Robert/Wikimedia CommonsUnited Airlines Flight 175 strikes the South Tower as the North Tower smolders beside it on Sept. 11, 2001.

As many have recalled, September 11, 2001, began as a beautiful, clear day in New York City. Subways rumbled underground, workers made their way to their offices, and the city slowly began to wake up. But everything changed in one nightmarish instant, when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The deadliest terrorist attack in world history had begun.

On that morning, 19 terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, one was flown into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the final plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania following a revolt from the passengers. It was likely bound for the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

The 9/11 attacks not only killed almost 3,000 people; they also transformed the course of world events. This is the full story of September 11, 2001.

What Happened On 9/11?

On the morning of September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes in the United States. The planes were flown into different targets, including the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing thousands of people. Today, 9/11 is considered the deadliest terrorist attack in history.

Who Was Responsible For The 9/11 Attacks?

The 9/11 attacks were directly perpetrated by 19 terrorists linked with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. In 2004, al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for 9/11 — though U.S. intelligence agencies had tied him to the terrorist attacks almost immediately.

Why Did The September 11 Attacks Happen?

According to bin Laden, 9/11 was planned in retaliation for U.S. policy in the Middle East. Bin Laden specifically cited America’s support of Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon as one of the reasons for the attack.

Indeed, it wasn’t the first time that the World Trade Center had been the target of a terrorist plot. In 1993, Islamic extremist terrorists had attacked the complex in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. This attack, which the group’s ringleader Ramzi Yousef hoped could bring down the Twin Towers, was also planned in retaliation for U.S. policy in the Middle East.

MARIA BASTONE/AFP via Getty ImagesA scene from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six people and injured more than 1,000.

In fact, Yousef was the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed — one of the primary architects of the September 11 attacks.

How Many Airplanes Were Hijacked On 9/11?

Four airplanes were hijacked on 9/11: American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93.

How Many Places Were Targeted On 9/11?

The 9/11 terrorists targeted the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and another unknown target in Washington, possibly the U.S. Capitol or the White House, which they didn’t reach.

Where Did The Planes Crash On 9/11?

As intended, the terrorists flew planes into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. However, the terrorists did not reach their final target. United Airlines Flight 93, which may have been bound for the U.S. Capitol or the White House, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania instead.

Where Did The 9/11 Planes Take Off From?

American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 took off from Boston at 7:59 a.m. and 8:14 a.m., respectively; both planes were bound for Los Angeles. American Airlines Flight 77, also bound for Los Angeles, took off from Washington, D.C. at 8:20 a.m., and United Airlines Flight 93 took off from Newark en route to San Francisco at 8:42 a.m. According to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Flight 93 was supposed to take off at 8 a.m., around the same time as the other three planes, but was delayed.

By the time Flight 93 left the airport, air traffic controllers had begun to get word that something was wrong. At 8:19 a.m., Betty Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, called American Airlines ground personnel.

“The cockpit’s not answering. Somebody’s stabbed in business class. And I think there’s mace… we can’t breathe,” Ong said, just 20 minutes after the plane had taken off. “I don’t know. I think we’re getting hijacked.”

What Time Did 9/11 Happen?

Shortly after Ong’s phone call, the 9/11 attacks began. At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Public DomainA camera in Brooklyn captured the moment that American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m.

The plane smashed into floors 93 through 99, killing the 76 passengers, 11 crew members, and five hijackers on board, as well as hundreds of people inside the tower.

What Was The Timeline Of The 9/11 Attacks?

After the attack on the North Tower, the attacks of September 11 progressed quickly.

At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The plane sliced through floors 77 through 85, killing the plane’s 51 passengers and nine crew members, as well as hundreds in the building. Roughly 30 minutes later, at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. All 53 passengers and six crew members on the plane were killed, as well as 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground at the Pentagon.

At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, killing hundreds of people trapped inside and the first responders attempting to rescue them. Just minutes later, at 10:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. And at 10:28 a.m., the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, killing more than 1,000 victims.

What Happened At The Pentagon On 9/11?

American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. The plane struck the building’s E Ring (the outermost ring) at the first deck level between Corridors 4 and 5, and came to a stop in the alleyway between C Ring and B Ring. At 10:15 a.m., part of the Pentagon’s E Ring collapsed.

Public DomainPlane debris litters the lawn in front of the Pentagon after the 9/11 attack in Washington, D.C.

“The entire building literally felt like it had completely lifted off the foundation,” Lieutenant Colonel Paul “Ted” Anderson recalled to HISTORY.

Anderson, who had watched on TV as United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower, initially thought that the Pentagon had been bombed. He helped rescue people from the building until firefighters arrived and took over.

What Happened On Flight 93?

Of the four hijacked planes on 9/11, United Airlines Flight 93 was the only one that didn’t hit its intended target. It was hijacked around 9:28 a.m., when terrorists broke into the cockpit. Air traffic controllers heard the pilot’s mayday call, and a flight attendant also alerted United Airlines of the hijacking.

The plane, which had been flying west, suddenly turned east — toward Washington, D.C. It’s believed that the four terrorists intended to hit the U.S. Capitol or the White House, but as passengers reached out to loved ones and learned about the terrorist attack taking place, they decided to fight back.

At 9:57 a.m., a number of passengers — including Tom Burnett, Todd Beamer, and Mark Bingham — stormed the cockpit. They were aided by flight attendant Sandy Bradshaw, who boiled water to help with the attack.

Sadly, they were not able to retake control of the plane, which crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. But they did force the terrorists to abandon their original target. Indeed, the plane was just 20 minutes away from Washington when it went down.

Why Did People Jump Out Of The World Trade Center?

Some of the most harrowing images from September 11, 2001, are those of people jumping from the burning World Trade Center. According to The New York Times, the exact number of 9/11 victims who died by jumping is not known. Indeed, there’s still considerable debate about why these people jumped — or if what they did could be classified as “jumping.”

Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images
A 9/11 victim jumping from the Twin Towers during the September 11 attacks.

The simplest answer is that conditions in the building were hellish: The fires in the tower burned extremely hot — up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit in some places — thick smoke filled the air and made it difficult to breathe, and many people were trapped with no way out.

“This should not be really thought of as a choice,” Louis Garcia, New York City’s chief fire marshal, remarked to The New York Times in 2004. “If you put people at a window and introduce that kind of heat, there’s a good chance most people would feel compelled to jump.”

That said, some people may have been blown out of the building, some may have fallen while trying to get breathable air, and some may have instinctively flung themselves away from the intense heat.

But many questions remain about the people who jumped from the World Trade Center, including the unidentified “Falling Man” who was photographed that day.

Did Anyone Who Jumped Out Of The Twin Towers Survive?

No, sadly, everyone who jumped out of the Twin Towers on 9/11 died.

Did Anyone On The Top Floors Of The World Trade Center Survive?

In the North Tower, no one above the 92nd floor survived (the plane had struck floors 93 through 99, killing many people and trapping even more). This included staff and guests at Windows on the World, the restaurant located on the 106th and 107th stories of the North Tower.

More people survived from the top floors of the South Tower — but not many more. Just 18 people managed to escape from above the impact zone (stories 77 to 85).

How Long Did It Take For The Twin Towers To Collapse?

Pauljoffe/Wikimedia CommonsThe collapse of the South Tower, as seen from Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., 56 minutes after it was hit. The North Tower collapsed at 10:28, 102 minutes after it was hit.

The collapse of the two towers sent a tidal wave of dust into the streets below. Marcy Borders, known as the “Dust Lady,” was photographed shortly after the South Tower collapsed.

Was Anyone Rescued After The Towers Collapsed?

After the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, first responders started to search for anyone who might be trapped in the rubble. Assisted by rescue dogs, they ultimately saved 20 people from the debris at Ground Zero.

The last person pulled out of the rubble was Genelle Guzman-McMillan. She had made it from the 64th floor to the 13th floor of the North Tower before it collapsed, and she was rescued 27 hours later.

How Many People Died During 9/11?

The people who died on 9/11 include Father Mychal Judge, the fire department chaplain who became the first official victim of the attacks; Rick Rescorla, the vice president of security at Morgan Stanley who spent his final moments helping people escape the towers; and thousands of others. The official 9/11 death toll is 2,977 (which does not include the 19 terrorists).

However, given the unknown number of undocumented workers in the World Trade Center, and the survivors who later died from conditions caused by exposure to toxins from Ground Zero, the true death toll is much higher.

How Many First Responders Died On September 11, 2001?

During 9/11, more than 400 first responders were killed, including 343 firefighters, 71 police officers, and eight EMT workers.

Anthony Correia/Getty ImagesA firefighter at Ground Zero.

These victims included firefighter Daniel Suhr, who was killed when he was hit by someone jumping out of the South Tower, and Scott Davidson, the father of comedian Pete Davidson, who died when the North Tower collapsed.

How Did The United States Respond To The 9/11 Attacks?

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush announced that the United States would “make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”

A month later, on Oct. 7, 2001, the “War on Terror” began when the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan. The conflict was later expanded to include Iraq, and it endured for the next two decades.

Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011.

How Long Did 9/11 Take To Clean Up?

The process to clean up Ground Zero took just eight months — from September 2001 until May 2002.

During the clean-up process, workers found a number of artifacts from 9/11 victims, including ID cards, pagers, shoes, wallets, and glasses. According to CNN, workers found just 289 intact bodies at Ground Zero, though they also recovered thousands of human remains.

What Happened To The World Trade Center Site After 9/11?

Today, the World Trade Center site is a memorial and museum dedicated to the 9/11 attacks. The site itself was opened to the public on Sept. 12, 2011, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum opened in May 2014.

King of Hearts/Wikimedia CommonsOne World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, at the site of the former World Trade Center.

Six months after the museum opened, the 1,776-foot-high Freedom Tower, also called One World Trade Center, opened at the site.

Are They Still Finding Bodies From 9/11?

No, bodies are not still being discovered at Ground Zero. That said, officials are still working to identify the human remains from the Twin Towers through DNA testing. In 2025, NPR reported that no DNA matches have been found for approximately 40 percent of the victims known to have died at the World Trade Center.

After reading about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, learn how the people of Gander, Newfoundland helped 6,500 stranded passengers on 9/11. Or, discover the uplifting story of Michael Hingson, the blind man who made it out of the North Tower thanks to his guide dog, Roselle.

The post Inside The Events Of September 11, 2001 And The Lingering Questions Surrounding The Tragedy appeared first on All That's Interesting.

BETH A. KEISER/AFP/Getty Images 9/11 first responders search through the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 13, 2001.

On September 11, 2001, American life changed forever. Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four U.S. passenger planes and launched attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. As the disaster unfolded, thousands of 9/11 first responders rushed to help the survivors.

In New York City alone, over 100 EMS units and private ambulances raced to the scene of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, where two planes had crashed into the iconic buildings.

Meanwhile, the NYPD and Port Authority sent out over 2,000 officers to secure the area. And the FDNY dispatched at least 214 units, including 112 engines, 58 ladder trucks, five rescue companies, seven squad companies, and four marine units to help rescue as many people as possible.

As the dust settled, it soon became clear that some of the 9/11 first responders would be counted among the victims. Among the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9/11 in New York City, 343 were firefighters and paramedics, 23 were NYPD officers, and 37 were Port Authority officers.

However, those 9/11 first responders weren’t the only ones who lost their lives. In the years since September 11, 2001, several 9/11 first responders who survived the terrorist attacks have suffered greatly. Many of them are now battling cancer and other horrific conditions. And to make matters worse, they’ve had to fight to get help from the U.S. government.

How 9/11 First Responders Have Suffered Since The Terrorist Attacks

Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images9/11 first responders run as a cloud of toxic smoke looms behind them.

The 9/11 first responders who survived the tragedy escaped with their lives. But the terrorist attacks left a deep mark upon them — and not just an emotional one. A number of recent studies have shown that many of these heroes suffer from high rates of cancer and cognitive impairment.

In 2020, Mount Sinai released a report that noted a high level of cancer among many 9/11 first responders. Short of calling the cancer rates an “epidemic,” doctors at Mount Sinai did acknowledge “evidence of increased risk for certain cancers among WTC-exposed responders.”

They also reported that police officers and other recovery workers suffered from cancer at a 9 percent higher rate than normal. In addition, they had a 25 percent higher risk of prostate cancer, a 41 percent higher risk of leukemia, and a whopping 219 percent higher risk of thyroid cancer.

First responders from 9/11 have also shown high rates of cognitive impairment. A study presented in July 2020 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference revealed that those responders with cognitive impairment often have a “brain age” that’s 10 years older than normal.

This may put the first responders at a high risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, which they might also develop much earlier than usual.

Getty ImagesA firefighter shouts directions on 9/11, as toxic smoke billows behind him.

“The environmental exposures and psychological pressures experienced by responders during 9/11 and its aftermath has had an insidious effect on their health and well-being,” explained Dr. Benjamin Luft, the director of the Stony Brook WTC Health and Wellness Program.

What’s more, several 9/11 first responders also suffer from a horrifying respiratory condition known as the “World Trade Center Cough.”

“The symptoms these patients have are terrifying,” said Dr. Michael Crane, the director of the World Trade Center Health Program’s lead clinical center at Mount Sinai. “They will suddenly wake up and find they cannot breathe.”

Crane noted that this cough likely comes from the plumes of toxic smoke that the September 11th first responders breathed in.

“It was thick, terrible stuff. A witch’s brew,” Crane said, noting that it likely contained burning jet fuel, plastics, metal, fiberglass, and asbestos.

But despite the high rates of illnesses among 9/11 first responders, many of them were forced to spend years fighting for assistance.

Inside The Class-Action Lawsuit Launched By Thousands Of Plaintiffs

TED WARREN/AFP/Getty ImagesRescue workers search through the wreckage of the World Trade Center on September 24, 2001.

It didn’t take long for 9/11 first responders to start getting sick. And as more of them continued to fall ill, they began to file lawsuits.

One lawsuit, which began as a single case for a 9/11 first responder who developed leukemia after the attacks, escalated into a massive case with thousands of plaintiffs. Attorney David Worby, who took on the lawsuit in 2004, acknowledged that doing so was a huge risk on his part.

“I started this suit on behalf of one cop that got sick,” he explained. “Nobody would touch the case with a 10-foot pole because it was considered unpatriotic to say anything against the cleanup or the EPA.”

But the Environmental Protection Agency did indeed shoulder some blame. In fact, as early as September 12th, a high-ranking federal scientist had warned the EPA about asbestos, acid gases, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals that were still in the air. But he was ultimately ignored.

On September 18th, Christine Todd Whitman, who was the head of the EPA at the time, publicly vouched for the safety of the air in New York City. She claimed that the air “did not pose a health hazard” and that “given the scope of the tragedy from last week, I am glad to reassure the people of New York… that their air is safe to breathe and the water is safe to drink.”

A report conducted by the EPA’s Inspector General later stated that the EPA lacked “sufficient data and analyses to make such a blanket statement.”

What’s more, the report found that The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) “convinced the EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones.”

In the end, Worby filed suits against the City of New York, the Port Authority, and the EPA for exposing workers to carcinogenic particulate matter. It was an uphill battle, but he succeeded. Worby won $1 billion for his 8,000 clients.

“[My clients] are getting sick because of people like Christine Todd Whitman and [former New York City Mayor] Rudy Giuliani,” Worby said.

“[M]y people don’t want their names to be on the wall, because they are not victims of terrorists — they’re victims of bad government.”

The Long, Painful Fight To Get Help From The U.S. Government

Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesComedian Jon Stewart applauds 9/11 first responder Luis Alvarez during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on reauthorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund in 2019.

As many 9/11 first responders battled to get the medical care they needed, they got help from a surprising source: comedian Jon Stewart.

In 2010, Stewart — then the host of The Daily Show — spent an entire episode criticizing lawmakers for bickering over the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The act, named for a firefighter who’d inhaled toxic chemicals at Ground Zero and later died, granted $4.3 billion to 9/11 survivors for their medical treatment, benefits, and support.

However, some lawmakers believed that the act was too expensive. In response, Stewart accused them of “an outrageous abdication of our responsibility to those who were most heroic on 9/11.”

Though some Republicans tried to filibuster the bill, it ultimately passed in 2011. And after another round of political infighting, lawmakers voted to extend the Zadroga Act again in 2015 — this time for 75 years.

However, they did not extend one crucial part of the bill: the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. So, in 2019, Jon Stewart went back into battle. This time, Stewart joined forces with Luis Alvarez — a 9/11 first responder with colorectal cancer — and traveled to Capitol Hill to fight for funding.

While Alvarez had received healthcare, he acknowledged that many of his fellow first responders could not say the same. To make matters worse, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund was at risk of running out of money. Not willing to stand by and watch others suffer, Alvarez made an impassioned case before Congress — despite being near death.

“This fund isn’t a ticket to paradise, it’s to provide our families with care,” said Alvarez, a retired NYPD detective. “You all said you would never forget. Well, I’m here to make sure that you don’t.”

At his side, Stewart lambasted Congress for its failure to keep a close eye on the fund. But he was especially furious with congresspeople who refused to show up to the hearing and listen to the first responders speak.

At the hearing, Stewart said, “I can’t help but think what an incredible metaphor this room is for the entire process that getting health care and benefits for 9/11 first responders has come to. Behind me, a filled room of 9/11 first responders, and in front of me, a nearly empty Congress. Sick and dying, they brought themselves down here to speak — to no one. Shameful.”

But their testimony did seem to make a difference. The day after Stewart and Alvarez appeared before Congress, lawmakers passed the Never Forget the Heroes Act, which extended authorization for the fund through 2090. A little over a month later, the act was signed into law, finally ensuring that victims could seek the help that they needed for the rest of their lives.

However, the struggle of 9/11 first responders is far from over.

Illnesses Among September 11th First Responders Over Two Decades Later

Sadly, physicians suspect that 9/11 first responders suffering from diseases like cancer and cognitive impairment will face worsening health conditions.

“Cancers take 20 years to develop… we might see something different 20 years down the line,” said former NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley in 2012. Indeed, by 2020, 227 New York City firefighters had died of 9/11-related illnesses. The NYPD has lost more than 200 officers because of 9/11 diseases since 2011, and more than 500 are suffering from cancer.

“We lost 23 NYPD officers in the attack,” said Richard Dixon, who responded to the 9/11 attack in New York City as an NYPD officer. “But many more have died since then of these September 11-related illnesses.”

Even Luis Alvarez, who testified on behalf of other 9/11 survivors before Congress, succumbed to his illness in June 2019 — mere weeks before the act he tirelessly fought for was officially signed into law.

“I’m nobody special,” Alvarez said from his hospice bed shortly before he died. “I did what all the other guys did and now we’re paying the price for it. We did our job, now Congress has to do theirs.”

Fortunately, with the reauthorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and various successful class-action lawsuits, many 9/11 first responders have received the help they needed.

But in the coming years, many more may suffer from increased risks of cancer, cognitive impairment, and early death. And so as Americans move forward from September 11, 2001, they should keep one thing in mind.

When it comes to 9/11 first responders and the selfless sacrifices that these brave men and women made: “Never Forget.”

After learning about the health crisis of 9/11 first responders, take a look at these heartbreaking photos of 9/11 artifacts. Then, read up on some of the 9/11 conspiracy theories that some people actually think are true.

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Stan Honda/Getty ImagesThis photo of Marcy Borders, covered in dust on September 11, 2001, saw her dubbed the “Dust Lady.”

Underneath the layer of soot, her expression clearly conveys the shock of what she’d just survived. But although she lived through 9/11, Marcy Borders would later endure a decade-long struggle with trauma before she succumbed to cancer in 2015. This is the haunting story of the “Dust Lady.”

How Marcy Borders Survived The Terror Attacks On The World Trade Center

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty ImagesChaos erupted after American Airlines Flight 11 was hijacked by terrorists and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City.

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, Marcy Borders and her Bank of America colleagues were at work in the North Tower of the World Trade Center when they suddenly felt the building shake violently. At first, they didn’t know what had caused the unnerving quakes.

As it turned out, an airplane that had been hijacked by al Qaeda on its way from Boston to Los Angeles had just crashed into the building. It struck the tower between the 93rd and 99th floors — just 12 stories above where Borders was sitting.

Borders, then 28, began to panic in front of her coworkers.

“They tried to calm me down, told me to relax, take deep breaths, but the way the building was shaking, I couldn’t sit there,” she recalled. Her nerves quickly gave way as she witnessed chairs, office supplies, and — most horrifyingly — people, crashing down outside past the windows. Borders headed for the stairs.

Mario Tama/Getty ImagesHorrified onlookers stare in disbelief at the World Trade Center as smoke and ash fill the air.

As she made her way down 81 floors, Marcy Borders saw even more disturbing things unfold.

“You just heard people screaming, stay away from the glass; stay away from the glass,” Borders said. “You saw injured — I saw people with objects in them, burnt skulls. It was crazy compared to what I just left.”

As terrified civilians ran down the narrow stairs, firefighters came running up in the opposite direction. They brushed past Borders, shouting, “Run, and don’t look back!”

These images would stay with Marcy Borders for the rest of her life, just as the iconic photo of her covered in dust would soon haunt the world from that day forward.

The Story Behind The “Dust Lady” Photo

Coleman-RaynerMarcy Borders battled depression and alcoholism following her traumatic experience.

Marcy Borders made it out of her building just as the South Tower collapsed. In less than two hours, both of New York’s iconic Twin Towers would fall, spewing massive clouds of debris and ash.

Amidst the chaos, a stranger pulled Borders to safety as she was followed by a cloud of dust from the collapsed South Tower.

“Every time I inhaled, my mouth just filled up with it. I was choking,” Borders said. “I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I was just like, you know, saying to myself and saying out loud that I didn’t want to die; I didn’t want to die.”

By the time Borders and her rescuer made their way to a nearby lobby, the young clerical assistant was covered in soot that enveloped her whole body except parts of her face.

“I try to take myself from being a victim to being a survivor now. I don’t want to be a victim anymore.”

Photographer Stan Honda, who was covering the chaos at Ground Zero for the AFP, was also sheltering inside the lobby.

“You could tell she was nicely dressed for work and for a second she stood in the lobby,” Honda recalled the moment he saw Borders. “I took one shot of her before the police officer started to direct people up a set of stairs, thinking it would be safer off the ground level.”

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty ImagesDuring the 9/11 attacks, 2,977 people died.

The image of Marcy Borders, covered in dust after she just barely escaped one of the most violent terrorist attacks in recent history, quickly became Honda’s most recognized photo from the day.

It was published in newspapers and magazines all over the world. After the photograph’s release, the AFP received a phone call identifying the “Dust Lady” as Marcy Borders.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks killed 2,977 people and caused an estimated 6,000 injuries. Others, like Marcy Borders, survived the incident but endured decades of physical and mental anguish.

The Tragic Toll That 9/11 Took On Marcy Borders, “The Dust Lady”

Lou Rocco/Walt Disney Television via Getty ImagesMarcy Borders appeared on The View in 2011. She died of stomach cancer four years later.

Marcy Borders counted herself among the lucky ones. Still, she suffered from unimaginable harm after the attack.

“She was scared. She told me she was afraid to go back into New York, that she was frightened of tall buildings and planes,” said Honda, who came to Bayonne, New Jersey, to interview Borders a couple weeks after the attacks.

The trauma she endured that day would lead to a decade-long battle with depression and substance abuse. Years after, she was still too terrified to venture into Manhattan and mostly stayed near her home in New Jersey.

In 2014, Marcy Borders was diagnosed with stomach cancer, just a few years after recovering from substance abuse and doing multiple stints in rehab. Before her death, she revealed that she was struggling to pay off $190,000 in medical bills.

Marcy Borders died on August 24, 2015. She was 42.

It’s unclear whether her stomach cancer was directly caused by the toxic fumes she inhaled at Ground Zero. But as of August 2015, about 3,700 survivors and first responders who had been nearby the World Trade Center site had been diagnosed with cancers linked to the terrorist attack.

To the world, Marcy Borders became known as the “Dust Lady” of 9/11 through her famous photograph. But to her family and friends, she was more than a victim of 9/11; she was Marcy.

“Not only is she the Dust Lady, but she is my hero,” her daughter Noelle said. “And the dust has settled, and she is free now.”

Now that you’ve gotten to know the real woman behind the “Dust Lady” photo from 9/11, read the story behind the doomed fire truck heading toward the burning Twin Towers. Then, learn the tragic story behind the “The Falling Man” photo, another iconic image from the 9/11 tragedy.

The post The Story Of Marcy Borders, The ‘Dust Lady’ Of 9/11 appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Just like that, American history changed forever. The images from that tragic day are as horrific as they are iconic: smoke trailing from the twin towers, people running in fear on the ground below, and, eventually, two holes in the iconic city skyline.

While those photos accurately portray the trauma and heartbreak felt by all that day, there are others that tell more personal stories. One of the most gut-wrenching was taken by photographer Richard Drew of the Associated Press shortly after the second tower was hit. Known as “The Falling Man,” the photo was widely published the next day. Many outlets chose not to run it again for years due to backlash. but it left a lasting impact on all who saw it.

Richard Drew/Associated Press“The Falling Man.”

Of all the 9/11 jumpers who fell to their deaths that day, perhaps none has remained as haunting as “The Falling Man.” And though some believe he was a man named Jonathan Briley, the identity of this tragic figure remains uncertain to this day.

“A Quiet Photograph”: The Story Of “Falling Man”

“It’s a very quiet photograph,” Drew says about “The Falling Man.” “It’s not like a lot of other violent photographs from other disasters.”

Indeed, it is not. Other photos from 9/11 show flames, debris, and falling buildings, but “The Falling Man” shows the desperation of one man with no option but to leap from a skyscraper window. It also echoes the fate of the approximately 200 approximately 200 people who fell or jumped while trying to escape the conditions in the towers.

After the attacks, the New York City medical examiner’s office refused to call those who had jumped “jumpers.” That term had previously been used to define those who had planned to jump to their death, rather than those forced to by tragic circumstances.

Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty ImagesAnother unidentified 9/11 jumper shown plummeting from the World Trade Center as it becomes engulfed in flames.

Drew saw many 9/11 jumpers that morning, a horrific sight for someone who had no idea what he was getting into. He recalled being told of the incident by a fellow photographer while working the first day of Fashion Week. Like many, Drew wasn’t aware of the seriousness of the attacks yet. He simply believed some kind of explosion had taken place. He soon received word that a plane had hit the towers, and he caught a train across town.

Drew remembered arriving by subway at the scene, coming up from the Chambers Street exit and watching helplessly as dozens of people began to fall from the top floors. His journalistic instincts immediately kicked in and he began to capture the chaos on film, snapping photos of those on the ground and in the air.

“I didn’t know I had that photograph of that man in that position until I actually saw it on my computer,” Drew said of “The Falling Man.” “I called one of our photo editors and I showed him the picture and I said ‘This is it, this has got to be the picture.'”

The photo editor agreed. The next day the photo appeared in dozens of publications across the country, including the New York Times. The backlash over the photo’s graphic nature was so severe that it wasn’t run again.

“It was a very brave thing for them to use that picture,” Drew said of the Times. “It was the only picture that was like that… the only picture that showed any kind of human interaction [with the building] like that.”

Was Jonathan Briley “The Falling Man”?

Despite the infamy of the photograph, the man in the photograph has never been identified.

“We don’t know if he died on the way down… they say there are rumors that you die before you… you know, if you fall…” Drew said of the man’s fate. “We don’t know if he was forced out by [the] fire or if he chose his fate.”

Because the body was never recovered, there has never been any conclusive identification. Over the years, theories emerged over his identity, though none have been proven.

A reporter for the Canadian publication The Globe and Mail once claimed that the man was Norberto Hernandez, a pastry chef at Windows on the World, a cafe on the 106th floor of the North Tower. Initially, Hernandez’s family was inclined to agree, though they were less convinced after further inspection of his clothing in the photo.

CNNJonathan Briley, the 9/11 victim who may be the man depicted in the “Falling Man” photo.

Another reporter for Esquire claimed that the man was a different employee of Windows on the World, a sound engineer named Jonathan Briley. Briley’s manager at Windows on the World, as well as his family, agreed that the man’s clothing in the photo resembled Briley’s usual attire.

“When I first looked at the picture […] and I saw it was a man — tall, slim, I said, ‘If I didn’t know any better, that could be Jonathan,'” his sister Gwendolyn told The Sunday Mirror.

But although Jonathan Briley’s clothes and general description seems to match what we can see in the “Falling Man” photo, we can’t be sure. For one thing, those close to him weren’t positive what he wore to work that day. He left for work early that morning and kissed his wife goodbye while she was still asleep.

The Haunting Legacy Of The Unidentified 9/11 Jumper

Today, “The Falling Man” represents much more than just one man’s fate that day. It encapsulates all the 9/11 jumpers who chose to leap and has become an impetus for introspection for those who watched the tragedy from afar: given the choice, or perhaps lack thereof, what would you have done that day?

Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty ImagesAn unidentified September 11th jumper falls toward the ground.

“I’ve never regretted taking that photograph. It’s one of the only photographs that shows someone dying that day,” Drew said, pointing out again that most photos reflect the destruction of the towers and not the pain of the people. “We have a terrorist attack on our own soil and we still don’t have pictures of people dying.”

Drew hopes that “The Falling Man” can now come out of the shadows after more than two decades. It’s no longer a gruesome shot of a single 9/11 jumper’s fate, but a quiet reminder, suspended in history, of the fate of hundreds.

“I like to think of him as sort of the unknown soldier,” said Drew. “Let him represent everyone that had that fate that day.”

After learning about “The Falling Man” photo from September 11th, read about 9/11 conspiracy theories that persist to this day. Then, see the most poignant artifacts from 9/11.

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When construction wrapped on the Twin Towers in 1973, they were briefly the tallest buildings in the world. At 110 stories each, it was possible to see all the way to Connecticut from the top floors on a clear day.

The skyscrapers appeared in countless films and television shows — and they were the scene of several high-profile real-life events, too. In 1974, Philippe Petit walked between the two buildings on a tightrope with no safety gear. And in 1993, a bomb exploded in the parking garage beneath the North Tower, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000.

Below, read more about the history of the World Trade Center. And above, look through 33 stunning photos of the Twin Towers in all their glory.

The Construction Of The World Trade Center Complex

In 1958, Chase Manhattan Bank vice president David Rockefeller founded the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association (D-LMA) to revitalize the area that was once one of the top business districts in the nation.

The organization's ultimate urban renewal plan included the development of a massive office complex called the World Trade Center. It would hold various businesses, financial firms, and government offices — including the Port Authority headquarters — to showcase New York City as a world power when it came to international trade.

The complex was initially set to be constructed along the East River, but because Port Authority operates in both New York and New Jersey, the site was moved to Lower Manhattan's West Side. This decision was met with backlash from business owners, but the government seized 16 acres of land through eminent domain, and construction began in 1966.

Balthazar Korab/Library of CongressArchitect Minoru Yamasaki looks down on a model of the Twin Towers.

Minoru Yamasaki, the architect who designed the World Trade Center, called it "a living symbol of man's dedication to world peace," according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

By 1970, the exterior of the North Tower was complete, and both structures were officially dedicated in 1973. Photos of the Twin Towers don't do justice to their size. They were the tallest buildings in the world at the time, with the North Tower standing at 1,368 feet and the South Tower at 1,362 feet. Both buildings had 99 elevators, and each of their 110 floors was about an acre in size.

Smurfy/Wikimedia CommonsThe lobby of the North Tower as seen in 2000.

So much concrete was used to construct them that it could have been paved into a sidewalk that stretched from New York City to Washington, D.C. And from the highest floors, it was possible to see 45 miles on a clear day — all the way to Connecticut.

By the mid-1970s, the World Trade Center was a bustling business hub. As such, the Twin Towers attracted plenty of attention.

The Glory Days Of The Twin Towers

In August 1974, the Twin Towers made headlines for an unexpected reason. Philippe Petit, a French highwire artist, installed a tightrope more than 1,300 feet above the ground between the North and South Towers. Over the course of 45 minutes, he walked across the wire eight times — with no net or harness.

CBS Sunday Morning/YouTubeFootage from Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in 1974.

Photos of the Twin Towers performance show Petit high above the other surrounding skyscrapers, and in some images he's even lying down on the tightrope. He was arrested for trespassing, but the charges were ultimately dropped in exchange for a free show for children at Central Park. His daring stunt brought much-needed positive publicity to the Twin Towers, as their construction was still controversial among New York City residents.

Public opinion soon changed, however. In 1976, a restaurant called Windows on the World opened on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower. It was popular among both tourists and locals, and during its final full year of operation in 2000, it was the highest-grossing restaurant in the country.

The Twin Towers were also the site of several disasters, even before 9/11. The most infamous of these was the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

On Feb. 26, 1993, terrorist Ramzi Yousef parked a Ryder van in the parking garage beneath the North Tower. The vehicle was rigged with a bomb, which detonated at 12:18 p.m. The blast tore a 100-foot-wide hole through four levels of concrete and knocked out electricity to the World Trade Center.

Rick Maiman/Sygma via Getty ImagesThe parking garage beneath the North Tower after the World Trade Center bombing.

Six people were killed, including five Port Authority employees who were near the blast site and a man who was parking his car at the time. More than 1,000 other people were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation during the evacuation process.

Yousef stated at his trial that his goal was to send the North Tower toppling into the South Tower, leveling both buildings and killing everyone inside. He wasn't successful, but less than a decade later, his uncle Khalid Sheikh Mohammed masterminded the deadliest terrorist attack in world history — one that brought both Twin Towers down.

The Horrific Photos Of The Twin Towers On 9/11

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists linked to the Islamist extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and crashed two of them into the Twin Towers.

Photos of the Twin Towers from that fateful day capture the planes flying into the North and South Towers, smoke billowing from the buildings, and the ultimate collapse of the iconic structures.

The official death toll for 9/11 is 2,977, and roughly 2,600 of those victims died in the Twin Towers. In the North Tower, nobody above the impact zone (the plane struck between the 93rd and 99th floors) survived. Horrifying images show office workers jumping from the windows to escape the raging inferno behind them.

Public DomainThe rubble of the Twin Towers after their collapse on Sept. 11, 2001.

The second plane hit the South Tower between the 77th and 85th floors, and several people from the upper stories managed to escape because a single stairwell was left intact. However, many were still in the process of evacuating when the South Tower fell at 9:59 a.m.

The North Tower followed at 10:28 a.m. More than 440 first responders were killed as the structures collapsed, including 343 firefighters, 71 police officers, and eight EMS workers.

The photos of the Twin Towers from that day are some of the most haunting in American history. However, while it makes sense that the buildings are remembered most in the context of 9/11, it is important not to forget the glorious decades when the Twin Towers stood as icons of New York City.

After reading about the glory days of the Twin Towers before 9/11, discover the history of New York's tenements in the early 1900s. Then, look through these 39 vintage photos of old New York's skyscrapers.

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Amiel Luna/INAHArchaeologists in Mexico found three stingray barb fragments and one catfish spine alongside human remains.

Archaeologists in southern Mexico have uncovered stingray barb fragments as well as one catfish spine among ancient human burials that sit along the construction route for the new Maya Train. Now, researchers are studying whether these unusual artifacts were once used in Maya bloodletting rituals.

Researchers believe that studying these specimens could shed new light on the Maya civilization’s storied self-sacrifice rituals during the pre-Columbian period.

The Discovery Of The Stingray Barbs Among Ancient Maya Burials In Mexico

The three stingray barbs and catfish spine were discovered in 2021 during excavations of Section 1 of the Maya Train, a 140-mile stretch from Palenque, Chiapas, to Escárcega, Campeche.

The specimens were uncovered in a roughly seven-acre area near Tenosique, Tabasco in southern Mexico. Now, according to an announcement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), researchers are studying the objects to determine how they were used, and why they were found near human remains.

Aldo Dena/INAHResearchers believe the stingray barbs may have been used during Maya bloodletting rituals.

One of the stingray fragments measures a little over an inch long. Both of its ends are fractured, which was likely caused by pressure from surrounding residue.

The fact that the barb’s surface is polished from contact with rough sediments has indicated to researchers that it came from the same archaeological layer as the human burial. However, researchers cannot rule out the possibility that the barb was deposited there later, as an offering to the dead.

The other stingray barbs also have polished surfaces and fractures from surrounding sediment, indicating to researchers that they were also deposited around the same time as the human remains.

The catfish spine was discovered in a burial with the remains of an adult man. This spine was particularly intriguing to the archaeologists, as these are not commonly linked to ritual self-sacrifice among the Maya.

What This Find May Reveal About Ancient Maya Sacrificial Rituals

In the INAH statement, archaeologist Said Amiel Luna Limón said that evidence collected from the Maya civilization has pointed to ritual bloodletting being practiced from the Late Preclassic period through the Postclassic — approximately 500 B.C.E. to 1520 C.E.

Aldo Dena/INAHArchaeologists are especially intrigued by the presence of the catfish spine because these bones are not commonly associated with Maya bloodletting rituals.

During such rituals, one drew their own blood as an offering to higher powers, as well as a way to purify the body in preparation for a larger ceremony. Researchers believe that bloodletting was practiced by Maya elites in particular and was done to maintain cosmic order.

Oftentimes, women drawing blood pierced their tongue, which was associated with fertility, while men pierced their penis which was associated with creation.

Wikimedia CommonsBloodletting rituals are often associated with Maya elites, as depicted in this piece in which Lady K’ab’al Xook, the wife of the ruler, pulls a barbed rope over her tongue.

“In the Southern Lowlands, the stingray sting was the preferred instrument, as has been recorded in lintels and documents where it is described that the blood was collected in containers that held leaves of tree bark, which, once dry, was burned and, in this way, ascended, immaterialized, to the ‘other world,'” Luna Limón said.

Marisol Arce Acosta, head of the Zooarchaeology Laboratory for the Maya Train Archaeological Salvage Framework Project, said that the stingray remains belong to the whip ray or eagle ray families, both saltwater groups.

Less is certain about the catfish spine, which belongs to the freshwater Ictaluridae family. Although there is not enough evidence to indicate that the spine was used as a bloodletting implement, Arce Acosta noted that the spine “is functionally suitable for the ritual.”

The ongoing research into this and other questions is now being co-led by Arce Acosta and Luna Limón. Meanwhile, Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, emphasized that, even though the finds were initially made in 2021, further research will only continue to reveal the secrets of the past.

“Each find recovered during an archaeological salvage operation opens new questions about our past. These objects … provide evidence for understanding the ritual practices of these ancient societies,” Curiel de Icaza said. “This is the value of studying and preserving these materials: knowledge does not end with their recovery, but continues in laboratories and can yield results for years to come.”

After reading about the discovery of ancient stingray barbs that may have been used by the Maya for bloodletting practices, learn the truth about human sacrifice in various cultures around the world. Then, read about the study that might have determined what ended the Maya civilization.

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Since 1790, the U.S. population has risen from four million to more than 340 million. During the deadliest day of the Civil War at the Battle of Antietam, the population was about one-tenth the size it is now. So the 3,600 soldiers who were killed then would be the equivalent as losing 36,000 people today.

On top of that, many more people die every day in the United States than those directly affected by catastrophic events like natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and pandemics. In 2020, heart disease alone killed nearly 2,400 per day — about the same number who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Yet, it’s the magnitude of single, deadly events that makes their legacy so powerful. Indeed, the tragic impact of these deadliest days in American history is still acutely felt, whether in a city’s architecture or in the memories of those who survived. Read on to see nine candidates for the deadliest days in American history.

The Deadliest Day In American History: The 1900 Galveston Hurricane

Wikimedia CommonsThe Galveston hurricane killed up to 12,000 people.

The fact that the 1900 Galveston Hurricane is still the deadliest natural disaster in American history speaks to its terrifying destruction. Regionally known as the 1900 Storm, the Category 4 hurricane tore through the Texan town on Sept. 8 at speeds of 135 miles per hour — and left between 8,000 and 12,000 people dead.

When the storm descended on Galveston, it ripped over 3,600 homes and commercial businesses from their foundations like paper. While the destruction of infrastructure was unlikely to have been averted with prior warnings, the death toll could have been, had it not been for an incompetent U.S. Weather Bureau.

The predecessor to the National Weather Service, the U.S. Weather Bureau was only 10 years old at the time, and tracking hurricanes across the Atlantic was still a primitive science. Nonetheless, “any modestly educated weather forecaster would’ve known” where the storm was headed, says MIT professor of atmospheric science Kerry Emanuel.

Wikimedia CommonsAbout 3,600 homes and businesses were destroyed.

At the time, scientists in Cuba had developed expert knowledge about tracking hurricanes in the storm-prone Caribbean. And they first observed the storm picking up in early September when it made landfall in Puerto Rico. And as it passed over the northern tip of Cuba, they correctly predicted that it would head northwest, straight into the Gulf of Mexico.

But in the wake of the Spanish-American War, the Weather Bureau’s director, Willis Moore, had made an appalling decision.

According to Emanuel, Moore “was so jealous of the Cubans that he shut off the flow of data from Cuba to the U.S.” and told American forecasters in the region “that they could not on their own issue a hurricane warning, that they had to go through Washington.”

So when the Weather Bureau sent their forecast that the hurricane would pass over Florida and head to New England, Galveston residents were left entirely unprepared for the disaster.

And although Isaac Cline, the Weather Bureau’s chief observer in Galveston, urged locals to leave town at the last minute, nobody listened. The day the hurricane made landfall, it inundated the streets, which rose to a peak elevation of just eight feet above sea level, with a 15-foot storm surge — and killed Cline’s wife.

“The Galveston hurricane made people realize you can’t play politics with a weather bureau,” says Emanuel. “If you make it political, people will die.”

And with upwards of 12,000 people killed by the hurricane, Sept. 8, 1900, might be the deadliest day in American history.

The Deadliest Battle In American History: Gettysburg

Timothy H. O’Sullivan/Wikimedia CommonsKnown as the “Harvest of Death,” this photo shows Union soldiers scattered across the battlefield.

The Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania lasted for three days, from July 1 to July 3, 1863. It left more than 40,000 dead or wounded soldiers scattered across the battlefield. When the deafening gunfire ceased and the smoke settled, it became clear that the Civil War battle had killed 7,000 to 10,000 men.

After decades of tension over slavery between northern and southern states, the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede. Fought by the northern Union Army and the southern Confederates, Gettysburg became the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had hoped to win this battle north of the Mason-Dixon Line to force the north into negotiations. While his army of 28,063 soldiers exceeded Union General George Meade’s by 5,000, he failed and fled south.

Mathew Brady/Wikimedia CommonsThe body of a Confederate sharpshooter is left lying where he was shot.

The battle’s aftermath as detailed by a New Jersey soldier was macabre:

“Some with faces bloated and blackened beyond recognition, lay with glassy eyes staring up at the blazing summer sun; others, with faces downward and clenched hands filled with grass or earth, which told of the agony of the last moments. Here a headless trunk; there a severed limb; in all the grotesque positions… they lay.”

By the end of the third day, Confederate casualties had approached 60 percent, with 3,903 men killed. While 18,735 of them lay wounded, 5,425 had either been captured or gone missing. When General Lee withdrew on the rainy afternoon of July 4, the Union tallied its own losses to fewer, albeit similarly harrowing results.

With 3,155 soldiers killed, 14,529 wounded, and 5,365 captured or missing, the Union victory certainly didn’t feel like one. Soldiers on both sides had never engaged in strife of this scale before, with many traumatized or disfigured for the rest of their lives.

Most grueling of all, the Civil War would rage on for two more years. When General Lee capitulated in April 1865, it finally ended — but only after 750,000 soldiers and 50,000 civilians had died in the conflict.

The post Inside The Tragic True Stories Of The 9 Deadliest Days In American History appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Voices Center for ResilienceChristopher Amoroso died while saving lives as a Port Authority police officer.

Christopher Amoroso had been a Port Authority police officer for less than two years when he reported for work at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Amoroso, then 29 years old, said goodbye to his wife Jaime and young daughter Sophia Rose like he would on any other work day. But tragically, it would be the last time they saw him.

Amoroso was one of the first officers on the scene after two hijacked planes struck the Twin Towers in a coordinated terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. He was injured by falling debris but refused medical attention, and helped rescue people until the towers collapsed.

His final moments were captured by a photographer, who snapped a picture of Amoroso helping a woman to safety. After rescuing her, he ran back into the building to try and save others.

This is his story.

Who Was Christopher Charles Amoroso?

Voices Center for ResilienceChristopher Amoroso grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, with four brothers and two sisters.

Christopher Amoroso was born on June 1, 1972 in Rockville Center, New York. He grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, alongside his four brothers and two sisters.

After graduating from North Bergen High School in 1990, Amoroso attended St. John’s University in Queens, New York. After college, Amoroso worked for Consolidated Dairies as a route manager — but his dream was always to become a police officer.

According to Amoroso’s sister Jess, Amoroso failed the police test four times before passing it on the fifth try. He enrolled in the the Port Authority Police Academy in 1999 and graduated the following year.

Port Authority of New York and New JerseyChristopher Amoroso was so determined to be a police officer that he took the police exam five times.

Meanwhile, Amoroso was also building his family. He married his wife Jaime in November 1999, and the couple, along with their baby daughter Sophia Rose, lived in Huguenot on Staten Island. In his free time, Amoroso liked playing sports and watching the History Channel.

“He was the type of guy who wanted to make you laugh, make you feel the love, and always had a beer in hand. He was the type of guy everyone looked up to,” his sister Jess wrote for the Travis Manion Foundation.

The Heroism Of Christopher Amoroso On 9/11

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Christopher Amoroso was assigned to work at the World Trade Center. As the New York Daily News notes, he was working on rotation, and could have just as easily been assigned to Newark Airport. Instead, Amoroso said goodbye to his wife and daughter, and left.

“I remember he left and he said I’m working at the World Trade Center,” Amoroso’s wife Jaime recalled to NBC in 2021. She remembered that she told her husband to be careful. “He goes, ‘what’s going to happen?'”

TheMachineStops (Robert J. Fisch)/Wikimedia CommonsFlight 175 hitting the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

That morning, at 8:46 a.m., the 9/11 attacks began when American Airlines Flight 11 smashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Then, at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. Both aircrafts had been hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists. A third hijacked plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was heading toward the Pentagon, and a fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, would crash in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after its passengers fought back against the terrorists.

But as the World Trade Center burned, first responders had no idea that the day would end with nearly 3,000 fatalities, including 400 of their own. They were focused on saving lives. And so was Christopher Amoroso.

Then 29 year old, Amoroso was trained in special tactics and fire control, important skills for the catastrophe unfolding at the World Trade Center. Though he was struck in the face by falling debris, he refused to get medical help, and instead led a number of people to safety from the lower levels of the towers. A New York Daily News photographer named Todd Maisel even captured a picture of Amoroso helping a woman away from the buildings.

Todd Maisel/NY Daily News ArchiveDespite being injured by debris, Christopher Amoroso continued rescuing people from the World Trade Center.

In his final moments, the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association reports that Amoroso collected oxygen packs and hard hats, and then headed back into the North Tower. Sadly, both of the towers soon collapsed: the South Tower at 9:59 a.m., and the North Tower at 10:28 a.m.

Christopher Amoroso died alongside hundreds of other first responders.

‘I’m Alive Because Of Him’

Christopher Amoroso’s name is etched into a number of 9/11 memorials across the country, and he’s survived by his family, his wife, and his daughter. Amoroso’s story was also featured as a part of The New York Times’ “Portraits of Grief” series that followed the Sept. 11 attacks.

In the piece, 19-month Sophia Rose tells her mother that she has “Daddy’s fingers” while taking a bath after Amoroso’s death. When Amoroso bathed Sophia Rose, he would wiggle his wrinkly fingers at her.

Voices Center for ResilienceAmoroso is remembered by his surviving family, including his daughter Sophia Rose and his wife Jaime

“The baby is too young to understand that her father, 29, a Port Authority police officer, died when he went back into the World Trade Center’s north tower after leading a group of people to safety. She will not remember the thousands of people, including hundreds of police officers, who spilled out of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Staten Island for his memorial service,” The New York Times piece reported.

But there was also someone else who deeply mourned Christopher Amoroso: the woman from the photograph.

For decades, her identity was unknown. But 20 years after 9/11, she was identified as Suman Dhamija, an Indian woman who was working in the World Trade Center at the time.

“My mother has severe asthma so after running down the stairs of the 2nd tower and with all the debris and smoke in the air, she could not breathe,” her son wrote online. “Officer Amoroso helped lift her up and walk away from the towers. This photo was taken before the 2nd tower collapsed.”

Dhamija moved to India but never forgot how Amoroso saved her life.

“He said, ‘Ma’am, relax. We are here to help,'” Dhamija recalled to NBC. “I wish the best for his family, for his loved ones. If he wasn’t there, there is no way I could have made it.”

Voices Center for ResilienceChristopher Amoroso spent his last moments saving people on 9/11.

Dhamija, now a grandmother, often thought about Amoroso. “I always felt bad because I have lived my life, and he was still so young,” she said. “… He wasn’t scared, but I was scared.”

After reading about the life and death of 9/11 hero Christopher Amoroso, discover the sad story of Father Mychal Judge, the first confirmed victim of 9/11. Then, look through these photos of heartbreaking 9/11 artifacts.

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Muzeum Domu Śląskiego w ZiębicachA group of actors preparing for a movie stumbled upon a piece of 19th-century cavalry armor in the moat of a Polish palace.

A group of actors in Poland recently joined an archaeological dig in the muddy moat of an historic palace near Kostomłoty in order to prepare for an upcoming movie about treasure hunting. The goal was to gain a sense of what the experience was like before they acted it out themselves.

However, they gained something more than just acting experience when they stumbled upon a real piece of 19th-century cavalry armor. This stunning find, hidden in the moat for centuries, sheds new light on the rich legacy of Pielaszkowice Palace and its place in the history of the Napoleonic Wars.

The Fortuitous Discovery Of 19th-Century Cavalry Armor At Poland’s Pielaszkowice Palace

Writer Joanna Lamparska of the Hi!History YouTube channel organized this treasure hunt with help from experienced excavators. The actors that joined them on this expedition were preparing for an adaptation of the famous Polish novel Satan from the Seventh Grade by Kornel Makuszyński.

Muzeum Domu Śląskiego w ZiębicachThe actors were treasure hunting to prepare for an upcoming film adaptation of the Polish novel Satan from the Seventh Grade.

The novel tells the story of a mystery surrounding treasure associated with one of Napoleon’s soldiers. Pielaszkowice Palace, located in southwestern Poland, has a strong real-life connection to the story of Napoleon and his armies, so it served as an apt location for the actors to understand what a real treasure hunt like those described in the novel would feel like.

But this practice run suddenly turned real when Wiesław Andrysiak of the DRACO History Explorers Association pulled a piece of 19th-century armor from the palace’s muddy moat.

“It’s an incredible find that miraculously survived to this day,” Lamparska said.

Muzeum Domu Śląskiego w ZiębicachLikely belonging to either a Prussian of French cavalryman, this 19th-century cuirass had been lost for decades.

This breastplate, or cuirass, was worn on the torso and made to defend against sword and lance blows while also lending its wearer an appearance designed to intimidate the enemy.

The armor was found in the thick silt of the palace moat, where it might have simply been discarded and lost for two centuries, although researchers are still unclear on how exactly the armor ended up where it did.

In addition to this piece of chest armor, the team also uncovered sections of park sculptures and metal fittings, while this moat perhaps contains even more relics from the palace’s rich history.

What This Find Reveals About The Palace’s Rich History

In 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars, Pielaszkowice Palace carved out its place in history as the location where a truce between Napoleon’s forces and the allied Russian and Prussian armies was signed.

This ceasefire came about after the battles of Lützen and Bautzen gave both sides time to re-strategize. However, the agreement lasted just nine weeks before fighting began anew. In the following months, Austria joined the allied coalition and the scales tipped in favor of those armies, causing Napoleon to eventually suffer a major defeat at Leipzig.

Wikimedia CommonsPielaszkowice Palace was an important site during the Napoleonic era, and was later heavily looted by the Red Army toward the end of the World War II.

Although the palace holds an important place in the history of the Napoleonic Wars, this does not necessarily mean that the cavalry armor found in the moat will be identified as an artifact from that time.

According to the Muzeum Domu Śląskiego w Ziębicach, we currently know that the find is a 19th-century cuirass likely coming from somewhere in Germany, but its precise age and military affiliation will only become clearer after further study takes place.

Wikimedia CommonsThe 1813 truce between Napoleon’s army and the allied Prussian and Russian armies was signed at Pielaszkowice Palace.

Long after the Napoleonic era, the palace experienced another round of tumult amid the waning months of World War II. In 1945, the palace was looted by the Red Army, and several historical accounts describe objects from the residence being thrown into the moat.

After the war, local residents recovered valuable porcelain from the moat, but much of what was thrown out remains lost to the layers upon layers of mud.

The latest finds thus open up the possibility of discovering more artifacts from both 80 years ago and the Napoleonic era — in all, a fascinating window into several key chapters in this palace’s long history.

Now, the cuirass will undergo preservation work before joining the collection of the Muzeum Domu Śląskiego w Ziębicach. This work may reveal markings or details in the metal that could give researchers crucial information about the age and provenance of this incredible find.

After reading about how a group of actors found 19th-century armor in a Polish castle’s moat, learn about this 1,900-year-old iron shield found in a Polish scrapyard. Then, learn about the winged hussars, the feared cavalrymen of the Polish army.

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Public DomainThe RMS Olympic arrives in New York Harbor after its successful maiden voyage in June 1911.

The RMS Olympic was not nearly as famous as its younger sister ship, the Titanic — but its life was almost as remarkable.

The Olympic was the first in the White Star Line’s trio of Olympic-class luxury ocean liners. It set off on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City in June 1911, and it was soon frequented by famous figures from around the world.

Unlike the Titanic and the third ship in the trio, the Britannic, the Olympic had a successful 24-year career as both a passenger liner and a troopship. But while the vessel avoided the tragic fate of its two sisters, it did have several brushes with disaster.

This is the story of the RMS Olympic, from its star-studded voyages across the Atlantic to its service during World War I.

The RMS Olympic: The Oldest Of Three Sisters

In the early 20th century, the White Star Line was in a heated competition with its main rival, the Cunard Line, to create fast, reliable, and comfortable passenger ships to travel between Europe and the United States.

When the Cunard Line introduced the Lusitania and the Mauretania, White Star Line executives decided they would get the upper hand by building three of the most luxurious ocean liners the world had ever seen. The first would be the RMS Olympic, soon followed by the Titanic and the Britannic.

Construction on the Olympic began in December 1908 at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. By the time it was completed in 1911, the Olympic was the largest passenger liner in the world at 882 feet and nine inches long.

Public DomainThe RMS Olympic (right) and RMS Titanic under construction in Belfast in 1910.

The Titanic was built alongside the Olympic, with construction beginning in March 1909. The two vessels had identical exterior dimensions, but the White Star Line made several changes to the Titanic to make it more luxurious, such as enclosing one of the promenades and replacing another with large staterooms.

After completing its sea trials, the RMS Olympic was ready for its maiden voyage on June 14, 1911. The mighty ship departed from Southampton, England, where a new deep-water dock had been built to accommodate the Olympic-class ocean liners.

Public DomainOne of the promenade decks on the RMS Olympic. On the Titanic, this deck was enclosed in glass.

The Olympic carried 1,313 passengers on its first trip across the Atlantic. It was captained by Edward Smith — the same captain who went down with the Titanic less than a year later.

The ship maintained an average speed of nearly 25 miles per hour, reaching New York City in five days, 16 hours, and 42 minutes. It was greeted by thousands of spectators who wanted to see the trailblazing vessel for themselves.

The ship was open to the public for several days until it departed on its return voyage, and the June 22, 1911 edition of The New York Times included a detailed description of the “genuine sea monster”:

“The impression of hugeness given by the external appearance of the Olympic is intensified on entering the interior of the ship where the amount of space on every deck cannot fail to impress the observer. The saloons, staterooms, bathrooms, swimming pool, smoking rooms, lounges, squash and racket courts, promenade decks, and dining saloon are so large that they resemble the rooms of a large Summer hotel more than those of a ship.”

A new era of ship travel had begun.

How The Sister Ship Of The Titanic Survived Disaster

Though the Olympic had survived its maiden voyage, the sister ship of the ill-fated Titanic would soon face several disasters of its own.

The first came on Sept. 20, 1911, shortly after the Olympic departed for its fifth voyage. While traveling through the Solent, a strait between Great Britain and the Isle of Wight, the ship was hit by a warship called the HMS Hawke.

The captain of the Hawke hadn’t expected the Olympic to have such a wide turn radius, and he was unable to avoid hitting the ship’s starboard side. The bow of the Hawke gashed two holes in the hull of the Olympic, flooding two of its watertight compartments — but the ship stayed afloat.

Public DomainDamage shown on the RMS Olympic and the HMS Hawke following their collision in 1911.

No one died in the incident, but the Olympic remained out of service for two months for repairs. Workers took parts from the Titanic, which was still under construction at the time, to patch up its sister ship.

This delayed the planned completion of the Titanic, as well, but the ship eventually set off on its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. Tragically, it struck an iceberg on the night of April 14 and sank into the icy Atlantic less than three hours later, killing approximately 1,500 passengers and crew members.

The RMS Olympic was returning from New York City on that fateful night and was roughly 500 miles from the Titanic when it received the first distress signals. The Olympic headed toward the scene at full speed, but it was too late.

The Carpathia — a Cunard Line ship — assisted with the rescue. The Olympic reportedly offered to take on some survivors, but White Star Line officials didn’t want to cause further distress by placing the traumatized passengers on a ship that was identical to the one they just escaped.

Public DomainThe RMS Olympic, on the left, next to its sister ship, the Titanic, on March 6, 1912 — just a month before the latter’s tragic maiden voyage.

After the sinking of the Titanic, more lifeboats were added to the Olympic to prevent a similar tragedy. But just a few years later, the ship was refitted once more — this time to carry World War I troops.

From Luxury Ocean Liner To Troopship To Scrap Metal

In May 1915, the British Admiralty requisitioned the RMS Olympic to transport troops from England to mainland Europe and the Mediterranean. The ship also carried American troops to Britain after the U.S. joined World War I and brought Canadian troops back home once the conflict came to an end. This earned the vessel the nickname “Old Reliable.”

In 1917, the hull was painted in dazzle camouflage to make it difficult for enemy vessels to observe which direction it was moving.

Public DomainThe Olympic in dazzle camouflage while serving as a troopship during World War I.

However, on May 12, 1918, the RMS Olympic was almost the victim of a devastating torpedo attack. While traveling through the English Channel toward France with U.S. troops on board, the ship’s crew spotted a German U-boat nearby.

The Olympic rammed the submarine, slicing through its pressure hull. The crew later learned that the U-boat had been planning to fire torpedoes at the Olympic but was delayed by mechanical issues.

It was pure luck that saved the Olympic from the same tragic end its sister ships faced. The Britannic had sunk in November 1916 after striking a naval mine in the Aegean Sea, and if the German submarine had been able to fire, the RMS Olympic likely would have suffered a similar fate.

After the war, the Olympic returned to service as a passenger liner. Throughout the 1920s, the luxury ship carried famous figures like Marie Curie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charlie Chaplin, Hollywood lovebirds Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and even the future King Edward VIII.

But as the global economy crashed during the Great Depression, demand for ocean travel plummeted. Those who were still traveling by sea had larger, faster, and more up-to-date ships to choose from. It was time for “Old Reliable” to retire.

Public DomainThe grand staircase on the Olympic, pictured here, was virtually identical to the staircase on the Titanic.

The RMS Olympic left New York for the final time on April 5, 1935. That fall, the vessel was sold off and disassembled. Many of its fittings were auctioned off to hotels and other businesses as decorations. England’s White Swan Hotel installed part of the ship’s grand staircase, and patrons there can still see it today.

These bits and pieces of the RMS Olympic are all that remains of what was once the world’s largest ocean liner. But its legacy as a troop transport vessel, the sister ship of the Titanic, and an icon of the seas in the early 20th century endures to this day.

After reading about the RMS Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic, go inside the incredible story of Violet Jessop, the woman who survived crashes on the Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic. Then, learn about Charles Joughin, the White Star Line baker whose drunkenness saved his life when the Titanic sank.

The post How The RMS <em>Olympic</em> Narrowly Averted The Tragic Fate Of The <em>Titanic</em> appeared first on All That's Interesting.

KRON-TV/YouTubePaul Avery speaks about the strange card he received from the Zodiac Killer in an interview on October 31, 1970.

On Oct. 27, 1970, San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery received a strange card in the mail. It read, “Peek-A-Boo! You Are Doomed!” — and it was signed by the Zodiac Killer.

Avery had been reporting on the mysterious serial killer’s crimes and cryptic letters for over a year, and he’d even tried to track the criminal down himself. And the ominous note wasn’t going to stop him.

Indeed, a month after receiving the Halloween card, Avery wrote an article claiming the Zodiac Killer had fatally stabbed a woman in Riverside, California, back in 1966. While the police never officially linked this murder to the Zodiac, Avery’s work raised questions about whether the killer’s crimes really were limited to the Bay Area.

Paul Avery was later portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. in the 2007 film Zodiac. He’d been dead for seven years by the time the movie was released, but his life hadn’t ended quite the way the film implied. While Avery did take some precautions after receiving the Zodiac Killer’s chilling note, the threat didn’t derail his career. He continued working as a journalist well into the 1990s — though he never did discover the Zodiac’s true identity.

Paul Avery’s Career In Journalism

Paul Avery was born Paul Stuart Depew II in Honolulu in 1934. His parents divorced when he was young, and he later took the surname of his stepfather, Howard Avery.

His journalism career began in 1955 at age 21, when he got a job at Mississippi’s Vicksburg Post-Herald. Over the next several years, he worked for newspapers in Texas, Alaska, and Hawaii before settling in California in the late 1950s.

San Francisco Police DepartmentA press badge belonging to Paul Avery, circa 1969 or 1970.

By 1959, he’d joined the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle, but he took a brief leave of absence in the 1960s to move to Vietnam. There, he helped found a freelance photojournalism agency that operated during the war.

Avery returned to the Chronicle as a police reporter in 1969 — and soon picked up his biggest story yet.

The Zodiac Killer’s Reign Of Terror

In December 1968, high school students David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were shot and killed while parked on a lovers’ lane in Benicia, California. The police had no idea who was behind the murders, but in July 1969, the killer struck again.

San Francisco ChroniclePaul Avery’s byline on a January 1970 San Francisco Chronicle article about the Zodiac Killer.

This time, he shot Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau, who were sitting in Ferrin’s car while on a late-night date. Ferrin was killed, but Mageau survived and was able to provide a rough description of the perpetrator.

A month after this second attack, the Zodiac Killer sent his first cryptic letters to three San Francisco newspapers. The one that arrived at the Chronicle office read, “This is the murderer of the 2 teenagers last Christmass at Lake Herman & the girl on the 4th of July near the golf course in Vallejo.”

It was at this point that Paul Avery began covering the story. The first article about the mysterious killer, printed in the August 2, 1969 issue of the Chronicle, included the cipher that the Zodiac had attached to his letter.

The killer struck again in September 1969, stabbing Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard in Napa County. Hartnell survived, and the description of the Zodiac he gave to Avery’s coworker, Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith, became one of the most famous sketches of the criminal.

Robert Graysmith/FacebookRobert Graysmith’s famous drawing of the Zodiac Killer.

The Zodiac’s final known murder came on Oct. 11, 1969, when he fatally shot Paul Lee Stine in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood. A week after this crime, Avery wrote an article calling the Zodiac “a clumsy criminal, a liar and possibly a latent homosexual.”

But although he was seemingly done killing, the Zodiac continued sending bizarre notes to various newspapers — and in October 1970, Paul Avery received a message of his own.

The Zodiac Killer’s Chilling Threat To Paul Avery

On the morning of Oct. 27, 1970, the San Francisco Chronicle office was bustling with activity as usual. When the mail was delivered, there was an envelope addressed to “Paul Averly.” Inside was a Halloween card with a drawing of a skeleton on the front. It read: “I feel it in my bones, You ache to know my name, And so I’ll clue you in… But, then, why spoil the game!”

Public DomainThe inside of the Halloween card Paul Avery received from the Zodiac Killer.

The inside of the card also included the message, “Peek-A-Boo! You Are Doomed!” and the Zodiac’s signature symbol.

Four days later, Avery gave an interview to KRON-TV. “I think that the Zodiac is just making an idle threat, frankly,” Avery said. “He has bragged of killing up to possibly 14 people but there’s absolutely no evidence that he’s killed more than five… I think he wanted to get himself a little publicity.”

“I think it’s an idle threat,” Avery continued, “but at the same time… I’m going to be very careful.”

Avery reportedly began carrying a gun with him, and when his coworkers at the Chronicle had buttons made that read, “I Am Not Paul Avery,” he donned one, too.

Still, he didn’t stop trying to track the killer down. In November 1970, he linked the Zodiac to the 1966 murder of 18-year-old Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, California. This was never confirmed, but if it’s true, it means that the killer didn’t confine himself to the Bay Area — and there may be even more victims out there that simply haven’t been connected to him yet.

Public DomainThe scene of the 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates, who was slashed to death near the library at Riverside City College.

As news on the Zodiac Killer slowed down, Paul Avery picked up several other major stories, such as the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst. He left the Chronicle in 1976 to write for The Sacramento Bee, and he later worked for the San Francisco Examiner until his retirement in 1994.

Avery died from pulmonary emphysema on Dec. 10, 2000, at age 66. Seven years later, Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Paul Avery in Zodiac — but the film wasn’t completely accurate when it came to Avery’s ultimate fate.

How Zodiac Got The Journalist’s Story Wrong

In Zodiac, Avery becomes paranoid after receiving the letter from the Zodiac. He begins drinking heavily and doing drugs, bringing his career at the Chronicle to an end and forcing his transfer to The Sacramento Bee.

Paramount PicturesRobert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery in the 2007 film Zodiac.

In reality, the Halloween card didn’t have quite such a negative impact on Avery. He paid careful attention to his surroundings, particularly when leaving his office after work, but he didn’t become as paranoid as the movie suggests.

Avery was a heavy drinker and smoker, but his addiction didn’t ruin his life. He reportedly had some strife with his fellow employees at the Chronicle before he left his position there, but he continued on to have a successful career elsewhere, and he even helped write a book about Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army.

As Robert Downey Jr. told the Los Angeles Times in 2007, “[Avery] was a serious journalist. He was a real amalgam of what makes journalists in the true sense of the word.”

After reading about the life of Paul Avery, discover nine potential suspects who may have been behind the Zodiac Killer’s crimes. Then, go inside the stories of nine of California’s most deranged serial killers.

The post Paul Avery, The Journalist Who Received An Eerie Message From The Zodiac Killer After Writing About The Case appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Public DomainThe atomic cloud from the bombing of Nagasaki as seen from a nearby shipyard.

The atomic bombing in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, was one of the most impactful events of World War II. The attack instantly killed nearly 40,000 people — and six days later, Japan announced its intent to surrender, bringing the war to a close at last.

However, the bombing almost didn’t happen. Nagasaki wasn’t the primary target of that day’s operation, and cloudy weather almost made the U.S. military call off the mission completely. Even when the bomb was dropped, it missed its intended landing spot by two miles, limiting the extent of the destruction.

Still, the impacts were catastrophic. Those closest to the detonation were vaporized, and tens of thousands of civilians — including the elderly, pregnant women, children, and infants — died from burns, radiation exposure, and falling buildings. An additional 40,000 people in Nagasaki perished from related injuries by the end of the year, bringing the total death toll to an estimated 80,000.

Accounts from survivors detail the horrific aftermath of the attack, from the gruesome injuries they witnessed to the destruction of the city. While the atomic bombing in Nagasaki didn’t go as planned, it certainly made a dark mark on history.

The Preparations For Nuclear Warfare

In 1942, the U.S. government teamed up with the U.K. and Canada to launch the Manhattan Project, a program to develop the first nuclear weapons. These bombs were primarily designed at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico under the direction of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Testing began on July 16, 1945 — just three weeks before the U.S. military dropped the “Little Boy” on Hiroshima.

Public DomainThe “Fat Man” bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki just before it was loaded into the Bockscar.

On July 25, 1945, General Thomas T. Handy, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, issued a directive to General Carl A. Spaatz, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific. It read:

“The 509 Composite Group, 20th Air Force will deliver its first special bomb as soon as weather will permit visual bombing after about 3 August 1945 on one of the targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata and Nagasaki… Additional bombs will be delivered on the above targets as soon as made ready by the project staff.”

These locations were selected because they were large cities with key industrial and military facilities. Nagasaki wasn’t initially on the list, but it was added at the last minute due to its port and shipbuilding infrastructure.

On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped the first nuclear weapon ever used in warfare on Hiroshima. Nearly 80,000 people were killed instantly, and the explosion triggered a firestorm that destroyed almost five square miles of the city.

Still, Japan didn’t surrender — so the U.S. selected its next target.

The Atomic Bombing In Nagasaki

The second atomic bomb was initially scheduled to be dropped on August 11, but a concerning weather forecast moved the mission forward by two days. In the early morning hours of August 9, a B-29 Superfortress called the Bockscar — carrying the “Fat Man” — took off en route to Kokura.

The pilot, Major Charles Sweeney, arrived in the skies above Kokura around 9:45 a.m., but cloud cover and smoke from nearby bombing campaigns obscured the target. By 10:30 a.m., Sweeney had a decision to make: Head to the closest secondary target on the list or discard the bomb in the ocean.

Public DomainAn aerial view of Nagasaki before and after the atomic bombing.

The Bockscar headed toward Nagasaki, which was the only other target within range. The aircraft arrived around 10:58 a.m., with just enough fuel left for a single pass over the city. Clouds obscured the aim point there, too — but at the last minute, a gap opened up. The “Fat Man” was released.

No siren warned the citizens below ahead of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki. An air raid alert had been in effect earlier that morning, but when the Bockscar and its accompanying aircraft were spotted minutes before the attack, they were assumed to be reconnaissance planes.

The “Fat Man” detonated at 11:02 a.m.

New York Times journalist William Laurence was on board The Great Artiste, the plane that was carrying the scientific instruments to measure the blast. As Laurence wrote for the newspaper in a September 1945 report, “[A]ll of us became aware of a flash that broke through the dark barrier of our arc-welder’s lenses and flooded our cabin with an intense light.”

Public DomainThe mushroom cloud over Nagasaki rose more than 11 miles into the sky.

“Observers in the tail of our ship saw a giant ball of fire rise as though from the bowels of the earth,” Laurence recalled, “belching forth enormous white smoke rings. Next they saw a giant pillar of purple fire, 10,000 feet high, shooting skyward with enormous speed.”

On the ground below, tens of thousands of Japanese citizens were experiencing a living Hell.

Survivors’ Accounts Of The Nagasaki Bombing

While the “Fat Man” was 40 percent more powerful than the “Little Boy” — as it was a plutonium implosion bomb rather than a uranium bomb — it didn’t cause as much devastation as the attack on Hiroshima.

Because of the cloud cover, the bomb missed its aim point, detonating roughly two miles farther north than intended. This limited the destruction to the Urakami Valley, as the surrounding hills protected much of the city.

Public DomainThe destruction in Nagasaki six weeks after the bombing.

Still, the atomic bombing in Nagasaki was cataclysmic. Of the 263,000 people estimated to be in the city at the time, around 39,000 were killed instantly. Approximately 25 percent of the homes in Nagasaki were destroyed.

Yoshiro Yamawaki, who was 11 years old at the time, was just sitting down to lunch with his brothers when the bomb exploded. As recorded by Nagasaki Peace, Yamawaki later recalled, “[W]hile we were sitting around the table a whitish-blue light shot across the room. Then came a roar that seemed to shake the whole house.”

“I lifted my head up and looked around to find everything completely changed,” Yamawaki continued. “Almost all the furniture had been mangled and tossed around. The walls had come crumbling down… The roof had been blown off as well, and we could see the sky.”

As he and his brothers walked toward the factory where their father worked, they saw blackened dead bodies scattered across the road — and when they arrived at their destination, they found their father’s corpse in a similar state.

Another survivor, Sakue Shimohira, recalled the injuries she witnessed in the aftermath of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki. Per Nagasaki Peace, she saw “people with charred bodies; people with ripped flesh, covered in blood; people whose eyeballs had burst out of their sockets; people whose burns had swollen their bodies by two or three times.”

Public DomainMany victims who survived the bombing were left with burns that scarred them for the rest of their lives.

Shigeko Matsumoto was just half a mile from the hypocenter of the explosion, according to the 1945 Project. He was standing in front of the entrance to a bomb shelter at 11:02 a.m. when “the sky turned bright white.”

“My siblings and I were knocked off our feet and violently slammed back into the bomb shelter,” Matsumoto later said. “We had no idea what had happened.” He continued:

“As we sat there shell-shocked and confused, heavily injured burn victims came stumbling into the bomb shelter en masse. Their skin had peeled off their bodies and faces and hung limply down on the ground, in ribbons… Finally, my grandfather found us and we made our way back to our home. I will never forget the hellscape that awaited us. Half burnt bodies lay stiff on the ground, eyeballs gleaming from their sockets.”

The U.S. was ready to drop even more bombs, but they weren’t necessary. On August 15, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s intent to surrender.

The Complicated Legacy Of The Nuclear Weapons

While August 15 marks V-J Day, when the world celebrated the end of World War II, Japanese representatives signed the official Instrument of Surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.

The events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki — combined with the Soviet Union’s declaration of war against Japan on August 8 — had forced Japan’s hand. However, critics in both the U.S. and Japan argued that the atomic bombing in Nagasaki and the subsequent deaths of tens of thousands of civilians weren’t necessary to end the war. Others believe that Japan never would have surrendered if not for the attack.

Public DomainU.S. Army Air Forces combat cameraman Dan McGovern documents the aftermath of the Nagasaki bombing in September 1945.

In Errol Morris’ 2003 documentary The Fog of War, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara quoted General Curtis LeMay as saying, “If we’d lost the war, we’d all have been prosecuted as war criminals.”

No matter the lens one uses to look at the legacy of the bombings Nagasaki and Hiroshima, one thing is clear: The world has never been, and will never be, the same again.

As Yoshiro Yamawaki put it, “Weapons of this capacity must be abolished from the earth… I pray that younger generations will come together to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons.”

After this look at the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, see the haunting nuclear shadows of the victims of Hiroshima. Then, go inside the story of the USS Indianapolis, the ship that delivered the components for the Hiroshima bomb before sinking in shark-infested waters.

The post How The Atomic Bombing Of Nagasaki Brought World War 2 To A Violent End appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Sometimes, it takes the cold eye of history to understand a scandal in full — like Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings. Other times, the country has watched a scandal unfold before their eyes — like Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Every scandal is different. But each one fascinates because they prove that, behind the presidential seal, the leader of the free world is not infallible.

Thomas Jefferson And Sally Hemings

Wikimedia CommonsThomas Jefferson allegedly had six children with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman who could not consent.

Shortly after Thomas Jefferson entered the White House in 1801, a journalist named James T. Callender published an explosive exposé. The president, Callender declared, had had a sexual relationship with one of his slaves.

“Her name is Sally,” Callender wrote in 1802. Calling her Jefferson’s “concubine,” Callendar claimed that the president had had, “several children by her.”

The subsequent scandal fizzled into nothing. Callendar had a well-known grudge against Jefferson and a reputation as a drunk. Indeed, he died the next year while drunkenly trying to bathe in the James River.

For two hundred years, Callendar’s allegations remained a rumor. But a 1998 DNA test published in Nature proved him right. Jefferson had indeed enslaved a woman named Sally Hemings and her descendants had traces of his DNA.

Public DomainThough James T. Callender broke the story, it took two centuries for Jefferson’s relationship with Hemings to become accepted fact.

The story of this presidential sex scandal likely started in the 1780s. By 1784, Jefferson was a recent widower serving out a diplomatic mission in Paris. He brought an enslaved woman, Hemings, to Paris to help him take care of his daughter Maria, (nicknamed “Polly.”)

There, Jefferson’s eye fell on 14-year-old Hemings, who happened to be the half-sister of his deceased wife Martha. By the time they returned to the United States, Hemings was pregnant.

According to Hemings’s son Madison, however, Hemings had only agreed to leave France — where she was free — after making a deal with Jefferson. The future president “made a solemn pledge that her children should be freed at the age of twenty-one years.”

“She gave birth to four others,” Madison explained, “and Jefferson was the father of all of them. Their names were Beverly, Harriet, Madison (myself), and Eston.”

Though Jefferson avoided serious scandal in his lifetime, modern eyes have reevaluated his relationship with Hemings, recognizing it for what it was: rape. As an enslaved woman, Hemings could not have given consent. Although her children were freed, Hemings herself was never officially released from the bonds of slavery.

Ultimately, after Jefferson’s death in 1826, his daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph allowed Hemings to leave Jefferson’s estate.

Grover Cleveland And Maria Halpin: One Of The First Presidential Sex Scandals

Wikimedia CommonsA cartoon from the scandal labels Cleveland as “Grover the Good,” since he was seen as politically moral but personally immoral.

When Grover Cleveland ran for president in 1884, jeering crowds often greeted him with an infamous chant: “Ma, Ma, Where’s My Pa?” By then, the nation was captivated by the allegation that Cleveland had fathered a child out of wedlock.

Actually, the allegations were worse than that. The Buffalo Evening Telegraph claimed in July 1884 that Cleveland had gotten a woman named Maria Halpin pregnant — possibly by rape — then sent her to an insane asylum and put up their child for adoption.

“Halpin said that Cleveland had pursued her relentlessly, and that she finally consented to join him for a meal at the Ocean Dining Hall & Oyster House,” reported the Chicago Tribune in October after interviewing Halpin. “After dinner, Cleveland escorted her back to her boarding house.

“In an 1874 affidavit, Halpin strongly implied that Cleveland’s entry into her room and the incident that transpired there was not consensual — he was forceful and violent, she alleged, and later promised to ruin her if she went to the authorities.”

Cleveland, however, insisted that Halpin had slept with lots of men in his circle. Though his presidential campaign admitted that he and Halpin were “illicitly acquainted,” the future president and his campaign suggested that he’d only claimed paternity because his friends were married.

Wikimedia CommonsGrover Cleveland’s sex scandal shocked Americans across the country.

In the end, voters judged Cleveland as less corrupt than his opponent, James G. Blaine. After his presidential victory, Cleveland’s supporters smugly answered the “Ma, Ma, Where’s My Pa?” chant with “Gone to the White House, Ha, Ha, Ha!”

Cleveland drew headlines for another reason when he became the first president to get married at the White House. His bride, 21-year-old Frances Folsom, was his best friend’s daughter and 27 years Cleveland’s junior.

Although Cleveland lost reelection in 1888, he won the presidency again in 1892. That makes him the only president to serve non-consecutive terms and one of the only presidential candidates that triumphed despite a presidential sex scandal.

The post The True Stories Behind Nine Presidential Sex Scandals That Shocked America appeared first on All That's Interesting.

National Park ServiceMaggie Lena Walker devoted herself to improving the lives of Black Americans.

Born enslaved during the Civil War, Maggie Lena Walker grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy. But during her life, she made incredible strides as a businesswoman and, in 1903, became the first woman to ever charter a bank in the United States.

But that wasn’t all Walker did.

The leader of a Black benefit society, Walker’s bank was just one part of her plan to advocate for her community. She also opened up a newspaper and a department store, with the goal of helping Black residents of Richmond to become economically independent. Maggie Lena Walker also fought against segregation and discrimination by organizing boycotts, co-founding the Richmond chapter of the NAACP, and by running for public office.

This is the inspirational story of Maggie Lena Walker.

The Early Years of Maggie Lena Walker

VCU LibrariesThe Van Lew House, where Maggie Lena Walker’s parents were enslaved. Elizabeth Van Lew was a spy for the Union.

“I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth,” Maggie Lena Walker once remarked according to the Encyclopedia Virginia, “but with a laundry basket practically on my head.” Born on July 15, 1864, during the Civil War, Walker was the daughter of an enslaved woman named Elizabeth Draper and an Irish-American Confederate soldier named Eccles Cuthbert.

Shortly after her birth, Walker’s mother married William Mitchell, a butler at the house where Draper worked. Though the family was able to rent a house of their own after the end of the Civil War, tragedy struck when Mitchell drowned in the James River in February 1867. His death was ruled a suicide, but his family believed that he had been murdered.

Mitchell’s death left Draper a single mother with two children (Walker and her half-brother, Jonnie). She began a laundry business to keep the family afloat, and Walker helped by delivering laundry to white customers.

Despite her work supporting the family, Walker also had time to attend public school. And, when she was 14 years old, she also joined the Independent Order of St. Luke. The benevolent fraternal organization had originally been founded to help care for the sick and bury the dead, but it was also focused on supporting newly freed Black Americans.

Valentine Richmond History CenterAfter organizing a juvenile branch of the Order of Saint Luke, Maggie Lena Walker rose to lead the organization.

In 1883, Walker graduated from Richmond Colored Normal School, a public school founded to educate Black Virginians after the war. For the next three years, Walker worked as a teacher. But when Walker married in 1886, she had to resign – only single women were allowed to teach.

That said, Walker continued her involved with the Independent Order of St. Luke’s. And in 1899, the order elected Maggie Lena Walker to its top position.

The First Woman To Charter A Bank In The United States

By the time Maggie Lena Walker was elected as Grand Secretary of the Independent Order of St. Luke’s, the organization was in trouble. Membership had plummeted, and it was nearly bankrupt. So Walker came up with a three-pronged plan: in 1901, she announced her intention to open a department store run by Black employees for Black customers, a newspaper to spread word about St. Luke’s, and a bank for Black investors.

Valentine Richmond History CenterMaggie Lena Walker standing behind the till. A portrait of her also hangs on the wall.

In doing so, Walker became the first woman — of any race — to charter a bank in the United States. The Saint Luke Penny Savings Bank opened for business in 1903, and Walker saw it as a way to empower Black Americans.

“Let us put our money together,” she said, “let us use our money; Let us put our money out at usury among ourselves, and reap the benefit ourselves.”

Indeed, the Saint Luke Penny Savings Bank gave Black residents of Richmond financial independence and helped them to become more financially literate. It was more than a place for Black people to save money — it also offered mortgages and personal loans, helping Richmond’s Black middle class expand in the early 20th century. Walker encouraged children to invest from a young age, in order to build their savings and become independent from white employers, and the bank helped increase Black home ownership

“Let us have a bank,” Maggie Lena Walker declared, “that will take the nickels and turn them into dollars.”

Virginia Historical SocietyThe St. Luke Penny Savings Bank operated at First and Marshall streets in Richmond, Virginia.

The bank was incredibly successful under Walker’s leadership. By 1924, more than 50,000 members had bank accounts, and the bank’s accounts totaled $500,000 in the mid-1920s. Even the Great Depression couldn’t derail Walker’s bank — though countless banks failed in droves across the country, Walker was able to save her bank by merging it with two others.

In fact, it still exists to this day.

The Proud Legacy Of Maggie Lena Walker

Maggie Lena Walker did not just open a bank, run a newspaper, start a department store, and lead the Independent Order of St. Luke’s. She also served as an inspirational leader for Black Americans.

National Park ServiceThrough her entrepreneurship and activism, Maggie Lena Walker showed the power of collective action.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, Walker could be a demanding boss. But she also fostered her employees’ financial independence by encouraging them to set aside five percent of their wages in savings accounts.

