Chances are, if you're a reader of romance, you've heard of the name Elizabeth Barrett. Or, if you haven't heard her name, you've at least heard a line or two of her most famous poem. It goes a little like this: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." See, I told you … Continue reading A Literary Love Story

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." You and I may not have a lot in common, but I'm guessing you (as well as I) know exactly where that quote comes from. It's spoken by Zuzu Bailey at the end of It's A Wonderful Life, the seminal Christmas classic starring Jimmy Stewart … Continue reading The Story No One Wanted

Beware the 8th of November might have been a sentiment to be heeded by one of history's most evil men. As it turns out, the date was one of particular bad luck--or perhaps good--for none other than Adolph Hitler. By November 1923, the Nazi Party, fueled by German unrest heightened by post World War-I reparations, … Continue reading Beware the 8th of November

In 1822, construction began on a new structure outside of Philadelphia, on ten acres of elevated farmland known as Cherry Hill. Made of massive stone blocks, it would be, for a time, the largest and most expensive building in the United States. Architect John Haviland designed the building to resemble a gothic castle, saying he … Continue reading The Gothic Prison and Cries No Human Ear Can Hear

Over 150 years ago, every community in the United States set its clocks to noon based on when the sun reached its highest position in the sky; as a result, when it was noon in Washington, D.C., it was closer to 12:30 in New York, only 11 in Philadelphia. Before 1883, there were 144 local … Continue reading What TIME is it?!

On this day back in 1903, a Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, was running late. Also known by its train car number (97), the Fast Mail was already behind schedule when it left Washington, D.C., and was hour late when it arrived at its first scheduled stop in Monroe, Virginia. … Continue reading The Train Wreck That Caused a Copyright Lawsuit

I recently stumbled across the old, 1994 comedy "Dumb and Dumber" on Netflix. I'm sure you know it, probably even have seen it (even if you won't admit it). By this point, the tale of two nimrods trekking across country to return what they assume is a woman's left-behind briefcase is pretty much considered a … Continue reading Statistically Speaking…

The name Martin Frobisher is, to all but the most hardcore of historians, rarely remembered among the name of the great British explorers of the 1500's. And, if mentioned at all, it's usually not in conjunction with his several successful trading voyages or even his sketchy foray into piracy. No, Martin Frobisher is usually only … Continue reading A Fool’s Errand