Alessandro Moreschi, the last castrato, sang for the Vatican in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His haunting recordings reveal the legacy of castrato singers in Rome, whose voices defined an era of sacred music.

Pennsylvania treasurer R. Budd Dwyer died at his own press conference on 22 January 1987. Here's the bribery case behind it and what's still disputed.

In 2014, Merrick Morton, a photographer living in Los Angeles and a former LAPD reserve officer, came across a neglected collection of LAPD crime photographs dating from the 1920s to the 1970s. These images were captured on cellulose nitrate-based film and negatives, which had deteriorated and were considered a fire hazard. Through collaboration with the Fototeka photo digitisation service and the US National Film Archive, these photographs were restored to a renewed lease on

The Correspondence That Led To Charles M. Schulz Creating A Black Peanuts Character In 1968

Dr. Young's Ideal Rectal Dilators, marketed in the United States from the late 19th century through at least the 1940s, were part of the growing industry of patent and proprietary medicines and devices during that era. These dilators were sold in sets of four, resembling torpedoes, made of hard rubber initially, later transitioning to plastic. Ranging from 1⁄2 to 1 inch in diameter and 3 to 4 inches in length, they were detailed in a retrospective piece in The American Journa

Below, Bo Diddley offers wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of navigating the complexities of the music industry and beyond, sharing his personal insights and tips for survival in an ever-changing world. Whether it's drugs, guns or women, Uncle Bo has got you covered! Alcohol and Drugs: Only drink Grand Marnier, and that’s to keep the throat from drying up in a place where there’s a lot of smoke. As for drugs: a big NO! Food : Eat anytime, anything you can get your hands on. I m

At a time when circuses and exhibitions reigned supreme, offering people a glimpse into the exotic and the unknown, London was visited by a small group of Padaung women from the remote regions of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Dubbed the "Giraffe Women", as is there custom beginning at about five years of age, many Padaung girls have their necks wound with spirals of brass. (In earlier days, copper and gold were used as well.) A bedinsayah (spirit doctor) puts the coils into p

In 1969, a man who looked like he'd wandered off the set of Sinbad the Sailor sold everything he owned, sailed his family from Oahu to Kauai, and bailed thirteen strangers out of jail on a whim. Within a few years, the beach he handed them had grown into a treehouse village of over a hundred people, with its own church, its own free grocery store, and exactly one law. It lasted eight years before the state burned it to the ground. A Modernist Dream House That Never Got Built

Frances Louisa Clayton, also known as Frances Clalin, emerges as a compelling figure in American history, though her narrative remains shrouded in ambiguity and debate. Purportedly, she assumed the guise of a man to enlist in the Union Army during the American Civil War. However, contemporary historians cast doubt on the veracity of her claims, suggesting that her story may have been embellished or entirely fabricated. Operating under the alias Jack Williams, Clayton asserted

The Zangaki brothers were a pair of Greek photographers operating in Egypt during the late 1870s to the 1890s, crafting prints tailored for the burgeoning tourist market. Despite creating some of the era's most exquisite depictions of Victorian Egypt, scant details are available about their lives. While they are presumed to be Greek Cypriots, speculation exists that they hailed from Crete. Prior to the emergence of their photographic works in Egypt, little is documented about

Charles II earned the nickname 'The Merry Monarch' not only for his love of wine, song, and music but also for his extensive womanising, surpassing any other British monarch in history in the number of mistresses he kept (that we know of). Despite being married to Catherine of Braganza, a reserved Queen, she chose to overlook her husband's extramarital affairs. Their marriage remained childless, yet Charles fathered more than 11 illegitimate children with 14 mistresses and br

Albert Einstein’s office – just as the Nobel Prize-winning physicist left it, taken mere hours after Einstein died, Princeton, New Jersey, April 1955. Albert Einstein, whose groundbreaking theories revolutionised our understanding of the universe, passed away on April 18, 1955, due to heart failure at the age of 76. His funeral and cremation were kept remarkably private, with only one photographer, Ralph Morse of Life Magazine, managing to document the events of that remarkab