What’s more, Walker was also a civil rights leader. She co-founded the Richmond chapter of the NAACP, held leadership positions in civic organizations like the National Association of Colored Women, helped organize a boycott against segregated seating on streetcars in 1904, and supported the anti-lynching movement.

Walker did all this — and more — despite dealing with multiple tragedies. In 1893, her infant son Armstead died. In 1915, her son Russell mistook Walker’s husband for a burglar, and accidentally killed him. Walker also struggled with diabetes, and relied on a wheelchair to get around at the end of her life.

Yet Maggie Lena Walker remained active, and served as the leader of St. Luke’s until her death. Walker passed away on Dec. 15, 1934, at the age of 70. She left behind a powerful legacy of activism and community involvement.

WomenArtistUpdates/Wikimedia CommonsAt statue of Maggie Lena Walker at the Virginia Women’s Monument.

“There are few of us who can give much,” she once remarked, “but there are thousands upon thousands who can give little, and the combining of the mites will produce the much, so necessary to success.”

After learning about Maggie Lena Walker, the first woman in the United States to charter a bank, learn about how Annie Malone became one of the first Black women millionaires. Then, read about Black inventor Sarah Goode.

The post The Incredible Story Of Maggie Lena Walker, The Daughter Of Slaves Who Became The First American Woman To Charter A Bank appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Archaeologia BulgaricaArchaeologists excavating the Roman ruins of Deultum in eastern Bulgaria found a 1,600-year-old skeleton inside an enormous storage vessel.

During excavations of the ancient Roman colony of Deultum near the Bulgarian village of Debelt, archaeologists discovered something highly unusual: a complete human skeleton curled up inside a gigantic jar known as a dolium.

Researchers believe that this skeleton of a young man dates back to around 400 C.E., at a time when this Roman city faced a high concentration of enemy attacks from Germanic tribes. Archaeologists believe the man hid inside the jar to seek shelter during an invasion — but perished when a fire tore through the area.

The Discovery Of A Skeleton Inside An Ancient Roman Jar In Bulgaria

Archaeologists discovered the giant jar inside the northern turret, or small tower, near the city’s western Roman gate.

Excavation leader Dr. Lyudmil Vagalinski told Live Science that they were shocked to discover human remains inside the tower.

Wikimedia CommonsThe Romans flourished in Deultum for nearly 400 years before it was sacked by invaders.

“We were surprised,” Vagalinski said, adding that it’s rare for archaeologists to uncover skeletons among the ruins of ancient cities that aren’t in designated burial areas — unless there are “extraordinary circumstances,” like natural disasters or enemy attacks.

The skeleton was found alongside two iron knives and a belt inside the dolium. These huge jars are the largest-known type of pottery from antiquity. They were used to store goods like oil and wine, and the largest dolia had a capacity of 260 gallons. This recently discovered dolium was smaller, however, measuring approximately three feet in diameter.

Archaeologia BulgaricaExperts believe the man was hiding from Germanic invaders and was prepared to strike with his knives if they found him.

Researchers estimate that the young man died around 400 C.E., but a more precise date will come after analyzing the rest of the field data. However, that dating would make sense, given the preponderance of enemy attacks that occurred in the area at that time, as the days of the Roman Empire’s dominance were coming to an end.

How This Man May Have Ended Up Inside The Dolium 1,600 Years Ago

Vagalinski believes that this recent discovery represents one of the “extraordinary circumstances” that would lead to human remains being found scattered among the ruins of an ancient Roman city: in this case, an enemy attack.

In the areas surrounding the dolium, archaeologists found a large amount of burned materials, including ashes and coals, broken bricks, tiles, blackened walls, melted glass, and livestock bones. Likely, when people heard of an imminent attack, they brought their livestock into the turret.

The researchers are uncertain which specific battle led to the young man’s death, but Deultum faced a lot of pressure from East Germanic tribes and the Huns in the fourth and fifth centuries, according to Vagalinski.

Wikimedia CommonsThe man likely died during a fire amidst an enemy attack, possibly by the Huns or another Germanic tribe.

The young man likely went into the dolium to hide from the attack, though it’s probable that the invaders had already begun setting the city ablaze before the man hid inside, Vagalinski said.

“The man had found refuge in the pitos, crouched there with his knees pressed to his chin and his face turned downward. He was clutching an iron knife in his right hand, and he had a second, smaller one hanging from a ring, but he was not a warrior,” Vagalinski told the Bulgarian news outlet Standart News.

Although he was not a warrior himself, the young man kept the knives with him in case attackers found him.

“In any case, he made no attempt to get out of the ceramic vessel,” Vagalinski told Live Science, based on his position, which was similar to that of a sleeping man.

Following the attack, the survivors leveled the floor of the ruined tower and replaced it with a new one, without knowing that a fellow citizen was dead inside the dolium that they were then building on top of.

The skeleton has now been transported to Sofia, Bulgaria, where it will be analyzed by a physical anthropologist. Next summer, the team plans to excavate the entire western Roman gate in Deultum, which dates back to around 300 C.E. They aim to finish their investigation of the northern turret, and, hopefully, finish filling in the details behind this young man’s tragic end.

After reading about the skeleton found inside a giant Roman jar in Bulgaria, see some of the most fascinating ancient Roman facial reconstructions. Then, learn about the mass grave of Roman soldiers found beneath a soccer field in Vienna.

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On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced the worst assault ever carried out on American soil and the deadliest terrorist attack in world history.

In the span of just 102 minutes, both of New York's World Trade Center towers collapsed after planes hijacked by Al Qaeda operatives crashed into them. According to CNN, the attacks in downtown Manhattan that Tuesday in September left 2,753 people dead. That number rose to 2,977 with the assaults on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the plane that went down outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Thousands more were left injured, trillions of dollars of damage was done, and America would never be the same. The War on Terror would soon begin and the whole world would eventually feel the effects of the fallen towers.

BETH A. KEISER/AFP/Getty ImagesFire and rescue workers search through the rubble of the World Trade Center's collapsed towers two days after the attacks.

It all started with those tragic 102 minutes on that clear, late summer morning in New York. Revisit the tragedy with the arresting 9/11 pictures above, which represent the wide spectrum of horror, heartbreak, confusion, and courage displayed on that traumatic day.

The Devastating Terror Attacks Of September 11, 2001

Even after seeing the most powerful 9/11 pictures, the true scope of the chaos is difficult to convey.

It all began at 8:46 a.m. when American Airlines Flight 11 — hijacked by five Al Qaeda operatives on its way from Boston to Los Angeles — slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. At the time, people weren't sure whether this was an accident made by an amateur pilot or the result of some sort of malfunction, but that confusion would soon cease.

As the North Tower's crash site smoldered and smoke wafted across the sky, the media kept its cameras trained firmly on the buildings. Then, at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 — also traveling from Boston to Los Angeles — flew straight into the South Tower. By this point, it was clear that New York City was under attack. By whom and for what reason, however, would remain unclear for some time.

"Boom! Boom! Just like that. The towers are gone now, reduced to bloody rubble, along with all hopes for Peace in Our Time, in the United States or any other country. Make no mistake about it: We are At War now ― with somebody ― and we will stay At War with that mysterious Enemy for the rest of our lives. It will be a Religious War, a sort of Christian Jihad, fueled by religious hatred and led by merciless fanatics on both sides. It will be guerilla warfare on a global scale, with no front lines and no identifiable enemy."

American Airlines Flight 77 traveling from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., tearing a massive hole into the side of the building. Just 22 minutes later, the unimaginable happened back in New York City: In around 10 seconds, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed into its footprint — reducing 110 stories to rubble.

United Airlines Flight 93, meanwhile, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania a few minutes later. The San Francisco-bound flight had been hijacked by four Al Qaeda terrorists after departing Newark, New Jersey, but was diverted from its likely target of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Passengers leading a revolt had retaken control of the plane to enough of an extent that it was forced to the ground in the struggle.

The damage had already been staggering, but things were about to get even scarier. At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed. Tower 7 of the World Trade Center complex, said to be plagued by such intense fires that it gave out and buckled, collapsed at 5.21 p.m.

As the 9/11 pictures above clearly show, it was the deadliest day in American history, and victims have still been identified in recent years, some two decades later, giving family the news they have hoped for — and dreaded — since that tragic day.

The Aftermath Of The Attacks And The 9/11 Pictures That Remain

President George W. Bush learned of the attacks while attending a series of events at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. He addressed the nation on live television that night, stating that the government "will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." The seeds for the War on Terror had been planted.

Three days later, Bush stood among the rubble alongside New York's firefighters and first responders, assuring them that the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks would not be forgotten:

"I can hear you! I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!"

Soon, the U.S. would begin launching its strikes against terrorist groups and other suspected enemies around the world, with Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, and numerous other countries eventually facing American military and covert action. It's unknown for certain how many people have died in the ongoing war that has spanned 2001 to the present, but one 2021 study from Brown University puts the death toll of America's post-9/11 wars at around 900,000, which includes U.S. military members, allied and opposition fighters, civilians, journalists, and humanitarian aid workers who were killed as a direct result of war.

Meanwhile, the economic impact of 9/11 was likewise astonishing. While the estimated cost of planning and executing the attacks themselves was around half a million dollars — cleanup and response costs were far greater, with estimated losses totaling $123 billion in just the first month after 9/11.

Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty ImagesFirst responders run away from the smoke, debris, and ash sailing down Manhattan's streets after the buildings' collapse.

The World Trade Center site suffered $60 billion in damage on September 11, and a $40 billion anti-terrorism package was approved by Congress on September 14.

In cleanup of Ground Zero didn't end until May 30, 2002. It cost $750 million to remove 1.8 million tons of debris — and it took 3.1 million hours of labor to do so. In the end, untold scores of haunting 9/11 artifacts were retrieved from the rubble.

The total cost of the attacks is estimated to be more than $3 trillion.

"Never before in our history has America asked so much over such a sustained period of an all-volunteer force. So I can say without fear of contradiction or being accused of exaggeration, the 9/11 generation ranks among the greatest our nation has ever produced, and it was born — it was born — it was born right here on 9/11."

But no figures can truly capture the size of the tragedy. Perhaps the images of the towers that fell and the people who were there to bear witness can begin to convey the horror. Witness the historic devastation for yourself in the gallery of 9/11 pictures above.

After experiencing the most harrowing 9/11 pictures, see the tragedy of "The Falling Man" who died that day. Then, delve into some of the conspiracy theories about 9/11.

The post 9/11 Pictures That Reveal The Tragedy Of America’s Darkest Day appeared first on All That's Interesting.

In a horror film, for instance, the right sound can evoke a sense of dread or fear without anything terrifying happening on-screen. But spooky noises aren’t a commodity reserved for Hollywood. A twig breaking in the woods at night, a bump in the dark, an eerie old song — all of these sounds can put us on the edges of our seats.

Other noises, however, have even caused humans to experience physical symptoms. The mysterious “Hum” heard around the world, for example, has caused people to become fatigued and anxious. And the strange illness known as Havana Syndrome is thought to be brought on by a certain sound.

And yet other sounds remind us of a specific time or emotion in a way that nothing else can. Below are nine of the weirdest noises throughout history. Some are sorrowful and some are mysterious, others are disturbing or whimsical, but each of them is truly haunting.

The Last Song Of The Kauai O’o

Public DomainAn illustration depicting two Kauai O’o birds.

In 1983, conservationist John Sincock captured the mating call of the last remaining Kauai O’o, a now-extinct honey-eating songbird that was native to Hawaii’s Kauai island.

Per the British Library, the bird in the recording was the last known Kauai O’o in existence, the male of a mating pair calling out to a partner who had died a year prior during Hurricane Iwa.

The species was officially declared extinct in 2000 after years of large-scale habitat loss, the introduction of non-native species to Hawaii’s “Garden Island,” and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

In fact, conservationists and ornithologists have noted a substantial decline in almost all of Kauai’s honeycreeper species of birds — and they estimate that even more extinctions will come in the near future.

According to Engadget, the particularly haunting version of the Kauai O’o’s song uploaded to YouTube by Robert Davis was a version that he remixed, adding an eerie echo that created a feeling one commenter described as “lonely and mournful like it knows it’s the last of its kind.”

“This is basically the animal equivalent of the final human left screaming to God, asking why he put him through this much misery,” another wrote.

In a way, the recording has become something of a digital memorial for the lost bird, its final call echoing like a ghost across the internet.

The Bloop: One Of The Weirdest Noises From The Deep Sea

NOAAA spectogram of the Bloop.

In 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured a recording of an incredibly loud, ultra-low frequency emanating from deep in the Pacific Ocean. It soon became one of the most debated weirdest noises in history.

Naturally, people were quick to let their minds run wild with possibilities, with many believing — perhaps fearing — that the noise was caused by a large sea monster.

The sound was also recorded at stations more than 3,000 miles apart — and only 1,000 miles from H. P. Lovecraft’s fictional sunken city of R’lyeh, in which his famous monster Cthulhu is imprisoned in his works.

However, as Wired reported, seismologists who have studied the sound determined that it actually shares many similarities with the noise made by icequakes — and it’s likely that’s what the Bloop was all along.

“What has led to a lot of the misperception of the animal origin sound of the Bloop is how the sound is played back,” said NOAA and Oregon State University seismologist Robert Dziak.

Often, the audio is played back at 16 times its normal speed in order to make it more audible for the average person. “However,” Dziak explained, “when the sound is played in real-time it has more of a ‘quake’ sound to it, similar to thunder.”

In fact, a survey conducted from 2005 to 2010 studied other “icequakes” caused by pieces of sea ice melting or splitting off of glaciers, and they all shared similar characteristics with the Bloop.

As it turns out, this isn’t uncommon. There are thousands of icequakes each year.

So while it may have been fun, and perhaps even a bit scary, to attribute the Bloop to an eldritch monster-god, it was evidently nothing more than a loud icebreaker for many conversations.

The post Listen To 9 Of The Most Haunting Sounds Ever Recorded appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Public DomainJoséphine Bonaparte, the first empress of France.

Before she became Joséphine Bonaparte, Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie allegedly had her destiny read by a fortune teller in Martinique. The woman purportedly stated that she would be unhappily married, widowed — and then the queen of France. In fact, Joséphine would be “more than a queen” but “only for a short time.”

Though this tale is likely apocryphal, the fortune teller’s prediction came true. After a troubled first marriage, Joséphine became the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte — and spent five years as the empress of France.

The subject of Napoleon’s obsession and a fashion icon in Europe, Joséphine led a full, colorful, and dramatic life. But her marriage to Napoleon ultimately ended after she was unable to give him an heir, and she died just after Napoleon was exiled to Elba.

This is the full story of Joséphine Bonaparte, from her modest beginnings to her ascension to empress.

The Humble Beginnings Of Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher De La Pagerie

Born on June 23, 1763, in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique, as Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, Joséphine Bonaparte was called “Rose” or “Yeyette” as a girl. Though her father owned a sugar plantation, Joséphine’s family struggled financially. Joséphine was sent to a convent school in Fort-de-France at the age of 10 in the hopes that her education would make her a suitable match for a rich husband.

Indeed, Joséphine moved to France when she was 16 to marry Alexandre de Beauharnais, a wealthy viscount. Though they had two children — Eugène in 1781 and Hortense in 1783 — their marriage was unhappy, and the couple spent most of their time apart. But things became much more dire for Joséphine and her husband with the start of the French Revolution.

Art Collection 2 / Alamy Stock PhotoThe French Revolution began with the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.

In the spring of 1794, Beauharnais’ status as an aristocrat led to the arrests of both him and his wife. Both were sentenced to death. Beauharnais was guillotined that July, and Joséphine cut her hair short in preparation for her own execution. However, Joséphine’s life was saved by the fall of Maximilien Robespierre, the architect of the Reign of Terror, and she was released from prison.

Joséphine was free, but she was a penniless widow with two children to support. Her prospects looked dim — until she crossed paths with an up-and-coming general named Napoleon Bonaparte.

Becoming Joséphine Bonaparte

There are multiple accounts of how Napoleon and Joséphine Bonaparte met. One claims that they first encountered each other at a “Victim’s Ball,” where would-be victims of the guillotine wore red ribbons around their necks. Another suggests that they were introduced by Joséphine’s friend, Thérésa Cabarrus, at a dinner party.

Public DomainNapoleon Bonaparte in an 1803 portrait.

However they met, Napoleon and Joséphine became lovers, and Napoleon swiftly became infatuated with the woman whom he called “Joséphine.”

“I awake full of you,” Napoleon wrote in December 1795, as reported by PBS. “Your image and the memory of last night’s intoxicating pleasures has left no rest to my senses… You leave at midday; in three hours I shall see you. Meanwhile, my sweet love, a thousand kisses; but do not give me any, for they set my blood on fire.”

Though Joséphine’s feelings were more lukewarm — she thought he was “silent and awkward with women” and purportedly once called him a “puss in boots” — she agreed to marry Napoleon when he proposed in January 1796.

They became husband and wife on March 9, 1796.

Just days after their wedding, Napoleon Bonaparte set off to fight in Italy. It was another step in his meteoric rise. Napoleon became First Consul in 1799 and crowned himself emperor in 1804. With that, the alleged prophecy that Joséphine Bonaparte had heard from a fortune teller as a girl came true: Joséphine became empress — “more than a queen.” But as the soothsayer had predicted, her reign would ultimately be short-lived.

The Slow Demise Of Napoleon And Joséphine Bonaparte’s Marriage

Joséphine and Napoleon had problems from the beginning. Napoleon begged Joséphine to join him in Italy and chided her for not writing to him as much as he wrote to her. Both were also unfaithful to each other, and Napoleon was irritated with Joséphine’s lavish tastes.

Public DomainJoséphine Bonaparte in an 1801 portrait.

But the most serious problem was the couple’s inability to get pregnant. Because she’d already had two children, Napoleon initially thought that he was the problem. But when one of his mistresses gave birth to a son in 1806, the emperor realized that Joséphine might never be able to give him a true heir, as she was approaching her mid-40s.

“Joséphine is decidedly old and as she cannot now have any children she is very melancholy about it and tiresome,” Napoleon wrote to his brother in 1807.

In November 1809, Napoleon announced his intention to divorce Joséphine Bonaparte. Though she was initially distraught, she agreed to go along with his decision. The couple separated that December, with both reading messages of devotion.

Public DomainA depiction of Napoleon and Joséphine Bonaparte’s divorce in 1809.

“With our most august and dear husband’s permission,” Joséphine stated, per the Napoleon Foundation, “I must declare that no longer holding out any hope for a child that could satisfy both his political needs and the good of France, I give to him the greatest proof of attachment and devotion that has ever been given on this Earth.”

Their divorce — officially an annulment, as Napoleon argued that the required parish priest wasn’t present at their wedding ceremony, making their marriage invalid — was finalized in January 1810.

The Final Years Of The Empress Of France

In the aftermath of their divorce, Napoleon promised to take care of Joséphine. She retained the title and rank of empress, as well as her home, the Château de Malmaison. Meanwhile, Napoleon married 18-year-old Marie Louise of Austria, the daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria. In March 1811, she gave birth to Napoleon’s much-awaited heir, Napoleon II.

Public DomainJosephine Bonaparte in 1808, shortly before her divorce from Napoleon.

However, Napoleon and Joséphine remained close. According to the Napoleon Foundation, the emperor continued to write to his first wife, invoking the jealousy of his second. He also supported Joséphine financially.

But the tides were turning in Europe. In May 1814, Napoleon was forced into exile on the island of Elba. A few weeks later, on May 29, Joséphine Bonaparte died at age 50. Though she had been ill with pneumonia, some believed that she died of “grief” following Napoleon’s fall from grace.

Napoleon, meanwhile, was unable to cling to power even after he escaped exile. Following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, he was exiled yet again, this time to the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena.

There, Joséphine Bonaparte’s memory burned strongly in his mind, even though she’d been dead for years. According to the biography Ambition And Desire: The Dangerous Life Of Josephine Bonaparte by Kate Williams, “Napoleon never stopped thinking of [Joséphine], surrounding himself with pictures of her at St. Helena (and eating off plates bearing her face).”

Public DomainNapoleon frequently thought of his ex-wife during his exile on Saint Helena.

Indeed, when Napoleon died on May 5, 1821 — possibly from stomach cancer — his ex-wife was still on his mind. His last words were purportedly:

“France, the army, head of the army, Joséphine.”

After reading about Joséphine Bonaparte, go inside the life and death of Marie Antoinette, France’s most infamous queen. Then, discover the truth about Napoleon Bonaparte’s height.

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Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismEvidence of a Neolithic mining workshop, complete with pieces of malachite and copper, was discovered in Turkey.

Archaeologists excavating Çayönü Tepesi, a Neolithic settlement in southeastern Turkey, just uncovered a prehistoric mining workshop that dates back to at least 6800 B.C.E. In addition to a paved work area, excavations revealed dozens of pieces of copper and malachite, from raw materials to finished artifacts.

Çayönü is already known as an archaeologically significant site in Turkey, and this find only adds to the region’s rich history. Researchers hope the discovery will ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the Neolithic mining process.

The Discovery Of The Neolithic Production Site

The roughly 50-square-foot mining workshop was discovered during excavations at Çayönü earlier this year, led by Associate Professor Savaş Sarıaltun of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University.

Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThe site had at least six postholes around a stone-paved center, indicating the former presence of a structure or canopy.

According to an announcement on social media from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the workshop consisted of six postholes with a stone-paved working surface in the center.

These postholes are what differentiate the site as a center of production rather than a place where material was accidentally discarded 9,000 years ago. The arrangement of the holes indicates a potential structure or canopy covering the workspace.

In the center of the workshop, archaeologists found 18 pieces of malachite, a green copper carbonate hydroxide mineral. This malachite was both raw and partially processed. Researchers also uncovered dozens of other pieces of both malachite and copper around the site in various stages of production, from raw nuggets to finished copper beads and artifacts.

This discovery sheds light on an extensive history of mining in Turkey — one that began long before this workshop was established.

What This Find Reveals About The Ancient Turkish Settlement

Dûrzan Cîrano/Wikimedia Commons Çayönü, a Neolithic settlement in southeastern Turkey, was already a prominent site for research into early copper technology.

Previous excavations have revealed evidence of copper and malachite mining at Çayönü as far back as 9100 B.C.E.

“The new discovery reveals that the mining tradition here continued for approximately 2,000 years and that specialized production activities were carried out in designated working areas,” Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated in his announcement.

Çayönü, located in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, is an important archaeological site for the Neolithic period, particularly when it comes to understanding how societies began transitioning from hunting and gathering to agriculture and other forms of production.

During the 2026 excavation season, archaeologists also discovered high-quality pottery in the western part of the settlement, associated with the Proto-Hassuna culture. While analysis is still ongoing, it was seemingly made around the time the mining workshop was active.

Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismArchaeologists excavating the mining workshop at Çayönü.

Thousands of years before copper became a common material, Neolithic societies in Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia were already working with the substance. The early copper technology employed by these cultures generally entailed cold and hot hammering of the metal to shape it into tools and other objects.

For instance, in 2024, archaeologists excavating the Neolithic site of Boncuklu Tarla in Turkey found 11,000-year-old body ornaments made from limestone, obsidian, flint, copper, and river pebbles.

The fact that the recent find at Çayönü includes finished copper objects provides more evidence of this prehistoric production process. The discovery of raw material, partially processed material, and complete metal objects outlines the entire manufacturing system: the working location, how the metal was processed, and how the work was organized in designated areas of the settlement.

The discovery of the mining workshop also contributes important knowledge toward Çayönü’s already prominent archaeological record, bringing the researchers one step closer to understanding how these Neolithic societies lived.

After reading about the Neolithic mining workshop found in Turkey, learn about the ancient tomb in Turkey that was identified as the resting place of King Midas’ father, Gordias. Then, go inside the mat-making workshop uncovered in Pompeii.

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Anspach ArchivesElizabeth Magie, the inventor of Monopoly. Circa 1930s.

Monopoly is one of the most popular board games of all time. Since the 1930s, more than 275 million copies have been sold around the world. But few know the story of Lizzie Magie, who invented it.

Indeed, the game was long credited to someone else — Charles Darrow, who made his own version of Magie’s game and sold the rights to Parker Brothers. Darrow made millions. Magie, meanwhile, was only awarded $500.

This is the story of Lizzie Magie, the woman who invented Monopoly.

Elizabeth Magie’s Early Life And The Influence of Henry George

Born on May 9, 1866, just after the end of the Civil War, Elizabeth Magie grew up in Illinois. She was deeply influenced by her father, a journalist and abolitionist who esd once been close with Abraham Lincoln. So when he introduced Magie to the ideas of economist Henry George, Magie took note.

Public DomainElizabeth Magie in 1892.

As The New York Times reports, Magie’s father gave her a copy of George’s “Progress and Poverty” (1879). An anti-monopolist, George theorized that although people should be able to own anything they created, land belonged to everyone, and no one person should be able to profit from owning it. He proposed abolishing all taxes except for a tax on wealthy landowners.

These ideas were especially potent during the inequality of the Gilded Age, and Magie took them to heart. Though she found work as a stenographer and typist in Washington D.C., and worked on other projects — including for a device to improve typewriters — she continued to tinker with the idea of transforming George’s ideas into an anti-monopolist board game.

Lizzie Magie called the game, which became the basis for Monopoly, the “Landlord’s Game.”

The Invention Of The Landlord’s Game

U.S. National ArchivesElizabeth Magie’s patent for the Landlord’s Game, the precursor to Monopoly.

The Landlord’s Game will sound familiar to anyone who has played Monopoly. Played on a square board, players of the game were tasked with buying railroads, paying rent, and earning money. One corner of the board was a “Poor House” and another instructed players to “Go to Jail.”

The point of the game was to “obtain as much Wealth or money as possible,” as Magie wrote in her 1903 patent application, but the game had two sets of rules. There was the “Monopolist” rules, in which players aimed to grow their own wealth through property ownership and collecting rent, and the “Prosperity” rules, in which players all benefited from each other’s gains.

“It is a practical demonstration of the present system of land-grabbing with all its usual outcomes and consequences,” Magie explained of her board game in the 1902 issue of The Single Tax Review. “It might well have been called the ‘Game of Life,’ as it contains all the elements of success and failure in the real world, and the object is the same as the human race in general seem to have, i.e., the accumulation of wealth.”

Public DomainLizzie Magie’s invention, the Landlord’s Game.

As Smithsonian Magazine explains, the goal of the game that became Monopoly was ardently anti-monopolist in nature. It aimed to demonstrate the “evils” of accumulating great wealth while others suffered. As Lizzie Magie remarked in 1906, “In a short time, I hope a very short time, men and women will discover that they are poor because Carnegie and Rockefeller, maybe, have more than they know what to do with.”

How Monopoly Copied The Landlord’s Game

Lizzie Magie’s game was a hit. At a time when board games were still a new pastime, homemade versions of The Landlord’s Game spread across the East Coast. It was played on college campuses, among intellectuals, and by a Quaker community in Atlantic City. The Quakers made the game a bit more simple, and named properties on the board after Atlantic City Streets.

Around the 1930s, a man named Charles Darrow played the Quaker version of the game. Unemployed and struggling, Darrow adapted the game and began selling it independently, attracting the attention of Parker Brothers (a game company now owned by Hasbro). After Darrow had sold 5,000 copies, “Monopoly” was picked up by Parker Brothers in 1934.

Public DomainCharles Darrow’s 1935 patent for the board game Monopoly.

But there was a problem. Darrow’s game was selling well (Smithsonian Magazine reports that it sold 278,000 copies the first year and more than 1,750,000 the next year) but it was clearly a copy of the Landlord’s Game.

So the company reached out to Magie and bought the rights for her game for $500. According to HISTORY, the company promised to produce her game and credit her role in making Monopoly. But neither ever happened.

Instead, Monopoly became one of the most popular games of all time. But both its true inventor and her message were lost for decades. Rather than promote anti-monopolist ideas as Magie had intended, the game became about making money and forcing other players into bankruptcy.

In fact, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Lizzie Magie’s role in Monopoly came out. Then, an economist professor locked in a legal battle with Parker Brothers over his game (“Anti-Monopoly”) came across Magie’s patents. He revealed the truth about Monopoly’s roots: It was Lizzie Magie, not Charles Darrow, who’d originally designed the famous game.

Though Magie had long since passed — she died in 1948 at the age of 81 — she’s now widely seen as the true inventor of Monopoly. That said, the game that the world knows today is far different from the game that Magie intended. She wanted her game to be a lesson about greed, a small but mighty protest against the danger of monopolies.

But now that the world knows that Elizabeth Magie invented Monopoly, perhaps they’ll pay attention to her vision behind the game as well.

After this look at Elizabeth Magie, the inventor of Monopoly, discover the stories of eight important women inventors who never got the credit they deserved. Then, learn how Allied prisoners used Monopoly to escape from Nazi POW camps during World War II.

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After an initial reboot that aired on Spike TV (now Paramount Network) in 2008 hosted by the late Dennis Farina, Netflix launched a reboot of its own in 2020. In the spirit of the hit Netflix reboot, we’ve decided to revisit some of the most fascinating incidents that Unsolved Mysteries helped solve.

From unsolved murders and unexplained amnesia to child trafficking and fraud, these cases are bound to make your head spin.

Georgia Tann: How Unsolved Mysteries Helped Solve The Case Of The Stolen Children

Special Collections Department/University of MemphisGeorgia Tann, who ran a black-market baby adoption scheme, died of cancer before she could face justice.

Her case has been featured on Deadly Women and the Southern Hollows podcast. But before she became a macabre pop culture icon, Beulah George “Georgia” Tann was featured on Unsolved Mysteries, which solved a lot of unanswered questions about many of the children left in her care.

Born in 1891 in Mississippi, Tann started out as a social worker before she became a receiving director at the Mississippi Children’s Home Society. While there, she adopted a daughter of her own and became involved in a lesbian relationship with Ann Atwood, who also worked at the Society.

But it was Tann’s subsequent career move to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society that really cemented her place in American history — for all the wrong reasons. In 1924, after making aggressive moves to take over the entire organization, Tann began trafficking children to make more money.

It wasn’t called child trafficking at the time, of course — and having celebrity clientele such as Joan Crawford and Dick Powell certainly did wonders for Tann’s profile — but it’s estimated that she stole 5,000 children, including WWE legend Ric Flair, and pocketed more than $1 million for her efforts.

One key thing that helped Tann with her black-market baby adoption scheme was her connection to E.H. Crump, a powerful Tennessee politician. According to Insider, Crump offered Tann protections in exchange for payments. But by 1950, Crump had begun to lose his political power.

Wikimedia CommonsTennessee Gov. Gordon Browning launched an investigation into Georgia Tann’s trafficking scheme.

Then, Tennessee Gov. Gordon Browning asked a lawyer to investigate the Children’s Home Society and Tann herself. In September of that same year, officials announced the shocking findings that they had discovered about Tann’s baby-selling scheme. But Tann would never face justice — as she died of cancer just a few days later. And of course, many unanswered questions remained about the fates of the children who had been stolen.

Enter the December 13, 1989 episode of Unsolved Mysteries, which was the first of its kind to detail the extent of Tann’s crimes. Describing a tangled web that featured political connections, physical and sexual abuse of children, and other unspeakable crimes, the episode triggered more than 600 phone calls from people who believed they were part of Tann’s baby trafficking ring.

At least 50 of those calls proved fruitful, as the callers found long-lost members of their birth families as a result of the episode.

One of the most famous cases that Unsolved Mysteries solved as a result of the Georgia Tann episode was the case of Alma Sipple. Back in the 1940s, her daughter Irma had been taken from her under the pretext of “providing medical care,” but after Irma went off with Tann, she was never seen again.

However, Alma Sipple saw the Unsolved Mysteries episode about Tann and called the volunteer agency that was working to reunite the families who were forced apart by Tann and other unscrupulous adoption agencies. According to The Los Angeles Times, Sipple was ultimately reunited with her daughter, who went by the name of Sandra Kimbrell, after 44 years apart.

The Maddening Mystery Of The KROQ-FM Radio Station Murder “Confession”

FacebookWhen an anonymous caller confessed to murder on KROQ-FM, many believed that he had killed Angela Cummings.

Just a few months after the “Kevin and Bean” morning show debuted in 1990 on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, ratings were on the decline. In an effort to pump up the slumping ratings, the show launched a new segment called “Confess Your Crime.” The segment was a hit, and many callers regaled the city of Los Angeles with tales of harmless debauchery. But on June 13, 1990, the show took a dark turn.

An anonymous man called in and went into great detail about the savage beating he had given his girlfriend after he caught her with another man. The caller even said that he may have beaten his girlfriend to death. “I don’t know if she made it through, actually,” he added. When hosts Kevin Ryder and Gene “Bean” Baxter asked the caller for more details, he hung up.

The call triggered a media frenzy, especially once it was revealed that just two months before the call, a local 19-year-old named Angela Cummings had been found shot to death in her boyfriend’s apartment. Police believed that there may have been a connection between the call into the morning show and the Cummings murder. And that’s why the “KROQ Confession” case appeared on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries on October 10, 1990.

Many viewers — including Cummings’ grieving family members — believed that finding the caller would be key to cracking the case. Unfortunately, while Unsolved Mysteries helped solve one part of this chilling crime, it didn’t have a happy ending — or a full explanation of Cummings’ murder.

KROQRyder, Baxter, and the man who phoned in the murder “confession” were all found to have been behind a hoax.

After a nine-month investigation by the LAPD that yielded no results, KROQ-FM intern Dan Feliz revealed that the “confession” was all a hoax perpetrated by DJ Doug Roberts — who had been the “murderer” who called into the show — and that hosts Ryder and Baxter were both in on the ruse.

According to the Greensboro News & Record, the radio show hosts apologized for the hoax, but they were ultimately suspended, sentenced to community service, and forced to pay more than $12,000 in fines.

Despite this fiasco, Ryder and Baxter remained co-hosts of the KROQ-FM morning show until 2019, according to Variety. Then, Baxter resigned from the show and moved to England. Four months later, Ryder was fired alongside his remaining colleagues shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

And tragically, to this day, Angela Cummings’ murder remains unsolved.

The post Baby-Snatching, Amnesia, And Murder: Inside 11 Baffling Cases That <em>Unsolved Mysteries</em> Helped Solve appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Images Press/Getty ImagesDisco Sally became an icon in the late 1970s for her legendary dancing at Studio 54.

In the late 1970s, Studio 54 was the heart of the New York City social scene. It was the stomping grounds of Andy Warhol, Elton John, Bianca Jagger, Michael Jackson — and a 77-year-old woman known as Disco Sally.

After visiting Studio 54 for the first time in 1977, Disco Sally — whose real name was Sally Lippman — was hooked. With her sneakers, sunglasses, and bright patterns, Disco Sally soon became a fixture in the New York City club scene, where she partied alongside club-goers far younger than herself.

In the 1980s, Disco Sally died alongside disco itself — but not before leaving her mark on the wild history of Studio 54.

The Rise Of Disco And The History Of Studio 54

The disco era of the 1970s came from a period of political upheaval and instability. Following the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, many Americans flocked to discos, inclusive spaces where people could dance, do drugs, and forget the world for a while.

By 1979, the subculture exploded into the mainstream, with 15,000 discotheques across the country generating $4 billion every single year. But the most famous disco club in the world was Studio 54. Opened in the New York City neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen in 1977, the nightclub was a celebrity hotspot known for its celebration of sex, drugs, and flamboyant fashion.

Its founders, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, wanted Studio 54 to be a legendary disco for a legendary city. And it was. After a photo of Bianca Jagger on a horse in Studio 54 came out, the club’s popularity skyrocketed. On an average night, the venue soon was hosting up to 2,000 people, including Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, David Bowie, and Andy Warhol.

New York Daily News ArchivesA wild night at Studio 54.

Before long, one of Studio 54’s most iconic club-goers was not a movie star, singer, or famous artist, but a 77-year-old woman known as Disco Sally.

How Sally Lippman Became The Iconic Studio 54 Regular ‘Disco Sally’

For decades, Sally Lippman had lead a conventional life. Born on Oct. 19, 1900, Lippman had passed the New York State Bar exam in her 20s, and found work as a lawyer. She married a fellow attorney — a man who liked “good music” but not dancing — and stayed with him until his death in 1975.

Then, in September 1977, Lippman accepted an invitation to Studio 54. According to reporting from the Washington Post in 1978, she accepted an invitation “a young 25-year-old boy,” who told her: “You really must see it.”

“I stuffed my ears with cotton,” Lippman recounted, “and came.”

Wikimedia CommonsSally Lippman, a former lawyer and widow, first attended Studio 54 in 1978.

After her first visit to Studio 54, Lippman was hooked. “I gotta come every night,” she told the Washington Post. “It’s like a drug.”

Before long, Sally Lippman became known as “Disco Sally.” She was a favorite among the crowds that swarmed the club, and Dangerous Minds reports that famous actors like Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray waited all night for the chance to be her dance partner.

The Wild Nights Of ‘Disco Sally’

From 1977 on, Lippman spent most nights at Studio 54 (or other clubs, like Xenon). The New York Times reported in 1978 that she was often accompanied by her granddaughter, “a nurse who does kidney dialysis during the day.”

Find a GraveSoon known as “Disco Sally,” the 77-year-old spent most nights dancing in discos.

But once she got inside, Disco Sally didn’t look anything like a 77-year-old. Lippman wore club clothing, danced all night, and struck up a romance with 25-year-old John Touzos, whom she married in 1980.

In his memoir, Inside Studio 54, Mark Fleischman – who later took over the club — wrote that Lippman was a “sprightly thing in her late seventies who danced like a thirty-year-old, and was accompanied by a handsome young man named John on her arm. She was a retired Jewish lawyer who became a judge and suddenly went crazy due to the combination of cocaine and the Studio 54 Effect… she would dance nonstop — from midnight to 5:00 a.m. many nights a week, taking only bathroom and cocaine breaks.”

According to Vanity Fair, New York magazine also described Disco Sally at the time as “a tiny, 77-year-old lawyer… dressed in tight pants and high-top sneakers [who drew] an audience of adoring fans as she got down on the dance floor.”

BillBoggsTV/YouTubeDisco Sally married John Touzos, a man in his twenties who she met in the disco scene, in 1980.

But Disco Sally’s reign on the dance floor was ultimately short-lived. On May 26, 1982, she passed away at Mount Sinai Hospital at the age of 81.

In the end, her death would dovetail with the fall of disco itself.

The Fall Of Disco Into The 1980s

By the time Disco Sally died in 1982, disco itself was changing — and so was Studio 54.

Back in December 1978, federal agents had raided Studio 54 following a complaint from a former employee. The agents reportedly seized $600,000 in garbage bags that had been hidden in the building, as well as hundreds of Quaaludes and several ounces of cocaine. The club’s owners, Rubell and Schrager, were charged with tax evasion and ultimately sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in January 1980.

Getty Images/Charles RuppmannAfter a tip from a former employee, the IRS raided Studio 54 and charged Rubell (pictured here) with tax evasion.

In the aftermath, the club lost its liquor license, which led to an exodus of regular guests. And though various attempts to revitalize Studio 54 occurred, the club never quite returned to its heyday of the late 1970s.

In 1998, the property was bought by the Roundabout Theatre Company, which still owns the property to this day.

But though Studio 54 never regained its dazzling glamour of the 1970s, the memory of its wild nights lives on. So does the memory of Disco Sally, who happily spent her final years dancing under its roof.

Album/AlamyCrowds outside the iconic Studio 54 disco club in New York City in the 1970s.

“I’m having the time of my life,” she once remarked during an interview on the “Today Show.” “What’s the matter with dying on the dance floor?”

After reading about the life of Disco Sally, look through these iconic images that redefined the 1970s. Then, learn the history of the Copacabana, the legendary New York City nightclub run by the mob.

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Muzeum im. ks. Stanisława Staszica w Hrubieszowie/FacebookA man looking for car parts in a Polish scrapyard stumbled upon an ancient iron umbo, the central fitting of an ancient shield.

Włodzimierz Starykiewicz was in a scrapyard in Hrubieszów, Poland, looking for parts from old motorcycles and cars when he came across a corroded iron object that seemed out of place.

Although the iron piece could have been any ordinary scrap metal, Starykiewicz sent a photo to the local Stanisław Staszic Museum — and officials there confirmed that the artifact was an umbo, the central fitting of an ancient shield, that dates back to the second century C.E.

The Chance Discovery Of The Ancient Artifact

In ancient times, an umbo — also known as a shield boss — helped protect a warrior’s hand while also reinforcing the center of the shield. This particular umbo is shaped like a funnel. The shield it was once attached to was likely made from wood, so the iron center piece is all that remains after nearly 2,000 years.

Muzeum im. ks. Stanisława Staszica w Hrubieszowie/FacebookThe object was filled with soil and bits of crops, suggesting that it was once buried beneath farmland.

That’s why it’s so surprising that Starykiewicz didn’t simply toss the artifact to the side while searching for car parts in August 2026.

“I found something that no one would expect in a scrapyard, it’s not something that should have ended up there,” Starykiewicz commented on the Stanisław Staszic Museum’s social media post about the discovery. “I am happy that I managed to find and recognize this monument and that it ended up where it was supposed to be practically undamaged.”

The umbo wasn’t the only thing Starykiewicz uncovered, though. Inside its hollow center, there were remnants of soil and plant matter, indicating that the artifact had once been buried in farmland. And when museum director Bartłomiej Bartecki broke open the clod of dirt, he found burnt fragments of human bones.

Muzeum im. ks. Stanisława Staszica w Hrubieszowie/FacebookThe soil contained remains of burnt human bones, leading researchers to believe the shield was burned on a funeral pyre alongside its owner.

This, paired with the iron surface itself, clued experts in on what happened to the shield almost 2,000 years ago. The iron had seemingly been exposed to intense heat, suggesting that the shield was burned alongside a warrior as part of a funeral pyre ritual.

