The Soviet space dog, Laika, Who Chased the Stars
Some stories sound like they were tailor-made for tearjerker film scripts. You know the type:…
The Eiffel Tower almost destroyed
If you've ever stood beneath the iron lattice of the Eiffel Tower and craned your…
La Tomatina
Every year, thousands of people travel to the tiny Spanish town of Buñol to do…
Guy de Maupassant
There was a man who once said the Eiffel Tower was such an eyesore that…
John Wilkes Booth: Drama Turned Tragedy
If history were a theatre production, John Wilkes Booth would be that overly dramatic understudy…
Alcatraz to re-open
It was only a matter of time before someone tried to make Alcatraz trendy again.…
Romania’s Child King: A Crown Too Early
Romania’s Child King sounds like the title of a Brothers Grimm story that never made…
Why Some Countries Drive on the Left (And Others Don’t)
It all starts with horses. Naturally. Before cars came along and ruined everything by belching…
What Did Plague Doctors Wear: Fashion for the Apocalypse
What did plague doctors wear? Picture a man in a long black coat, leather gloves,…
Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower: When Halley’s Comet Sends Greetings
Every year around early May, Earth receives a cosmic postcard, courtesy of none other than…
Mental Health Awareness Month: Because Even Your Mind Needs a Break
Mental Health Awareness Month is upon us, and if you’ve been living under a rock—or,…
The Oracle at Delphi: When Gods Spoke in Riddles
Once upon a time, when the world was a lot smaller and gods had the…
What did Tudors eat for breakfast?
What did Tudors eat for breakfast? Depends who you ask. If you time-travelled back to…
What is medieval battering ram?
What is medieval battering ram? It’s not a metaphor, it’s not a riddle, and it…
How NASA was created
Right, so let me tell you a tale that starts not in a sleek rocket…
The Year Without a Summer
The year was 1816, and Europe was in a bit of a mood. Not just…
Why There’s a British Post Box in Antarctica
You haven’t really lived until you’ve queued behind a man in a parka and snow…
Jonathan Swift: The Grumpy Genius
Say the name Jonathan Swift and you might hear a faint chuckle roll across the…
The Time London Had a Beer Tsunami
On an otherwise perfectly average Monday in London—17 October 1814, for those who appreciate a…
Suleiman the Magnificent: Myths and Reality
You know you've made it in history when people start calling you "The Magnificent." Suleiman…
The Shortest War in History
Of all the headlines that could have appeared in the late Victorian papers, one might…
The Esperanto Experiment: When the World Tried a Universal Language (and Politics Ruined It)
Creating peace through grammar might sound like something out of a satirical novel, but once…
10 Ultraprocessed Foods Sneaking Into Your Wellness Routine
You know that moment when you're smugly tossing a low-fat yoghurt into your shopping basket,…
Man Utd Go XXL: Will This Be the World’s Greatest Stadium?
Manchester United announce 100,000-seater stadium. Yes, you read that right. The club that once prided…
Happy Harry Potter Day!
Why is May 2 Harry Potter Day? This day was chosen as Harry Potter defeated…
Ban on tomatoes
Once upon a time, in the grand halls of European aristocracy and the muddy farms…
The medieval recipe for flying
The medieval recipe for flying sounds like it should involve a bubbling cauldron, a witch’s…