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Johnny Coulon The Bantamweight Boxer Who Became the Unliftable Man
Meet Johnny Coulon, the bantamweight champion who baffled the world as “The Unliftable Man.” At just 5ft and 110lbs, he stunned wrestlers, strongmen, and even Muhammad Ali with a clever trick of leverage and nerve pressure. A boxer turned vaudeville sensation!
John Aspinall The Gambling Showman Who Built Zoos for Tigers and Dukes
John Aspinall gambled with people’s fortunes, their lives, and sometimes their trust. From cheating dukes at the Clermont Club to letting keepers die in his zoos, he thrived on scandal. Discover the dark legacy of the gambler who loved tigers more than people.
Noor Inayat Khan – The Princess Spy Who Defied the Gestapo
Noor Inayat Khan, the daughter of a Sufi mystic and descendant of Tipu Sultan, became the first female wireless operator sent into Nazi-occupied France. Betrayed, tortured, and executed at Dachau, her story is one of bravery and extraordinary sacrifice.
The First Great American Road Trip: Horatio Nelson Jackson, Sewall Crocker, and Bud the Bulldog
In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson bet $50 he could drive across America. With a mechanic, a bulldog, and a car named Vermont, he made history.
The House Of Guinness: More Myths Than Malt
From Arthur Guinness myths to Beatles connections and family tragedies, explore the rich and turbulent history of the Guinness dynasty.
Kill ’Em All: How Metallica’s Chaotic First Album Came to Life
In 1983, Metallica recorded Kill ’Em All in a haunted studio with stolen amps, champagne raids, and no backup guitars. Here’s the chaotic story behind their legendary debut.
The Hijacking Where Everyone Smiled: Coşkun Aral’s Surreal Scoop
In 1980, Turkish Airlines flight 293 was hijacked — and war correspondent Coşkun Aral captured it all. Discover the surreal story of the hijacking where both hijacker and pilot smiled.
Underworld Plastic Surgery in the Public Enemy Era
In the Public Enemy era of the 1930s, gangsters like John Dillinger turned to underworld plastic surgeons to change their faces and erase fingerprints. Discover the history of outlaw surgery, the doctors involved, and why it never truly worked.
The Liberty City Seven: A Cult, A Sting, and America’s “Homegrown” Terror Scare
In 2006, the Liberty City Seven were arrested in Miami for plotting to attack the Sears Tower. But were they dangerous terrorists — or hapless men caught in an FBI sting? Here’s the strange story.
From Pyjamas to Shampoo: Indian Words That Became Everyday English in the UK
Beyond curry and chutney, discover how Indian words like pyjamas, bungalow, loot, shampoo, and jungle entered English during the British Empire and remain part of everyday UK speech.
The Fantastic Fashion Worn By Sydney's Criminal Ladies in the 1920s
Sydney’s 1920s criminal women turned mugshots into fashion portraits. Figures like Kate Leigh, Tilly Devine, and Dulcie Markham posed in pearls, furs, and frocks — unforgettable images of crime and style from the City of Shadows archive.
Howard Unruh and the Walk of Death: America’s First Modern Mass Shooting
On 6 Sept 1949, Howard Unruh walked through Camden, NJ, killing 13 people in just 12 minutes. Known as the “Walk of Death,” it is often called America’s first modern mass shooting. His chilling story still echoes today.
Sorosis and the Birth of America’s Women-Only Clubs
When Jane Cunningham Croly and her peers were denied entry to a Dickens dinner in 1868, they created their own club. Sorosis became the first women-only club in America, and a catalyst for women’s rights, civic activism, and the power of sisterhood.
The Day Squeaky Fromme Pointed a Gun at President Ford
In 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme of the Manson Family aimed a gun at President Gerald Ford in Sacramento. The weapon misfired, Ford survived, and Fromme spent 34 years in prison.
The Little Rock Nine and the Struggle for School Desegregation
In 1957, nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, bravely desegregated Little Rock Central High School. Defying mobs, a defiant governor, and even the Arkansas National Guard, they made history under the protection of federal troops sent by President Eisenhower.
Sir Harold Gillies The Father of Modern Plastic Surgery
During WWI, thousands of soldiers returned with devastating facial injuries. Sir Harold Gillies gave them back their faces, dignity, and hope. From 11,000 surgeries at Sidcup to pioneering gender-affirming operations, he changed medicine forever.
AC/DC’s And Their First Gig In London At The Red Cow in Hammersmith, 1976
In April 1976, AC/DC played their first ever UK gig at The Red Cow pub in West London. Discover how a tiny, sweaty venue helped launch one of the world’s greatest rock bands onto the global stage.
Beslan School Siege: The Story Russia Still Struggles To Tell
On 1 September 2004, militants stormed a school in Beslan, Russia, taking more than 1,100 hostages. After three days, 334 were dead, including 186 children. Nearly twenty years later, the grief and unanswered questions remain.
The Wrightsville Fire of 1959: How 21 Black Boys Were Burnt To Death In An Arkansas Reform School
On March 5, 1959, twenty-one African American boys died in a locked dormitory fire at the Wrightsville reform school in Arkansas. Their forgotten story exposes the neglect and racism of the Jim Crow South.
Jack the Ripper and His Victims: Why the Prostitute Myth Is Wrong
ack the Ripper’s victims are often remembered as prostitutes, but history tells a different story. At least three of the five women had no connection to sex work. So why has the myth endured for over 130 years?
Roger Stone: A Life of Scandals, Controversies and Crimes
Roger Stone’s career is a story of scandals, dirty tricks, and crimes. From Watergate to Trump, dictators to voter fraud claims, explore the controversial life of America’s most infamous political trickster.
Women Armed With Household Weapons: The 1900 Chicago Tribune List
In 1900, the Chicago Tribune counted down the 20 household items most often used by women as weapons. Broom handles, hat pins, rolling pins, even soup tureens — a quirky list that reveals much about self-defence history.
John Howard Griffin: The Journalist Who Lived Life on Both Sides of the Colour Line
In 1959, John Howard Griffin darkened his skin to live as a Black man in the segregated South. His book Black Like Me shocked America and remains a landmark in civil rights history.
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