Peter Rachman died in 1962, but his name outlived him in the strangest possible way: "Rachmanism" entered the Oxford English Dictionary as shorthand for the exploitation and intimidation of tenants by their landlord, a rare case of a slumlord's surname turning into a permanent fixture of the English language. What rarely makes it into the story is how directly his empire of overcrowded, subdivided houses fed into one of postwar Britain's ugliest weeks: the Notting Hill race r

She's tattooed, Buddhist, and runs an antique shop in Portland, Oregon. Chrese Evans is Joseph Stalin's granddaughter and she couldn't be more different. Here's her remarkable story.

Eddie Mannix spent nearly forty years making MGM's problems disappear. Pregnancies, deaths, drunk driving, morals charges, none of it was too big for him to smooth over, bury or spin into something the studio could live with. He was also, by the accounts of at least one woman who knew him personally, capable of beating someone half to death and simply walking away from it. Both things are true about the same man, and understanding Hollywood's studio era means understanding ho

Discover the wild world of Ghanaian and Nigerian hand-painted movie posters. Created by local artists in the 1980s and 1990s, these bold, surreal artworks turned Hollywood films into folk art masterpieces that are so bad they’re brilliant.

Surviving crew, from left to right, first row: Ernest Archer, Frederick Fleet, Walter Perkis, George Symons and Frederick Clench. Second row: Arthur Bright, George Hogg, John Moore, Frank Osman and Henry Etches. The White Star Line's Titanic holds a brief yet significant place in history. Anticipation surrounded its launch and maiden voyage, with the world captivated by its grandeur and unprecedented luxury. For those unfamiliar with the tale, here's a concise overview: The R

Violet Jessop, renowned as an ocean liner stewardess and nurse, is famously remembered for surviving the catastrophic sinkings of both the RMS Titanic in 1912 and its sister ship, the HMHS Britannic, in 1916. Remarkably, she had also been aboard the RMS Olympic when it collided with a British warship in 1911. Born on October 1, 1887, near Bahía Blanca, Argentina, Jessop was the eldest daughter of Irish immigrants, William and Katherine Jessop. She grew up alongside eight sibl

In the final 20 years of Albert Einstein's life, he rarely accepted invitations to speak at universities or accept honourary degrees as he found the presentations “ostentatious.” In May 1946, however, he accepted an invitation to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania which was also the first school in America to grant degrees to African American Students. “There is a separation of coloured people from white people in the United States. That separation is not a disease of coloure

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” - Hemmingway One of the most iconic images depicting Paris from the previous century, characterized by its exquisite black and white imagery, is undoubtedly Alfred Eisenstaedt’s timeless photograph capturing the essence of childhood wonder. Taken in 1963 at an open-air theatre, Eisenstaedt immortalises the enchantin

Few people had knowledge of the inner workings of Uganda during Idi Amin's brutal regime, one such person that navigated this dangerous world was 'Major' Bob Astles, a British-born confidant of Amin, held a position in close proximity to the epicentre of terror. As Amin's principal aide, Astles operated as a versatile figure, assuming roles spanning espionage, diplomacy, and even smuggling. Within the complex web of Amin's regime, he emerged as perhaps the most reviled Caucas

Ivy League Students From The 1920s A peculiar phenomenon in American fashion emerged with American Ivy League students and young undergraduates donning thick, long raccoon coats. This craze in men's fashion during the 1920s and 30s led to a widespread desire for this luxurious garment. Owning a fur coat became a symbol of status, embraced by bankers, salesmen, and students seeking to enhance their social standing. If you were an Ivy League undergraduate in the 1920s with a c

Before the advent of the film camera, a decade preceding the iconic Roundhay Garden Scene of 1888 and twelve years ahead of the Lumiere brothers' Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat in 1886, Eadweard Muybridge pioneered the creation of motion pictures. Employing as many as 24 still cameras, Muybridge embarked on a groundbreaking endeavor over 140 years ago with his project titled "Animal Locomotion." This innovative undertaking commenced with his iconic Horse in Motion series in