Marooned in Florida in 1528, four Spanish colonists made an extraordinary journey across the unexplored continent. Their experiences changed their conception of the New World and its people. In this… Read the rest of the article: In the 1500s, four Spanish colonists were marooned in an unexplored North America
The only dog ever enlisted in the Royal Navy was a Great Dane who befriended the sailors of Cape Town in the 1930s. Given the rank of able seaman, he… Read the rest of the article: In 1939 a Great Dane joined the Royal Navy
In 1943, the U.S. established a camp for German prisoners of war near the village of Stark in northern New Hampshire. After a rocky start, the relations between the prisoners… Read the rest of the article: A New Hampshire POW camp in World War II was unexpectedly transformed by kindness
In 1929 a German couple fled civilization to live on an uninhabited island in the Eastern Pacific. But other settlers soon followed, leading to strife, suspicion, and possibly murder. In… Read the rest of the article: Two settlers disappeared from a small Eastern Pacific island in 1934
In 1925, Swiss schoolteacher Aimé Tschiffely set out to prove the resilience of Argentina's criollo horses by riding two of them from Buenos Aires to New York City. In this… Read the rest of the article: In 1925, Aimé Tschiffely set out to ride two horses from Buenos Aires to New York City
Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits and stump your friends — play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no… Read the rest of the article: Six lateral thinking puzzles
In 1937, Englishwoman Ursula Graham Bower became fascinated by the Naga people of northeastern India. She was living among them when World War II broke out and Japan threatened to… Read the rest of the article: In 1942, English anthropologist Ursula Graham Bower organized Indian hill people against invading Japanese
In 1911, the Mona Lisa disappeared from the Louvre. After an extensive investigation it made a surprising reappearance that inspired headlines around the world. In this week's episode of the… Read the rest of the article: In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre
In the 1930s, Sinto boxer Johann Trollmann was reaching the peak of his career when the Nazis declared his ethnic inferiority. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast… Read the rest of the article: Boxer Johann Trollmann challenged the Nazis' presumption of his ethnic inferiority
In 1957, 14 boys from Monterrey, Mexico, walked into Texas to take part in a game of Little League baseball. What followed surprised and inspired two nations. In this week's… Read the rest of the article: In 1957, an underdog Mexican team stunned the world of Little League baseball
In 1932, Yorkshireman Maurice Wilson chose a startling way to promote his mystical beliefs: He would fly to Mount Everest and climb it alone. In this week's episode of the… Read the rest of the article: In the 1930s, an Englishman decided to fly to Mount Everest and climb it alone
In 1957, an English doctor was accused of killing his patients for their money. The courtroom drama that followed was called the "murder trial of the century." In this week's… Read the rest of the article: In 1957, English doctor John Bodkin Adams was accused of killing his patients for their money
In 1932, 9-year-old Lennie Gwyther set out to ride a thousand kilometers to see the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Along the way he became a symbol of Australian… Read the rest of the article: In 1932, 9-year-old Lennie Gwyther rode 600 miles to see the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
In 1927, Henry Ford decided to build a plantation in the Amazon to supply rubber for his auto company. The result was Fordlandia, an incongruous Midwestern-style town in the tropical… Read the rest of the article: Henry Ford built a Midwestern-style town in the Amazon
In 1946, Australian engineer Ben Carlin decided to circle the world in an amphibious jeep. He would spend 10 years in the attempt, which he called an "exercise in technology,… Read the rest of the article: In 1946, Australian engineer Ben Carlin decided to circle the world in an amphibious jeep
In 1917, German pilot Werner Voss had set out for a patrol over the Western Front when he encountered two flights of British fighters, including seven of the best pilots… Read the rest of the article: In a 1917 dogfight, German flying ace Werner Voss took on seven of the best pilots in the Royal Flying Corps
In 1889, a dam failed in southwestern Pennsylvania, sending 20 million tons of water down an industrialized valley toward the unsuspecting city of Johnstown. In this week's episode of the… Read the rest of the article: In 1889, a dam failure sent a disastrous flood descending on Johnstown, Pennsylvania
On New Year's Day 1963, two bodies were discovered on an Australian riverbank. Though their identities were quickly determined, weeks of intensive investigation failed to uncover a cause or motive… Read the rest of the article: A bizarre case of inexplicable death on a riverbank in Sydney in 1963
After a severe fever in 1776, Rhode Island farmer's daughter Jemima Wilkinson was reborn as a genderless celestial being who had been sent to warn of the coming Apocalypse. But… Read the rest of the article: A genderless evangelist rode through revolutionary America warning of the Apocalypse
In 1942, Manitoba chose a startling way to promote the sale of war bonds — it staged a Nazi invasion of Winnipeg. For one gripping day, soldiers captured the city,… Read the rest of the article: In 1942, Winnipeg staged a Nazi invasion to promote the sale of war bonds