“The discovery clearly indicates a disturbed cremation burial of a warrior from the Vandal community,” said Bartecki, as reported by the Polish outlet Super Tydzień Chełmski. “Plant remains preserved in the ground suggest that the artifact was recently plowed from the top layer of the field and then unintentionally discarded for scrap. But thanks to Mr. Włodek’s intuition, it was saved.”

What This Find Reveals About Vandal Warriors

The Vandal culture Bartecki references was an ancient group of several Germanic peoples who lived across central and eastern Europe. The early Vandals are linked to the Przeworsk culture, which thrived in what’s now Poland from the third century B.C.E. to the fifth century C.E.

Stanisław Kontny/Kontny et al., Acta Archaeologica Carpathica (2019)The shield may have belonged to a warrior from the Przeworsk culture.

The discovery offers some rare insight into the funerary rituals of these cultures. A burial of this kind might have also included a sword, spearheads, buckles, or brooches. However, because archaeologists have no idea where the umbo was originally buried, they are currently unable to identify who it may have belonged to.

“We have a huge problem — we lack context,” said Bartecki. “The [umbo] was probably lying at the very top of the grave, caught by the plow. All the rest of the equipment is probably still buried deeper.”

The museum is now asking for help from the public: “[I]f, by some miracle, the person who — completely unknowingly — handed over an unfamiliar iron object for scrap were to see this post and recognize the artifact, we ask them to get in touch!”

If researchers can determine where the artifact was unearthed, they may be able to locate the grave and determine the exact age of the burial, whether the warrior was male or female, and more about the Przeworsk culture itself.

In the meantime, the iron umbo will undergo conservation as it waits to be placed in its broader archaeological context.

After reading about the second-century iron shield boss discovered in a Polish scrapyard, learn about how a berry picker found the remains of a World War II plane in a Polish forest. Then, take a look at this Bronze Age sword that was also discovered in Poland.

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Wikimedia CommonsHarry R. Truman became a folk hero after refusing to evacuate from his home despite warnings about Mount St. Helens.

As Mount St. Helens began to rumble in the spring of 1980, a local man named Harry R. Truman (no relation to the former president, Harry S. Truman) became an unlikely national celebrity.

The 83-year-old won over the hearts of the American people with his eccentric personality, 16 cats, and his stubborn refusal to evacuate from his home, despite the mounting warnings about the mountain nearby. Truman had lived in his lodge for more than 50 years, and he would not leave it.

But when the volcano erupted on May 18, 1980, it rained down destruction. Massive fir trees were twisted off their roots, waves of ash destroyed campsites, lodges, and bridges, and mountains of debris poured into lakes.

Truman — and his cats — were killed instantly.

Though his remains were never found, his memory lives on. This is the story of Harry R. Truman, the Mount St. Helens local who became a folk hero.

Harry R. Truman’s Early Life

Harry R. Truman was born in October 1896 in Ivydale, West Virginia to parents who worked as foresters. Truman purportedly wasn’t sure of his exact birth date, but he knew the month and the year. He also alleged that he was only given the letter “R” as his middle name.

His early years were fairly typical. After his family moved to Washington state in search of affordable land and more job opportunities in the timber industry, Truman attended high school and then enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in World War I. He was assigned to the 100th Aero Squadron, 7th Squad, and trained as an aeromechanic.

Truman was aboard the troopship Tuscania, en route to Europe, when the vessel was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland. Although many were killed, Truman was unharmed. He was honorably discharged when the war ended, and he made his way back to Washington state.

Public DomainThough more than 200 lost their lives during the sinking of the SS Tuscania, Harry R. Truman survived.

After trying — and failing — to make his fortune through prospecting and bootlegging, Truman moved to Chehalis and opened up a service station. Then, in the 1920s, Harry R. Truman leased a plot of near Spirit Lake, beneath the shadow of Mount St. Helens.

Truman’s Idyllic Life On Spirit Lake

For Harry R. Truman, life on Spirit Lake was paradise. He operated a gas station and a grocery store on his land, and ultimately opened the Mount St. Helens Lodge on Spirit Lake, which he operated for 52 years.

As Oregon Live reported in 2020, a woman walked into Truman’s lodge just shortly after he opened it. Her name was Edna, and it was love at first sight.

Wikimedia CommonsAfter World War I, Harry R. Truman moved to Spirit Lake near Mount St. Helens and set up his own gas station and grocery store.

The couple married and ran the lodge together until Edna’s death, just a few years before the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

“She was a beautiful woman, and everyone liked her and knew her as Eddie,” he remarked. “She had never had any heart problems, but all at once a big heart attack and she was gone. That broke me up real bad.”

After Edna died, Truman closed the lodge for business, only renting out a few boats and cabins during the summer months at peak tourist season. It was just enough, he remarked, “to keep the booze supply full.”

Indeed, everyone living around Spirit Lake knew Truman for his drinking, strong opinions, colorful personality, and 1957 pink Cadillac. And in 1980, the rest of the nation came to know Harry R. Truman as well.

How Harry R. Truman Became A Media Celebrity

On March 20, 1980, seismic activity was detected at Mount St. Helens for the first time in over a century. New craters opened up, which released menacing clouds of ash and steam. Fearful that the dormant volcano could erupt, officials evacuated the 15 mile radius surrounding the mountain.

But Harry R. Truman would not leave.

“I don’t have any idea whether it will blow,” he stated to The Lawrence Journal-World, “but I don’t believe it to the point that I’m going to pack up.”

KATU/YouTubeHarry R. Truman became a media celebrity for his stubborn refusal to evacuate.

Truman wasn’t alone in his feeling. In the weeks before the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the seismic activity quieted, and some officials discussed opening up the mountain before Memorial Day.

But Truman became a media darling because of his stubborn, eccentric personality. According to the Science History Institute Museum & Library, Truman ate scrambled cow brains for breakfast, owned 16 cats, and distilled his own whiskey in stills labeled “panther pee,” facts which made him famous across the country as journalists reported on Mount St. Helens.

Indeed, Truman’s caustic comments and stubborn refusal to evacuate from his lodge turned him into a folk hero. He appeared on major outlets like The New York Times, National Geographic, and the “Today Show,” and fans sent him art, letters, and even marriage proposals.

Amidst this, officials tried to convince the 83-year-old to evacuate. But Harry R. Truman stubbornly declined to leave his home of 50-plus years.

“If the mountain goes,” he famously said, “I’m going with it.”

The Eruption Of Mount St. Helens — And The Death Of Harry R. Truman

U.S. Geological SurveyThe boom from the eruption could be heard over 200 miles away.

Just after 8:30 a.m. on the morning of May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. The volcanic eruption was so loud that it was heard even 200 miles away, and it was so powerful that it caused the entire north side of the mountain to collapse. Not only that, but the eruption created such an intense heat wave that streams 45 miles away began to get hot — up to 90 degrees — causing salmon to leap out of the water and onto the banks.

Meanwhile, a 100-story-tall black cloud of ash came slamming down the mountain at 350 miles per hour, straight toward Harry R. Truman’s lodge. The heat was so intense that it snapped trees, filling Spirit Lake with their debris.

The destruction wiped out people’s homes and campgrounds, swept away bridges, and killed fifty-seven people — including Harry R. Truman.

Truman was alone with his 16 cats when Mount St. Helens erupted. His lodge were buried under 150 feet of volcanic debris, and scientists believe that he would have died in under a second from heat shock.

Wikimedia CommonsHarry R. Truman’s remains, likely buried under heaps of volcanic ash, were never recovered.

Today, Harry R. Truman is remembered through Truman Trail and Harry’s Ridge on Mount St. Helens. He remains a part of the mountain that he loved — just as his friends say he would have wanted.

In the aftermath of Harry R. Truman’s death, his friend John Garrity remarked, “The mountain and the lake were his life. If he’d left and then saw what the mountain did to his lake, it would have killed him anyway.”

After reading about Harry R. Truman, who refused to leave his home and died in the eruption of Mount St. Helens, discover the mystery of Mel’s Hole, an allegedly bottomless pit in Washington. Then, learn about the life of Dick Turpin, the English highwayman who became a folk legend.

The post The Life And Death Of Harry R. Truman, The 83-Year-Old Who Died At Mount St. Helens After Refusing To Evacuate appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Nordjyske MuseerA homeowner in Denmark found a Viking silver hoard containing roughly 700 objects weighing in at more than 40 pounds.

A homeowner in the North Jutland region of Denmark was preparing the ground in their private garden for a new terrace when, after an hour of digging, they hit something that made a strange sound. What initially seemed like old iron or fence wire turned out to be pound after pound of silver, much of it stored inside a clay vessel.

This stunning find eventually totaled more than 40 pounds of Viking silver in the form of bars, coins, and jewelry, likely buried sometime during the 10th century. Not only is this the largest Viking silver hoard ever found in Denmark, researchers also say that these artifacts will shed precious light on the Viking economy that flourished in the region more than 1,000 years ago.

The Chance Discovery Of More Than 40 Pounds Of Viking Silver In A Danish Garden

The find, announced in a statement from Nordjyske Museer, included approximately 700 artifacts and fragments. According to the museum, this hoard is around three times heavier than the largest Viking silver trove that had ever been found in Denmark previously.

Nordjyske MuseerThe cache contained silver bars and fragments, jewelry, ingots, and 47 coins and coin fragments.

The cache contains several ingots and bracelets, fragments of cut silver, 47 coins and coin fragments, as well as a small figurine depicting Thor’s hammer.

One ingot stood out to researchers for its inscription: runes that may read “hutu.”

According to the museum, the inscription could be a name, a mark of ownership, or a different form of identification altogether. For now, the meaning behind these enigmatic runes remains unclear.

Researchers hope to find other comparable inscriptions so that they can compare this ingot with other similar relics from the Viking Age.

Nordjyske MuseerOne of the ingots was inscribed with runes that may read “hutu.”

Researchers also noted that the silver bars and cut pieces vastly outnumber the coins as a proportion of the hoard’s total weight.

Torben Sarauw, archaeologist and head of cultural heritage at Nordjyske Museer, said in the statement that these bars seem to be part of a deliberate system of value based on weight, where the objects are clustered together by weight group.

“When we analyze the weight of the silver objects, the treasure reveals information about the economic practices of the Viking Age,” Sarauw said.

Indeed, this find may have much to reveal about the Viking economy some ten centuries ago.

What This Hoard Reveals About The Viking Economy In The 10th Century

Nordjyske MuseerArchaeologists said the silver was grouped together in the hoard based on weight.

Perhaps more than anything else, this hoard offers a window into how the Viking currency system operated based on the weight of silver. According to the museum, jewelry and coins were often cut apart, melted, and recast into specific forms based on weight, with each weight tied to a certain value.

Furthermore, the coins found in this newly-unearthed cache are giving researchers insight into the vast system of Viking trade during the 10th century.

The treasure contained both Arab silver dirhams and Anglo-Saxon coins, pointing to a complex and far-reaching economic network in which the Vikings took part.

“The coins reveal that there were connections to the Islamic world in the east and England to the west, as well as a Viking Age where people, goods and values ​​moved over enormous distances,” Sarauw said.

Nordjyske MuseerThe cache contained Arab and Anglo-Saxon coins, illustrating the fact that the Vikings participated in widespread trade networks during the 10th century.

Dirhams made their way to Denmark through various trade routes, and, upon arrival, many of the coins were cut into smaller pieces and valued based on their silver content.

The latest-issued coin found in the cache was minted in York, England between 921 and 925 C.E., when the city was under Viking control. This is also helpful to researchers in dating the hoard, which they believe was buried and left undisturbed sometime in the 10th century.

The coins also indicate that the owner was somehow connected to this trade, but not much else is known about the Viking who buried these goods roughly 1,000 years ago.

The discovery was made in a modern, highly-developed area, thus archaeologists cannot undertake a full-fledged excavation near the find — which will likely leave more questions than not unanswered for now.

After reading about the largest Viking silver hoard ever found in Denmark, learn about the largest Viking coin hoard ever found in Norway. Then, see the buried trove of coins that someone stashed away in medieval Russia.

The post ‘The Biggest Surprise Of My Life’: A Homeowner Renovating Their Garden Just Found Denmark’s Largest-Known Hoard Of Viking Silver appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Yeva Mishalova/InstagramIgor Komarov and his girlfriend, Yeva Mishalova, were in Bali when Komarov was kidnapped and killed.

On Feb. 15, 2026, Ukrainian tourist Igor Komarov’s dream vacation turned into a terrible nightmare when the 28-year-old was abducted while riding a motorcycle through Jimbaran, Bali.

Komarov was in the country with his girlfriend, Yeva Mishalova, and their friend Alexander “Yermak” Petrovsky. He and Petrovsky were riding motorbikes with a tour guide when a group of men in cars surrounded them.

The attackers forced Komarov away from the area while Petrovsky escaped and alerted police. And what began as a kidnapping investigation soon became an international case involving a $10 million ransom demand, a graphic, disturbing video, and a desperate search that ended in tragedy.

Who Was Igor Komarov?

Igor Komarov was the son of Oleksandr “Narik” Petrovsky, a powerful Ukrainian businessman with alleged ties to organized crime. Komarov was in Bali with his girlfriend, Yeva Mishalova, and friend, Alexander “Yermak” Petrovsky.

yeva_mishalova/InstagramTwenty-eight-year-old Igor Komarov and his influencer girlfriend, Yeva Mishalova, before he was kidnapped.

Mishalova, a social media influencer with more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, regularly shared photos and videos from their travels. During their Bali vacation, she posted moments from their trip, including images from around the island.

After Komarov vanished, investigators examined whether those posts may have revealed information about the couple’s location. Some reports suggested the attackers may have used Instagram posts or location tags to find Komarov, though authorities have not confirmed this.

But somehow, the kidnappers tracked Igor Komarov down.

The Kidnapping Of Igor Komarov In Bali

On Feb. 15, 2026, Komarov and his friend Petrovsky were traveling through Jimbaran with a tour guide when the kidnappers suddenly ambushed them. Though they took Komarov, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Petrovsky was let go after he was able to quickly pay off the kidnappers.

Petrovsky was then able to provide police with important details about the attack. But just as the authorities began their investigation, a disturbing video surfaced online.

XA screenshot from a video that showed Igor Komarov pleading with his family to pay a ransom.

On Feb. 21, four days after Komarov disappeared, a video of the kidnapped tourist appeared on the Internet. He was alive but seemingly badly injured, with visible bruising and swelling on his face. He claimed his captors had tortured him and warned that he needed medical attention.

According to NDTV, the video appeared to show him pleading with his parents to pay a $10 million ransom. Komarov also described his severe injuries and begged his family to negotiate with his captors.

“Mummy, Daddy, I beg you, help me please, you stole those ten million, which they ask for, return these ten million please,” Komarov stated in the rambling, three-minute video. Raising his left hand, which appeared to be nothing more than a bloody stump, he added: “[T]hey already chopped off some of my limbs, I have broken legs [and they] punched [my] rib cage. I’m already on meds, I already have no limbs… I’m dying… please help me.”

He continued: “Bring me home, what[ever] is left of me at the moment, please settle with these people, they need ten million dollars, which we stole. As soon as these ten million are received in their accounts, they will immediately let me go to the place where they took me. I beg you, please.”

The video gave authorities their first indication that Komarov might still be alive. But it also raised new questions about who was behind the kidnapping — and whether investigators could find Komarov before it was too late.

The Discovery Of Igor Komarov’s Remains

As police searched for Igor Komarov, they were able to follow a trail of evidence that led them to a villa in Tabanan. CCTV footage showed a Toyota Avanza and two motorcycles leaving the area where Komarov was abducted. After tracing the car, a rental vehicle, authorities connected it to the property.

Inside the villa, police discovered Komarov’s bag and phone, along with blood evidence. But though it appeared that investigators were closing in on Komarov’s kidnappers, the case took a terrible turn on February 27. That day, human remains were discovered near the mouth of the Wos River in Bali’s Gianyar district, about 19 miles from the villa in Tabanan.

The remains included a severed head, a right leg, portions of the upper chest, thighs, and internal organs. Authorities said the victim had likely died several days before the discovery.

Indonesian PoliceShortly after Igor Komarov was abducted, his dismembered remains were found.

Though the authorities held off on confirming that the remains belonged to the missing tourist, tattoos on some of the recovered body parts partially matched Komarov’s. Indeed, as the New York Post reported, forensic testing soon confirmed that the remains were Komarov’s.

The confirmation transformed the investigation from a kidnapping case into a murder investigation. For Igor Komarov’s family, the results also ended weeks of terrible uncertainty — but left behind painful questions about who had targeted the 28-year-old and why.

The Suspects Behind The Kidnapping Plot

As investigators continued examining Komarov’s death, they identified several people they believed were connected to the kidnapping of Igor Komarov.

Police first arrested a foreign national identified only as CH. Authorities said CH used a false passport while renting vehicles linked to the investigation.

Wikimedia CommonsJimbaran Beach in Bali, where Igor Komarov was abducted while traveling by motorcycle.

CH reportedly told police that he did not know the vehicle would be used in a crime. He also claimed that others paid him approximately six million Indonesian rupiah to arrange the rental.

According to the Indonesian National Police, Bali authorities later identified six foreign nationals as suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Komarov. They were named as: RM, BK, AS, VN, SM, and DH. (Indonesian authorities typically withhold suspects’ full names until formal charges are filed.)

Some of the suspects are believed to have fled Bali; others are believed to be keeping a low profile somewhere in Indonesia. They’ve been placed on the country’s wanted list as well as Interpol’s “Red Notice.”

But, as of publication, none of the suspects have been arrested.

The Unanswered Questions In Igor Komarov’s Murder

The investigation into Igor Komarov’s death revealed a disturbing chain of events: an ambush in Bali, a $10 million ransom demand, a hidden villa, and an international search for suspects. But even after investigators identified Komarov’s remains and gathered evidence connecting multiple people to the case, many details remained unclear.

Who were the killers? Why did they target Komarov? How were they able to track him down? Sadly, many of these questions remain unanswered.

What is clear is that, for Igor Komarov, a Bali vacation became a violent nightmare. Brutally tortured, killed, and dismembered, his murder shocked the world. And it left his loved ones reeling.

East 2 West NewsIgor Komarov and Yeva Mishalova documented their relationship online, sharing glimpses of their life together and travels around the world.

After authorities confirmed Komarov’s death, his girlfriend Yeva Mishalova shared a tribute to him. In an Instagram post, she wrote:

“I know for sure you’ll see this. My life. I love you.”

After reading about the kidnapping and death of Igor Komarov, explore the story of John Paul Getty III’s brutal kidnapping, a ransom case that shocked the world. Then, discover other mysterious disappearances that continue to leave unanswered questions.

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Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of SciencesA team of archaeologists discovered a hoard of more than 2,600 silver coins from the Middle Ages in the historic Russian city of Kolomna.

Archaeologists in western Russia recently discovered a hoard of more than 2,600 silver coins that date back to the first half of the 15th century.

Found in the historic city of Kolomna, this enormous cache was likely buried for safekeeping by someone of great means during a plague that swept the region. Researchers hope that this discovery will shed light on the history of late medieval Russia, especially during the bubonic plague epidemics of the early 15th century.

The Discovery Of A Silver Coin Hoard From The Middle Ages In Western Russia

The discovery was announced in August 2026 via a statement from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In an excavation led by A. V. Engovatova, the hoard of coins was found inside a small ceramic jug that was buried in a shallow pit in the historic center of Kolomna. Located about 70 miles southeast of Moscow, Kolomna was, in medieval times, one of the most important cities in the region.

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of SciencesMost of the coins were of the denga variety, which were first minted in the late 14th century.

Researchers said that this is the largest hoard of coins from the first half of the 15th century that’s ever been found in Russia. The eventual tally came up to more than 2,600 silver coins, most of which were of a specific type called a denga.

These dengi were first minted in the late 1300s by the Grand Principality of Moscow. At the time, one denga was equal to half of a kopek, and 100 kopeks made a ruble.

The dengi found at Kolomna would have been worth about 13 rubles, enough to buy two houses or a herd of horses — meaning that the coins’ owner was a person of considerable means.

Wikimedia CommonsMany of the coins were minted during the reign of Grand Prince Vasily I Dmitrievich, who reigned from 1389 to 1425.

Most of the newly-discovered coins were issued during the reigns of Grand Prince Vasily I Dmitrievich, who ruled from 1389 to 1425, and his son Vasily II Vasilyevich, known as Vasily the Dark, who ruled from 1425 to 1462.

The hoard also consisted of an extremely rare type of denga that depicts a bird in flight. Researchers said that these coins were issued in the closing years of Vasily I’s reign. The team also identified around 350 coin varieties minted directly in medieval Kolomna that were previously unknown to the team.

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of SciencesThe hoard featured exceptionally rare coins that depicted birds in flight.

Researchers now hope to call upon coin experts to analyze these unknown varieties and piece together the sequence of local coin minting that was carried out in Kolomna over the course of the early 15th century.

What The Kolomna Coin Hoard Reveals About Early 15th-Century Russia

The sheer size of this buried coin hoard suggests to researchers that its medieval owner was a wealthy member of local society. By the standards of the period, this quantity of silver amounts to a sizable fortune. Thus, the cache might have belonged to a nobleman, local administrator, or a successful merchant.

Researchers found that the latest-minted coins from this hoard were issued by Vasily II in the late 1420s, which gives the team a rough timeframe as to when the coins were hidden. The team believes that the coins were buried at the end of that decade, and never found again until now.

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of SciencesThese 2,600 coins would have been able to purchase two houses or a herd of horses, meaning that this person had considerable wealth and may have been a high-ranking government official or successful merchant.

Between 1425 and 1427, devastating plague epidemics tore though medieval Russian cities, which coincides with the timing of when the coins might have been hidden. It is possible that the wealthy owner of the hoard was never able to retrieve the coins after dying from one of the plague outbreaks.

Although the owner of the hoard remains a mystery, this discovery is a crucial step forward in understanding the early 15th-century economies of important Russian cities near Moscow.

After reading about the hoard of 2,600 medieval coins found near Moscow, discover how construction workers found $10 million in gold coins while renovating a 19th-century house. Then, learn about the engraved boar tusk found in Russia that might have been a medieval good luck charm.

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Public DomainManfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, circa 1917.

In 1912, a young German man named Manfred von Richthofen enlisted in the Prussian Army. Five years later, he became one of the most legendary pilots of World War I, earning the nickname the “Red Baron.”

Within just 19 months, von Richthofen shot down 80 enemy aircraft, making him the top flying ace of the war. His bright red Fokker triplane became an icon in the skies above Europe — but it also made him a target.

He was wounded in combat in July 1917, suffering a severe head injury that left him struggling with headaches and nausea. But he was determined to return to the skies, so after a short convalescent leave, he returned to action.

Then, on April 21, 1918, von Richthofen was shot down over France. By the time witnesses arrived at the scene of the crash, the Red Baron was dead.

Manfred Von Richthofen’s Life On The Ground

The man who would become the Red Baron was born into an affluent Prussian family of nobles in Breslau — a city in the German Empire that’s now part of Poland — in 1892. His father was in the Prussian Army, so both Manfred and his younger brother, Lothar, followed him into military service.

German Federal ArchivesManfred von Richthofen with members of his Jasta 11 unit. The Red Baron is in the plane’s cockpit, and his brother Lothar is sitting in front of the group.

Von Richthofen began attending military school when he was 11, and by 1912, he was a member of the Prussian Army himself. He was initially part of the cavalry, and when World War I broke out in 1914, he served in several reconnaissance missions in Russia, France, and Belgium. But trench warfare soon made the cavalry obsolete.

Bored with his new assignments — operating field telephones and working with the supply branch — Manfred von Richthofen applied for a transfer to the Imperial German Army Air Service. He reportedly wrote that he didn’t join the military “to collect cheese and eggs.”

His request was granted. By June 1915, he was riding along on reconnaissance missions, and by October, the future Red Baron had started training as a pilot himself.

Becoming The Red Baron

Manfred von Richthofen shot down his first confirmed enemy plane on Sept. 17, 1916. He placed a stone on the Englishman’s grave — and then ordered a silver cup engraved with the date of the kill and the type of plane he’d destroyed.

Imperial War MuseumsManfred von Richthofen landing his triplane.

He spent the rest of the year perfecting his technique. Von Richthofen tried to use the Sun to his advantage, keeping it behind him whenever possible to conceal his plane from the aircraft he was pursuing. By New Year’s Eve, he’d shot down 15 more enemies.

In January 1917, he was awarded the Pour le Mérite, or the Blue Max, Germany’s highest military honor at the time. He was also assigned to command the fighter squadron Jasta 11. It was at this point that von Richthofen first painted his plane bright red — and became known as the Red Baron.

According to Peter Kilduff’s biography Red Baron: The Life and Death of an Ace, von Richthofen’s mother once asked him why he risked his life as a fighter pilot. He reportedly responded, “For the man in the trenches. I want to ease his hard lot in life by keeping the enemy flyers away from him.”

Public DomainThe Red Baron’s distinctive Fokker triplane.

The following months were among the deadliest in the Red Baron’s career. In April 1917 alone, he shot down 22 planes, including four in a single day. He was promoted once more, this time to lead a larger fighter wing called Jagdgeschwader 1. Many of von Richthofen’s men started painting their planes in bright colors, too, and the unit became known as the “Flying Circus.”

As von Richthofen wrote in his 1917 autobiography:

“I would say that all the machines of the squadron had been painted red because our English friends had by-and-by perceived I was sitting in a blood-red band-box. Suddenly there were quite a lot of red machines and the English opened their eyes wide when one fine day they saw a dozen red barges steaming along instead of a single one. Our new trick did not prevent them from making an attempt at attacking us. I preferred their new tactics. It is better that one’s customers come to one’s shop than to have to look for them abroad.”

On July 2, 1917, von Richthofen secured his 57th confirmed victory. Four days later, the Red Baron’s reign nearly came to a violent end.

The Head Injury That Changed The Flying Ace’s Life

While flying above Belgium on July 6, the Red Baron was wounded in the head during combat. He was temporarily blinded, but he managed to land his plane in a nearby field. He needed several operations, but he returned to the skies against his doctor’s orders less than three weeks later.

Public DomainManfred von Richthofen on a German picture postcard, circa 1917.

He started experiencing nausea and headaches while flying, and his behavior seemingly changed, too. He eventually took convalescent leave from September to October 1917. He was as deadly as ever upon his return, though, shooting down 19 more enemies between November 1917 and April 1918.

Then, on April 21, 1918, the Red Baron took off on what would be his final mission. While flying near the Somme River in France, he witnessed a Canadian plane piloted by Wilfrid May fire at his cousin, Wolfram von Richthofen. The Red Baron intervened, chasing May away from Wolfram and pursuing him through the skies.

Later scholars argued that this target fixation may have been a sign of brain damage from his head injury. During the pursuit, the Red Baron took risks that were unusual for him, such as flying low in enemy territory. This apparent lack of judgment turned out to be fatal.

The Death Of The Red Baron

While pursuing May, Manfred von Richthofen was shot in the chest. The Royal Air Force initially credited Captain Roy Brown, but historians now believe that an Australian anti-aircraft gun on the ground below fired the bullet.

The Red Baron’s iconic red Fokker triplane went down near the French village of Vaux-sur-Somme. By the time witnesses arrived at the site of the crash, the Red Baron was dead. He was 25 years old.

Public DomainThe remains of the Red Baron’s Fokker triplane after it was shot down in April 1918.

His famous plane was picked apart by people who wanted souvenirs, and the Australian squadron that found his body ordered a full military funeral. He was buried in the village of Bertangles, France, the following day, though his body was ultimately moved to a family plot in Germany.

In the end, the Red Baron shot down 80 enemies between September 1916 and April 1918, making him the greatest flying ace of World War I — and one of the greatest of all time. His record stood until World War II, when fellow German fighter pilot Erich Hartmann surpassed his tally, securing more than 350 aerial victories.

Still, the Red Baron was a legend. His career inspired books, movies, songs, and even comic strips. And his bright red Fokker triplane remains an icon of World War I.

After reading about the life and death of the Red Baron, learn about Eddie Rickenbacker, America’s greatest flying ace during World War I. Then, go inside the incredible story of World War II ace Richard Bong.

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Frank Jäger/Wikimedia CommonsThe Alaska Airlines MD-83 involved in Flight 261, photographed in 1992.

On Jan. 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was flying over the Pacific Ocean when the pilots noticed something wrong.

At first, the problem appeared to be a mechanical issue — one the experienced crew believed they could handle. After all, Captain Ted Thompson and First Officer William “Bill” Tansky were both experienced pilots with thousands of hours of flying experience.

But what began as a routine flight would soon become a fight for survival.

As things grew more dire, Thompson and Tansky searched for a safe way to land the plane. In their final attempt to regain control, the pilots even managed to briefly stabilize the aircraft while it was flying upside down.

Sadly, this wasn’t enough.

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, killing all 88 people on board. Investigators later discovered that the disaster was not caused by a sudden failure, but by a small aircraft component that had worn away because of extended maintenance checks.

A Routine Flight From Mexico To Seattle

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was a scheduled international passenger flight traveling from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Seattle, Washington, with a stop in San Francisco. On Jan. 31, 2000, the plane took off from Puerto Vallarta’s Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport at 1:37 p.m. PST.

Duncan Stewart/Wikimedia CommonsAlaska Airlines Flight 261 photographed in October 1999, a few months before its catastrophic crash.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, which had joined Alaska Airlines’ fleet in 1992 and had logged more than 26,500 flight hours, carried 83 passengers and five crew members. Some were returning home after vacations in Mexico, while others were traveling for work or visiting loved ones.

Meanwhile, two highly experienced pilots were at the controls. Captain Ted Thompson, 53, had nearly 18,000 hours of flight experience; First Officer William “Bill” Tansky, 57, had logged more than 8,000 flight hours.

Both men had handled difficult situations before. But neither could have known that Alaska Airlines Flight 261 would become one of the most harrowing disasters in commercial aviation history.

What Happened To Alaska Airlines Flight 261?

About two hours into the flight, the pilots noticed a problem with the aircraft’s horizontal stabilizer trim system. The system was critical because it helps control the plane’s pitch and keeps the aircraft stable.

At first, the issue appeared manageable. But as the system continued to malfunction, Captain Thompson and First Officer Tansky had to use increasing force to keep the aircraft stable.

Find a GraveCaptain Ted Thompson, 53, fought to save Flight 261 until the very end. He was posthumously awarded the Air Line Pilots Association Gold Medal for Heroism.

Thompson contacted Alaska Airlines dispatch while the flight crew worked through possible solutions. They discussed whether to continue toward San Francisco or divert to Los Angeles for an emergency landing. Although San Francisco was initially considered, Thompson and Tansky ultimately decided Los Angeles was the safer option.

Then, the jammed horizontal stabilizer came loose — and the plane suddenly went into a nosedive. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft dropped from 31,050 feet to 24,000 feet in just over a minute before the flight crew was able to stabilize the plane.

“Holy [expletive],” Thompson said, according to the cockpit recording.

“Whatever we did is no good,” Tansky said. “Don’t do that again.”

“Yeah,” Thompson replied. “It went full nose down.”

As the crew prepared for an emergency landing in Los Angeles, the captain also requested permission to remain over the Pacific Ocean. In case something went wrong, he hoped to avoid putting people on the ground at risk if they lost control of the aircraft.

The Pilots’ Final Attempt To Save Flight 261

After regaining control of the aircraft, Thompson and Tansky continued communicating with air traffic controllers, and prepared for an emergency landing in Los Angeles.

However, even as these preparations were made, the cockpit recorded picked up “an extremely loud noise” — and the plane pitched downward once again. The aircraft became inverted as Thompson and Tansky struggled to regain control of the aircraft.

Find a GraveFirst Officer William “Bill” Tansky, 57, worked alongside Captain Ted Thompson in a desperate attempt to regain control of Flight 261 before it crashed into the Pacific Ocean.

Despite the dire circumstances, the cockpit voice recorder captured the pilots’ calm in the face of disaster. They worked together as they battled a mechanical failure that was becoming impossible to overcome.

“Push and roll,” Thompson stated. “Okay, we are inverted… gotta get it over again. At least upside down we’re flying.”

But by then, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was beyond saving. At approximately 4:21 p.m., the aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean between Anacapa Island and the California coast.

All 88 passengers and crew members were killed.

What Caused Alaska Airlines Flight 261 To Crash?

The crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 left a debris field of 15 square miles across the ocean. Investigators recovered pieces of the aircraft, passenger belongings, both flight recorders, and some human bodies, though most of the victims’ remains had been destroyed in the violence of the crash.

Public DomainUS Navy personnel recovering a piece of the aircraft’s wreckage.

As investigators tried to figure out why the plane had gone down, they focused on one critical part of the aircraft: the horizontal stabilizer trim system. Inside that system was a jackscrew, which is held in place by an Acme nut. These parts move together to maintain a plane’s speed and altitude.

But when investigators examined the horizontal stabilizer, they discovered a devastating failure.

The jackscrew and the Acme nut had worn out so much that they’d broken apart, and the parts were almost entirely free of grease. By the time Flight 261 took off, approximately 90 percent of the Acme nut’s threads had already worn away. Indeed, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that inadequate lubrication and inspection failures caused the damage.

NTSB/Public DomainThe jackscrew assembly that played a central role in the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. Its failure left the pilots fighting to control the aircraft.

The NTSB found that Alaska Airlines had extended the amount of time in between lubrication maintenance of the horizontal stabilizer system, which had caused extreme wear. The FAA had also approved this extension. This caused the pieces inside the horizontal stabilizer system to catastrophically deteriorate until they could no longer function.

The Lasting Legacy Of Alaska Airlines Flight 261

In the days after the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, families were left grieving the loss of parents, spouses, children, friends, and coworkers. The passengers and crew of the doomed plane came from all walks of life, and many had a connection to Alaska Airlines, including employees, family members, and friends traveling on employee passes.

But the tragedy — one of the deadliest in Alaska Airlines’ history — also led to changes designed to prevent another aircraft from suffering the same fate.

Following the investigation, airlines increased the frequency of inspections of jackscrew assemblies and other critical flight-control systems. The Federal Aviation Administration also strengthened oversight of airline maintenance programs to help identify potential failures before they became disasters.

Wikimedia CommonsA memorial near Port Hueneme, California, remembers the 88 victims of Alaska Airlines Flight 261.

Meanwhile, Captain Thompson and First Officer Tansky were also both posthumously awarded the Air Line Pilots Association’s Gold Medal for Heroism for their actions during the final moments of the flight.

Even as Alaska Airlines Flight 261 became nearly impossible to control, the two pilots never stopped fighting. They used every bit of their training and experience to try and land the aircraft safely. Though they could not save the plane in the end, their courage in those final moments ensured that they would be remembered not only as victims of the tragedy, but as heroes who never stopped trying to save the lives entrusted to them.

After learning about Alaska Airlines Flight 261, read about the story of the infamous 1972 Andes plane crash, when survivors had to turn to cannibalism to survive. Then, learn about the worst plane crashes in history.

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesAlthough Dolly Parton’s music is timeless, she’ll also be remembered for her great acts of philanthropy.

When Dolly Parton passed away from cancer at the age of 80 on August 25, 2026, people across the globe world mourned her loss.

For decades, Parton graced the world with her powerful vocals, blonde wigs, dazzling outfits, and relatable wit. Her songs — including “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” and “I Will Always Love You” — were beloved across generations and remained timeless into the 21st century.

Parton’s theme park in Tennessee, Dollywood, has also entertained the masses for years. But beyond her musical contributions to the world, Parton was also a philanthropist. She donated millions of dollars to causes ranging from disaster relief to children’s literacy and medicine.

In 2022, Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for her good deeds. “I just give from my heart,” she said in her acceptance speech, as reported by the Associated Press at the time. “I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

One of Parton’s most personal acts of philanthropy was her Imagination Library, founded in 1995. The program, launched by Parton’s Dollywood Foundation, began by sending one free book per month to each child in Sevier County, Tennessee, from birth until the age of five.

The program was founded in dedication to Parton’s father, who never learned how to read.

Christine Butler/Carnegie Medal of PhilanthropyParton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022.

In the following years, the program expanded globally, launching in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Since 1995, more than 300 million books have been sent to children across the globe.

Dolly Parton consistently emphasized the importance of children’s literacy, but she also noted that the books allowed children to receive gifts each month.

“It’s the fact they get recognized,” Parton once said. “They get this little book with their little name on it in the mail, and they feel special. They start taking pride in themselves, and they know that somebody out there is thinking of [them].”

Other Contributions To Education

Through the Dollywood Foundation, which launched in 1988, Parton also started the Buddy Program with the goal of decreasing high school dropout rates. In the early 1990s, every seventh and eighth grade student was told to select a buddy. If both of them graduated from high school, Parton would give them $500 each. The initiative was so successful that the dropout rate declined from 35 percent to a mere 6 percent among the two classes, per the Dollywood Foundation.

Ron Davis/Getty ImagesIn 2022, Dollywood announced it would cover all tuition and fees for employees who wish to further their education.

In 1989, Parton also offered a $500 scholarship to every high school student in the county who wanted to attend the local Hiwassee College. Then, in 2000, a $15,000 college scholarship was established in Parton’s name by her foundation and awarded to five graduating seniors each year.

Parton’s philanthropy expanded beyond students in her hometown when, in 2022, the Dollywood theme park announced that the company would cover all tuition, fees, and textbook costs for any employee who wished to further their education.

Of course, Dolly Parton’s charitable acts weren’t limited to education.

Dolly Parton’s Impact On Medical Research

In addition to children’s literacy, Parton was passionate about contributing to advancements in health and medicine.

While many other public figures stayed away from philanthropy related to the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, Parton raised funds for HIV/AIDS research by giving her song “You Gotta Be My Baby” to a 1994 charity album.

Alan Light/Wikimedia CommonsAlthough Parton had no children of her own, she donated millions of dollars to education and research in pediatric medicine.

Parton also donated $1 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2017 in honor of her niece, who was treated there for leukemia, and made another $1 million donation to the center five years later for the advancement of pediatric infectious disease research.

And after a large donation to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, the center announced in March 2026 that it would be renamed as the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parton was an active public health advocate, donating yet another $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt, which helped fund the development of the Moderna vaccine.

Disaster Relief In Sevier County

Beyond contributing to medical research, Parton funded efforts that provided relief to families struggling after natural disasters.

After devastating wildfires tore through Tennessee in 2016, Parton launched the My People Fund, which gave $1,000 per month to all families whose homes were completely destroyed by fire. The fund donated a total of $8.9 million to those in need, helping with payments for rent, utilities, and food.

Bill McMannis/Wikimedia CommonsAfter Hurricane Helene devastated the southeastern states in 2024, Parton gave a total of $2 million for relief funds.

And when a flood devastated homes in Tennessee in 2021, Parton raised $700,000 to help those impacted by the disaster.

Most recently, in 2024, Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeastern states, causing billions of dollars in damage and taking the lives of hundreds of victims. In response, Parton donated $1 million of her personal funds to the Mountain Ways Foundation, as well as an additional $1 million from her businesses and foundation.

And these are just a small sample of Parton’s good deeds. Some of her acts were only known to the public years later — like when Parton revealed in 2021 that she’d invested some of the royalties she earned from Whitney Houston’s cover of her song “I Will Always Love You” into a commercial complex in a Black neighborhood in Nashville.

It’s no accident that some of Parton’s philanthropy remains unknown. She emphasized that she never did it for attention.

“That’s what we should do as human beings,” Parton said in 2022. “I never quite understood why we have to let religion and politics and things like that stand in the way of just being good human beings. I think it’s important from that standpoint just to feel like you’re doing your part, doing something decent and good and right.”

After reading about Dolly Parton’s philanthropy, dive into the life of June Carter Cash, the wife of Johnny Cash who won five Grammys of her own. Then, go inside 11 of the most tragic celebrity deaths in recent history.

The post Dolly Parton Was America’s Most Recognizable Country Star. Behind The Scenes, She Quietly Gave Tens Of Millions Of Dollars To Charity appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismMeasuring nearly 28 inches tall, this figure was found right where it was erected circa 9000 B.C.E., on a stone platform along the wall of an unknown circular structure that’s about 10 feet across.

Archaeologists excavating the prehistoric site of Karahan Tepe in southern Turkey just discovered a roughly 11,000-year-old statue of a human figure seated on the back of a leopard, presumably riding the snarling beast.

This stunning find now joins a remarkable collection of human and animal depictions that have been uncovered at this site, one of the oldest-known human settlements in the world.

The Discovery Of The Neolithic Leopard Statue At Turkey’s Karahan Tepe

The discovery of the sculpture, which was found during this year’s excavation season, was announced on August 25 by Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThis newly-found statue adds to the large collection of human and animal imagery that’s been found at the site.

The statue stands just over two feet tall. According to the announcement, the sculpture was found sitting on a bench or platform that ran along the wall of a circular ancient structure of unknown purpose that measured about ten feet in diameter and had a floor paved with flat stones.

Ersoy said in the statement that the sculpture was unique, but few details about it are known at this point. The object’s exact provenance and purpose will hopefully be revealed after further analysis.

But while most of the details about this particular artifact remain unknown, the place where it was found is one of the most well-studied prehistoric sites in the region.

Discovered in 1997, Karahan Tepe has long been one of Turkey’s most important and prolific archaeological sites. Established circa 9750 B.C.E. in what’s now the province of Şanlıurfa, Karahan Tepe is also one of the largest Neolithic sites in the region.

Excavations of the particular area where this statue was found began in 2019 — and these specific digs have proven to be especially fruitful.

Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismSome Neolithic scholars have proposed that leopards were symbols of guardianship or transformation.

Since 2019, archaeologists here have found several artifacts that depict interactions between humans and animals. In 2023, researchers found a roughly eight-foot statue of a man seated on a stone bench decorated with a leopard and vulture. More recently, archaeologists found a collection of small animal figurines at the site as well, including a fox, vulture, and wild boar.

This new sculpture of a man riding a leopard may now shed even more light on the meaning of animal symbolism for this Neolithic community.

