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VIDEO

When Wenxiu married Emperor Puyi of China and became his Imperial Consort, she likely imagined a life filled with luxury. Instead, she got tragedy.

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

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

From the waist down, Myrtle Corbin was actually two women. Through a very rare birth defect, she’d grown two sets of everything in the lower half of her body. What followed was a degrading career in circuses and freak shows, but don’t get out your tissues just yet. Instead, let these facts lead to her shocking end.

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PEOPLE

Abraham Zapruder decided to bring his movie camera to film President Kennedy's motorcade—and captured one of history's most shattering events.

PEOPLE

Just before King Ananda Mahidol was due to leave Thailand, one of his attendants said the trip wouldn’t happen. He gave no explanation. It was easy to dismiss at the time. A few days later, those words would sound very different.

PEOPLE

Felicia Montealegre knew that her husband Leonard Bernstein fooled around with men on the side, but when he brought his boyfriend home to meet the kids, she knew it was time to leave.

PEOPLE

CZ Guest was one of the most recognizable socialites of the twentieth century, yet her remarkable life was filled with surprising contradictions.

PEOPLE

When Kelly Clarkson saw Meryl Streep in the flesh, she screamed with unbridled excitement.

PEOPLE

The beloved comedian John Candy tragically passed at the age of 43—but his final goodbye to his family was the most devastating part of all.

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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

In 2019, an English man got much more than he bargained for when he found an absolutely stunning lost treasure that belonged to one of the Tudor era’s most remarkable figures.

EDITORIAL

The Trial of a Hundred Stars sent shockwaves through Hollywood—and threatened to expose the deepest secrets of film's biggest stars.

THINGS

Remember the heavy black telephone you weren't supposed to play with? Or the strange metal tray in the freezer, the green stamps tucked into a kitchen drawer, and that dangerous-looking machine Grandma used on laundry day? Baby Boomers grew up around household objects that were already beginning to disappear, but at Grandma and Grandpa's house, plenty were still hanging around. Today, some are so obsolete that younger generations might not even guess what they were for.

THINGS

Over a thousand people perished when the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912. These are their last, heartbreaking moments on Earth.

THINGS

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

EDITORIAL

Feuds in the Middle Ages rarely ended well—but none ended as memorably or gruesomely as what came to be known as the Erfurt Latrine Disaster.



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