms are considered good by how many get shipped to international partners. Countries will rarely ship their latest and greatest options to their allies. Most nations prefer to ship outdated, outmatched, or unpopular variants rather than the best option. That is exactly what happened…

More than 100 years ago, Johann Beck spent 16 days confined in a shipping container in the hold of a ship because he couldn’t afford a ticket to emigrate to the U.S. — Throughout history many people have found their personal situations to be untenable and sought new opportunities, even if that meant completely uprooting their lives. Such change is never easy and rarely cheap. This didn’t deter Johann Beck, a poor German man, who pivoted when he discovered he couldn’t afford a…

What they did to her was horrific, and it is still legal. — Margaret Hennessey and her sister were walking to the market when they were stopped by a group of police officers. It was a beautiful, clear winter morning in Sacramento, California. There was a gentle breeze, she remembered, and the temperature was pushing close to 50. It was February 25, 1919. …

In 1907, a deranged New Jersey man tried to get the woman he was obsessed with marrying by taking her to a minister at gunpoint — Usually, weddings are a time for great joy and celebration. The union of two people making a lifetime commitment is a celebration of love. However, that was not the case for a New Jersey woman named Belle Crouse, who was forced to the altar at gunpoint by a love crazed…

Decoding a rare painting with a lesson to impart — Here’s a rare and intriguing painting. It shows two women in a double portrait. One is Black, the other is white. Their postures and station appear in parallel. They look out to us side-by-side, both with the same high fashion, wearing pearl necklaces and finely-woven dresses. Two aspects of this…

It promises to be both a historic and spectacular occasion — The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, 6th May 2023. It will be a ceremony full of pomp and pageantry. Yet, what exactly is a coronation, and what does it involve? Here are some facts about the coronation to help you understand the crowning of the…