The Prominence Of Leopard Imagery At This Prehistoric Site

The leopard in particular is certainly not a new symbol among the finds at Karahan Tepe.

Earlier excavations at Karahan Tepe have also found other sculptures that depict a kind of inverse of the recent find: a leopard riding a human on his back (or perhaps the leopard is a carcass that’s slung over the man’s back). According to the site’s excavation director Dr. Necmi Karul, three sculptures depicting that human-leopard relationship had been found at Karahan Tepe.

The fact that the newly-discovered statue depicts the opposite relationship may help researchers understand the meaning behind these sculptures for the hunter-gatherers living in this settlement thousands of years ago.

“Leopards were common feline predators in the region. They are vigorous, dangerous animals, so probably challenging game for skilled hunters. That might have added to their symbolic meaning,” Jens Notroff, a Neolithic archaeologist at the German Archaeological Institute who was not involved in the project, told Live Science.

Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThe statue was found at Karahan Tepe, a Neolithic site that dates back to 9750 B.C.E.

Excavation director Karul has previously identified leopards as the most common animal motif found at Karahan Tepe, where they appear in reliefs as well as sculptures.

Karul has said that Neolithic people understood themselves as being more of a part of the animal world than later human societies did. That partially explains the power dynamic that comes from the depiction of humans carrying leopards on their backs — humans were not necessarily the beings in that relationship that would do the “riding.”

Because there are no written texts from these Neolithic communities, however, researchers must base their interpretations off of the artifacts alone. Some researchers have proposed that leopards symbolize guardianship or transformation, but these hypotheses are necessarily speculative.

For now, the story that the carvers of this prehistoric statue intended to tell will remain largely shrouded in mystery.

After reading about the 11,000-year-old statue of a man riding a leopard that was found in Turkey, take a look at this Roman-era mosaic depicting a river god, also uncovered in Turkey. Then, dive into the story of Turkey’s most famous Neolithic ruins, Göbekli Tepe.

The post Archaeologists In Turkey Just Uncovered An 11,000-Year-Old Statue Of A Man Riding On The Back Of A Snarling Leopard appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Library of CongressA WPA poster from 1940 advertising low-income housing in Cleveland.

These posters functioned as public service announcements for New Deal initiatives, from health to housing. They also promoted things like workplace safety and education.

In addition, the posters encouraged people to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and visit local attractions in the midst of the Great Depression. These affordable pastimes provided citizens with a break from the financial struggles that millions of Americans were facing throughout the 1930s.

Roosevelt shut down the WPA in 1943, as the outbreak of World War II had virtually eliminated unemployment, but the thousands of WPA posters that were created through the agency provide a peek into what life in America was like nearly a century ago.

The Depression-Era Origins Of WPA Posters

On March 4, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the president of the United States — and inherited one of the worst economies in the country's history. Wall Street crashed nearly four years earlier, ushering in the Great Depression. Millions of Americans were struggling to put food on the table, and unemployment rates were hovering around 25 percent.

Roosevelt set out to solve this problem with his New Deal, which included a series of government programs and reforms that would ease the financial burden on Americans. After this emergency relief was in action, Roosevelt introduced the Second New Deal, which focused on long-term stability.

Dorothea Lange/New York Public LibraryA "Hooverville" shantytown in Bakersfield, California, during the Great Depression.

One of the first agencies to come out of the Second New Deal was the Works Progress Administration (which was later renamed the Work Projects Administration). In 1935, the U.S. government started paying unemployed laborers to build and improve public infrastructure, sew clothing for those in need, provide childcare, and teach adult literacy classes.

The WPA also launched Federal Project Number One, which hired artists, musicians, writers, and actors. This served both to keep artists employed and to boost morale among Americans who couldn't otherwise afford entertainment by providing free or low-cost concerts, art exhibits, theater productions, and more.

A year before the WPA was established, the Civil Works Administration of New York City had started a poster project to promote Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia's initiatives. The Federal Art Project soon absorbed this group and began creating WPA posters to distribute across the nation.

In an essay published in the 1973 book Art for the Millions, Richard Floethe — who had headed New York's poster division — wrote, "The aim of the WPA/FPA to preserve the skill of the unemployed artist not only accomplishes its purpose, but those returning to private industry do so with more knowledge in their profession and greater confidence in themselves."

These WPA posters didn't just help the artists who made them, though.

Public Health, Art Exhibits, And National Parks

Many of the earliest WPA posters advertised local events like concerts, plays, and art shows. They also encouraged residents to visit aquariums, zoos, planetariums, and other nearby attractions. The National Park Service ultimately released a series of posters promoting tourism to places like Yellowstone and Zion.

Library of CongressA WPA poster promoting Zion National Park.

The government then began using the posters as a way to educate the public about various New Deal initiatives. Some promoted employment opportunities, while others informed Americans about free classes available to them.

The WPA posters also promoted public health and safety. They alerted citizens about the dangers of syphilis and the treatment options available to those who contracted it. They encouraged people to report dog bites, keep their fire escapes clear, brush their teeth, breastfeed their babies, and exercise.

Between 1935 and 1943, the Federal Art Project printed at least two million posters from thousands of different designs. The straightforward messaging and imagery ushered in a new era of poster art. As Floethe later wrote, "[T]he government unwittingly launched a movement to improve the commercial poster and raise it to a true art form."

Library of CongressPosters like this one from the Chicago Board of Health informed Americans about diseases like syphilis and tuberculosis.

When the United States entered World War II in 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the unemployment rate dropped sharply. Young men left their jobs to fight in Europe or the Pacific, and the open positions were filled by men who were unable to enlist for various reasons — or by women. In addition, the opening of military production factories provided employment for countless Americans who needed jobs.

With no more need for WPA-funded jobs, Roosevelt shut down the agency in 1943, bringing an end to the era of WPA posters. But thousands of posters from the time have been preserved, providing a glimpse into the artwork that rallied Americans during a period of economic and social uncertainty.

After seeing these Depression-era WPA posters, look through 55 photos of New York City during the Great Depression. Then, learn about FDR's Second Bill of Rights.

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Ruth Coker BurksDuring the early years of the AIDS epidemic, Ruth Coker Burks cared for hundreds of dying people.

As the AIDS epidemic swept across the country, many people with AIDS were abandoned by their families and neglected by health care workers afraid of getting sick. But Ruth Coker Burks was an exception.

When she was 25 years old, she crossed paths with a young man dying of AIDS in Arkansas. The experience was so transformative that Burks spent the next decade carrying for people with AIDS, doing everything from helping pick up their medication, to personally burying the dead at a local cemetery.

“I knew that what I was doing was right, and I knew that I was doing what God asked me,” Ruth Coker Burks later remarked. “It wasn’t a voice from the sky. I knew deep in my soul.”

Ruth Coker Burks’ Chance Encounter With A Person With AIDS

Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1959, Ruth Coker Burks graduated from University of Arkansas at Little Rock, married, and had a child. By 1984, however, Burks was divorced and working as a real estate agent.

That year, when Burks was 25, her life changed when she went to visit a friend with cancer at the University Hospital in Little Rock.

According to a 2015 feature in the Arkansas Times, Burks noticed nurses drawing straws to see who would check on a patient in a room with a red door. Burks knew about the AIDS epidemic sweeping the country, and rightly guessed that the patient inside the room was a person with AIDS.

Ruth Coker BurksRuth Coker Burks in 1986, around the time that she started caring for people with AIDS.

Curious, she stepped inside and found a skeletal young man named Jimmy. He pleaded with Burks to contact his mother and ask her to visit.

Burks relayed his dying wish to the staff. “Honey, his mother’s not coming,” the nurses told Burks. “He’s been here six weeks. Nobody’s coming. Nobody’s been here, and nobody’s coming.”

In disbelief, Burks called Jimmy’s mother. But she refused to come. Like many other family members of people with AIDS in the 1980s, the woman had cut off her son. She told Burks that Jimmy was a sinner and dead to her.

Burks returned to Jimmy’s room to tell him the terrible news. But when she walked in Jimmy, delirious, thought she was his mother — and thanked her for coming. “And what was I going to do?” Burks recalled. “What was I going to do? So I took his hand. I said, ‘I’m here, honey. I’m here.'”

The First Of Many AIDS Funerals

Ruth Coker Burks sat at Jimmy’s bedside, holding his hand. “I stayed with him for 13 hours while he took his last breath on earth,” Burks related.

Even though she’d only known Jimmy for a few hours, Burks felt a responsibility to care for him. But after his death, Burks struggled to find a funeral home that would accept the body of a person with AIDS. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Burks finally found a funeral home in Pine Bluff, 90 minutes away, that would cremate Jimmy’s body.

Ruth Coker BurksRuth Coker Burks and her daughter, Allison, who often helped her mother hold funerals at Files Cemetery.

Not only did Burks pay for Jimmy’s cremation out of her own pocket, but she also took responsibility for his burial. Burks put his ashes in a cookie jar, which she brought to Files Cemetery in Hot Springs. There, Burks buried Jimmy’s ashes near the grave of her own father.

Ruth Coker Burks says that she eventually buried more than 40 people at the cemetery, where her family purportedly owned dozens of plots.

“My daughter would go with me,” said Burks. “She had a little spade, and I had posthole diggers. I’d dig the hole, and she would help me. I’d bury them and we’d have a do-it-yourself funeral. I couldn’t get a priest or a preacher. No one would even say anything over their graves.”

How Word About Ruth Coker Burks Spread

Word about Ruth Coker Burks quickly spread. The Guardian reports that, after Jimmy’s death, a nun from a Catholic hospital in Hot Springs called Burks and asked for her help caring for a person with AIDS they were “not equipped” to care for. As with Jimmy, Burks sat with him until he died.

After that, more and more people reached out.

“They just started coming,” Burks recalled. “Word got out that there was this kind of wacko woman in Hot Springs who wasn’t afraid. They would tell them, ‘Just go to her. Don’t come to me. Here’s the name and number.'”

Soon, Burks was driving people to medical appointments and picking up their prescriptions. Many pharmacies refused to even handle AIDS drug prescriptions for fear of the virus, and some even insisted Burks keep the pen she used to sign checks out of fear that the virus could spread.

Meanwhile, local gay clubs raised money to support Burks’ efforts.

Ruth Coker BurksRuth Coker Burks worked with local drag queens to raise money for people with AIDS.

“They would twirl up a drag show on Saturday night and here’d come the money,” Ruth Coker Burks recalled. “That’s how we’d buy medicine, that’s how we’d pay rent. If it hadn’t been for the drag queens, I don’t know what we would have done.”

But not everyone was happy with her work.

Fear And Anger Toward People With AIDS

When Burks reached out to the families of people with AIDS, she often received a harsh response.

“They hung up on me. They cussed me out,” Burks recalled. “They prayed like I was a demon on the phone and they had to get me off — prayed while they were on the phone. Just crazy. Just ridiculous.”

As Burks told the Arkansas Times, one mother of a person with AIDS called her up and asked how long it would be until her son died.

Center for Arkansas History and CultureRuth Coker Burks with Billy, a young man with AIDS who she became especially close with before he died.

“‘I just want to know, when is he going to die? We have to get on with our lives, and he’s holding up our lives,” Burks recalled the woman saying. “‘We can’t go on with our lives until he dies. He’s ruined our lives, and we don’t want people up here to know [he has AIDS], so how long do you think he’s going to stay here?'”

Meanwhile, Burks also became a target of anger and fear herself.

“It was like I was contagious,” she told The Guardian. The KKK even burned a cross on her lawn twice.

The ‘Arkansas Cemetery Angel’

Despite the challenges of her work, Ruth Coker Burks cared for people with AIDS for the next decade. By her own estimation, she helped care for around 1,000 people dying of AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s.

“You were the only person that we could call,” Billy’s former partner told Burks in a 2014 StoryCorps interview. “There wasn’t a doctor. There wasn’t a nurse. There wasn’t anyone. It was just you.”

Incredibly, the people she cared for lived two years longer than the national average. Burks thinks this is because she touched them without gloves whenever possible, and loved them like her own children.

Encyclopedia of ArkansasRuth Coker Burks advocated for people with AIDS when most people treated the epidemic with fear and hatred.

As better care became more available for people with AIDS, however, Burks’ service was needed less and less. Though she consulted with the White House on AIDS — she’d known Bill Clinton growing up — Burks no longer spent her days caring for people with AIDS. Instead, she became a funeral director and a fishing guide, and focused on her grandchildren.

Though articles about Burks in the 2010s brought new appreciation to her work, they brought new scrutiny as well. Some have questioned her claims, including about her family’s ownership of cemetery plots, and the exact number of men she buried at Files Cemetery. But no one doubts that during the AIDS crisis, Burks stepped up when many people turned their backs.

“I never thought of myself as an activist,” Ruth Coker Burks said. “I just thought I was doing what I was supposed to do.”

After reading about Ruth Coker Burks, discover the tragic story behind the deathbed photo of David Kirby. Or, learn about Ryan White and how he changed America’s perception of AIDS.

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TViwebFranco Malosso standing among the “ruins” that he passed off as ancient Greek to unsuspecting visitors.

Arcugnano, a town in northeastern Italy, is rich in ancient history, with ruins and artifacts spanning from the Neolithic period to the Roman era. Amongst these heritage sites was an ancient Greek amphitheater, which tourists could visit in recent years for an entry price as high as $46.

The only problem? The theater was a fake, built only a few years ago by a man named Franco Malosso. He successfully duped visitors for several years until his scam was reported to local authorities in 2016. Malosso’s ensuing legal battle has been unfolding ever since — and he was just now sentenced to prison.

How Franco Malosso Tricked Tourists With His Fake Amphitheater For Years

The theater was built on part of the UNESCO-protected Berici Hills. According to court documents, Malosso originally requested permission to build a garage on the land. But instead, he hired a local construction company to build the theater, telling them to “make it look old,” according to one builder who gave evidence in court.

Anfiteatro Berico/FacebookMalosso hired a local construction company to build the steps and statues, making them look artificially “old.”

The artificially aged seating and steps of the theater were situated next to several cement columns and plaster statues that looked over a “lake.”

Malosso began advertising the 54,000-square-foot site to the public in 2014. Malosso even put on concerts and performances at the site, which was referred to by three names: Anfiteatro Berico, Anfiteatro Marittimo Berico, and Anfiteatro Porta degli Angeli.

To view the “ancient” theater, visitors from out of town were charged 12 euros, or $14, and, perhaps as a way to disincentivize them from finding him out, locals were charged 40 euros, or $46.

Reportedly, private group tours were also available for 600 euros ($692) for 45 minutes. The costs were framed as a way for visitors to contribute to the “upkeep” of the theater. It is unknown how many tourists fell for the scam, but it went on for two years, until the site was reported to local authorities in 2016.

The Glaring Signs That Arcugnano’s “Anfiteatro Berico” Was Actually A Fake

Anfiteatro Berico/FacebookFranco Malosso reportedly told visitors that the theater was frequented by Juliet Capulet — a fictional character created by William Shakespeare.

It’s not to say that there weren’t red flags regarding Franco Malosso’s forgery. According to the prosecution, Malosso told visitors that the site had been frequented by Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and the fictional William Shakespeare character Juliet Capulet, the doomed teenage paramour of Romeo Montague.

The name “Marittimo” also implies that the theater would be near the sea, but the town is around 50 miles from the coast. The name “Porta degli Angeli” indicates an ancient “Angels’ Gate,” which the site lacked as well.

Moreover, the building was a fan-shaped theater, not an amphitheater, which would be oval. And most telling of all is that the theater could not have been Greek, as the ancient Greeks only colonized Italy in areas far south of Arcugnano.

The prosecution also said that Malosso told visitors he had discovered the ancient site after a landslide, which, according to experts, wouldn’t be possible due to the painstaking and careful process that actual archaeological excavation entails.

Franco Malosso Faces Justice For His Fake Theater Hoax

Anfiteatro Berico/FacebookThe site was reported to local authorities in 2016, two years after Franco Malosso began charging visitors to tour it.

“You’re not allowed to dig up antiquities in your backyard,” Darius Arya, an archaeologist and director of Ancient Rome Live, told CNN. “You have to declare it, they investigate it, they excavate. This is terrible.”

After being reported in 2016, the site was inspected by the local police and members of the local heritage board. The forgery was so clear that the inspection only took one day, Lt. Col. Giuseppe Marseglia told CNN.

“Of all criminals, forgers are the ones with the most talent, because they are able to create works of art,” Marseglia said. “Then there are scammers … I have no respect [for Malosso]. Calling him a forger is an offense to forgers.”

Anfiteatro Berico/FacebookFranco Malosso conned tourists for years by charging for visits to a fake ancient Greek theater in northern Italy.

Marseglia also said to CNN that in his 25-year career, he had never encountered a forged archaeological site.

Malosso was convicted in 2019 and lost an appeal in 2020. He made a final appeal to Italy’s supreme court, but it too rejected his arguments.

The court reaffirmed Malosso’s original sentence, which includes a 28-month jail term and a fine of 3,000 euros, or $3,462.

The site has been sequestered and Malosso was ordered to tear down his theater, but it’s unclear how that will happen. The mayor of the town reportedly has said he will not use public money for the demolition.

After reading about the Italian man who built a fake ancient Greek theater and charged for visits, discover the cons of Victor Lusig, including “selling” the Eiffel Tower. Then, learn about this ancient ticket made of clay that was found at the ruins of an ancient Roman theater in Turkey.

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NASAThe Tarantula Nebula, a section of the universe where new stars are forming.

Historically, experts have used two separate approaches to measure how the universe is expanding. While the measurements have produced two different results, they were both generally thought to be reliable, with the variance explained away by the imprecision that comes with analyzing such a complicated matter. Over time, it was thought, instruments would get more accurate, and this discrepancy would disappear.

However, this has not been the case. Instead, increasingly precise measurements have kept landing near the same incompatible values, making the discrepancy harder to dismiss as an error. Now, some of the scientists involved in pioneering these measurements are sounding the alarm.

But what was the inciting incident that caused this chaos? The answer lies in the changing state of dark energy itself.

How Fast Is The Universe Really Expanding?

In the late 1990s, one team featuring astrophysicist Adam Riess and another led by Saul Perlmutter studied distant exploding stars called Type Ia supernovae. Models at the time predicted that the gravitational pull of all the matter in the universe would slow the expansion of the universe, which would be reflected in their measurements of the exploding stars.

But these teams noticed that, strangely, the opposite was occurring. Rather than slowing down, the universe’s expansion appeared to be accelerating.

This discovery earned Riess, Perlmutter, and another researcher named Brian Schmidt the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. Their research would eventually be incorporated into calculations through the “Lambda cold dark matter” model, or ΛCDM, with Λ representing the cosmological constant of dark energy that, somehow, was causing the universe’s expansion to accelerate.

National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research LaboratoryDark energy is a mysterious force that drives the expansion of the universe.

The problem was that scientists could not agree on exactly how fast the universe is expanding. The Planck satellite used ΛCDM and cosmic microwave background radiation — light left over from early in the universe’s history — to estimate the expansion speed at 67 kilometers per second per megaparsec. Riess’ SH0ES team, in contrast, measured distances between nearby galaxies to determine that the expansion was closer to 73 kilometers per second per megaparsec. This discrepancy became known as the “Hubble tension.”

While it was believed that these numbers would one day align as measurements became more exact, the opposite has occurred. There’s also another problem: the findings of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument.

Is Dark Energy Changing?

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, maps millions of galaxies and quasars to reconstruct how the universe has expanded over billions of years.

Taken by themselves, DESI’s measurements appeared to be compatible with ΛCDM. But in March 2025, researchers announced that, when they combined them with the observations of the cosmic microwave background and supernovae, they determined that dark energy might not be as constant as they thought. Instead, the very nature of dark energy may itself be evolving over time.

NOIRLab/KPNO/NSF/AURA/P. MarenfeldThe Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona.

This is striking because, in the old model of ΛCDM, the “Λ” was to be treated as a constant. By demonstrating that this might not actually be the case, the researchers revealed that the simplest version of the standard cosmological model may not tell the whole story.

Riess himself has noted the remarkability of this finding. In a paper published in August 2025, he and fellow astronomer Alexie Leauthaud wrote, “Widening cracks are appearing in the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model.”

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the standard cosmological model struggles to describe the full expansion history of the Universe as revealed by the cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and locally calibrated type Ia supernovae,” the paper reads.

What Does This Mean?

Once this news became public, the internet was awash with theories about what this meant for our understanding of the universe. One video on the topic posted by Dr. Alyssa Sokol (@alyssa.sokol.phd), which currently has over 266,000 views, declared, “We may very well be on the verge of throwing out the standard model of cosmology.”

NASAThe “Pillars of Creation,” massive trunks of interstellar gas and dust nearly 7,000 light-years from Earth.

This is a real possibility — but researchers still aren’t sure about the true consequences of these findings.

For example, in July 2026, DESI researchers released a new analysis using the “Lyman-alpha forest.” This generates measurements by looking at patterns produced when ancient quasar light passes through clouds of hydrogen across the universe. They found this measurement to be more precise — and its central value moved toward ΛCDM. This could further complicate the idea that dark energy is changing.

In short, astronomers aren’t totally sure about the current state of our universe or how fast it is expanding, but it’s certainly an exciting time in the field, and the nature of our understanding of the universe may dramatically change again soon.

For more space oddities, learn about how black holes may be the source of dark energy. After that, explore a detailed 3D map of our galaxy.

The post Scientists Just Made A Serious Breakthrough. Now This Nobel Prize Winner Thinks We’ve Mapped The Universe All Wrong appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Fahey FamilyAnne Marie Fahey shortly before her murder at the hands of Thomas Capano.

On June 27, 1996, 30-year-old Anne Marie Fahey dined at a Philadelphia restaurant with a well-connected Delaware attorney named Thomas Capano. It was the last time she was ever seen alive.

Fahey, a secretary for the governor of Delaware, had been involved in a tumultuous affair with Capano for three years. She’d tried to break things off several times, but according to her diary entries, he was jealous and controlling. If he couldn’t have her, nobody could. So, when Fahey vanished, Capano quickly became the primary suspect.

Still, it took over a year for the police to arrest Capano. Aside from Fahey’s diary entries and chilling claims about Capano’s behavior from those who knew about the relationship, they had little evidence suggesting that the attorney had been involved in her disappearance. Then, Capano’s own brother began to talk.

Gerry Capano told investigators that he had taken Thomas out on his boat on June 28, 1996, and watched him pull a corpse from a cooler and toss it into the Atlantic Ocean. While Anne Marie Fahey’s body was never recovered, Gerry’s testimony was enough to put Thomas Capano behind bars for the rest of his life.

The Final Days Of Anne Marie Fahey

Anne Marie Fahey came from a tight-knit Irish family. She’d lost both her parents by the time she was 20, but she remained close with her five siblings. She frequented a local Irish pub in Wilmington, Delaware, where she always “had a quick line and a great laugh,” pub owner Kevin Freel told TIME in 1997.

In 1993, while working as a secretary for Governor Thomas Carper, Fahey had met Thomas Capano, a prominent attorney in the area. Capano was 16 years older than Fahey and married with four daughters. Despite this, Capano and Fahey began a romantic relationship.

Capano showered Fahey with gifts and took her to expensive restaurants. Fahey confided in Capano about her eating disorder. But despite his sweet external demeanor, Capano was manipulative. Fahey tried to break up with him on several occasions, but he always found his way back into her life.

Fahey FamilyAnne Marie Fahey wrote in her diary that Thomas Capano controlled her life.

When Capano separated from his wife in 1995 and began dating other people, Anne Marie Fahey started exploring her options, too. She met a business executive named Michael Scanlan, and things started getting serious between them. But Capano wasn’t letting her go that easily.

In February 1996, as reported by the Baltimore Sun, Fahey wrote in an email to Capano, “Tommy, you scared me this weekend. It really freaks me out when you call every half hour. When you keep calling that way, it makes me turn the other way, and quite frankly turn away.”

Two months later, she wrote in her diary: “I have finally brought closure to Tom Capano. What a controlling, manipulative, insecure, jealous maniac… For one whole year I allowed someone to take control of every decision in my life.”

It would be her final entry.

Anne Marie Fahey’s Mysterious Disappearance

On June 29, 1996, Anne Marie Fahey didn’t show up for a planned dinner with her sister, Kathleen. Concerned, Kathleen went to her apartment and discovered that her car and purse were there, but Fahey was nowhere to be found. She contacted the police, who learned that Fahey had gone to dinner with Capano on the evening of June 26.

A waitress at the Philadelphia restaurant where they’d dined recalled that Fahey had seemed “solemn,” but when investigators questioned Capano, he said that she’d been upset about receiving the wrong type of calamari. He admitted that they were having an affair, but he said that he’d taken her home after dinner and hadn’t seen her since.

Fahey FamilyAnne Marie Fahey during a trip to Ireland to visit her brother in 1994.

As the weeks and months passed by, Fahey’s siblings became convinced that Capano knew more than he was letting on. What’s more, interviews with other people who knew Fahey revealed a pattern of troubling behavior. Her hairdresser told investigators that Fahey had once had to jump out of Capano’s car when he grabbed her neck as she tried to break up with him.

The FBI got involved, and during a search of Capano’s home, they found bloodstains that were later linked to Fahey. But still, Capano remained free.

Then, in the fall of 1997 — more than a year after Anne Marie Fahey vanished — the FBI arrested Capano’s brother, Gerry, on drug and weapon charges. While in custody, Gerry agreed to cooperate with the investigation into Fahey’s disappearance. And soon, the case took a chilling turn.

The Cooler Dumped In ‘Mako Alley’

Gerry Capano told investigators that Thomas had claimed an unidentified couple was extorting him and threatening his children. He said that he would kill them if they tried to hurt his daughters, so when Thomas showed up at Gerry’s house on the morning of June 28, Gerry asked, “Did you do it?” Thomas nodded.

Thomas and Gerry then took Gerry’s boat out to a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean off the New Jersey coast known as “Mako Alley.” There, Thomas tossed a large cooler into the water — but it simply floated on the surface.

Mark Conlin/NOAA“Mako Alley,” located about 70 miles off the coast of New Jersey, is a popular spot for shark fishing.

Gerry started shooting at it, thinking that holes would help it sink. When that didn’t work, Capano opened the cooler, tied an anchor to the contents, and threw them into the ocean. According to TIME, Gerry saw a “human foot and part of a calf.”

A week later, fishermen found the cooler still floating in the water and started using it to hold their catches. When Gerry’s story eventually made the news, the men realized what they had and turned the cooler over to the FBI. It gave prosecutors the proof they needed to convict Thomas Capano for the murder of Anne Marie Fahey.

The Trial Of Thomas Capano

Capano was finally arrested on Nov. 12, 1997, and his trial began the following October. Another one of his lovers, Debby MacIntyre, testified that he’d asked her to buy him a gun several weeks before Anne Marie Fahey’s disappearance.

Wilmington Police DepartmentThomas Capano was arrested for the murder of Anne Marie Fahey in November 1997.

In a final effort to save himself, Capano changed his story on the stand. While he’d initially claimed he had no idea what happened to Fahey, he testified at trial that she’d been shot accidentally. He said that MacIntyre had uncovered his relationship with Fahey and threatened to take her own life. When Capano tried to take the gun from MacIntyre, it had unintentionally discharged and struck Fahey. He insisted that he only covered up the crime to protect MacIntyre.

The jury didn’t buy this version of events. Capano was convicted of murder in January 1999 and sentenced to death. He appealed, and the sentence was reduced to life in prison without parole. Capano died behind bars in 2011 at age 61. Anne Marie Fahey’s body was never found.

After reading about the murder of Anne Marie Fahey, discover how Pamela Smart conspired with her teenage lover to kill her husband. Then, go inside the disturbing story of Erin Corwin, the pregnant Marine wife who was murdered by her affair partner.

The post Anne Marie Fahey, The Young Woman Who Was Murdered And Dumped At Sea By Her Jealous Lover appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Back in 2008, archeologists discovered a fragment of finger bone in Denisova Cave in Russia’s Altai Mountains. The bone was small — a distal phalanx of a juvenile’s fifth finger. Still, the archeologists believed that there was something special about it. So, they sent it off for testing.

Their belief was correct. After researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany sampled the bone and sequenced its mitochondrial DNA, they discovered something shocking.

As paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi told NOVA (@novapbs) in a TikTok video with over 449,000 views, the scientists came to a stunning conclusion: “This is human DNA, but it’s not Neanderthal. It’s not Homo sapiens.”

“They realized they had accidentally just stumbled upon a whole new species of human,” Al-Shamahi summarizes.

A Tiny Fragment, DNA Sequencing, And A Major Discovery

After the DNA from the finger was sequenced, the population to which it belonged was given a name: Denisovans, after the cave where the bone had been discovered. A previous discovery in the same cave — a tooth — carried closely related mitochondrial DNA, strengthening the case that scientists had found a new, distinct archaic human population.

There was just one problem: All they had was a finger and a tooth. This put the scientists in, to use Al-Shamahi’s words, “uncharted territory.”

“Normally you would have a skull or, well, a fossil. You would have something,” she explains.

Демин Алексей Барнаул/Wikimedia CommonsDenisova Cave, where the pinky bone of the first identified Denisovan was discovered in 2008.

To make matters worse, some of the finger bone had been crushed up to carry out the DNA analysis. This meant that the only evidence of the existence of such a species was the DNA sequence itself and the limited physical matter that remained.

Despite this, scientists were able to draw some incredible conclusions with the information they had. For example, they determined that Denisovans shared a common origin with Neanderthals and that they likely interbred with the ancestors of some modern humans. They also found evidence of Denisovan ancestry in populations in Oceania and parts of Asia.

But those discoveries, while exciting, did not bring them any closer to understanding what a Denisovan may have looked like. In order to answer that question, scientists would have to get acquainted with the “Dragon Man.”

Who Was The ‘Dragon Man’?

Decades before all of this happened, a laborer was working near the city of Harbin, China, when he came across a massive human skull. When this occurred in 1933, this area of China was under Japanese occupation — and so, the man decided to hide the specimen, only confiding its whereabouts to his family near the end of his life.

Eventually, his family was able to locate the fossil, and they donated it to Hebei GEO University in 2018.

While this particular narrative has since been questioned, the bizarre circumstances around its discovery meant that the skull lacked the original archeological context that normally helps date and identify a fossil. To further complicate matters, the skull was significantly different from other specimens. It had an enormous cranium, a long brain case, a heavy brow ridge, and massive eye sockets.

Looking at this strange skull, researchers decided to dub the group it belonged to Homo longi — though the skull quickly became known as the “Dragon Man.”

Xijun et al., CellPress (2021)A front and side view of the “Dragon Man” skull found in China.

As stories of these various discoveries spread, many scientists thought that there could be a link between the finger bone and the Dragon Man. However, attempts to sequence DNA from the skull proved fruitless until one scientist came up with an interesting workaround.

Rather than analyzing the skull itself, this scientist extracted hardened plaque that was still attached to the skull’s single remaining tooth. Using this, the team was able to recover mitochondrial DNA — which linked the skull to the Denisovans.

This, to borrow a phrase from Al-Shamahi’s interviewer, gives us “a face for the finger.”

This is a major step, and it could provide evidence of a previously unknown species of human. Still, there are some questions left to be answered — namely, whether every fossil assigned to Homo longi belongs to the same population or how Denisovans should be classified taxonomically.

That said, the story of the Denisovans and Dragon Man is truly remarkable, making it no surprise that Al-Shamahi dubs it “the craziest story of discovery that we have in our field.”

After reading about the Denisovans, discover more about the Neanderthals. Then, explore these reconstructions of what ancient people may have looked like.

The post Scientists Have Accidentally Stumbled Upon A Whole New Species Of Human. This Expert Says It’s Rewriting Early Human History appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Arkæologi VestjyllandArchaeologists in western Denmark discovered the 1,300-year-old burial of a Viking girl whose clothes and jewelry remain intact.

Archaeologists in western Denmark discovered a rare 1,300-year-old grave of a young Viking girl with an even rarer find inside: remnants of the clothes she was buried in, held between metal brooches that fastened the garments in place.

This remarkable preservation of the girl’s clothing is now giving researchers an uncommon opportunity to not only identify these ancient materials, but also to reconstruct the dress of a young girl during the Viking Age.

The Discovery Of A Young Viking Girl’s Grave In Western Denmark

Archaeologists uncovered the grave at the Skonager site in West Jutland. Skonager was already an important archaeological site, with previous excavations indicating that the site had been occupied across many historical periods, from the Bronze Age to the Viking Age.

Arkæologi VestjyllandThe girl’s grave was found amongst several other Viking burials, but hers included rare brooches and fabric fragments.

In 2024, archaeologists discovered burials at the site, which were identified as the first Viking Age human burials uncovered in the region in almost 40 years.

The deceased from these excavated burials spanned all ages, from infants to adults. During those excavations, the team also found iron knives, as well as amber and glass beads.

But one burial of a young Viking girl stood out due to her well-preserved brooches and clothing. Attached to her two shell-shaped brooches were fragments of the fabric that she had been wearing at the time of her burial, protected from the elements for more than a millennium.

Arkæologi VestjyllandThe metal of the brooches helped slow the deterioration of the organic material in the girl’s clothing.

As metal corrodes, metal salts can seep into nearby organic materials, like the fabrics, and slow their deterioration, preserving their microscopic structure. This is precisely what preserved the girl’s clothing, allowing researchers to analyze it now.

What This Girl’s Preserved Clothing And Jewelry Reveal About Viking Culture

The preserved clothing and brooches offer researchers a rare opportunity to learn about female dress and culture in the Viking Age.

Initial analysis identified the fabrics as wool and linen, which were commonly used in Scandinavian clothing. Meanwhile, researchers found evidence that one of the brooches had been repaired at least once before the girl’s burial.

Shell-shaped brooches like these are known to be a hallmark of female dress in the Viking Age, and commonly appear in modern reconstructions. Still, it is not known for certain how the brooches were used. That’s why this new evidence, which shows exactly how fabric was layered in Viking clothing, is crucial.

Arkæologi VestjyllandThrough chemical analysis of the pieces of clothing, researchers hope to reconstruct the dress of the young Viking girl.

Researchers are working to reconstruct what the clothing might have looked like. Because the textiles are so fragile, specialists are working extremely carefully to preserve the remaining fabric.

The goal is to determine which pieces of fabric are wool and which are linen, as well as how the textiles were layered. Furthermore, the team is looking for any traces of ancient dyes to determine the color of the clothing.

The researchers are also hoping to determine the story behind one of the brooches being repaired. While the repair indicates that the brooch was used before it entered the grave, researchers seek to determine the length of its use.

Arkæologi VestjyllandAn artist’s rendering of a Viking girl not unlike the one whose burial was unearthed at the Skonager site.

Once the textile samples undergo radiocarbon dating, the age of the clothing can give a better time range for the use of the metal ornament. If the dates of the clothing and the brooch are significantly different, the repaired brooch might have been an heirloom passed down to the girl before she was buried.

Still, the theory is yet to be proven, and the mystery remains.

After reading about the discovery of the young Viking girl’s grave in Denmark, learn about the fearsome Viking warriors known as Berserkers. Then, discover the story of Erik the Red, the fiery Viking leader who settled Greenland.

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Kevin P. Casey/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesThe house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon neighborhood, where the brutal Wonderland murders took place on July 1, 1981.

On July 1, 1981, four people were bludgeoned to death in a Laurel Canyon townhouse during a grisly massacre that became known as the Wonderland murders. The home was a known hangout for cocaine dealers, and it initially appeared as if the crime may have resulted from a drug deal gone wrong — but then a bizarre story began to unfold.

Two days prior to the murders, there had been a violent robbery at the home of Eddie Nash, a Los Angeles nightclub owner. Nash blamed John Holmes, a male porn star who had been at his house earlier that day. Nash purportedly forced Holmes to tell him who else was involved, and Holmes led a group of Nash’s henchmen to the townhouse on Wonderland Avenue.

Holmes was arrested for the murders, but he was ultimately acquitted. Nash was tried and acquitted as well — after paying a jury member $50,000 to find him not guilty.

Today, the Wonderland murders remain something of a mystery. No one has ever been convicted of the crime, making it one of Los Angeles’ most enduring — and captivating — unsolved cases.

The Wonderland Gang Before The Laurel Canyon Murders

Throughout the late 1970s, the house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue served as the home base of the Wonderland Gang, one of Los Angeles’ most prominent distributors of cocaine — until the Wonderland murders brought their enterprise to a sudden, brutal end.

The property was officially leased in the name of Joy Miller, but it was home to a rotating cast of characters. Miller was a long-time heroin user who had fallen in with the gang after separating from her wealthy husband and Beverly Hills life.

Joy Miller’s boyfriend was Billy Deverell, the gang’s levelheaded second-in-command. Reports would later paint him as a reluctant criminal, one who regretted that his long track record of heroin abuse — and resulting arrests — made it difficult for him to find and hold other jobs.

There was nothing at all half-hearted about Ron Launius’ criminal enterprises, though. Launius was Wonderland’s king, and he was as cold as ice. He had made a name for himself during the Vietnam War when he was dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army for smuggling drugs back to the United States in the bodies of dead servicemen.

Police PhotoRon Launius, the leader of the Wonderland Gang.

Launius had already spent time in jail for smuggling and only narrowly escaped life imprisonment for murder when the prosecution’s star witness was killed in an accident. Police didn’t think they’d missed their chance, though. By the summer of 1981, just before the Wonderland murders, Launius was a person of interest in as many as two dozen other homicides. Launius’ wife, Susan, also lived in the Wonderland Avenue townhouse, though she wasn’t linked to the gang’s activities.

The most unusual member of the household was John Holmes, the famous adult film actor, who was a frequent guest and often purchased — or mooched — cocaine from the gang.

Cocaine wasn’t the Wonderland Gang’s only source of revenue. Heroin was their private passion, and armed robbery was their side gig. Stealing from their rivals was both a source of income and an effective way to keep their competitors out of the game — until it backfired one terrible, bloody night.

The Brazen Crime That Led To The Wonderland Murders

On June 29, 1981, several days before the Wonderland murders, four members of the Wonderland Gang robbed the home of notorious nightclub owner and organized crime figure Eddie Nash.

New Line CinemaAlfred Molina portrays a character based on Eddie Nash in Boogie Nights, which includes a scene inspired by the robbery that led to the Wonderland murders.

Launius and Deverell, disguised as police officers, led fellow gang members David Lind and Tracy McCourt into the Nash’s home, where they handcuffed Nash and his bodyguard, Gregory Diles.

During the robbery, as Nash was being made to open the safe, Lind accidentally shot and wounded Diles. However, the gang members walked away, unrecognized, with at least $1 million in drugs, cash, jewelry, and weapons.

Though the police didn’t identify a suspect initially, Nash pointed fingers at several people he knew had been in his home the day of the crime. At the top of his list was John Holmes, who had returned to the house three separate times just that morning — presumably, he suspected, to make sure the patio door by which the gang later entered was unlocked.

Bettmann/Getty ImagesAdult film star John Holmes was later put on trial for the Wonderland murders.

Scott Thorson, a former lover of Liberace, had also been present at Nash’s house. Thorson later claimed that Nash was so convinced that Holmes was involved that he had made his injured bodyguard track him down and beat the assailants’ names out of him.

Though Thorson’s claims were never corroborated, they were seemingly true. Just two days after Nash allegedly beat Holmes for information about the assailants, the perpetrators of the armed robbery were found brutally bludgeoned in their Wonderland Avenue home in what became known as the Wonderland murders.

The Grisly Scene Of The Crime

At 4 p.m. on July 1, 1981, police received a panicked phone call from a pair of furniture movers. As they were working at the house next door to 8763 Wonderland Avenue, they’d heard desperate, pained moans coming from the residence. Officers quickly arrived — and were met with a horrible crime scene.

Los Angeles Police DepartmentA hammer that was seemingly used during the Wonderland murders was found on a bed in the Laurel Canyon home.

The body of Barbara “Butterfly” Richardson, David Lind’s girlfriend, was lying on the ground near the couch she had been sleeping on, covered in blood. Joy Miller was found dead in her bed, while Deverell’s body was slumped at the foot, leaning against the TV stand. A bloody hammer was tangled in Miller’s sheets, and several metal pipes littered the floor.

In the neighboring bedroom, Wonderland Gang leader Ron Launius was dead, bloodied and beaten almost beyond recognition. But perhaps the most horrifying sight was Launius’ wife, Susan. She was found covered in blood on the floor next to the bed that held her dead husband’s body, her skull bashed in but miraculously still alive. It was her moans that the moving company employees had heard.

Though she’d survive the attack and make a full recovery, the brain damage she sustained left her with permanent amnesia, and she was never able to recall the events of the Wonderland murders.

CBS News/YouTubeA body is removed from the Wonderland Avenue home following the grisly murders.

The police searched the home and interviewed neighbors, who later admitted that they had heard screams in the early hours of the morning, around 3 a.m. However, given that the Wonderland Gang’s house had a reputation for loud and disruptive behavior at all hours, the neighbors had simply assumed the gang was having a party and hadn’t bothered to call the police.

That meant that Susan Launius had been lying on the floor alive, with her skull broken, for more than 12 hours.

So who had carried out the vicious Wonderland murders?

The Mystery Of Who Murdered The Wonderland Gang

The police search — documented in a gruesome crime scene video — revealed a bloody handprint on the headboard above the body of Ron Launius. It belonged to John Holmes, who was arrested and charged with four counts of murder. The prosecution argued that he had retaliated against the Wonderland Gang after feeling slighted by the division of the spoils from the Nash robbery.

But the story wasn’t convincing. It seemed more likely to the jury and public alike that the adult film star had simply been caught in the crossfire.

According to Holmes’ defense team, Nash’s men beat Holmes until he agreed to let them into the Wonderland Avenue house. As reported by the United Press International during Holmes’ 1982 trial, defense attorney Mitchell Egers stated, “There are no [available] witnesses as to what happened there, and as far as Holmes is concerned, he’s too afraid for his life and the lives of his friends and family to say anything.”

