Agatha Christie, the best-selling novelist of all time, is known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation, second only to the Bible in terms of … Continue reading The Mystery of Agatha Christie
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The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser
On May 26, 1828, a young man appeared on the streets of Nuremberg, Germany. He was a stranger and, though the boy appeared to be around sixteen years and in good physical health, he was seemingly intellectually impaired. He was babbling, incoherent, and confused. Concerned citizens took him to local authorities who discovered a note … Continue reading The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser
The Original, Horrific, True Crime Documentary
We Americans love our true crime stories. There's something fascinating about the macabre, and the media has taken notice, supplying a steady diet of books, podcasts, Netflix documentaries, and Dateline episodes. And, while the phenomenon may have exploded in recent years, it's highly a "new" form of entertainment. All the way back in the 1930's, … Continue reading The Original, Horrific, True Crime Documentary
The Hero’s–or Villain’s–Escape
In late April 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett was called away from Lincoln to collect taxes in the nearby settlement of White Oaks. He didn't want the assignment. Didn't trust it. He had a notorious outlaw in his jail at the moment, and it wouldn't do to be out-of-town even for a minute, given this particular … Continue reading The Hero’s–or Villain’s–Escape
The Untold Story of Lincoln’s…Kidnapping?
We all know the story: On April 14, 1865, less than five days after General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox effectively ending the Civil War, John Wilkes Booth, a stalwart Confederate, shot President Abraham Lincoln as he and his guests watched a performance of Our American Cousin inside Ford's Theater. The president died the … Continue reading The Untold Story of Lincoln’s…Kidnapping?
You Can’t Escape the Grave
On March 24, 1874, a baby boy named Erik Weisz was born in Budapest, Hungary to Jewish rabbi Mayer Sámuel Weisz and Mayer Sámuel Weisz, the fourth child of what would eventually come to be a family of seven children. Seeking a better life, the family immigrated to America, arriving in New York on July … Continue reading You Can’t Escape the Grave
Guilty or Not?
The case was open and shut. On April 2, 1968, small-time crook and unapologetic racist James Earl Ray drove from Atlanta, Georgia to Memphis Tennessee. Two days later, on April 4, and armed with a Remington Model 760 Gamemaster .30-06-caliber rifle mounted with a Redfield 2x-7x scope, Ray killed civil rights leader Martin Luther King, … Continue reading Guilty or Not?
The Make-Believe Battle
In February 1942, the entire west coast of the United States was on edge. Only two months before, the Japanese had successfully executed a surprise, devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, thrusting the United States into war. The Imperial Army seemed unstoppable, as Pacific island after Pacific Island fell under Japanese control. Many in California, Oregon, … Continue reading The Make-Believe Battle
Blood, Whipping, and Chaucer: The Truth Behind St. Valentine’s Day (RE-POST)
**Recently, my kids asked me about the origins of Valentine's Day so, as a nod to the upcoming holiday, I thought it appropriate to re-hash this article I wrote a few years ago. It's not all candy hearts and roses, folks. Enjoy! The ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia in mid-February, usually from the … Continue reading Blood, Whipping, and Chaucer: The Truth Behind St. Valentine’s Day (RE-POST)
I *maybe* Claim This Land for Russia
On this day in 1820, a Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen spotted an ice shelf attached to Antarctic land now known as Queen Maud Land, making them the first to see the long-sought-after Terra Australis Incognita (“unknown southern land”) many explorers before had tried--and failed--to locate. It should have been a major … Continue reading I *maybe* Claim This Land for Russia
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