For about two decades, a man born Ilich Ramirez Sanchez shot businessmen, bombed department stores and train cars, and took dozens of oil ministers hostage in one of the boldest raids of the Cold War, all in the name of Marxist revolution and Palestinian liberation. He picked up the nickname Carlos the Jackal along the way, and somewhere in the process of doing all that damage, he also became genuinely famous, the kind of infamous that gets you a Golden Globe winning miniseri

The Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda , is arguably “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world.” This half-length portrait of Lisa Gherardini, created by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, is not only a one of the most famous paintings in the world, but it also has a rich and sometimes tragic history of misfortune. The most notorious of these incidents occurred on 21 August 1911, when the p

Mensur is the centuries-old German academic fencing tradition where university students deliberately fought with sharp blades to earn facial scars. Bismarck had one. So did Otto Skorzeny. Here's why.

This is a gorgeous example of French presentation from the 1920s, the fragrance "L’Orange Variée" by Les Parfums de Marcy is presented in a unique packaging design. The perfume comes in a container with eight individual glass sections, resembling orange segments nestled within a painted enamel peel. The segments are positioned upside down, cleverly concealing their corks. During the 1920s, novelty perfume bottles were all the rage, but designs resembling citrus fruits were a

The Society for Photographing the Relics of Old London, led by Alfred Marks, focused on places that gave off a certain view of the city. Alfred Marks was not just a photographer; he was a visionary. Born in the mid-19th century, Marks witnessed the dramatic changes that industrialisation brought to London. Streetscapes that had stood for centuries were being razed, replaced by modern infrastructure and new architectural styles. Sensing the urgency, Marks set out to preserve t

Christopher Reeve remembered the moment clearly enough to write it down decades later. The first person he met at Juilliard was, in his words, a short, stocky, long haired fellow from Marin County wearing tie dyed shirts with tracksuit bottoms who talked a mile a minute. That fellow was Robin Williams, and the two of them stayed close for the next 31 years, through fame, through a horse riding accident that changed one of their lives completely, and right up until Reeve's dea

The Rolling Stones tend to get introduced as one of the greatest live bands in history, and fair play, they’ve spent nearly sixty years proving it. Even now, they still show up and blast through sets as if the whole ageing process was merely a suggestion. But for a band so famously loud and loose on stage, their studio work is just as interesting, even if it tends to get pushed aside in favour of tales about hotel-room furniture flying out of windows. Behind the scenes, Jagg

Pirates weren’t only after gold. During the Golden Age of Piracy, many entered matelotage — partnerships that blended love, loyalty, and inheritance. Discover the fascinating history of pirate unions and how they challenged life ashore.

Every year on Baishe Srabon , the 22nd day of the Bengali month of Shravan, people across Bengal pause to remember a man whose words once shaped a nation and still stir hearts a century later. Rabindranath Tagore wasn’t just one of the great masters of literature, he was a once-in-a-generation phenomenon. Poet, philosopher, composer, educator, reformer, and artist, he helped shape modern Indian identity while bridging cultures and continents with his thought and verse. Born

From a car repair shop in Gateshead to Compass Point in Nassau and a studio bell recorded after a pigeon problem this is the real story of how Brian Johnson joined AC DC and helped craft Back In Black the album that changed rock forever.

There have been many great 'adventurers'. People who have through force of will or luck or the ability to bullshit really REALLY well, have carved their names into the pages of history. Little people who do extraordinary things. One of my favourites is the illiterate Irish farmer who managed, without any support, to create for himself his own kingdom in India. Known as the "Jehazi Sahib" he briefly created a whole new state, with himself as a rajah, in the wild and dangerous

Dorando Pietri is helped across the finish line while holding a cork in his hand. On June 24, 1908, history was made with the London Olympic Marathon, held amidst scorching heat on a newly resurfaced, unforgivingly hard track. A last-minute extension of nearly two miles solidified the marathon distance at 26 miles and 385 yards. The grueling conditions inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to pen a vivid account for The Daily Mail, capturing the harrowing image of the eventual vict

On 22nd February, 1876, on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota, a child was born who would grow up to challenge the very system that tried to erase her. She would become known to the world as Zitkála-Šá, meaning “Red Bird” in the Dakota language. At various points in her life she was called Gertrude Simmons, Gertrude Bonnin, a violinist, a teacher, a writer, an agitator, and a reformer. But through it all, she chose to sign her most powerful work with her Dakota na

Ignaz Semmelweis, the Hungarian doctor who discovered handwashing prevented childbed fever, saved countless lives but was ridiculed in his lifetime.

Matilda McCrear's story has emerged from a shadowy chapter of history thanks to the efforts of Dr. Hannah Durkin from Newcastle University. Dr. Durkin initially believed that Redoshi Smith, a former slave who passed away in 1937, was the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade. However, her research has since led her to uncover another woman, Matilda McCrear, who was also brought from Africa on the same ship. McCrear lived until 1940, passing away at the age of eighty-

Shipwrecked in Papua New Guinea, Swedish sailor Carl Emil Pettersson didn’t just survive — he married a princess, became king of Tabar Island, and lived a life of love, loss, and adventure. His true story is stranger than fiction. Read more at utterlyinteresting.com

If you could encapsulate madness in a film, Apocalypse Now would undoubtedly be the crown jewel of cinematic insanity. The filming process itself was a warzone, not far removed from the brutal conflict it portrayed. A film that took over three years to make, helmed by a director who nearly lost everything—his health, his sanity, and his fortune—just to see his vision come to life. What was supposed to be a 14-week shoot ballooned into a nightmare of guerrilla filmmaking in t

Marvin Gaye's illustrious career spanned over 25 years, from his early days in Motown to his transformation into a socially-conscious funk artist. His music captivated audiences worldwide and left an indelible mark on the industry. Despite his profound impact on music, Gaye's life was plagued by a tumultuous relationship with his father, ultimately leading to his tragic demise. "I brought you into this world, I can take you out." - Marvin Gaye Sr. Marvin Gaye Sr. emerged from

The air is the only place free from prejudices – Bessie Coleman In the relatively short time humans have been flying, the illustrious name of Bessie Coleman looms large, her legacy a testament to determination and audacity amidst a backdrop of societal barriers. Born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas, Coleman's trajectory from humble beginnings to soaring heights is as inspiring as it is emblematic of perseverance in the face of adversity. Coleman took to the sky as the

If one of your siblings were to align themselves with a deadly political force, it could lead to a profound rift within your family. A striking example of this occurred within the Göring family during the first half of the 1900s. Two brothers, Albert and Hermann Göring, found themselves on opposing sides of World War II. While Hermann proudly embraced membership in the Nazi Party, Albert opted for an entirely different path. Throughout the years of war, a poignant conflict em

The occupation of Alcatraz Island by Native American activists from 1969 to 1971 marked a significant turning point in the modern Indigenous rights movement in the United States. What began as a symbolic act of defiance against centuries of broken treaties and cultural erasure developed into a prolonged and powerful protest that captured national attention and had a lasting impact on federal policy towards Native Americans. The occupation was the culmination of years of griev

In the annals of automotive history, the 1908 New York to Paris car race stands as a testament to human ingenuity, endurance, and a bit of lunacy too. Spanning over 22,000 miles and traversing continents, this epic race captured the imagination of people worldwide, pushing the boundaries of what was believed possible in the early days of motoring. The race attracted a diverse array of competitors from around the globe, each eager to prove the capabilities of their automobiles

When the festive season descends upon Iceland, the nation transforms into a booklover’s paradise. Unlike the frenzied last-minute...