Bettmann/Getty ImagesAdult film star John Holmes, dressed in a prison jumpsuit, leaves court on his way back to the Los Angeles County Jail.

Holmes was acquitted, though he ended up serving 110 days in jail for contempt of court because he refused to reveal the identities of anyone who did carry out the Wonderland murders.

Prosecutors then turned to Eddie Nash.

Suspecting Nash had murdered the gang in revenge for the robbery of his home, investigators questioned and eventually arrested him. Charged with planning the murders, Nash was saved by a hung jury: Just one juror stood between Nash and a guilty verdict. He was then retried and acquitted.

Nash walked free until 2000, when he was charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. As part of a plea deal, he admitted to having bribed the single dissenting juror in his first trial. He also confessed to ordering his men to repossess the stolen items in the Laurel Canyon townhouse on the night of the Wonderland murders — though he never explicitly admitted to having ordered the massacre.

Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesEddie Nash is arrested at his Laurel Canyon home in connection with the Wonderland murders.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2001, prosecutor Daniel A. Saunders told reporters, “He’s admitting to conspiring to kill them but not to actually going forward and participating in a scheme to murder anyone. I guess he’ll claim that the fact that they were murdered that night was a coincidence. I think the public can fill in the blanks.”

Today, more than 45 years after the Wonderland murders, the case officially remains unsolved.

John Holmes died from AIDS in 1988, and Eddie Nash passed away in 2014. Gregory Diles, Nash’s bodyguard — who was also acquitted for a lack of evidence — died in 1997. With no suspects left to talk, we may never know what really happened at the Wonderland Avenue townhouse. But, as Saunders stated, anyone can try to fill in the blanks.

After reading about the Wonderland murders, go inside the unbelievable true story of the Lizzie Borden murders. Then, find out where the members of the Manson Family are now.

The post The Chilling Story Of The Wonderland Murders And Why They Remain Unsolved To This Day appeared first on All That's Interesting.

If there was ever a Venus of rural Appalachia, Dolly Parton is it — and was for decades. Indeed, it's obvious from these pictures of her why she is widely considered the country-western icon of our time.

For those who don't know what a musical marvel Parton is, she could play at least eight different instruments and wrote hundreds of songs. Parton even managed to write two of her biggest hits, "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," on the very same day.

Her thoughtful narratives and enchanting arrangements have captivated audiences and inspired droves of other artists to sample and pay homage to her work.

It's easy to gloss over the fact that this Venus of Appalachia is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, prolific singer, producer, sometimes-actress, and businesswoman because — as these pictures of Dolly Parton show — her style is louder than her words. Parton was historically humble about her career and was often even quick to remind interviewers about her meager childhood.

Dolly Parton's Humble Beginnings

RCA/Public DomainDolly Parton began her career in the late '60s and continues to tour today.

Dolly Parton was born in the Great Smoky Mountains of rural East Tennessee in 1946. Her parents were farmers and so impoverished that the family lived in a one-room cabin with no electricity. Parton was the fourth of 12 children in a bursting and bustling backcountry home in Appalachia.

"The kids peed on me every night. We slept three and four in the bed," Parton recalled in a 1978 interview for Playboy. "I would wash every night. And as soon as I go to bed, the kids would wet on me and I'd have to get up in the morning and do the same thing."

There was hardly any cash to go around and certainly no extra money for emergency room visits. So when Parton almost severed three of her toes on broken glass, her mother had to doctor her. "My dad and my brothers, they had to hold me down... They put kerosene on it for antiseptic and momma took her sewing needles... and she literally had to sew my toes back on."

Parton recalled how with so many children, she was expected to care for them as though she were a mother too. "My mother, since there were so many of us, used to say, 'This one's gonna be your baby.'"

Unfortunately, Parton lost 'her baby' – her newborn brother, Larry — when she was nine. "There is a lot of heartache and stuff that goes on with that." Amidst this chaos, Parton claimed that the family's saving grace was their battery-operated radio on which they listened to the Grand Ole Opry.

Parton Heads For Nashville With A Cardboard Suitcase

Wikimedia CommonsDolly Parton helped raised her younger siblings and has no children of her own.

Long before she started writing her own songs, Parton was gifted her first guitar by her Uncle Lewis. By age 10, she was performing locally, appearing on local television and getting airtime on Knoxville radio stations.

At age 11, Parton wrote "Puppy Love", her first single, with the help of another Uncle, Bill Owens. Dolly and her grandmother took a 30-hour bus ride to a Louisiana studio to record it. Goldband Records released the single in 1959 — when Dolly was 13.

That same year, Parton made her Grand Ole Opry debut. Johnny Cash introduced her, telling the crowd that "we've got a little girl here from up in East Tennessee. Her daddy's listening to the radio at home and she's gonna be in real trouble if she doesn't sing tonight, so let's bring her out here."

Her performance commanded three encores.

She boarded the first bus bound for Nashville the day after she finished high school. Her suitcase was made of cardboard and it was filled with songs. It would take some time, but Parton eventually secured her first songwriting deal. Soon she had her first regular gig on the Porter Wagoner Show.

From there, the blonde-haired beauty quickly became a success. The rest is history.

Parton's Private Life

You wouldn't know it from the media, but Parton is, in fact, married — and has been for over 50 years. She met her husband, Carl Dean, at the Wishy-Washy Laundromat on the first night she arrived in Nashville in 1964.

Parton said of their meeting, "I graduated on a Friday night, went to Nashville on a Saturday morning with dirty clothes and I went to a laundromat looking for anything but love."

None of the pictures of Dolly Parton above feature Dean, who is notorious for his ability to stay under the radar.

Parton too keeps something private from the public: a collection of tattoos. Yes, Dolly Parton has a couple tattoos that she says she originally got for her own enjoyment and to cover up scars. There are very few pictures of Dolly Parton exposing her tattoos and allegedly, only a few other stars have laid eyes on them.

The song "I Will Always Love You," made famous by Whitney Houston, was actually written by Parton for Porter Wagoner in the early '70s. Kevin Costner allegedly asked Parton first if he could use the song in his movie, The Bodyguard, and Whitney Houston's version was an instant hit in 1992.

Parton was reportedly thankful to Houston for breathing new life into the song, which she has said was one of her favorite pieces. "I was just a girl with the big hair and big tits and a big personality, but I think that one kind of pointed a finger at me as a serious songwriter... That one will stand out in my mind forever."

Building Dollywood And Philanthropic Endeavors

Parton never forgot what it was like to grow up with nothing and donated her time and money to a variety of philanthropic organizations including the United Way, the Save the Music Foundation, the Make-a-Wish program, and several HIV/AIDS charities.

Parton also founded the Dollywood Foundation which, for six months, distributed $1,000 monthly to families who lost their primary residence in the massive 2016 Tennessee wildfires.

The Dollywood Foundation also oversees a massive literacy program called Imagination Library. Parton said it was established to honor her father who never learned to read. The program mails free books to children up to the age of five and covers an area within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

In 1986, Parton opened the theme park Dollywood and it has since been transformed into a family-friendly love letter to the Smoky Mountains. Ironically, Parton alleges that she has never ridden any of the rides at the park.

"I got so much to lose, like my wig or my shoes... I'm gonna have some handsome man mess it up, I don't want some ride doing it," she joked.

Parton was quoted as saying of her career that, "My dream was to make as many people happy as I could in this life." And it seems she did just that.

If you enjoyed this collection of Dolly Parton pictures, then you'll love these 27 vintage photos of Raquel Welch. Then, for more in country-western music history, read about the strange circumstances surrounding John Denver's fatal plane crash.

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Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (LAD)Researchers in Constance, Germany discovered that this 13th-century basement was constructed with a medieval ship’s hull as its ceiling.

Other than the fact that it was built in 1244, a newly-explored cellar in southern Germany initially seemed as though it were an altogether ordinary one. Likewise at first glance, the cellar’s ceiling appeared as if it had simply been constructed with old wooden planks.

But, after closer study, researchers realized that the ceiling was rarer than they had previously thought: It was constructed with at least 19 planks that came from the hull of a medieval ship. Now, this astounding find is giving researchers an uncommonly well-preserved window into shipbuilding practices during the Middle Ages.

The Discovery Of The Medieval Ship’s Hull Being Used As A Ceiling In Germany

The discovery was made during an architectural history study conducted by the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) in Stuttgart.

Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (LAD)The ship’s timber was incredibly well-preserved due to the dry environment of the basement.

The ceiling of the cellar covers close to 270 square feet, giving the researchers plenty to study.

“At first, all that was clear was that the planks had been reused. The fact that they were originally part of a ship was the complete surprise,” Dr. Aline Kottmann, a specialist for medieval archaeology at the LAD, said in a statement.

The first stages of the study have indicated that the planks were part of a flat-bottomed cargo vessel that sailed on lakes during the medieval era.

The team was able to identify the planks as belonging to a medieval hull by their shape, rows of nails, and wooden pegs.

Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (LAD)The team found at least four places where repairs were done on the wood when it was still part of the vessel, providing rare insight into medieval shipbuilding techniques.

Some of the planks are in the same order as they were when they were part of the vessel, indicating that medieval workers repurposed large, intact sections of the hull when building the ceiling. What’s more, remnants of the caulk used to seal gaps between the planks have also been preserved in some places.

Researchers have even been able to find at least four places on the planks where repairs were done to damaged sections. Those faulty pieces were cut out and replaced with specially-fitted sections of wood. One example used a “swallowtail-shaped” insert, a technique with no known comparison among medieval ship discoveries made around Lake Constance thus far.

How This Discovery Could Reveal New Insights About Medieval Shipbuilding

As part of its “Wrecks and Deep Sea” project, the LAD has been searching for shipwrecks in Lake Constance, and this discovery will certainly add to their growing body of knowledge about medieval shipbuilding in the region.

This find is particularly exciting — more so even than a traditional shipwreck that’s found below the surface — because the dry basement conditions have kept this hull’s remains exceptionally well-preserved and accessible for detailed study, unlike the timber found in shipwrecks that have been sitting underwater for centuries.

Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (LAD)The team hopes to date the wood using dendrochronology, a method that compares the growth rings of the trees cut for the timber.

“It is known that decommissioned ships were reused as building timber in the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, the find in Constance is something very special: Here, not just individual fragments, but an almost completely intact ship’s hull was used,” Alexandra Ulisch, a staff member in the “Wrecks and Deep Sea” project, said in the statement.

Analyzing the wooden planks in the ceiling could provide insight into how ships like the ones found in Lake Constance were built.

“Should parts of the side planking actually have survived, new insights into the construction of medieval ships and the design of the transition between the bottom and side planks would be possible,” Ulisch said.

This month, the team made a three-dimensional model and digital record of the ceiling and its planks. Researchers also took wood samples to conduct dendrochronology, a method used to date trees by analyzing growth rings.

The results of the tests will help determine when the trees were cut for the timber, thus providing a more accurate range for the ship’s age.

“The find goes far beyond a chance discovery. It is a valuable testament to medieval shipbuilding technology and of particular importance for the maritime archaeology of the Lake Constance region,” Kottmann said. “The analysis of the samples will take place in the coming weeks. We are very excited to see the results.”

After reading about the 13th-century ceiling in Germany that was made from a ship’s hull, learn about the medieval “super ship” found off the coast of Denmark. Then, read about how construction workers in Belgium stumbled upon $10 million worth of gold coins in a cellar during renovations.

The post Archaeologists In Germany Found A Medieval Cellar Whose Ceiling Was Made From The Nearly Complete Hull Of A 13th-Century Ship appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Tommy Quitt/Wikimedia CommonsGraffiti of assorted members of the 27 Club.

In the span of just 10 months starting in late 1970, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison all died — every one of them at the age of 27. Thus they became part of the 27 Club: a tragic group of icons whose chaotic lives imploded in on themselves at far too young an age.

Some call it a curse, others call it a coincidence. But there’s a common thread that weaves through the stories of every member of the 27 Club; one that suggests there might be something at play here that’s even darker than some intangible, even supernatural force.

Every member of the 27 Club left behind the same tragic story that ends in that same, horrible way, as each was worn down by a life filled with addiction, depression, and pain — every one burned out by the excesses of fame.

Discover the stories of the most infamous members of the 27 Club:

The 27 Club: Kurt Cobain

Frank Micelotta/Getty ImagesKurt Cobain at the taping of MTV Unplugged in New York on November 18, 1993.

Before he was reluctantly labeled the voice of a generation, Kurt Donald Cobain was a sensitive and artistic child born on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Wash. He experienced a marked change in demeanor came when his parents divorced when he was nine years old. “I remember feeling ashamed, for some reason,” Cobain later said. “I was ashamed of my parents.”

In 1991, Nirvana’s second album Nevermind and its lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” spurred nothing short of a musical revolution. It shot the grunge sound that permeated the Seattle scene in the late 1980s into the mainstream like a blast from a cannon. Kurt Cobain soon became an international icon — but his newfound fame made him deeply uncomfortable, and he quickly fell into a heavy heroin addiction.

Fast forward to April 8, 1994 and Cobain had been missing for six days. Most of the events during that span will remain forever unknown but their culmination in Kurt Cobain’s death is burned into history.

On that morning, an electrician was on the Seattle property of Kurt Cobain. The worker found the Nirvana lead singer in the greenhouse above his garage with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A co-worker called the local radio station, stating he had the “scoop of the century” adding, “you’re going to owe me a lot of concert tickets for this one.”

Курт Кобейн /Wikimedia CommonsKurt Cobain performs live in December 1993.

Despite scattered theories that he was murdered, it appears that Kurt Cobain barricaded himself in the greenhouse and penned his suicide note in red ink. His wallet, found at the scene of his death, was opened to reveal his Washington State driver’s license. Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, reconstructed the likely scene:

“[Kurt Cobain] drew a chair up to a window overlooking the Puget Sound, sat down, took some more drugs (most likely heroin), pressed the barrel of the 20-gauge shotgun to his head and — evidently using his thumb — pulled the trigger.”

“Now he’s gone and joined that stupid club”, Cobain’s mother said to a reporter, referring to the 27 Club. “I told him not to join that stupid club.”

The 27 Club: Jim Morrison

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesJim Morrison. Circa 1970.

A charismatic poet that shot to fame as the frontman The Doors, James Douglas Morrison was born on Dec. 8, 1943, in Melbourne, Florida. A highly intelligent and creative child, he continuously made the honor roll in school. Upon graduation, he requested the complete works of Friedrich Nietzsche as a gift and headed to UCLA to study film.

Morrison became increasingly interested in poetry over film while attending college, parlaying his ability to turn a phrase into songwriting. He and some classmates started a band, and in January 1967, The Doors released their self-titled debut album. Morrison, with his suggestive lyrics and outlandish stage antics, then dominated the music and pop culture scene for four years.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesJim Morrison in Frankfurt, Germany. September 1968.

There remains speculation surrounding Morrison’s death, with some diehards believing he never died at all. But for those who do believe he died, the story begins with the fact that he was actually on vacation when he joined the 27 Club.

It was the spring of 1971, and Morrison and his girlfriend Pamela Courson were in Paris. Reportedly, Morrison began suffering from a respiratory ailment not long after they arrived. Bill Siddons, Morrison’s manager, recalls conversations with Courson about the early morning of July 3, 1971:

“Morrison woke up, disturbed. He was coughing again, and when he awoke, he threw up a small quantity of blood … Jim told Pam he felt okay and that he wanted to take a bath.”

But soon, Jim Morrison was dead, still lying in that tub when she came back to check on him. Because an autopsy was never performed, rumors swirled around the possibility of a heroin overdose. Paris club owner Sam Bernett, for one, claims that Morrison overdosed in the bathroom of his club and that it was covered up.

For all the fame, glory, and excess that brought him into the 27 Club, Morrison’s funeral was a simple, quiet event. As Siddons described it:

“There was no service, and that made it all the better. We just threw some flowers and dirt and said goodbye.”

The post The 27 Club And Ten Of Its Most Shocking Deaths appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Insanely Practical ProductionsFatebenefratelli Hospital in the 1940s. Rome’s Jewish quarter was just across the Tiber River from the island where the hospital stood.

From September 1943 to June 1944, Nazi forces occupied Rome. During this time, a mysterious illness broke out in the city. It was called Syndrome K, and it was highly contagious and extremely lethal.

That’s what doctors at Rome’s Fatebenefratelli Hospital said, anyway. In reality, a person with a Syndrome K diagnosis wasn’t on the brink of death — they were Jewish.

Doctors Adriano Ossicini, Giovanni Borromeo, and Vittorio Emanuele Sacerdoti invented the fearsome disease in an effort to save lives when the Gestapo raided the city’s Jewish ghetto in October 1943. Dozens of Jewish residents fled to their hospital for safety, and the doctors thought that rumors of a contagious illness might keep the Nazis out of the building.

Shockingly, their plan worked. It’s unclear exactly how many people they saved, but estimates range from 20 to well over 100. Dr. Borromeo was even honored as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial institution. The quick thinking and brave actions of these physicians put their own lives at risk, but as Dr. Ossicini later said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, “[W]e have to act not for the sake of self-interest, but for principles. Anything else is a shame.”

The Nazi Occupation Of Rome

When World War II broke out in 1939, Italy and Nazi Germany were allied as part of the Axis powers. But after Benito Mussolini’s fall from power in July 1943, their relationship quickly unraveled. On Sept. 3, 1943, Italy signed an armistice with the Allies, effectively switching sides.

In retaliation, the German military seized control of much of the Italian peninsula so the Allies couldn’t use it as a southern stronghold. By Sept. 10, Nazi forces had occupied Rome. They immediately began rounding up Jewish citizens for deportation.

Public DomainGerman and Italian soldiers clash near Rome’s Porta San Paolo on Sept. 10, 1943.

On the morning of Oct. 16, 1943, German forces raided Rome’s Jewish ghetto. They detained more than 1,200 men, women, and children — and sent over 1,000 of them to Auschwitz. According to a 2013 report by The New York Times, only 16 of them survived the war.

Some residents managed to escape, but it wasn’t easy to avoid the Gestapo. Several individuals fled to Fatebenefratelli Hospital, which was located on an island on the Tiber River just outside of the city’s Jewish quarter. Some of them were patients of doctors who worked there; others were related to one of the physicians.

There are no records of exactly how many Jewish people showed up on the doorstep of the hospital that day — but the decision saved their lives.

The Invention Of Syndrome K

Fatebenefratelli Hospital had already been assisting Jewish residents prior to the Nazi raid on the ghetto. One of the doctors there, Vittorio Emanuele Sacerdoti, was Jewish. Italy had instituted antisemitic laws in the late 1930s, forbidding Jewish physicians from working in public hospitals. Fatebenefratelli was private and thus not subject to the same legislation, but Sacerdoti was permitted to work under a false name for protection.

The head physician there, Giovanni Borromeo, had also installed a secret radio transmitter in the hospital’s basement to help organize partisan resistance. So, when Jewish residents arrived seeking shelter in October 1943, the doctors didn’t think twice.

Yad VashemDr. Giovanni Borromeo, one of the men behind the invention of Syndrome K.

Borromeo, Sacerdoti, and Dr. Adriano Ossicini invented a disease they dubbed “il Morbo di K,” or “Syndrome K.” Its symptoms included convulsions, paralysis, and ultimately death from asphyxiation. The “K” stood for Albert Kesselring, the German officer who served as the commander of the Nazi troops in Italy.

In his interview with La Stampa, Ossicini stated, “Syndrome K was put on patient papers to indicate that the sick person wasn’t sick at all, but Jewish. We created those papers for Jewish people as if they were ordinary patients, and in the moment when we had to say what disease they suffered? It was Syndrome K, meaning, ‘I am admitting a Jew,’ as if he or she were ill, but they were all healthy.”

Dozens of “patients” were admitted to Fatebenefratelli Hospital with this diagnosis, and they were placed in an isolated ward. Doctors claimed that Syndrome K was highly contagious, hoping that the Gestapo would avoid the ward in fear of catching the disease.

The plan worked. Because the alleged symptoms of the disease were similar to tuberculosis, the Germans purportedly believed that the “K” represented Koch’s disease, another name for the illness.

Insanely Practical ProductionsThe ward in Fatebenefratelli Hospital where Syndrome K patients were housed.

Dr. Vittorio Sacerdoti later told the BBC, “[T]he Nazis thought it was cancer or tuberculosis, and they fled like rabbits.”

One of the patients admitted under the Syndrome K diagnosis was Sacerdoti’s 10-year-old cousin, Luciana. “The day the Nazis came to the hospital,” she told the BBC, “someone came to our room and said: ‘You have to cough a lot because they are afraid of the coughing, they don’t want to catch an awful disease and they won’t enter.'”

While several Jewish people were ultimately arrested at the hospital — and others were likely captured after they left the ward — the ruse saved at least 20 lives, and potentially up to 100. And it was all thanks to the brave doctors, nurses, and staff members who put their own safety on the line to help others.

The Heroes Behind Syndrome K

Little is known about Sacerdoti’s life after the war aside from the fact that he was still living in Rome’s Jewish quarter at the time of his death in the early 2000s.

Adriano Ossicini, one of the other doctors credited with the invention of Syndrome K, began volunteering at Fatebenefratelli Hospital in 1937. As a left-wing Catholic, he was outspoken against fascism, and he was even imprisoned in the spring of 1943 for criticizing the regime. During the war, he helped found the Party of the Christian Left, and he went on to become a psychology professor and served in the Italian Senate.

The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation/YouTubeDr. Adriano Ossicini in a 2016 interview with La Stampa.

Then, there was Giovanni Borromeo. He was also Catholic, and he had worked at Fatebenefratelli Hospital since the early 1930s. He died in 1961, long before the truth about Syndrome K was revealed, and he was posthumously named “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem in 2004.

The doctors were assisted by Father Maurizio Bialek, the Polish-born head priest of the hospital. A Syndrome K patient named Gabriele Sonnino — who was just four years old during the raid on the Jewish ghetto — told the Catholic publication Aleteia in 2016, “[Bialek] was my second father. I owe him my life.”

Sonnino recalled his time in the hospital, saying, “There were kids my age. We could not do anything all day, and did not know why we were locked up in there. We felt it was a punishment. Today we know it was salvation.”

While these men were certainly heroic, the operation was only made possible with the help of the entire hospital staff, who went along with the plan and knew exactly what to do when confronted with an incoming patient diagnosed with Syndrome K. Had any single hospital worker spoken up and alerted German officials, every Jewish patient may have been sent to perish in concentration camps.

Stefano Montesi/Corbis via Getty ImagesJewish survivors from Fatebenefratelli Hospital embrace during a reunion on June 21, 2016.

In 2016, the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation recognized the Fatebenefratelli Hospital as a “House of Life.” Luciana — the cousin of Dr. Sacerdoti — spoke at the ceremony, stating, “I think that there was no patient in this hospital. All the people I saw were healthy. We were refugees who found a home here.”

Today, a plaque at the hospital on the Tiber River reads, “This place was a beacon of light in the darkness of the Holocaust. It is our moral duty to remember these great heroes for new generations to recognize and appreciate them.”

After reading about the fake illness that saved Jewish Romans during World War II, view these heartrending photos from the Holocaust. Then, see what Jewish life in Europe looked like before the Holocaust.

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AATurtle iconography was widespread and varied in the prehistoric world, leaving researchers unsure about what these particular turtles were meant to symbolize.

Archaeologists excavating a cave near Gedikkaya Hill in northwestern Turkey discovered approximately 25 limestone turtle figurines that date as far back as 14500 B.C.E.

Although more analysis must be done to determine the purpose of these sculptures, researchers suspect that they played a ritualistic role, and could thus provide rare insight into prehistoric ceremonial practices in the region.

The Discovery Of 25 Prehistoric Turtle Figurines Inside A Turkish Cave

The figurines were found inside İn Cave in the İnhisar district of Bilecik Province. The excavations were conducted between May and July 2026, and led by Professor Deniz Sarı of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University.

About 25 turtle figurines were found in all — most of them limestone, while a few were reportedly also covered with clay. The largest turtle measures about 12 inches long by eight inches wide.

AA/FacebookThe turtles generally remain intact, even after 16,500 years.

Radiocarbon dating has indicated that the sculptures were fashioned somewhere between 14,500 B.C.E. and 11,200 B.C.E., which would place the artifacts in the Epipaleolithic period.

In 2017, during surface surveys, researchers discovered the possible presence of prehistoric archaeological treasures within the cave. Then, excavations conducted by the Bilecik Museum occurred between 2019 and 2023, and once again in 2026.

AA/FacebookMost of the sculptures were in rough shape, indicating to researchers that they were not carved for decorative purposes — but instead for ritualistic ones.

This year’s discovery of the turtle figurines has given researchers insight into the role that this cave served during the late Ice Age. Rather than being a purely domestic cave, the site could have also had ritualistic functions as well.

“The artefacts unearthed showed us that this is an important cult and ritual area,” excavations leader Sarı said to the Turkish news outlet AA. “With the turtle figurines we found this year, the ritual context of the cave has been taken to a different dimension.”

What This Find Could Reveal About Ice Age Rituals In The Region

Many of these turtle figurines had been roughly shaped, which researchers do not view as the result of unskilled craftsmanship, but rather evidence for the theory that these objects were produced specifically for ritual uses rather than fine decorations to simply be displayed.

Sarı furthermore suggested that the figurines may have been placed deliberately into the ground, which would indicate a ritualistic function, rather than a decorative one.

“There is a circular architectural arrangement here. Around it, we found turtle figurines made from limestone, many of them incomplete or quickly shaped, inserted upright into the soil,” Sarı said.

AA/FacebookResearchers believe that the turtle figurines served a ritualistic purpose, though what exactly that may have been remains unknown.

Sarı compared the arrangement of the figurines with much later practices associated with Hidirellez, a traditional spring festival where people write down wishes and bury them.

Researchers are also entertaining a theory that the prehistoric communities around the cave viewed the shape of Gedikkaya Hill as resembling a turtle. Sarı told AA that some of the smaller sculptures seem to have been deliberately designed in a shape reminiscent of the hill.

If more evidence for this theory emerges, it could point to a prehistoric reverence for the natural landscape and early proof of what archaeologists could describe as a mountain cult.

However, Sarı cautioned that more analysis needs to be done before making any conclusive interpretations.

AAIn the prehistoric world, turtles could symbolize everything from longevity to resilience to good fortune.

Turtle symbolism is known to be significant in other prehistoric contexts and societies, including the Natufian culture of the Near East and even earlier Upper Paleolithic communities.

In later cultures, turtles came to represent values of longevity and resilience, but determining whether the prehistoric inhabitants near İn Cave attributed similar symbolism to turtles will take more research.

Still, the dating of the figurines alone makes this a particularly important discovery. The period between 14,500 B.C.E. and 11,200 B.C.E. unfolded before the dawn of human agriculture and large settlements in the region. Instead, communities at the time were still predominantly hunter-gatherer groups.

Archaeological discoveries from this time period have increasingly revealed hunter-gatherers’ symbolic and ceremonial traditions, and the turtle figurines only add to this knowledge, providing researchers with a window into the rituals of people living in Anatolia during the late Ice Age.

The 25 turtle artifacts were transferred to the Bilecik Museum and Bilecik Şeyh Edebali for further study, hopefully bringing researchers one step closer to revealing what their true purpose was many thousands of years ago.

After reading about the Ice Age turtle figurines found in a Turkish cave, see the other cave in Turkey that was found to contain more than 100 prehistoric paintings. Then, learn about Turkey’s Göbekli Tepe, believed to be the oldest temple in the world.

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Christie’sThe Krupp Diamond, also known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, which the actress owned for 43 years.

The Krupp Diamond, also known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, was one of Elizabeth Taylor’s most beloved jewels. But it had a dramatic history before it landed on the iconic actress’ finger.

Before Richard Burton bought the 33-carat diamond for Taylor in 1968, it had been owned by Nazis, stolen in a bold robbery, and recovered by the FBI.

But after Burton gifted the diamond to Taylor, his then wife, it became one of her most prized possessions. Elizabeth Taylor owned the jewel until her death 43 years later.

The Murky Early History Of The Krupp Diamond

Though it’s one of the most famous diamonds in history, no one is sure where the Krupp Diamond originally came from. Only Natural Diamonds reports that it likely originated in the Golconda region of India or from the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa. What is known is that the diamond is one of the most spectacular in the world, its quality akin to the infamous Koh-I-Noor Diamond. And by the 20th century, it was owned by a Nazi.

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park/FacebookVera and Alfried Krupp before their divorce.

Indeed, the first known owner of the Krupp Diamond was Vera Krupp, a German actress who had been gifted the diamond by her husband, the Nazi industrialist Alfried Krupp. After the couple divorced in the 1950s, Vera purchased a ranch, which she called Spring Mountain Ranch, near Las Vegas.

Vera brought her 33.19-carat diamond ring with her. The stone, with parallel facets described as “an endless hallway with reflective mirrors,” was worth $275,000 in 1959 — or more than $3 million today.

And Vera always kept the jewel close. The diamond ring always sat on Vera’s finger, even when she went into town to buy groceries. But then, on April 10, 1959, someone knocked on the door of Vera’s home.

The Theft Of The Krupp Diamond

Around 8:30 p.m. that night, Vera Krupp and her rancher foreman, Harold Martin Brotherson, were finishing dinner when three men appeared at the door. As the FBI reports, the men claimed that they could help Vera blacktop her driveway. But as Vera tried to decline their offer, explaining that the roads belonged to the county, the men forced their way inside.

“The fellow had a gun in his hand and went to my side and said something about not being a hero,” Brotherson recalled, per the National Archives. “He then told me to put my hands behind my back and handcuffed me. He then put a piece of adhesive tape across my eyes… [and] made me get on the floor and put Vera next to me and started to tie us together with wire.”

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park/FacebookVera Krupp wore her ring everywhere — even while grocery shopping.

Then the robbers turned their attention to the Krupp Diamond.

“The third man attempted to take her ring off her finger and because she kept the ring tight, he had trouble and she was afraid he would tear her finger off,” the FBI recorded. “She told him to wait and she would spit on her finger so the ring could come off easier, but he kept pulling and the ring came off, cutting her finger as it came off.”

Then the robbers fled into the night. In addition to the Krupp Diamond, they had also stolen a pistol and $700,000 in cash.

The FBI Recovers The Stolen Jewel

After the robbers left, Vera and Brotherson were able to free themselves and alert the police. The FBI — which presumed that the jewel would cross state lines — quickly took over the search for the Krupp Diamond.

Their top suspect was John William Hagenson, a fugitive behind a similar theft in California. The FBI tracked him across the country and arrested him and two accomplices in Louisiana that April.

FBIThe FBI tracked the robbers across the country, ultimately recovering the Krupp Diamond in six weeks.

But Hagenson no longer had the diamond.

The FBI had to expand their investigation. They connected Hagenson to more suspects, and ultimately found the Krupp Diamond in the lining of one of the suspect’s coats. The agents also recovered two baguette diamonds from a jeweler in St. Louis, and returned the jewels to Vera Krupp.

Vera, in turn, sent the diamond to to jeweler Harry Winston, who reset it on a platinum band. Winston also made a glass replica of the diamond as a gift for the FBI as a thanks for their recovery of the jewel.

The Krupp Diamond remained in Vera Krupp’s possession until her death in 1967. Then, the stunning jewel went up for auction.

How The Krupp Diamond Became The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond

On May 16, 1968, actor Richard Burton bought the Krupp Diamond at auction for $305,000 (roughly $3 million), more than anyone had ever paid at auction for a diamond ring before. He gifted the ring to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor.

“I wanted the diamond because it is incomparably lovely,” Burton stated, “and it should be on the loveliest woman in the world.”

Universal PicturesElizabeth Taylor wore the Krupp Diamond in the 1968 film “Boom!”

The Krupp Diamond, since known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, quickly became one of the actress’ favorite pieces from her jewelry collection.

“This remarkable stone is called the Krupp Diamond because it has been owned by Vera Krupp,” Taylor later wrote. “When I look into it the deep Asscher cuts – which are so complete and so ravishing – are like steps that lead into eternity and beyond. My ring gives me the strangest feeling for beauty. With its sparks of red and white and blue and purple, and on and on, it sort of hums with its own beatific life. To me, the Krupp says, ‘I want to share my chemistry – my magic – with you.”

The Krupp Diamond became so linked with Elizabeth Taylor that the cartoon version of the actress wore the ring on The Simpsons in 1993. Taylor lovingly called the diamond “her baby, 33 Carats and Growing.”

Elizabeth Taylor kept the diamond even after both her divorces from Burton (one in 1974, and one in 1976). She ultimately owned it for 43 years, until her death on March 23, 2011.

Classic Hollywood HQ/FacebookThe Elizabeth Taylor Diamond on display in Los Angeles, California, in 2011.

At that point, the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond was put up for auction by Christie’s to benefit the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. It was purchased by the South Korean conglomerate E-Land for $8.8 million, and the company stated that it planned to display the diamond at a theme park in Daegu.

After reading about the dramatic history of the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, learn about the infamous curse of the Hope Diamond. Or, go inside the wild story of the Antwerp Diamond Heist.

The post The Dramatic History Of The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, From Its Nazi Origins To Its Longtime Ownership By The Beloved Actress appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Believed to have lived in a cave with about 50 immediate family members, all born of incest, the Beans were known for robbing, kidnapping, and eventually murdering strangers whom they later dismembered and ate. Over the course of 25 bloody years, the Beans are said to have cannibalized 1,000 people.

The grisly tale is also believed to be the true story behind The Hills Have Eyes, the terrifying cult horror classic. But is the legend of Sawney Bean even real?

Sawney Bean Spawns A Criminal Brood

Public DomainThe grisly crimes of Sawney Bean and his cannibalistic brood are believed to have inspired The Hills Have Eyes.

The man known as Alexander Sawney Bean was supposedly born in the late 1600s near Edinburgh, Scotland, though very little is actually known about his early life. According to Scottish historian Dr. Louise Yeoman, Bean’s story might actually begin at the turn of the 17th century, though he does not appear in the historical record until nearly a century later in 1755.

Yeoman adds that Bean is also placed in the 15th century, during the reign of James I of Scotland, though that King James may have been conflated with King James VI who ruled Scotland at the turn of the 17th century.

But no matter what time period in which Sawney Bean may reside, he is always viewed as a merciless barbarian.

Public DomainSawney Bean keeps watch over his cave of horrors.

Bean might also have originally been a tanner by trade, others say that he was first a hedger and a ditcher. Nevertheless, most accounts agree that Bean eventually left these trades behind and took up with a woman, sometimes called Black Agnes Douglas, in Ayrshire.

The legend goes that the Beans retreated from society and confined themselves in a cave over the sea. Now called Bennane Cave, the hideaway was said to become hidden when the tide rose high enough.

This giant rock formation was allegedly equipped with various tunnels that spanned over a mile in depth and allowed ample space for the young couple to start and raise a hideous family.

Mary and Angus Hogg/Public DomainBennane Cave, where Alexander Sawney Bean and his clan were said to live.

The Bean clan grew quickly, with Sawney Bean’s wife eventually giving birth to 14 kids. With ever-increasing mouths to feed and no real trade to fall back on, Bean turned to robbery and murder to make ends meet. And it didn’t take long for his family to help him with his crimes.

The Bean Clan Develops A Taste For Flesh

The Beans worked together to ambush lone travelers and local passersby and were consequently left with a mountain of bodies to dispose of. As the legend goes, this is how the Beans ultimately turned to cannibalism.

The criminal clan was said to hack up the bodies of their victims, quarter them, and pickle them in their cave.

As time went on, the family continued to grow. The cave eventually became home to 18 grandsons, and 14 granddaughters — all born out of incest. The Bean clan eventually numbered 45 — and all of them had a hankering for human flesh.

With what was essentially a small army to help him, Sawney Bean went on to orchestrate ambushes with military precision, tracking and pouncing upon their victims before dragging their lifeless bodies back to the cave to be consumed.

British Library/FlickrHistorians posit that the story of Sawney Bean was just that — a story — and one that was meant to denigrate the Scots.

A list of missing persons grew by the day and occasionally limbs would wash ashore, but the Beans, hidden from society, went undetected.

Instead, local innkeepers became suspects as they were usually the last people to have seen the missing person in question. Many innkeepers grew fearful of being wrongly accused and several of them abandoned their inns for other occupations entirely.

A Fitting, Grisly End

But the Bean clan’s reign of terror was not to last.

One day, the Beans encircled a husband and wife on horseback as they returned from a local fair. The Beans ambushed the couple from behind and took the woman down immediately, gutting her and gnashing on her entrails.

Her husband, who witnessed the horror, fought the Beans hard. He barreled over several of them with his horse and pulled out both a sword and a pistol until he was released from their grip.

By this time, a group of about 30 fellow fair-goers had made their way along the same path, and when the Beans took notice of them, they retreated — though not before exposing themselves as the cannibalistic, cave-dwelling murderers that they were.

Pubic DomainAnother depiction of Sawney Bean, this time in more clothing, as his wife drags off the legs of their latest victim.

Meanwhile, the husband made his way to Glasgow, where he implored King James VI to do something about the Bean clan. The king is said to then have personally led a mob of 400 men. The king’s bloodhounds led the charge to Bennane Cave, where they were met with an unfathomable scene of carnage, severed limbs, hanging bodies, and piles of stolen loot.

Captured without incident, the Beans were arrested and taken to Leith, Scotland, where they awaited execution.

The locals were said to have been so disgusted with the Bean family that they demanded a more painful punishment than mere death. As a result, 21 of the Bean women were burned to death. The men were dismembered and left to bleed out.

Was The Legend Of Sawney Bean Just Anti-Scot Propaganda?

Many historians contend that the horrific story of Sawney Bean is likely just that — a story.

Wikimedia CommonsIn an effort to defame the Scots, it’s believed the English began rumors that, like Sawney Bean, they were cannibals and savages.

Besides a story of Bean from 1755, there are no contemporary records to verify his existence.

There are also no records of the missing persons, the various innkeepers forced to abandon their trades, or even the 400-person manhunt led by the King of Scotland himself. Indeed, Yeoman asserted that if the king had led a charge to dispose of a family of cannibalistic Scots hiding in a cave, there most certainly would be a record of it.

So where did this legend originate? Some historians, including Yeoman, contend that it was simply an English propaganda tool.

“It sounds like the plot for a box-office-topping horror film and that’s because it was invented to serve a very similar purpose – to sell books,” Yeoman said. “It also has a more sinister subtext – the books it sold were published not in Scotland but in England, at a time when there was widespread prejudice against Scots.”

Yeoman said that the English media often portrayed the Scottish as sinister barbarians during the late 17th and early 18th centuries because the Scots were trying to reinstate one of their own on the British throne. In an effort to disenfranchise their cause, such stories were passed along. And the name “Sawney” was actually a term used to describe a cartoonish Scottish character.

“It’s like calling a cartoon Irishman Paddy. The Sawney story was a dig at Scots – a people so barbarous they could produce a monster like Sawney, who lived in a cave and ate people.”

The True Story Of The Hills Have Eyes

The gruesome story of Alexander Sawney Bean, whether true or not, would nonetheless go on to inspire media for years to come. As it turns out, Sawney Bean is even behind the true story of The Hills Have Eyes, a horror cult classic.

The grisly film centers around a family who has become stranded in the Nevada desert and are subsequently hunted and terrorized by a group of inbred mutants who live in the nearby mountains. In the movie, just as in the story of Sawney Bean, this terrifying brood of cannibals preys on unsuspecting travelers, murdering, eating, and pickling them in their house of horrors.

The film was directed by writer and filmmaker Wes Craven and released in 1977 to terrified audiences. According to Craven, The Hills Have Eyes, “Came form an article I saw in the New York library about the Sawney Beane [sic] Family.”

Craven’s version of the tale of Sawney Bean, as might be expected with any legend, is slightly different from the usual canon. According to Craven, “In the 1700s in Scotland I believe, there was an area that had road running through it from Scotland, and people thought it was haunted because people kept disappearing from that road.”

Craven was privy to the part of the Bean tale in which one man managed to escape the cannibals’ onslaught and alert the king. But Craven also found a surprising nugget of irony in the tale. After the king and his angry mob find the Bean clan, “The [authorities] did the most excruciating things to them. I responded to the irony of it, of people who should be nice and civilized doing horrible things. And horrible people having a nice side to them, too.”

Whether the Bean family had any sort of “nice side” is certainly not clear from the legends, but perhaps Wes Craven is justified in trying to find a silver lining to this otherwise harrowing tale.

After learning about Sawney Bean and the true story of “The Hills Have Eyes,” learn about another terrifying myth — that of Slender Man. Then, check out another legendary group of Scots known as the the Picts, the ancient blue-colored wild men who helped defend Scotland from the Romans. Finally, learn about the murder and cannibalism of Michael Rockefeller.

The post Inside The Story Of Sawney Bean And His Clan Of Cannibal Killers That Inspired ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Irrationally motivated by The Purge (2013), 19-year-old Johnathan Cruz purposefully killed three strangers. Patricia Ann Frazier, in her own unique blending of fact and fiction, was so mentally disturbed by the 1973 movie The Exorcist that she cut her daughter’s heart out.

As far as murders inspired by horror movies go, these eleven cases certainly run the gamut. Some perpetrators were mentally disturbed long before dwelling on a particular film. Others were sound of mind when they planned their murders after watching the fictional crimes onscreen. In every case, however, it certainly appears that horror movies inspired them to kill.

How Scream Inspired Two Cousins To Kill

Dimension FilmsInspired by Scream, Mario Padilla stabbed his mother to death.

Scream revolved around two teenagers who embarked on a killing spree that subverted famous horror movie tropes. It begins with the murder of a high school girl portrayed by Drew Barrymore and centers on a classmate whose mother was murdered. Mario Padilla’s plan appeared glaringly similar.

Inspired by Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997), the 17-year-old convinced his 14-year-old cousin Samuel Ramirez to help. They went through with it on Jan. 13, 1998 — using four knives and a screwdriver to do the deed.

