Strong, intelligent, and best known as Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta led an extraordinary life. Her experiences, however, were far from idyllic. Born an African princess and captured as a slave, she was later raised as the queen’s ward in English high society. But if her time in England revealed anything, it’s that any cage, no matter how gilded, is still just a cage.
Brilliant and competitive, Kate Chase had lofty political aspirations. But as a woman of a particular era, society barred her from politics. Chase had only one choice. She hung her dreams on her father’s shoulders. As her father suffered one political defeat after another, Chase had to watch helplessly as her political future dissolved before her very eyes. But even so, Chase’s spectacular fall from the top was just getting started.
Charles VI was like many other Habsburg rulers, except for one key difference: succession crises seemed to follow him everywhere. From conflicts over his own ascension to the controversy surrounding his heirs, the messy monarch never made things easy for the royal powers of Europe.
James Bowie lived a life ripped straight out of a Hollywood western. His lawless life in the wild west had equal amounts of horse riding, land speculating, and even searching for lost treasure. Bowie had almost an uncanny sense of luck in many battles until he selflessly rode off to save the Alamo. Bowie brought his entire family into the mission and waited for the rapidly advancing Mexican army. But hopelessly outnumbered, all James Bowie could do was hope that his luck had not run out.
As the mother of “Mad King George,” Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha got a raw deal in life—but that doesn’t excuse her unspeakably cruel behavior.
The so-called Golden Age of Spain had many tarnished secrets, and King Philip II was behind the darkest of them. Cold, cruel, and inflexible in his ways, Philip viewed himself as the pious hero of Roman Catholicism—but behind closed doors, his actions were nothing short of depraved.
Carmen Miranda was scorned by fans in her home country, Brazil. But after her tragic death, more than 500,000 people lined the streets of Rio to pay their respects.
June Allyson was Hollywood’s “girl next door”—but beneath her sweet charms, she hid, not only a penchant for scandal, but a startlingly dark history.
When Donald Crowhurst and his ship went missing during the Golden Globe Race of 1968, it was a confusing tragedy that yielded an infamous mystery.
Jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald realized the potential of the human voice as a musical instrument--but few people know her dark history.
Many believe that Lord Lucan took his own life after his infamous crime—but a series of bizarre sightings may prove them wrong.
Toni Morrison was a living legend, but how did a single mother turn her spare time into one of the great bibliographies of literature?
Area 51's workers don't drive there. They fly in on a classified US Government airline known only as "Janet."
We may be standing on the shoulders of giants—and, if some legends are believed, that phrase might be shockingly literal.
Alcatraz was only in operation for less than 30 years, but in that time it gained the reputation as one of the most notorious prisons in American history.
Some hotels offer luxurious rooms, beautiful views, and a peaceful night's sleep. Others come with ghost stories so famous that visitors actually hope something strange happens after dark. Behind many of these legends are real historical events, including mysterious deaths, devastating fires, and scandals that made headlines. From grand American resorts to centuries-old European castles, these hotels prove that sometimes the most memorable part of a vacation is the story you take home.
Plenty of famous landmarks promise apparitions, phantom footsteps, and unexplained voices after dark. But at some places, the documented history is disturbing enough without anything supernatural at all.
Back in the 70s, getting into the right college gave you something to brag about. Your parents were impressed. Your guidance counselor was pleased. And your friends wanted to know how you pulled it off. But mention those same schools today, and...nothing. How many do you remember?
The Addams Family has been lurking around for over 80 years, twisting perceptions of what “normal” families look like with their whimsically macabre humor. Now Netflix’s horror-comedy Wednesday features the titular Addams as the ultimate...
Oozing saddle sores were a common source of pain on the Yellowstone set, but there were far worse things in store for the actors.
Daemon Targaryen’s dragon Caraxes is as terrifying as his rider—but there’s a secret about him few fans know, and it reveals what might be in store.
The plane crash that killed three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1977 was one of rock’s greatest tragedies—but the aftermath was even more jaw-dropping.
Fame isn't always what it seems—and these doomed celebrities are proof. Tragically, wealth and recognition only led them closer to their untimely ends.
The Slap. The Best Picture mix-up. Angelina Jolie's brother. We think we know what happened—but the truth about these Oscars scandals is much more twisted.
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