History »
Et Tu Brute? Not Caesar’s Last Words
In terms of famous last words, Julius Caesar’s supposed “Et tu, Brute?” may be the most well known of any in history. For context, William Shakespeare would have us believe, Julius Caesar, in his
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The Nazi Origin of the Volkswagen Beetle
Hard to believe but true- the industrial production of the lovable VW Bug was partially the brainchild of none other than Adolf Hitler. While most of us, when we think of Hitler and the
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The First Stock Market Crash: The South Sea Company
Building on a long tradition of catastrophic financial market crashes, the economic meltdown caused by the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008 is only the latest in a long line of epic stock
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The Origin of Humpty Dumpty
Nevin asks: Why is “Humpty Dumpty” always depicted as an egg? As you seem to have noticed, in the “Humpty Dumpty” nursery rhyme, nowhere does it say that Humpty is an egg, yet he
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Who was the Real Mother Goose?
Rachel asks: Was “Mother Goose” a real person? A nursery necessity and childhood favourite, Mother Goose is a household name and the writer of dozens of well-known nursery rhymes like Baa Baa Black Sheep,
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The Last Veteran of the Civil War
The Civil War ended 148 years ago this past month (April 9th, 1865) with the surrender of the Confederate forces at the Appomattox Court House in Northern Virginia. 54 years ago, in December 1959,
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The History of Cheese
The story goes something like this: an ancient Arab sets out on a journey across the desert. In preparation, he puts a ration of milk into a handy sheep’s stomach to transport it. (Those
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Cinderella’s Castle was Modeled After Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle
Today I found out that Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disney Land are modeled after Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle. Each castle was also inspired by several other castles, including Fontainebleau
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The Fascinating History of Birth Control
Kerry asks: What did people use for birth control before modern methods like the pill and condoms? Pregnancy prevention around the world has a lengthy history that includes many effective yet sometimes lethal methods
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The Origin of “Say Cheese” and When People Started Smiling in Photographs
Sue T. asks: Why do people say “say cheese” when taking pictures? Also, why did people not smile in old pictures and when did they start? “Say cheese!” This simple command is meant to
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