Padilla stabbed his mother Gina Castillo to death — while Ramirez held her down.

“My son, he’s 16, he just stabbed me,” said Castillo on the phone to 911. “I’m bleeding. Oh, I’m bleeding.”

While Compton Superior Court Judge John Cheroske disallowed any mention of the Scream movies at trial, the teenage killers had admitted to their influence upon being arrested. Preliminary hearings showed that Padilla had also targeted a classmate who resembled Drew Barrymore — and revealed more shocking details about what they had planned.

The crime had been developing for years. The teenagers had planned to buy a pair of costumes and electronic voice modulators made famous by the films in order to mask their identities.

Los Angeles Police DepartmentMario Padilla and Samuel Ramirez had planned to kill five more people.

“I have been watching television since the age of seven,” said Padilla. “It is ironic how people say do not let your kids watch TV at that age, because it really does affect them. All I would do is fantasize how to do things I could not do.”

The teens had apparently stolen $150 in baptismal gifts for Castillo’s one-month-old daughter and planned to kill her husband, Pedro Castillo, next. Fortunately, police arrived before they could — also finding evidence that they had planned on murdering five other people.

Convicted of first-degree murder and five counts of conspiracy to murder, Padilla was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and Ramirez to 25 years to life.

“You need a cat to copy. In this case, Scream is that cat,” said psychologist Madeline Levine. “There were a whole bunch of reasons why they acted out that way. But did the movie provide a blueprint? Absolutely.”

Halloween II And The Richard Boyer Murders

Universal PicturesMirroring Halloween II (1981), Richard Boyer stabbed an elderly couple to death in their kitchen.

John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) was made on a shoestring budget yet became the most successful independent film of all time. It introduced a slasher icon for the ages in Michael Myers, a 6-year-old boy who murdered his sister and returned to kill again on Halloween 15 years later.

While its 1981 sequel wasn’t as critically acclaimed, it was the first time the character of Michael Myers inspired a violent crime offscreen. The film featured Myers breaking into the home of an elderly couple to steal a kitchen knife — while someone in reality went a step further.

On Dec. 7, 1982, Richard Delmer Boyer entered the residence of Francis and Eileen Harbitz and stabbed the elderly couple to death. Their bodies were found five days later by their son William. Francis was found propped up against a blood-spattered hallway wall while his wife was lying in a pool of blood — with 43 stab wounds between the two.

Boyer had done yard work for the couple in the past, and their son remembered that he always carried a buck knife on his belt, so suspicion naturally fell on Boyer. A search of the El Monte, California, resident’s home yielded a knife covered in blood residue, leading to his arrest.

San Quentin State PrisonBoyer remains on death dow to this day.

Boyer confessed to the killings during his arrest, but a mistrial was declared when it was discovered his admission had been obtained in violation of his Miranda rights. Retried in 1984, he claimed to have no memory of the murders and blamed Halloween II for the crimes he committed.

Boyer said he had driven to the Harbitz home to borrow money, but that he had smoked PCP on the way and suffered a violent flashback to Halloween II upon arriving. He also claimed to have seen it countless times while inebriated.

While a feature film being submitted as evidence at a murder trial was a historic first, the jury ultimately found Boyer’s defense improbable. He was sentenced to death for two counts of first-degree murder.

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Chao Yen/FlickrA bristlecone pine in eastern California similar to Methuselah.

Deep in the White Mountains of the Inyo Valley in eastern California, at a location that remains secret to this day, is the oldest tree in the world. The so-called Methuselah tree is almost 5,000 years old.

Named for the Biblical figure Methuselah, who allegedly died at the age of 969, the world’s oldest tree started growing back in the early Bronze Age. It predates the Pyramids of Giza, Jesus Christ, and the Roman Empire.

But while its been considered the oldest tree on Earth since the 1950s, the Methuselah tree is one of many extraordinarily old trees on Earth.

Discovering The Oldest Tree In The World

Wikimedia CommonsTrees in the Methuselah Grove, home of the oldest tree in the world.

In the 1950s, Edmund Schulman, a pioneering dendrochronologist — someone who studies the age of trees — ventured into California’s Inyo Valley to study its trees. He took samples and soon determined that the trees in the grove, located in the White Mountains, were astonishingly old.

“By 1956 we knew for a fact that we had here trees in the 4,000-year-plus class, incredible though it seemed,” Schulman wrote for National Geographic.

But one of the trees, which Schulman called the “Great-Granddad Pickaback,” was older than the rest. By taking a core sample of the tree, Schulman found that it “had begun growth more than 4,600 years ago.”

Today, that tree is known as the Methuselah tree.

Methuselah, The 4,800-Year-Old California Tree

Today, the Methuselah tree is estimated to be roughly 4,850 years old. According to the Washington Post, one of Methuselah’s rumored cores showed that it was even older, but this core, if it exists, has been lost.

So what is the oldest tree like? And where exactly is it located?

Wikimedia CommonsCalifornia’s Methuselah grove, which is home to the Methuselah tree.

As the National Park Service reports, the Methuselah tree is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine. These trees were first documented in 1853 by a botanist named F. Cruetzfeldt, who encountered the grove while seeking a new route over the Rocky Mountains. They’ve since been documented in six states.

These trees are known for their longevity (though Methuselah is 1,000 years older than any living Bristlecone Pine today) but they aren’t especially tall; most grow to be between 40 and 60 feet. (The world’s tallest tree, the California redwood known as “Hyperion” is more than 300 feet tall. However, it’s much younger than Methuselah at between 600 and 800 years old.)

Wikimedia CommonsBristlecone pines in the Methuselah Grove.

As for the location of the Methuselah tree? Though it’s known to be located in the Inyo National Forest, and some have tracked it down, the tree’s exact location is kept a secret for its own protection. After all, this tree’s life spans an incredible swath of history, from the early Bronze Age to present day.

But while the Methuselah tree is considered the oldest tree in the world, other candidates have emerged to challenge its title.

The Oldest Tree In The World?

What is the oldest tree in the world? One challenge in determining this is clonal trees, trees that share a root system. While the root system itself may be extremely old, the trees are clones, and usually much younger.

Wikimedia Commons Pando, the world’s oldest clonal organism.

One example of this is the giant quaking aspen tree colony in Utah known as “Pando”. Pando’s root system is incredibly old, with estimates ranging from 8,000 to 80,000 years. But its trees are far younger — only about 100 years old. When one tree dies, another grows up from the roots.

There are other clonal trees similar to Pando elsewhere in the world. In Sweden, there’s a 9,000-year-old Norway spruce known as Old Tjikko. But while it looks like a single tree, it is also a clonal tree.

That said, there are also non-clonal trees that have challenged Methuselah’s status as the world’s oldest tree.

In 1964, for example, a graduate student enlisted the help of the United States Forest Service to cut down a bristlecone pine tree in order to study it. Unfortunately, the research showed that they had just cut down the oldest tree in the world. Known as “Prometheus,” the tree was estimated to be 4,862 years — older than Methuselah. But Methuselah was able to retain the title of the oldest tree on earth because Prometheus had been felled.

Another candidate is a Patagonian cypress in Chile, known as Alerce Milenario or Gran Abuelo (“great-grandfather”) which could be as old as 4,800 years. This would make the tree slightly older than Methuselah, but its exact age hasn’t yet been confirmed. Other candidates are Wales’ Llangernyw Yew, Scotland’s Fortingall Yew, and Iran’s Sarv-e Abarkuh, all of which are rumored to be around 5,000 years old.

However, their ages have not been verified. Until further studies are conducted on these trees, Methuselah remains the world’s oldest trees.

Curiously, however, there’s also another tree in the Methuselah grove, which Shulman’s notes suggested could be more than 5,000 years old. However, Schulman died shortly after publishing his findings, and mystery surrounds this tree’s exact location today.

Wikimedia CommonsThe grove where the oldest tree in the world is located.

As such, Methuselah continues to hold its “oldest tree in the world” status. Incredibly, it started to grow around 2800 B.C.E., before the Pyramids were built, before Julius Caesar rose to power in Rome, before Jesus Christ was born, and long before the establishment of the United States.

Estimated to be roughly 4,850 years old, the Methuselah tree has borne witness to an incredible span of Earth’s history. Protected deep in the California forest, its exact location kept secret from the world, it will hopefully continue to grow for thousands of years to come.

After this look at the Methuselah tree, the 4,850-year-old California pine tree that’s considered to be the oldest tree in the world, check out the sad story of Stuckie, the mummified dog who died after getting stuck in a tree. Then, step inside India’s astounding Great Banyan Tree.

The post The Oldest Tree On Earth Is A California Pine That Predates Stonehenge And The Pyramids appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsFelix Baumgartner in 2014.

Felix Baumgartner lived his life on the edge. A daring skydiver and BASE jumper, he set a number of world records, and even became the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall. But though he reached great heights during his life, he sadly lost his life while paragliding in 2025.

Before he died at the age of 56, Baumgartner was known for his daring, breathtaking stunts. He jumped off the tallest buildings in the world, leaped from Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue, flew across the English channel using carbon fiber wings, and partnered with Red Bull to pull off a stunning 24-mile plunge from the stratosphere.

But in the end, Baumgartner’s passion for adventure became his death knell. On July 17, 2025, Felix Baumgartner died in a paragliding accident in Italy.

The Early Life Of Felix Baumgartner

Felix Baumgartner was born on April 20, 1969, in Salzburg, Austria. According to The Telegraph, Baumgartner was fascinated by heights from an early age. As a young boy, he constantly asked friends and family to throw him high in the air, and when he was just five years old, he drew a picture of a man with a parachute, captioned: “I had a dream…and this was it!!!”.

Red BullFelix Baumgartner, seen here climbing a tree at a young age, was drawn to heights even as a boy.

Drawn to the adrenaline and thrill of jumping, Baumgartner went on his first parachute jump at the age of 17. Then, while completing his National Service in the Austrian army, he honed his skydiving skills on the army’s parachute display team. By the time his military service ended in the 1990s, Baumgartner decide to devote himself to skydiving — and BASE jumping.

While skydiving is a popular pursuit for many, BASE jumping is far more dangerous. BASE stands for “buildings, antennae, span, earth,” and it involves jumping from fixed objects such as skyscrapers, cliffs, or bridges. And since BASE jumping involves jumping from much lower heights than skydiving, it calls for extreme focus and precision. There is far less room for error.

Felix Baumgartner became very, very good at it.

The Daredevil Career Of Felix Baumgartner

In 1999, Felix Baumgartner leaped from the the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The buildings, at 1,483 feet, were the tallest in the world at the time, and Baumgartner set a world record for highest parachute jump.

Baumgartner wanted more. Later that year, he set out to jump from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Because it was a “short” distance (roughly 100 feet), Baumgartner had no room for error. According to the BBC, the organizer of the jump called Baumgartner “the craziest base jumper in the world,” adding, “normally, you need [160 to 200 feet]. It’s extremely dangerous.” But Baumgartner pulled it off.

Next, Baumgartner took things even further — he set out to fly.

In 2003, Baumgartner set out on one of the most ambitious wingsuit flights ever. Working with Red Bull, he jumped out of airplane flying 30,000 feet over England and “flew” over the English Channel in a carbon-fiber wing suit.

Wikimedia CommonsThe suit Felix Baumgartner used to fly across the English Channel.

But even these stunts weren’t enough to satisfy Baumgartner’s hunger for height. In 2004, he became the first person to leap from the Millau Viaduct in France, then the highest bridge in the world. Three years later, he jumped from the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, then the world’s highest building.

There was only one place higher that Felix Baumgartner could jump from: the stratosphere.

The 2012 Red Bull ‘Stratos’ Jump

Seeking greater heights, Felix Baumgartner worked with Red Bull to break the record for the highest freefall parachute jump. Baumgartner would jump from the stratosphere, a full 24 miles from the Earth’s surface.

In this case, it wasn’t only the height of the jump that was daunting. Baumgartner needed to wear a special suit for the jump, and it was absolutely vital that the suit worked. If something went wrong, Baumgartner’s blood could boil, and he would be dead in just 15 seconds. But Baumgartner struggled with claustrophobia while wearing the restrictive suit. He ultimately sought out sports psychologists to overcome his fear, and after two test jumps in 2012, set out for the main event.

On Oct. 14, 2012, eight million watched live as Baumgartner risked it all.

Baumgartner took a helium balloon up into the stratosphere, and prepared to jump from a tiny exterior platform at 128,100 feet. “I know the whole world is watching now,” he said, “and I wish the world could see what I see.”

Red BullFelix Baumgartner just before he leaped from the stratosphere — and plummeted 24 miles back down to Earth.

Then he jumped.

The daredevil plummeted to the earth at more than 800 miles per hour, but never lost consciousness. He deployed his parachute after entering Earth’s atmosphere four minutes after jumping, breaking three world records: highest freefall, highest crewed balloon flight, and first person to travel faster than the speed of sound in freefall.

As his family watched, Baumgartner landed safely — and triumphantly — on the ground.

The Death Of Felix Baumgartner

Given all the great risks that Felix Baumgartner had taken, a simple paragliding outing didn’t seem all that dangerous. But on July 17, 2025, Baumgartner tragically died while paragliding in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy.

Baumgartner appeared to lose control of the motorized paraglider moments after takeoff, with witnesses seeing him crash into the swimming pool area of a seaside resort. Baumgartner died at the scene. He was 56 years old.

A subsequent investigation found that Felix Baumgartner’s death was due to human error. The paraglider had been in perfect condition. Somehow, Baumgartner had lost control of the device.

“He fell into a spiral, and he could not get out,” Prosecutor Raffaele Iannella stated. “He was unable to do the maneuver that he should have done to exit.”

Wikimedia CommonsA commemorative stone to Felix Baumgartner in Vienna.

Baumgartner’s death prompted widespread tributes from fellow pilots, skydivers, and BASE jumpers, as well as extreme sports athletes around the world. Red Bull remembered him as a loyal, brave, determined person.

“You always sought out the greatest challenges and mastered them with sharp thinking, relentless precision and a good dose of courage,” the company wrote after his death. “You delved deep into every project. No detail was too small, no risk too great – as long as you could calculate it.”

Indeed, Felix Baumgartner’s name is now synonymous with daring and bravery. During his life, he pushed himself to jump from greater and greater heights — until there was no more sky left to conquer.

After learning about Felix Baumgartner, read about skydiving Google executive Alan Eustace, who later broke Baumgartner’s altitude record. Then, learn about daring stuntman Karl Wallenda.

The post The Story Of Felix Baumgartner, The Extreme Skydiver And BASE Jumper Who Astonished The World, Then Perished Tragically appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Burntisland Heritage TrustThe Blessing of Burntisland was carrying Charles I’s treasure and baggage when it sank off the coast of Scotland in 1633.

After almost 400 years, a royal ship of England’s King Charles I that sank off the coast of Scotland while laden with his treasure may have finally been found. Burntisland Heritage Trust believe their team has located the wreck of the Blessing of Burntisland in the Firth of Forth bay in southeastern Scotland.

While the group describes the chances that they have indeed found this wreck — at a site sitting about a mile from Burntisland — as “promising,” they’ve also urged caution that more testing needs to be done in order to absolutely confirm that they’ve finally found this fabled shipwreck.

The Royal Treasure Ship Of Charles I That Sank In Scotland In 1633

The Blessing of Burntisland was traveling from Burntisland to Leith as part of Charles I’s Scottish coronation tour in 1633. But on July 10, stormy weather descended upon the seas.

Public DomainCharles I likely covered up the shipwreck due to fear of political embarrassment.

Charles I was aboard a different vessel for the tour, which survived the storm. But the Blessing of Burntisland, carrying his baggage and treasure, sank during the short voyage. Reportedly, only two of the 35 people on board the Blessing survived.

According to the Burntisland Heritage Trust, the accident was likely covered up due to potential political embarrassment, which also meant that no one was looking for the wreck for decades.

The cargo lost with the wreck reportedly included royal jewelry, textiles, coins, and precious-metal plates — in total, valued at around £100,000 at the time, or some $27 million today.

Historical accounts have also suggested that a gold and silver dinner service commissioned for King Henry VIII during the 16th century was also aboard the vessel. But no official inventory or valuation of those goods was established.

The exact dimensions of the ship are also unknown, but surveys have found that the wreck suspected of being the Blessing of Burntisland is about 55 feet in length.

The Possible Discovery Of The Blessing of Burntisland

The Burntisland Heritage Trust stated that they found the possible location of the wreck with a combination of subsea ground-penetrating radar, various advanced scanning techniques, and direct examination via diving.

Wikimedia CommonsThe wreck is believed to have been discovered in the Firth of Forth, just a mile from shore.

“Core samples now strongly point to the wreck being that of the Blessing,” a report from the trust said, according to Divernet.

“We may have found the site of a historic wreck, but we have not yet identified it,” said search team leader Ian Archibald. “We have retrieved a timber sample but we do not know at this stage what ship that has come from. The next stage would be carbon-dating.”

The team has reported the recovered timber to the Receiver of Wreck, a government official who presides over matters of shipwrecks and maritime treasure.

Although still unconfirmed as of now, this promising find is exciting for the trust, which has been involved in more than 30 years of investigations related to the Blessing of Burntisland. According to a short history of the search on the trust’s website, the trust took over the search after an American exploration company pulled out in 1996.

In previous searches, scuba divers attempting to investigate sonar targets have struggled with strong tides, deep silt, and low visibility.

Wikimedia CommonsCharles I was later tried, convicted, and executed for high treason in 1649 after years of clashing with Parliament over the extent of his powers as part of the English Civil War.

Over time, despite the difficult conditions, the team did make some finds — though not the royal treasure ship they were hoping for. The discoveries included pottery, shoe leather, and fastenings, but none helped identify the Blessing. Instead, the team discovered an armed naval tug boat from World War I and a fighter plane from World War II.

If the identification of the Blessing is confirmed, this find would become one of Scotland’s most significant marine archaeological discoveries ever.

While the chance of securing recovered treasure is exciting, it’s hard to know the estimated current value of the sunken goods — not to mention the haul’s value as a mythic piece of Scottish history.

Discussions about the establishment of a visitor center or museum in Burntisland to exhibit the ferry’s story and artifacts have been in the works.

The next step is carbon-dating of the recovered timber to see if this wreck is truly the royal ship lost 400 years ago. If not, the search will simply have to continue on.

After reading about the potential discovery of the ship carrying Charles I’s treasure that sank 400 years ago, learn about the oldest discovered shipwreck found at the bottom of the Black Sea. Then, dive into the history of the Picts, the people who called ancient Scotland home.

The post Charles I’s Sunken Treasure Ship May Have Just Been Found Off The Coast Of Scotland After 400 Years appeared first on All That's Interesting.

God’s Little People Cat Rescue/FacebookA cat colony on the island of Syros, Greece, where a cat rescue organization houses nearly 100 felines.

Humans may have populated nearly every corner of the planet, but there are some places that have been taken over by cats instead.

Many of these places have become popular tourist spots not because of their beautiful scenery, but because of the covens of cats, which usually number in the hundreds, that live there.

For instance, there’s the beautiful Greek island of Syros in the middle of the Aegean Sea which is home to a private sanctuary of nearly 100 cats. A job posting as a part-time caretaker in the sanctuary drew 40,000 applications worldwide.

In the United States, the Hemingway Home and Museum in Florida has long attracted tourists due to its famous literary owner. But visitors have also come to the old house to see the hundreds of cats that live there — all allegedly descended from Ernest Hemingway’s six-toed cat.

But these are just two small examples. All over the world, cats have found a corner to rule. Here are seven of the most famous.

Japan’s Cat Island Of Aoshima

Located in the southern region of Japan, the island of Aoshima has become famous for its booming population of cats. While having a few stray cats around is normal anywhere, the cat population on Aoshima is unique — and outnumbers human residents six to one.

There are at least 120 semi-feral cats — cats who are somewhat domesticated and familiar with humans — living on the island, which is about a mile long.

Before it became famous for its feline residents, Aoshima was inhabited by a small fishing community. There are no stores, restaurants, or roads, and the island can only be reached by a 34-person ferry that runs twice daily from Nagahama Port on mainland Japan.

The quiet island has since transformed into one of Japan's most popular tourist destinations. "I seldom carried tourists before," ferry captain Nobuyuki Ninomiya said of the tourist boom. "Now I carry tourists every week, even though the only thing we have to offer is cats."

The cats, for their part, don't mind the attention. They lounge on open walkways by the island's harbor, in residents' yards, and inside public bins.

Aoshima is just one of 11 or so "cat islands" scattered across Japan. All of them were populated with cats after fishermen brought them there in order to exterminate mice in their little villages.

The human population on Aoshima, specifically, began to decline after World War II. Younger residents moved to more urban areas, leaving an elderly and retired population behind on the island. As Aoshima's elderly residents died off, its cat population began to increase — likely due to the lack of population control measures like spaying and neutering. Only about 10 of the island's cats are known to be spayed or neutered.

The few human residents that still occupy Aoshima have grown accustomed to both the felines and the hordes of tourists they bring in. There is a designated feeding area near the island's community center where visitors can feed and play with the semi-feral felines.

Here, cats and humans live side-by-side on this tranquil cat island.

Syros Island Cat Sanctuary In Greece

Another place nearly overrun with cats is the small island of Syros in Greece, where a cat sanctuary has operated for several years.

God's Little People Cat Rescue is a privately-funded cat rescue and is home to more than 65 rescues, which has turned the organization's island home into a small cat haven overlooking the Aegean Sea. Founded by Joan Bowell, the charity works to spay and neuter, heal, and feed the island's strays.

The organization contains a no-kill shelter and facilitates adoptions with potential owners for the rescued cats.

There is a second colony of cats that lives independently of the organization's property, though they also receive daily feedings and care from volunteers and the island's resident veterinarians.

The island cat haven was relatively unknown until 2018 when the organization posted that it was looking for a part-time paid caretaker. Part of the job posting reads as follows:

"We are located in a secluded nature preserved area which is very tranquil and quiet in winter time but busy during the summer. You'll no doubt thrive best if you are the type of person who appreciates nature and likes tranquility — and rest comfortably in your own company. That said, you'll never feel lonely in the company of the cats and you'll be expected to live with a small handful of cats in your house."

The job posting, no doubt a dream for cat lovers, stated that the position required four hours of work every day and came with a monthly salary of about $571. The organization would also provide housing in the form of a "semidetached modern tiny house with its own garden" that featured an unbeatable view of the Aegean Sea.

Of course, the job posting quickly went viral. The organization's founder, Joan Bowell, was reportedly flooded with more than 40,000 applications for the feline-friendly position. But could you blame them?

The post 7 Places Around The World That Are Absolutely Overrun With Cats appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Michael Clarke Duncan died due to complications of a heart attack in 2012.

In the early 2000s, it was almost difficult to see a film without Michael Clarke Duncan. Once relegated to smaller roles or roles that suited his musculature, Duncan proved his mettle as an actor with his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, a Black man in 1930s Louisiana falsely convicted of the assault and murder of two young girls.

Proving that he had the acting chops and star potential of a true Hollywood leading man, Duncan made numerous appearances in films ranging from Daredevil to Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Unfortunately, the beloved actor’s career came to an abrupt end in 2012, after he died due to complications of a heart attack. Still, more than a decade after Michael Clarke Duncan’s death, his legacy lives on, and the special quality of his talent has not lost its luster.

Michael Clarke Duncan Grew Up Poor On The South Side Of Chicago

Born on December 10, 1957, Michael Clarke Duncan grew up in a poor family in Chicago. The situation was made all the worse when his father left the home. Duncan was just five years old at the time.

Raised solely from then on by his mother Jean and his older sister Judy, young Michael had dreamed of pursuing a career in football. His mother, however, refused to let him play, fearing that he would be injured.

He eventually got his chance once he made it to college, attending both Kankakee Community College in Illinois and, later, Alcorn State University in Mississippi, where he played football and basketball while majoring in communications. When his mother fell ill, he dropped out of school and returned to Chicago to help support the family.

At a towering six-foot-five and 315 pounds, Duncan had no trouble getting work as a ditch digger for Peoples Gas or as a bouncer at various nightclubs around the city. And according to his New York Times obituary, Duncan even worked as a stripper under the name Black Caesar.

Michael Clarke Duncan lived by his mother’s motto: YCDA — “You Can Do Anything.”

This versatility would later be seen in the film roles he took on.

His mother, as always, encouraged her son to do more and dream bigger. She had always wanted to be an actress herself, and she saw the same potential in Duncan. She urged him to give acting a shot, and so Duncan turned away from the ditch-digging lifestyle and set off for Los Angeles, California.

The initial work he found wasn’t all that different from what he was used to, mostly working as a bodyguard for big-name stars like Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Jamie Foxx. This also gave him a natural “in” for various smaller roles, many of which were as a bouncer — a role he was well prepared for — in movies like Bulworth and A Night at the Roxbury.

Then, in 1998, he landed his first major role alongside Bruce Willis in Armageddon as Bear, a member of the drilling team sent to space to prevent an asteroid from colliding with the Earth. During production, he became close with Willis — and it was Willis who recommended Duncan for his breakout role in The Green Mile.

The Green Mile Makes Michael Clarke Duncan A Star

Per his obituary in the Los Angeles Times, Bruce Willis first approached Duncan with the script for The Green Mile and told him, “Michael, I’ve just read this script and you are this guy John Coffey. I just know it.”

Willis reached out to director Frank Darabont and recommended Duncan for the role.

“There was something about him that I just couldn’t ignore,” Darabont would later say. “After his first reading, he kept haunting me. Given that he was a fairly inexperienced actor at that point, obviously there was concern about ‘Gee, how would this guy do?’ But once we put him on film, it became apparent that he was up to the task.”

Warner Bros PicturesMichael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey in The Green Mile.

Duncan was more than just up to the task, though. His performance was lauded across the board for its honest portrayal and the “peculiar innocence” Duncan brought to the character.

Critics were so impressed by Duncan’s acting chops, in fact, that they nominated him for an Academy Award for the role. And even though he didn’t win it, he said in one interview that he was so thrilled he “could have taken on Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield and the Rock.”

When the reporter remarked that he likely could have done that regardless of the Oscar, Duncan replied, “Not all at the same time, man.”

Michael Clarke Duncan’s Later Career

After his breakout success in The Green Mile, Duncan took on a series of other roles that established him as a capable actor in both comedies and action films, as well as a number of guest roles on television shows.

Notably, he followed up The Green Mile with The Whole Nine Yards, See Spot Run, Planet of the Apes, The Scorpion King, and Daredevil, in which he acted against Ben Affleck as the movie’s villain, Kingpin.

20th Century FoxMichael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin in Daredevil.

He continued to solidify his prominence in The Island and Sin City in 2005, again to critical acclaim. He offset these more dramatic roles by appearing in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in 2006, as well as providing voices for animated characters in both Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2, as well as Kung Fu Panda.

To avoid seeing Michael Clarke Duncan during this peak era of his career would effectively have needed to be a calculated choice. In addition to his various film roles, he also made numerous appearances on television shows ranging from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody on Disney Channel to NBC’s Chuck and a later role as Leo Knox in Fox’s Bones.

This latter performance even spawned a spinoff series, The Finder, with Duncan cast as the costar alongside Geoff Stults.

Jennifer Clasen/FOXMichael Clarke Duncan and Geoff Stults in The Finder.

The Finder began as a midseason replacement on Fox, running from January to May of 2012, and although it wasn’t picked up for a second season, creator Hart Hanson said in The Hollywood Reporter that he planned to bring Duncan’s character back again for Bones.

Unfortunately, he never got the chance.

The Heart Attack That Killed Michael Clarke Duncan — And The Controversy That Followed

On July 13, 2012, Michael Clarke Duncan was hospitalized following a heart attack and placed in the ICU at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. On Aug. 6 of that year, the Associated Press reported that Duncan had been moved out of intensive care but remained hospitalized.

Then, on Sept. 3, 2012, Michael Clarke Duncan died in the hospital — the result of complications from the heart attack he had suffered nearly two months earlier. He was 54 years old at the time of his death.

He had also been in a relationship with former contestant of The Apprentice — and later Trump White House adviser — Omarosa Manigault Newman. Shortly after Duncan’s death, it was reported that his family was suspicious about Newman and a seemingly last-minute change to Duncan’s will.

Michael Reynolds/Pool/CNP/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live NewsFormer White House aide Omarosa seated next to U.S. President Donald Trump, shortly before her departure from his employ.

The controversy resurfacedin 2018 after the publication of Newman’s book, Unhinged, which offered an “insider’s look” at the dysfunctional Trump White House.

In the book, Newman recounts her experience on the day of Duncan’s heart attack, including her call to 911, writing “The paramedics told me if it hadn’t been for my efforts, he would have died.”

A close friend of Duncan’s, Andrea Weltman, bought the book to see if Newman would mention Duncan and report it to his family if she did. Weltman said that Newman had not contacted Duncan’s family about mentioning him in the book — which might not have been an issue, had Newman and the family not had a very public dispute years earlier about Duncan’s will.

Duncan left nearly everything to Newman in his will, leading his family — particularly his sister Judy — to suspect that Newman may have “manipulated” him into leaving most of his estate to her.

WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy Stock PhotoMichael Clarke Duncan and Omarosa Manigault Newman.

“I think anyone can be manipulated at any time. I think there’s always somebody that’s going to try and get something out of you, and I think that’s what it was,” Judy Duncan said. “Because like I said, the last time we saw him, he just wasn’t right. There was something going on, and I know it. So for him to have left her everything, there was some manipulation there.”

She concluded by calling Newman a “serpent,” saying, “I’m not a snake handler, so I stay away.”

In any case, the whole saga is a sad footnote at the end of Michael Clarke Duncan’s story. As an actor, he excelled in multiple areas and overcame numerous obstacles to cement himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers. It is all too unfortunate that his career came to such a sudden, tragic end.

After reading about the death of Michael Clarke Duncan, learn all about Bernie Mac’s death and his long battle with sarcoidosis. Or, read about Len Bias’ death and how it helped fuel the War on Drugs.

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Gaumont/IMDbJacques Mayol, also known as “Dolphin Man,” in 1988.

Jacques Mayol was a bona fide pioneer. The French national set world records in competitive freediving and descended further into the depths than anyone ever thought possible. Above all else, Mayol was deeply passionate about the ocean — and he authored his own philosophy on the aquatic origins of humans.

Young Mayol first began diving in the seas of Japan, where he spent his summers as a child. As an adult, he turned his passions into a legendary career. He broke his first record in 1966 by diving to a depth of 60 meters (197 feet) without oxygen. A decade later, he reached 100 meters — and then 105.

Mayol didn’t just see his triumphs as physical feats, but as evidence that our species was once capable of much more than we think. He became known as the “Dolphin Man,” both for his incredible agility in the water and his love for the aquatic creatures. His life even inspired a popular French film, The Big Blue.

Tragically, Jacques Mayol ultimately succumbed to the same struggles he’d spent a lifetime trying to transcend.

The Early Life Of Jacques Mayol

Jacques Mayol was born in China to French parents in 1927. The family visited Japan each summer, and they often spent days out on the sea, exploring tiny islets off the coast. “[I]t was near one of these islets,” Mayol wrote in his book 1983 Homo Delphinus, “that I came face to face with a small group of dolphins.”

“They came quite close to me,” Mayol recalled, “and far from being afraid, I instinctively swam towards them. I could feel my heart pounding… I was moved, curious, and incredibly excited. I longed to touch one.”

ina.fr/YouTubeFootage of Jacques Mayol swimming with dolphins.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that he got the chance to interact closely with the creatures. Then, while working as a diver at a Miami aquarium, he formed a bond with a dolphin named Clown. He began studying the way she moved underwater, imitating her actions to hold his breath for longer periods of time.

This inspired Mayol to start pushing the limits while freediving. And by 1966, he was breaking records.

The Incredible Feats Of The ‘Dolphin Man’

While diving off the coast of the Bahamas in 1966, Jacques Mayol became the first person to reach a depth of 60 meters without using oxygen. He began competing in various freediving championships — and formed a friendly rivalry with fellow diver Enzo Maiorca.

Public DomainJacques Mayol’s rival, Enzo Maiorca, preparing for a 90-meter freedive in 1974.

Then, on Nov. 23, 1976, Mayol shattered all records. During a dive off the coast of the Italian island of Elba, Mayol reached 100 meters (328 feet) on a single breath of air. At the time, some medical professionals reportedly thought this was an impossible feat — human lungs couldn’t possibly withstand such pressure.

But Mayol proved them wrong, holding his breath for three minutes and 40 seconds to complete the dive. As he recounted in his book, “I let out, underwater, a hundred meters down, the greatest sigh of relief of my life… This life, which, literally, was hanging by a thread… this guide cable, a veritable umbilical cord symbolically connecting us to life on the surface.”

Jacques Mayol didn’t stop there, though. In 1983, at age 56, he reached 105 meters (344 feet). Today, the record stands at an astonishing 253 meters — but at the time, Mayol’s accomplishment was extraordinary.

So, how did he do it?

Jacques Mayol’s Unique Philosophy On Freediving

Mayol didn’t simply jump into the water with no gear and swim straight down. He broke his records by no-limits freediving, in which divers use a weight to descend and inflatable devices to rapidly reach the surface. Of course, this doesn’t make his feats any less impressive, as he had to hold his breath in a high-pressure environment for long periods of time.

Still, Mayol didn’t see his accomplishments as a sign that he was physically or psychologically stronger than other people. In fact, he believed that all humans possess aquatic skills that remains in their DNA from prehistoric times — and anyone can tap into them if they try.

ina.fr/YouTubeJacques Mayol practiced yoga and meditation to help him hold his breath for longer periods of time.

Mayol took a spiritual approach to diving. He practiced meditation and yoga, focusing inward to control his body, slow his heart rate, and preserve his oxygen. To him, reaching unprecedented depths was all about his state of mind.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2001, Mayol once told an interviewer, “It’s a matter of retaining oxygen in the bloodstream, keeping it in the cells. I have worked on that through yoga, learning to ionize my air better than most people. Motionless, I can hold my breath for five minutes. In the sea and in action I can hold it up to four minutes. The average person can hold his breath for one minute.”

Indeed, monitors placed on Mayol during his deepest dives recorded that his heart rate dropped to 27 beats per minute while he was underwater, an example of the mammalian diving reflex often observed in whales and dolphins.

To Mayol, humans and dolphins weren’t as different as one might think. In Homo Delphinus, he argued that humans have simply forgotten the aquatic abilities of our ancestors. He believed that man should focus not on technological advancement and industrialization but on the true nature of living beings. To him, the ocean was a constant reminder of where we came from — and what we are capable of.

As Mayol told the Los Angeles Times in 1988, “Water, the ocean… it is our most natural environment. We are born naked from the miniature ocean of the mother’s womb… and breath-hold diving is a continuance of that.”

“It’s also a cult,” Mayol continued, “a way of thinking, for when you start breath-hold diving, you enter yourself and begin a marriage with the sea. You become a diving mammal.”

GaumontJean Reno as Jacques Mayol in the 1988 film The Big Blue.

That same year, a movie inspired by Mayol’s extraordinary career was released. The Big Blue was a hit in France — but it took some major liberties with Mayol’s story. In the film, Enzo Maiorca dies in Mayol’s arms after a diving accident, and Mayol later swims into the abyss with a dolphin in an apparent suicide.

Maiorca certainly didn’t die while diving. He passed away from natural causes in 2016 at the age of 85. However, the filmmakers couldn’t have known that their depiction of Jacques Mayol’s death would prove to be eerily prophetic.

The Tragic Death Of The ‘Dolphin Man’

On Dec. 22, 2001, 74-year-old Mayol hanged himself after a long struggle with depression. According to his website, which is run by his son, Jean-Jacques Mayol, the legendary freediver had “become very distraught about our beautiful planet’s health and man’s greedy ways.”

As reported by the BBC at the time, President Jacques Chirac of France called Mayol a “visionary, who for the ‘Big Blue generation’ will remain as a symbol of the quest for the absolute.”

Scubamarine/YouTubeA monument to Jacques Mayol off the coast of Elba.

A memorial for Mayol was erected 50 feet beneath the ocean’s surface off the coast of Elba, near the very spot where he made his record-breaking dives.

In the end, the “Dolphin Man” inspired a generation, both with his diving skills and his passion for the sea and all that lives in it.

“My life is inspired by dolphins,” Jacques Mayol once said. “Dolphins are free creatures in the sea, able to dive to great depths… I don’t dive to conquer the elements. I melt into the ocean.”

After learning about Jacques Mayol, go inside the tragic story of cave diver Dave Shaw. Then, learn about Tom and Eileen Lonergan, the American couple who disappeared while diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

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Téglás Pityu/FacebookAn unexploded mine likely placed by the Royal Air Force during World War II was discovered in the Danube River in Slovakia.

The extreme heat wave scorching Europe this summer has triggered unusually dry conditions across much of the continent. For instance, the Danube River, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, has seen drastically low water levels in recent weeks.

This drought has, however, given archaeologists a rare opportunity to explore what the Danube has kept covered for decades, if not centuries. These low water levels have even unveiled unexploded ordnance from World War I and World War II. Earlier this month in Slovakia, one such mine was found in the Danube — and this enormous explosive was still active.

The Discovery Of An Unexploded British Mine From World War II In The Danube River

A man posted in a Slovakian “Magnet Fishing” Facebook group that he made this chance discovery on August 2, and that officials were quickly taking over the case.

Téglás Pityu/FacebookThis enormous mine weighed more than 1,500 pounds.

The find was made in the Danube near the the village of Virt, close to Komárno. Soon after, shipping on the Danube in southern Slovakia was temporarily halted, as officials removed the explosive. Once the police did remove it, that stretch of the Danube was reopened.

Police said in a statement that the mine was loaded onto a specially modified fire truck that had a sand bed for safety, then brought to a secure location and placed in a 16-foot pit. Finally, the mine was destroyed via a controlled explosion.

How This Mine Landed Here 80 Years Ago

This massive mine — weighing in at a whopping 1,500 pounds — was identified as a World War II-era anti-ship mine deployed by the British.

“It most likely reached the territory of present-day Slovakia during Operation Gardening, during which the British Royal Air Force (RAF) mined the Danube River in 1944 with the aim of disrupting the supply of enemy troops,” police said.

Téglás Pityu/FacebookThe mine was safely detonated by local authorities deep within a 16-foot pit.

“Gardening” was the term used by the RAF during World War II to mean “sowing” mines in Europe’s rivers and seas to combat Nazi Germany’s navy. The mines were meticulously placed near countless ports, harbors, inland water routes, and shipping lanes.

This tactic forced the Germans to deploy thousands of personnel for the duties of minesweeping, placing searchlights, and generally defending against the RAF’s further efforts to place additional mines.

During a single run, RAF pilots generally released several mines — though this was no easy feat. The aircraft had to flying close enough to the water to achieve an accurate placement, making the planes a relatively easy target for German defenses.

The Danube in modern-day Slovakia served as an important shipping route during World War II, transporting crucial military goods to nearby facilities like the Apollo oil refinery.

And this was far from the only World War II hot spot whose submerged artifacts have recently come to light thanks to the Danube drought.

The Danube Has Been Revealing Its Historical Secrets All Summer

While the size and historical significance of the newly-found mine is noteworthy, this discovery is by no means an isolated event.

The Ukrainian news site NV Techno, for instance, reported that the heatwaves and drought in Europe have uncovered more than 200 Nazi ships at the bottom of the Danube River.

These warships were purposefully sunk to defend against the advance of Soviet troops in the fall of 1944, and the low water levels revealed the ships for the first time in more than 80 years.

Emergency DunaújvárosOther unexploded ordnance from World War II have been revealed across Europe by the Danube’s drought.

Meanwhile, the drought has revealed another unexploded World War II munition in the Danube in Hungary, as well as the remains of World War II soldiers, Nazi shipwrecks in Serbia, and many more discoveries.

In addition to these relatively recent historical finds, the low water level of the Danube has also revealed artifacts from ancient history. Earlier this month, researchers exploring the Danube in Hungary discovered a Roman altar dedicated for Jupiter, in addition to two accompanying limestone slabs.

Múlt-kor, a Hungarian magazine, also reported that the drought allowed archaeologists in Bulgaria to find remains of a 4th-century C.E. bridge that was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine I and is considered one of the longest known bridges from antiquity.

Due to both the possibility of disturbing archaeological sites, and the potential dangers of finding unexploded munitions like the one found in Slovakia, officials have warned members of the public against searching for artifacts themselves as little-seen stretches of the Danube become uncovered.

After reading about the 1,500-pound British mine from World War II that was found in Slovakia, learn about this British World War II submarine discovered in the Aegean Sea 81 years after it disappeared. Then, dive into the history of the Blitz, the Nazis’ bombing campaign in England.

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AlamyAn illustration of the Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship.

Throughout maritime history, sailors have reported sightings of ghost ships with eerily similar details — empty vessels appearing out of the blue, with no one aboard and no sign of what happened to the crew.

These ships travel unmanned across the seas, reminding mariners who witness their silent journeys of the many dangers of open water.

These ghost ships are an integral part of seafarers’ lore. But while some stories of these vessels are simply urban legends, there are several real ghost ships that have been spotted drifting across the oceans.

From the Mary Celeste to the SS Baychimo, here are some of the most mysterious and bizarre ghost ships from history.

The Infamous Ghost Ship Mary Celeste

DeAgostini/Getty ImagesThe Mary Celeste, a merchant ship found abandoned near the Azores Islands in 1872.

On November 7, 1872, the American vessel Mary Celeste set out on a voyage from New York City to Genoa, Italy. The people aboard included Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife and two-year-old daughter, and seven crewmen.

The ship’s last entry placed the vessel near the Azores Islands, located about 1,000 miles west of mainland Portugal, on November 25th.

Then, on December 5th, Captain David Morehouse of the British brig Dei Gratia discovered the Mary Celeste abandoned 400 miles east of the Azores.

