VIDEO

Meg Ryan has been a Hollywood fixture for the better part of four decades. Best known for rom-com romps such as Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, the actress’s off-screen life has been equally romance and comedy-filled....

VIDEO

The House of Tudor had more than its fair share of scandalous figures, from Henry VIII’s many marriages to the intrigue and plots of the court of Elizabeth I. But few remember the twisted tale of Mary Tudor—the English princess who briefly became Queen of France. From her secret marriage to her bitter rivalry with Anne Boleyn, Mary packed a lot into her short life.

VIDEO

Francis I of France is inevitably compared to Henry VIII. Both kings had big personalities, big love affairs, and big scandals that rocked the face of Europe. But there’s a lot more to Francis than just the similarities to the Tudor counterpart. From his unlikely ascension to the throne to his brutal defeats and torturous later years, Francis did not languish in his neighbor's shadow.

VIDEO

Queen Elizabeth I trusted very few people, but she trusted her lady-in-waiting Kat Ashley with her life. From devastating lows to royal highs, Kat Ashley was with Elizabeth through it all, and she watched more secrets unfold behind the throne than anyone else at court. One in particular could have ruined Elizabeth, and nearly cost Kat her life.

VIDEO

A gentleman to some and a menace to others, John Dillinger put America in a frenzy with a spree that led to the formation of the FBI itself—until his luck ran out.

VIDEO

Imagine a world where burly Norse warriors discover a new continent—and then just... walk away. Wild, right? Get ready for a story into why the Vikings pulled the ultimate “not interested” move on North America. But first, an introduction.

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PEOPLE

Fans were stunned when Joe Jonas filed for divorce from Sophie Turner—and reportedly, it all came down to one single moment.

EDITORIAL

Iris Murdoch is one of the most prolific Irish and British authors of her time, with her work often asking philosophical questions, confronting the meaning of morality, and tearing at the roots of human intimacy....

PEOPLE

Brian Wilson was the musical mastermind behind the Beach Boys—but, between the bars of his incredible songs, he is an equally brilliant and burdened man.

EDITORIAL

The heiress to the vast Singer sewing fortune, Winnaretta Singer began and ended her life under twin stars of utter privilege and absolute infamy.

PEOPLE

People said King Charles II of Spain’s physical deformities were proof that he was “bewitched”—but the truth was far more heartbreaking.

PEOPLE

Before modern drug regulation, self-appointed healers and legitimate physicians alike could build fortunes around miracle pills, electrical gadgets, secret formulas, and supposed cures that had never survived serious scientific testing. Some were eventually exposed by experiments, journalists, medical boards, and federal law, but not before America's age of medical quackery made several of them rich and famous.

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PLACES

We may be standing on the shoulders of giants—and, if some legends are believed, that phrase might be shockingly literal.

THINGS

The world is filled with spectacular, bizarre, and iconic buildings—but these structures often have a surprisingly dark history.

THINGS

So notorious that its name is synonymous with madness, the history of Bethlem Royal Hospital, or Bedlam, is filled with some of humanity's darkest moments.

EDITORIAL

The history of Mexico City stretches back almost two centuries before the Spanish ever set foot in the Americas. Rather, the Spanish built their capital on top of the ashes of one of the most beautiful and unique cities in history: Tenochtitlan.

PLACES

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.

PLACES

Area 51's workers don't drive there. They fly in on a classified US Government airline known only as "Janet."

THINGS

Why did Meghan Markle disappear? Markle’s issues with her father are no secret—but few know about her twisted feud with her half-sister.

THINGS

Facing impossible odds, the mighty 300 of Sparta made a stand at the Battle of Thermopylae that determined the course of history—despite how it ended.

THINGS

The world is filled with spectacular, bizarre, and iconic buildings—but these structures often have a surprisingly dark history.

THINGS

So notorious that its name is synonymous with madness, the history of Bethlem Royal Hospital, or Bedlam, is filled with some of humanity's darkest moments.

THINGS

Today, a zipper feels so ordinary that most people barely notice one unless it jams. The basic idea took generations of experimentation before manufacturers could make a sliding fastener that was reliable, affordable, and easy to sew into everyday products. Its history shows that inventing something is not the same as convincing millions of people to trust it.



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