Morehouse sent his men to investigate, and they soon discovered that the entire crew was missing — along with a lifeboat. Eerily, nearly everything seemed to be in good order on the ship, aside from disassembled pumps. The crew’s belongings and a six-month supply of food and water remained in the vessel. Everyone’s clothing was neatly packed away.

Though there was about three feet of water in the ship’s hull, the vessel was still seaworthy and did not suffer any serious damage. The Mary Celeste was in good enough shape that Captain Morehouse was able to take it to Gibraltar. There, he informed British authorities about the missing crew.

Despite an investigation, the crew was never found and a court declared that it did not suspect foul play. In the following years, the story of the ghost ship Mary Celeste became legendary. Theories about what happened to the 10 missing passengers ranged from mutiny to wrathful sea monsters.

In 2002, documentarian Anne MacGregor and oceanographer Phil Richardson attempted to solve the mystery themselves. Using the data in the captain’s log, the two researchers postulated that Captain Briggs had misidentified his location by more than 100 miles. Additionally, they learned that the ship had apparently faced rough seas and winds shortly before the last log entry.

A disassembled pump found on the ship led the researchers to believe that Captain Briggs was worried about the amount of seawater in the ship’s hull. For a captain responsible for the lives of his crew and his family, he possibly made the ill-informed call to abandon ship out of fear that it was sinking.

The Mystery Of The Ghost Ship MV Joyita

Wikimedia CommonsThe MV Joyita was found adrift and abandoned in the South Pacific in 1955.

The MV Joyita was an American merchant vessel built in 1931. The U.S. Navy acquired the ship during World War II and later sold it to a private owner.

The vessel changed hands a number of times, and its last captain would be a British sailor named Thomas H. “Dusty” Miller, who was living in Samoa.

On October 3, 1955, the MV Joyita sailed from Samoa en route to the Tokelau Islands, an island territory of New Zealand. At the time of the vessel’s departure, the MV Joyita carried 16 crew members and nine passengers.

Though just one of the ship’s engines was running properly, the crew felt the voyage would be safe given that it was supposed to be a two-day trip.

When the ship failed to arrive on time, authorities became very concerned. Although they hadn’t received a distress signal from the vessel, the Royal New Zealand Air Force patrolled the waters in case the ship was in peril.

Weeks later, on November 10th, a merchant ship traveling to the Funafuti Atoll stumbled upon a drifting ship, tipped very heavily to one side. When the captain called out to the vessel, there was no response, alarming the crew.

Wikimedia CommonsThough the ghost ship Joyita was in poor condition, it was extremely buoyant — and it was unlikely that it would sink.

An initial investigation of the boat — which turned out to be the MV Joyita, about 600 miles off course — found that it was empty. No passengers were aboard, and most of the cargo was missing. The lifeboats were also gone.

Chillingly, the windows of the deckhouse were broken, and bloody bandages were discovered on the deck. The vessel’s (faulty) radio was set to 2182 kHz, an international marine distress radio frequency.

An official investigation found that a faulty pipe allowed water to enter the ship’s hull, likely causing panic among the people on board.

But officials could not understand why the captain would decide to abandon ship, given the vessel’s extreme buoyancy. Despite the MV Joyita’s poor condition, it was still afloat even after weeks adrift at sea. In contrast, the lifeboats on the boat were questionable at best. So why did everyone leave?

Countless theories emerged as to what caused the MV Joyita to become a ghost ship, including a pirate attack, a mutiny, and even supernatural forces. But authorities have never been able to confirm what exactly happened.

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Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center/FacebookMichael Bowers and his son, Bo, stumbled upon a four-inch megalodon tooth while vacationing on the Jersey Shore.

The Bowers family was enjoying an otherwise normal vacation in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, when they stumbled upon an unexpected souvenir: a fossilized megalodon tooth dating back millions of years.

This four-inch tooth belonged to a prehistoric variety of 60-foot shark that went extinct around 3.6 million years ago — leaving behind only a few other teeth that have ever been found in the area.

The Chance Discovery Of A Prehistoric Megalodon Tooth On The Jersey Shore

Michael Bowers of Pennsylvania was exploring a jetty with his 11-year-old son, Bo, on the beach near Townsends Inlet when he spotted something peculiar among the rocks.

Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center/FacebookAn experienced scuba diver, Michael Bowers said it was a longtime goal of his to find one of these massive fossilized teeth.

His hand couldn’t fit in the opening to reach the object, so he asked Bo to give it a shot. When Bo pulled his hand out, they couldn’t believe what they had found.

“I looked down in there, and I couldn’t believe myself. It’s on my bucket list of stuff to find. My knees were shaking,” Bowers told NJ.com.

Bowers is an experienced scuba diver, and finding one of these massive teeth had been one of his goals for a long time. He was even planning on soon heading down to North Carolina for a scuba dive in search of megalodon teeth hidden on the seafloor just off the coast — a known spot to discover these fossils.

“I never in a million years would have guessed that we would have found something like this. My son was speechless,” Bowers said.

Mike BowersThe tooth was likely deposited on the jetty during offshore sand dredges that are part of a beach rehabilitation project.

Once father and son took their discovery to the authorities, they presented the find to the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center, which confirmed that the tooth was indeed from a megalodon.

How This Rare Find Adds To Our Knowledge About The Massive Megalodon

Scientists consider megalodons to be the largest-known sharks to ever swim the oceans of planet Earth. This species has been extinct for 3.6 million years, and most of what is known about them today has come from the study of their fossilized teeth.

Many megalodons reached up to 60 feet in length, and weighed up to 50 tons. Their astonishing 10-foot jaws were capable of biting down with enough force to crush a car. They could also swim up to 16.5 feet per second — about twice the speed of a great white shark — making them the undeniable apex predators of Earth’s prehistoric oceans for millions of years.

Jeff Rotman/AlamyThe megalodon tooth (right) is significantly larger than the tooth of a modern great white shark (left).

This megalodon tooth recently found in New Jersey had a chip on one end, which, Bowers told CBS, might have been the result of the shark biting into something hard enough that it harmed the bone. What that could be, however, remains unclear.

What is slightly more certain is how the tooth likely ended up on the jetty. Melissa Laurino, the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center’s research director and naturalist, said that offshore sand being dredged and pumped as a part of an ongoing beach replenishment project in Cape May likely deposited the prehistoric tooth on the shore along with sand.

The section of the project along Sea Isle City was completed in July.

“If the sand came from a few miles offshore, it is very possible the tooth came with it,” Laurino said to NJ.com. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime beach find that the Bowers family will treasure for a lifetime.”

While finding common shark teeth at the beach isn’t rare, a four-inch megalodon tooth is notable — especially in New Jersey.

Dana Ehert, the curator of natural history at the New Jersey State Museum, told NJ.com that there have only ever been four other discoveries of megalodon teeth in the state.

Wikimedia CommonsA recreation of a megalodon from the Museo de la Evolución in Puebla, Mexico.

These fossilized teeth are more commonly found at Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs, which hold million-year-old sediments that contain remains of prehistoric animals.

In fact, in 2022, a nine-year-old girl found a 15-million-year-old megalodon tooth in the waters by the Calvert Cliffs. This tooth also reached a whopping five inches in length.

Many scientists believe that the megalodons inhabited nearly every corner of Earth’s prehistoric oceans, as their fossilized teeth have been unearthed on every continent except Antarctica. But, millions of years ago, many of the sharks lived in areas that are now inland. Either way, finding one of these teeth is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“We had to be in the right place at the right time with perfect timing,” Bowers said to CBS. “Because if it wasn’t low tide, I would have never found it.”

After reading about the father-son duo who stumbled upon a megalodon tooth on the Jersey Shore, learn about this megalodon tooth necklace found amongst the wreckage of the Titanic. Then, see 10 of the most terrifying prehistoric animals that weren’t dinosaurs.

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Audio Fidelity RecordsDon Shirley as he appears on the cover of his 1959 album Piano.

The 2018 film Green Book follows the true story of Black pianist Don Shirley and his tour through the Jim Crow South in the early 1960s. The movie was lauded by critics and won the Academy Award for Best Picture — but how much of it was true?

That depends on who you ask. The screenplay was written by Nick Vallelonga, whose father — Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga — accompanied Shirley on his tour as a driver and bodyguard. He spent years recording interviews with both men, and his script included direct quotes, straight from the source. Shirley’s family, meanwhile, has called the movie “a symphony of lies.”

The truth may lie somewhere in between Vallelonga’s screenplay and the Shirleys’ criticism. The real Don Shirley was notoriously private about his life, but he certainly made waves with his music.

From his unique blend of jazz and classical music to the symphonies and concertos he composed, Shirley was an icon in his own right — and Green Book only scratches the surface of his complex life.

Don Shirley’s Musical Beginnings

Don Shirley was born to Jamaican immigrants in Pensacola, Florida, in 1927. He was a musical prodigy, playing the piano by age two and the organ by three. At 18, he made his professional debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A year later, he was performing his own composition with the London Philharmonic. And by 1955, he was playing at Carnegie Hall.

John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty ImagesDon Shirley circa 1960, just prior to his road trip through the American South.

Shirley’s passion was classical music, but just as he was embarking on his musical career, impresario Sol Hurok reportedly told him that America wasn’t ready for a Black classical pianist in the 1950s. He urged Shirley to play jazz or pop music instead — advice that almost brought an end to Shirley’s dreams.

In the early 1950s, Shirley briefly abandoned his creative ambitions to study psychology at the University of Chicago. There, he began analyzing the connection between juvenile crime and music. While playing at local clubs, Shirley would observe the audience’s reactions to different keys and chord progressions to see how they impacted mood and behavior.

This educational experiment ultimately brought Shirley back to music — but there was still the racism to contend with. “They wouldn’t let me play on the concert stage,” he told The New York Times in 1982. “They said I wasn’t supposed to be able to.”

However, Shirley refused to stick strictly to jazz, despite what the world wanted from him. He complained that jazz players “smoke while they’re playing, and they’ll put the glass of whisky on the piano, and then they’ll get mad when they’re not respected like Arthur Rubinstein.”

So, instead, Don Shirley began playing jazz with a classical influence. He blended the two genres to create his own unique sound — and it quickly became a hit.

Don Shirley’s Tour Through The South That Inspired Green Book

In 1962, Shirley set out on a tour of the American South. At the time, the region was the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement, and racial tensions were high. Shirley decided to hire a driver and bodyguard for safety, and he landed on Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, a bouncer at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City.

The two men spent much of the next year-and-a-half traveling through the Jim Crow South, where Shirley played at various clubs and theaters — including those that refused entry to Black Americans. The movie Green Book condenses this period to a few short months, but many of the incidents shown onscreen really did take place.

Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty ImagesDon Shirley’s driver Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga in 2010.

For instance, one scene in the film shows Vallelonga and Shirley’s arrest in Mississippi. Shirley calls Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to get them out of jail. Shockingly, this story is mostly true — though it happened in West Virginia, not Mississippi.

In an interview later published by Deadline, Vallelonga recalled, “The only reason why they stopped us is because he saw that I was riding with a Black guy in the car. And he thought that was something wrong and it was suspicious.”

Only Vallelonga was arrested, but Shirley did place a call to Kennedy to secure his release. Shirley knew the Kennedys through his artistic circles, and he even attended John F. Kennedy’s funeral just days after the incident in West Virginia.

Indeed, Green Book took its title from The Negro Motorist Green Book, a publication that informed Black Americans about safe places to eat, rest, get gas, and drive during road trips in the midst of the Jim Crow era. Don Shirley’s career was marked by racism, and his tour through the South was no exception.

Public DomainThe cover of the 1940 edition of The Negro Motorist Green Book.

The movie even depicts Vallelonga himself with racist beliefs that were transformed through his friendship with Shirley. And this is where Shirley’s family finds fault with the film.

The Controversy Behind Green Book

In a 2020 interview with Blavity, Don Shirley’s brother, Maurice, blasted Green Book as a “symphony of lies.”

Maurice’s wife, Patricia, stated that there was no real friendship between Shirley and Vallelonga. “It was an employer-employee relationship,” she said, insisting that it was strictly professional. Similarly, Black Enterprise reported in 2018 that Maurice said, “My brother never considered Tony to be his ‘friend’; he was an employee, his chauffeur.”

Universal PicturesViggo Mortensen (“Tony Lip” Vallelonga) and Mahershala Ali (Don Shirley) in the 2018 film Green Book.

However, TIME reported in 2023 that Shirley himself had a different view on his relationship with Vallelonga. In an interview for the documentary Lost Bohemia, the pianist said, “You see, Tony got to be, not only was he my driver… we never had an employer-employee relationship… My life is in this man’s hands, do you understand me? So we got to be friendly with one another.”

Shirley’s family also criticized the film’s implication that Shirley wasn’t in contact with his brothers. According to Black Enterprise, Maurice stated that Shirley “never lost touch with me as the movie purports… We saw each other often and talked, by phone, on a regular basis!!”

Don Shirley died at age 86 in 2013, five years before Green Book was released, so he was never able to speak on the controversy himself. But despite its issues, the film certainly brought his incredible life back into the spotlight.

Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDon Shirley playing the piano in the Carnegie Hall Studio Towers, 1960.

Throughout his career, Shirley performed with symphonies across the country and released more than two dozen albums, from Don Shirley Plays Gershwin and Water Boy to The Gospel According to Don Shirley and Piano Arrangements of Spirituals. He also composed organ symphonies, a one-act opera, several string quartets, and a symphonic poem based on Finnegans Wake by James Joyce.

His unique blend of classical and jazz music made him a legend, and Russian composer Igor Stravinsky even once said, “His virtuosity is worthy of gods.”

As author David Hadju, who first met Shirley in 1992, wrote of the pianist for The New York Times in 2019, “Cerebral but disarmingly earthy, mercurial, self-protective, and intolerant of imperfections in all things, particularly music, he was as complex and uncategorizable as his sui generis music.”

After learning about Don Shirley and the true story behind Green Book, go inside the story of Hazel Scott, the Black pianist who took the jazz world by storm. Then, read about “Blind” Tom Wiggins, the piano prodigy who was born into slavery.

The post Don Shirley, The Renowned Black Pianist Who Was Told He Wouldn’t Make It As A Classical Artist appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Jo Buckberry/University of BradfordThe man’s skull showed 61 fractures thanks to the deadly power of the trebuchet that killed him.

By 1304, as the Wars of Scottish Independence dragged on, just one Scottish castle still stood strong against the forces of England: Stirling Castle. Determined to bend the Scots to his will, King Edward I of England besieged the castle, and brought with him a powerful new weapon known as a trebuchet.

A deadly variety of catapult, his “Warwolf” trebuchet was deployed against the castle — and archaeologists believe that they’ve just found the brutally crushed remains of one of its victims.

The man, whose skeleton is riddled with more than 160 fractures, seemingly died an instantaneous death after the trebuchet delivered a direct hit. His remains appear to be the first-known evidence of a trebuchet death in the archaeological record — a gruesome reminder of the sheer terror of medieval warfare.

The Discovery Of History’s First-Known Victim Of A Trebuchet

The discovery of the trebuchet victim found at Stirling Castle was announced by University of Bradford bioarchaeologist Jo Buckberry during a recent meeting of the Paleopathology Association.

As Buckberry noted, she and her team studied nine individuals excavated at Stirling Castle. Searching for signs of injuries sustained during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1328 and 1332-1357), they expected to find sharp force trauma caused by thrusting weapons like swords and projectiles like arrows. But one skeleton, Skeleton 150, had different kinds of injuries altogether.

Finlay McWalter/Wikimedia CommonsStirling Castle, the site of the man’s death, perhaps during the siege of 1304.

The skeleton, coming from a man who was between the ages of 22 and 34 when he died, was “notable for having over 160 peri-mortem fractures across his skeleton,” Buckberry explained,” from the top of his cranium to his knees.”

In other words, this man had not died from sharp force trauma, but blunt force trauma. Buckberry wrote that Skeleton 150’s death was seemingly caused by “a single, high-velocity impact,” which she and her team believe came from a trebuchet, a powerful catapult-like weapon.

Public DomainA schematic of a trebuchet from the 19th century.

The death of Skeleton 150, Buckberry continued, was likely “the first evidence of trebuchet trauma in the archaeological record.”

The Deployment Of The Warwolf Trebuchet During The Wars Of Scottish Independence

This man who seemingly died by trebuchet in 1304 was not killed by just any trebuchet: he was perhaps killed by the Warwolf, a powerful weapon used by King Edward I during the siege of Stirling Castle.

Bob MarshallA depiction of the Warwolf trebuchet at Stirling Castle in 1304.

By the time the trebuchet was assembled outside the gates of Stirling Castle, the Wars of Scottish Independence were going badly for the Scots. The Scottish hero William Wallace was on the run (and would be captured, then gruesomely executed, the next year) and most Scottish nobles had surrendered. Only Stirling Castle continued to resist the English.

But though the Scots of Stirling Castle were able to hold out against the English for three months, the tides turned against them that July. It was then that Edward’s monstrous Warwolf trebuchet was completed — after being ominously assembled piece by piece right in front of the Scots’ very eyes.

Believed to be the largest trebuchet ever made, the Warwolf stood almost 300 feet tall and was capable of launching a 260-pound projectile more than 600 feet. According to some accounts, the Warwolf was so terrible to behold that the Scots surrendered immediately upon seeing it. However, King Edward still wanted to test out his new weapon, so he fired the trebuchet anyway, launching a stone that tore through the castle’s walls like “an arrow flying through cloth.”

Now, the analysis of Skeleton 150 suggests that the Warwolf not only destroyed the walls and gatehouse of Stirling Castle — it also did the same to one particularly unlucky Scottish warrior, crushing him to death.

Some 700 years later, the discovery of his body, riddled with more than 160 fractures, offers a glimpse of the shocking violence of his demise, and the terrible wrath of King Edward I. Armed with his trebuchet, he rained down terror on Stirling Castle and forced the remaining Scots to surrender.

But though Edward won the battle, he had not won the war. The Scots would emerge victorious from the Wars of Scottish Independence, and would not unite with England until the 17th-century ascension of King James VI.

After reading about the first-known victim of a trebuchet, discover the story of Robert the Bruce, the 14th-century Scottish king who led his people to victory over the English. Then, learn about the Picts, the fearsome, tattooed Scottish warriors who fought back against the ancient Romans.

The post This Medieval Skeleton Was Discovered With 167 Fractures At A Scottish Castle. Now, Researchers Believe He Was The First Victim Of Edward I’s ‘Warwolf’ Trebuchet appeared first on All That's Interesting.

@kayleighanddogs/TikTokKayleigh documents the final moments of the shelter dogs she has to euthanize.

The internet is a fantastic resource for providing a glimpse into people’s everyday lives. Sometimes, however, these lives involve a job that some may find stomach-churning.

According to the ASPCA, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues across the United States in 2025. While over four million were adopted, nearly two million were left with no long-term home.

Shelters keep some of these animals in the hopes that they will be adopted. Sadly, many other pets — around 600,000 in 2025 — are euthanized. Now, a user on TikTok is sharing her experience as a euthanasia technician in a facility where some of these procedures take place.

Posting under the name Kayleigh & Dogs, the TikToker shares all sides of the job: Meeting the dogs, assessing their issues and, in some cases, going through the process of euthanasia. The footage is often grim — but, according to Kayleigh, that’s exactly the point.

The Truth About Euthanasia In Animal Shelters

In some cases, dogs or cats are euthanized due to serious health problems or behavioral issues that make it difficult to place them in homes. Other times, animals are euthanized because the shelter simply does not have enough room to keep them all.

This latter situation is unfortunately common. While many may believe that shelters take in primarily stray animals, this isn’t entirely the case. Strays accounted for just 59 percent of admittances in 2025, while owner relinquishments — in which pet owners decide for one reason or another that they cannot keep a pet — made up around 30 percent.

@kayleighanddogs/TikTokKayleigh recently had to euthanize 26 dogs in a single day.

In order to judge whether an animal can be kept and for how long, shelters must account for something called “capacity for care.” This is a rough measurement of how many animals a facility can adequately house given its available space, employees, veterinary resources, and ability to provide necessities like exercise and behavioral enrichment.

This measurement is also a balancing act. If more animals are accepted, the shelter runs the risk of not being able to properly care for the cats and dogs that they already have. Shelters that don’t maintain this balance can end up being poor places for animals to live. For instance, a Los Angeles Times article from 2022 documented how dogs in a local shelter could go months without leaving their kennels.

In response to this issue, some shelters choose to euthanize the animals that cannot be adopted or cared for adequately. This process, and the pain that it causes, is what users like Kayleigh are choosing to document.

How Euthanasia Affects Shelter Workers

Many of Kayleigh’s videos are filled with comments decrying her work. Kayleigh, however, sees her posts as a “brutally honest” look at what really happens in these shelters as a result of the choices that people make.

“I think the public should know what the people behind animal shelters and humane societies have to deal with on a daily basis because of unethical breeders, irresponsible pet ownership, etc.,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

The post contains multiple photos of dogs playing and seemingly enjoying themselves. Kayleigh says that she was involved in putting all of these dogs down.

“I got to know these dogs like I know my own. I monitored personalities to write adoption bios. I worked on basic training to help them be a little more well-behaved when meeting potential adopters. I played with them and squeaked toys around to capture those funny faces. I gave them kisses, booped their cute noses, and gave them belly rubs galore. And then I turned around and jabbed a needle in their arm because 23 dogs have entered our facility since Tuesday,” Kayleigh wrote.

Gracie Zheng/Neon Tommy/FlickrFacilities across the United States don’t have the capacity to care for the number of dogs that are brought in.

The impact this process has on workers in shelters has been well-documented. One 2006 study found that euthanasia workers experience higher rates of job stress, increased family conflict, and lower job satisfaction than shelter workers not involved in the euthanasia process. They also reported greater difficulty sleeping.

Another study found that around one in 10 euthanasia workers experiences moderate levels of traumatic stress symptoms. This study also found that over 70 percent of respondents chose their field of work due to an affinity for animals. Kayleigh herself says she has three dogs and two cats.

As long as shelters are strained for resources, they will be put in the difficult position of having to choose between euthanizing an animal or keeping it alive in poor conditions. And as Kayleigh’s videos show, ignorance is not a solution.

All That’s Interesting has reached out to Kayleigh via Instagram and TikTok direct message.

After reading the brutal truth about animal euthanasia, go inside the heartwarming stories of 11 of history’s most loyal canines. Then, learn why as many as 100,000 galgo dogs are killed in Spain every year.

The post Every Year, Animal Shelters Put Down Almost 600,000 Abandoned Pets. This Is What It Looks Like From The Inside appeared first on All That's Interesting.

SerialAdnan Syed before the murder of Hae Min Lee. Circa 1998.

For more than two decades, Adnan Syed’s name has been connected to one of the most controversial murder cases in American history.

In 1999, the Baltimore teenager was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and sentenced to life in prison. But years later, questions surrounding the evidence and investigation would bring the case to national attention.

The 2014 podcast Serial introduced millions of listeners to Syed’s story and raised new doubts about his guilt. In 2022, a judge overturned his conviction and released him from prison, but an appeals court later reinstated it.

Today, Syed remains free — but his murder conviction still stands. So, did he really murder Hae Min Lee? Or is her killer still out there?

Who Is Adnan Syed?

Before he became the face of one of the most famous true crime cases in the world, Adnan Syed was a popular high school student in the suburbs of Baltimore.

Born on May 21, 1981, Syed grew up in a Pakistani-American Muslim family and attended Woodlawn High School, where he played varsity football and was voted the prince of his junior prom. He also worked part-time as an EMT for a medical transport service.

HBOAdnan Syed and Hae Min Lee together at their junior prom.

He was a popular student, but his parents discouraged dating, so he had to keep his relationship with his girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, private. Lee was a Korean-American 18-year-old who played lacrosse and field hockey and dreamed of becoming an optician.

Syed and Lee dated on-and-off throughout 1998 before Lee officially broke things off that December. In her diary, she recorded her conflicting feelings for Syed and one of her co-workers at LensCrafters, Don Clinedinst.

Lee began dating Clinedinst around Jan. 1, 1999 — and less than two weeks later, she vanished.

The Murder Of Hae Min Lee

On Jan. 13, 1999, Hae Min Lee left Woodlawn High School in her gray Nissan Sentra. She was supposed to pick up her six-year-old cousin before going to her job at LensCrafters, but she never arrived.

HBOHae Min Lee, a popular Woodlawn High School student, was found murdered in Baltimore’s Leakin Park nearly a month after she disappeared in January 1999.

When she failed to return home, her family reported her missing. Investigators spent weeks searching for her. Then, on Feb. 9, a maintenance worker found Lee’s partially buried body in Baltimore’s Leakin Park. An autopsy determined that she had died from manual strangulation.

The search for Lee quickly turned into a murder investigation, and the police began looking closely at those in Lee’s social circle — including her former boyfriend.

Adnan Syed’s recent breakup with Lee was a possible motive. Police received information from one of Syed’s acquaintances, Jay Wilds, who told investigators that Syed had shown him Lee’s body inside her car and asked him to help bury the corpse in Baltimore’s Leakin Park.

Baltimore Police DepartmentDespite inconsistencies, Jay Wilds’ testimony was considered credible partly because he was able to lead the police to Hae Min Lee’s missing car.

Another important witness was Jennifer Pusateri, a friend of Wilds’ who told investigators that Wilds had contacted her from Syed’s phone on the day Lee disappeared. She later claimed Wilds told her that Syed had confessed to killing Lee.

Wilds’ account would be key to the prosecution’s case, but it would also become one of the most debated parts of the investigation. During his multiple interviews with the police, Wilds changed details of his story. This was likely to avoid implicating himself, but critics have said that these inconsistencies made him an unreliable witness.

Nevertheless, investigators moved forward with Syed as their primary suspect. On Feb. 28, 1999, the 17-year-old high school student was arrested and charged him with first-degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and robbery.

Adnan Syed’s Trial And Conviction

Syed’s first trial never reached a verdict. In December 1999, the judge declared a mistrial after jurors overheard a heated exchange between defense attorney Cristina Gutierrez and the judge, forcing the case to restart.

Baltimore Police DepartmentA mugshot of Adnan Syed, taken shortly after he was arrested in 1999.

A second trial began the following month, and prosecutors presented the same theory: Syed killed Lee because he could not accept the end of their relationship.

The state’s case relied heavily on the testimony of Jay Wilds. Prosecutors also pointed to cell phone records that they said supported Wilds’ timeline and placed Syed’s phone near the burial site on the night Lee disappeared. However, there was no physical evidence directly linking Syed to the murder.

Despite this, the jury reached a guilty verdict after only about two hours of deliberation. Syed was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years.

Still, Adnan Syed insisted that he was innocent.

How Serial Reopened Hae Min Lee’s Murder Case

After his trial, Syed’s story faded out of the public eye. That changed in 2014, when journalist Sarah Koenig launched the podcast Serial, a deep dive into the evidence and unanswered questions surrounding Hae Min Lee’s murder.

The podcast quickly became a cultural phenomenon, turning the Baltimore murder into one of the most scrutinized criminal cases in the country. Serial questioned Wilds’ changing accounts of what happened on the day Lee disappeared, the controversial cell phone tower records, and the lack of DNA or forensic evidence directly connecting Syed to the crime.

Asia McClain, one of Syed’s classmates, claimed she saw him in the library around the time prosecutors believe Lee was killed. Syed’s legal team argued that McClain could have provided an important alibi. However, his original defense attorney never called her to testify during the trial.

Kenneth C. Zirkel/Wikimedia CommonsSarah Koenig’s podcast Serial brought Adnan Syed’s case back into the spotlight in 2014.

Before long, the attention surrounding Serial helped reopen discussions about Syed’s conviction.

In 2016, a judge granted Syed a new trial after finding issues with the cell phone evidence and his original defense. The decision appeared to give Syed another chance to challenge his conviction — but the victory did not last.

In 2019, Maryland’s highest court reversed the decision and ruled that Adnan Syed was not entitled to a new trial. Later that year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.

For a time, it appeared that Syed’s decades-long effort to overturn his conviction had reached another dead end. Then, new evidence changed the course of the case once again.

Why Was Adnan Syed Released From Prison?

After more than two decades behind bars, Adnan Syed’s fight for freedom took an unexpected turn in 2022. Baltimore prosecutors reopened their review of the case and uncovered information they believed had not been properly disclosed to Syed’s defense team before his trial. They also identified two possible alternative suspects whose involvement had not been fully investigated.

New DNA testing added to the growing questions surrounding the conviction. The results excluded Syed from genetic material found on Lee’s clothing, though they did not identify another person as her killer.

On Sept. 19, 2022, a judge vacated Syed’s conviction. After more than 23 years behind bars, Adnan Syed walked out of a Maryland correctional facility as a free man.

For a brief moment, it appeared as if the long-running case had finally reached its end. But the legal battle that had followed Syed for decades was not over.

In March 2023, an appellate court reinstated Syed’s conviction, not because judges had determined he was guilty but because they ruled that the hearing that led to his release had not followed proper procedures.

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty ImagesAdnan Syed after the first day of hearings for a retrial in February 2016.

The decision centered on the victim’s brother, Young Lee, who argued that he did not receive enough notice before the hearing that overturned Syed’s conviction. Maryland’s Supreme Court later upheld the ruling and sent the case back for further proceedings.

But even with his conviction reinstated, Syed remained out of prison. Then, in March 2025, a Baltimore judge reduced Syed’s sentence to time served under Maryland’s Juvenile Restoration Act. As reported by PBS at the time, Judge Jennifer Schiffer determined that Syed was “not a danger to the public.”

This decision allowed Syed to remain free, but it did not erase his conviction.

Today, Syed reportedly lives in Virginia with his wife. The two met when she wrote to him after watching a documentary about his case. They later married while Syed was still in prison. Following his release, Syed began working with Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, which focuses on criminal justice issues like wrongful convictions.

As for Hae Min Lee, her murder is considered solved from a legal standpoint — but not everyone is convinced that Adnan Syed is guilty. While most people agree that the circumstantial evidence against Syed is impossible to ignore, others are convinced that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice.

After learning about Adnan Syed and the murder of Hae Min Lee, read about David Camm, the former Indiana State Trooper who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his family. Then, go inside the story of the West Memphis Three, whose controversial convictions divided the nation for decades.

The post Did Adnan Syed Really Kill Hae Min Lee? Inside The Debate Surrounding The 1999 Murder appeared first on All That's Interesting.

New York Public LibraryA 19th-century illustration of a king in an Assyrian palace.

For over a century, historians believed they had a clear picture of who ruled ancient Assyria during the final centuries of the empire. Now, two scholars say that picture is missing three kings — and it may be the fault of their successors.

According to new research published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Yale University Assyriologist Eckart Frahm and University of Münster researcher Alexander Johannes Edmonds found evidence of three previously unidentified monarchs. A man named Aššur-uballiṭ allegedly ruled from 913 to 912 B.C.E.; Tiglath-pileser seized power around 763 B.C.E. and reigned briefly; and a man named Shalmaneser headed the empire from roughly 747 B.C.E. to 745 B.C.E.

Assyria was an enormous military superpower that conquered vast swaths of the Middle East, including parts of modern-day Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Assyria existed from about the 21st century B.C.E. until the seventh century B.C.E.

At first, the explanation for these kings’ absence from the historical record seems easy to explain. Each one only ruled for a brief time. Their reigns were also turbulent, and they were all deposed or defeated.

Still, Assyria was previously believed to have a strong tradition of listing its leaders. So, why were these three absent? The answer, it seems, may have been political.

Why Happened To These Three Assyrian Kings?

There are three relatively well-preserved copies of what historians call the Assyrian King List, or AKL. This document was periodically updated to record Assyrian kings and how long they ruled. Generally speaking, the succession presented in the list is smooth, with reigns often being handed from father to son.

However, Frahm and Edmonds say this may not have been a complete chronology. Part of their evidence comes from a damaged cuneiform tablet currently held by the British Museum, which records a royal land grant dating to 762 B.C.E. This document includes a king who, according to the AKL, did not actually rule during that year.

Trustees of the British MuseumThe broken cuneiform tablet that records the land grant.

Frahm suggests that the person mentioned in the document was not Tiglath-pileser III, a known Assyrian leader, but a different Tiglath-pileser — a previously unrecognized member of the Assyrian royal family. The Assyrian Eponym Chronicle records a rebellion at the city of Aššur in 763 and 762 B.C.E., which could mark the time that this new Tiglath-pileser seized power.

Research suggests that this other Tiglath-pileser was quickly toppled, though how this occurred is uncertain. Still, it would appear that his brief leadership was memorialized in a land grant — but not on the AKL.

If one leader could be stricken from the record, how many more could there be? According to the researchers, the answer is at least two.

The Other Lost Assyrian Kings

Evidence for the other kings came from two places.

The first is a stone monument associated with an Assyrian official named Bēl-Ḫarrān-bēlu-uṣur. There is evidence that the monument once bore a different name before the name of the known king Tiglath-pileser III. Frahm and Edmonds argue that this name was the previously unknown Shalmaneser, likely the son and successor of Aššur-nārārī V. The researchers say that he seems to have become king around 747 B.C.E.; Tiglath-pileser III would seize the throne in 745 B.C.E., and the monument may have been altered to bear his name.

The third missing leader, Aššur-uballiṭ, came about two centuries earlier. His name appeared in an inscription about the restoration of a silver ritual vessel used to pour beer for the god Aššur.

Previously, Frahm suggested that the presence of this name may have been a scribal mistake. However, given the context that other kings have been left off of the AKL, Edmonds and Frahm now argue that Aššur-uballiṭ could be the name of another forgotten king. 

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)/Wikimedia Commons

As further evidence, the researchers submitted details about a statue of an Assyrian king that was beheaded, stripped of royal imagery, and crudely converted to another monument. Dating suggests that Adad-nārārī II, who took the throne in 912 B.C.E., was behind the alteration. Taking these two details together, it’s not a stretch to believe that this act could have been an attempt at the erasure of Aššur-uballiṭ from the historical record.

In total, this evidence suggests that Assyrian succession may not have been as straightforward as previously believed. Instead, it shows that the path to royalty may have been violent — and that new rulers may have done anything in their power to strip those who came before them from the historical record.

After reading about the three lost Assyrian kings, learn whether the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were real. Then, discover the story of the mysterious Sea Peoples who terrorized the ancient world.

The post Why Researchers Believe An ‘Assyrian Game Of Thrones’ Erased Three Ancient Monarchs From The Historical Record appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Novetus GmbHArchaeologists determined that a majority of the young men found in this Roman-era mass grave suffered serious pelvic injuries just before they died.

A Roman-era mass grave found beneath a soccer field in Vienna, Austria holds the remains of at least 129 skeletons — all of them young men.

The grave, which has been dated to the first or second century C.E., was initially excavated in 2024, but recent research has now confirmed that the men died in a violent mass fatality event, and that many of them suffered groin injuries right before they died. Researchers hope that these insights will shed more light on Roman-era warfare and military tactics.

New Analysis Of The Mass Grave Of Ancient Roman Soldiers Found In Vienna

Sheridan Strang, a bioarchaeologist at the archaeology firm Novetus, presented the new analysis on August 6 at the 25th European Paleopathology Association meeting.

A. Slonek, Novetus/Vienna MuseumArchaeologists discovered the grave in 2024 while renovations were being done on a soccer field near Vienna.

“This is a spectacular find,” Strang told Live Science.

In 2024, the mass grave was discovered during renovations on a soccer field in Hasenleitengasse, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Vienna. Originally, archaeologists believed that the bodies could be from a medieval “plague pit” or even from the Second Ottoman Siege of Vienna in 1683, but carbon dating of the bones indicated that the men had died between 80 and 230 C.E.

“For us Viennese archaeologists, this is a sensational Roman find, the most surprising in my career,” Kristina Adler-Wölfl, Head of City Archaeology (part of the Vienna Museum) told All That’s Interesting in an email in 2025.

It then seemed clear to the archaeologists that the men had died during a catastrophic military clash, but only now has the fresh analysis confirmed this theory.

L. Hilzensauer/Vienna MuseumWhile excavating the mass grave in 2024, archaeologists found ancient Roman military artifacts, like the piece of a helmet pictured here.

This grave is located at the former site of the Roman military camp known as Vindobona. The team determined that all 129 skeletons came from men between the ages of 18 and 35, and a majority of them had suffered violent physical trauma at the time they died.

“We determined that these individuals were most likely soldiers, and they died from some kind of mass violence event, either a battle or a military campaign. But we have no other evidence of a battle in this area around this time,” Strang said in the research presentation, according to Live Science.

The men largely suffered injuries from sharp objects, such as swords or daggers, all over their bodies, while many also sustained blunt trauma to their skulls. Their groin areas, however, suffered injuries inflicted by projectile weapons — at a shockingly high rate.

What The Soldiers’ Pelvic Injuries Reveal About Ancient Roman Warfare

Because the pelvic injuries were caused by projectiles, researchers believe that the most likely scenario was that attackers on the ground threw lances that pierced the enemies’ armor while they were on horseback.

“We have one individual where the lance head was still inside the pelvis when we excavated him,” Strang told Live Science. “The people who caused these injuries were aiming for these sensitive areas.”

S. Strang, Novetus GmbHThe pelvic injuries were caused by projectile trauma — likely a lance aimed at the gap in the soldier’s armor.

Patrick Randolph-Quinney, a biological anthropologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who was not involved in the research, told Live Science that this site was important for understanding more about how projectile weapons were used in Roman times.

Due to the fact that the projectile attacks were focused on the groin area, it indicates to researchers that there was “a possible lack of armor and protection in those areas — but also that the attackers knew how to incapacitate based on soft-tissue anatomy,” Randolph-Quinney said.

Vindobona was established as a military camp in the late first century C.E. as part of the Roman province of Pannonia. Due to its location along the Danube River, Vindobona was a prominent camp that aided in defending the Roman Empire against German tribes.

The Marcomannic Wars, which occurred roughly between 166 and 180 C.E., were fought near Vindobona, but archaeologists have no evidence of a battle occurring in Hasenleitengasse. Still, researchers are attempting to determine the identities of the soldiers and learn more about how and why they died.

“These individuals may have been Roman military personnel,” Strang said to Live Science. “But they might not all be Romans. There’s a chance that it is a commingled grave, with Romans and another Germanic tribe.”

For now, the story behind this grisly find will remain largely shrouded in mystery.

After reading about the Roman-era mass grave in Austria holding more than 100 men, learn about the archaeological discoveries made while the Danube River’s water levels were low. Then, see the mass grave with more than 1,000 skeletons that was unearthed in Germany.

The post Archaeologists In Vienna Found A Mass Grave Of Roman Soldiers With A Shockingly High Number Of Groin Wounds appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Public DomainCharles Joughin, the chief baker on the Titanic who survived the disaster by holding onto the side of an overturned lifeboat until help arrived.

In April 1912, Charles Joughin boarded the RMS Titanic as the ship’s chief baker. Days later, he left the sunken vessel with one of the disaster’s most incredible survival stories.

Joughin was assigned as the captain of one of the lifeboats, but he didn’t climb aboard when it was deployed and instead remained on the sinking ship to have a drink below deck. When he emerged, the Titanic was rapidly going under, and he held onto the railing of the stern as it vanished into the Atlantic Ocean.

The baker then treaded water until he spotted an overturned lifeboat, and he held onto the side until help arrived. Despite the time he spent in the frigid sea, he survived with nothing more than swollen feet.

Charles Joughin’s tale was so extraordinary that he even made an appearance in the 1997 film Titanic — as the man who sips from a flask as the ship goes down.

How Charles Joughin Ended Up On The Titanic

Born in Birkenhead, England, in 1878, Charles Joughin heard the call of the sea at an early age. Following in the footsteps of two of his brothers, who had both joined the Royal Navy, Joughin began working aboard ships at age 11.

His maritime career eventually led to a position on the RMS Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic. Then, in 1912, he was assigned to the Titanic as the chief baker with a staff of 13 men.

He left a wife and two children back at home to travel on the ship’s delivery trip from Belfast to Southampton — and then he set off across the Atlantic with 2,223 other passengers and crew members on April 10, 1912.

Public DomainCharles Joughin shortly after the sinking of the Titanic.

On the night of April 14, Joughin was in his bunk when he felt the Titanic hit the iceberg. “I felt the shock and immediately got up,” Joughin testified at the British Wreck Commissioner’s inquiry of the disaster in May 1912.

He quickly set to work gathering provisions for the lifeboats. “I sent 13 men up with four loaves apiece, 40 pounds of bread each as near as I could guess,” Joughin recalled.

About an hour after the collision, Joughin headed up to the deck himself. He was assigned to Lifeboat 10, and he helped an officer load passengers into the vessel. “[W]e got it about half full, and then we had difficulty in finding ladies for it,” Joughin said. “They ran away from the boat and said they were safer where they were.”

Public DomainSeveral of the lifeboats from the Titanic in New York following the tragedy.

He resorted to “forcibly” tossing women and children into the lifeboat. Once it was mostly full, Joughin awaited orders to climb into the boat himself, as he was supposed to command it — but they never came.

When asked at the inquiry why he didn’t get in anyway, Charles Joughin responded, “I would have set a bad example if I had jumped into the boat. None of the men felt inclined to get into the boat.”

So, instead, Joughin left the deck — and went to his room for a drink.

The ‘Drop Of Liqueur’ That May Have Saved Charles Joughin’s Life

After Lifeboat 10 departed, Joughin said, “I went down to my room and had a drop of liqueur that I had down there.” When questioned further about this drink, he stated that it was “spirits” and that he consumed a “tumbler half-full.”

A legal representative named Mr. Cotter who was present at the inquiry then said, “I think his getting a drink had a lot to do with saving his life.”

Public DomainA 1912 illustration of the Titanic sinking into the Atlantic as horrified passengers watch from lifeboats.

When Joughin came back upstairs, all of the lifeboats had departed, and he began throwing deck chairs into the water below, hoping they could serve as flotation devices for those who hadn’t been lucky enough to evacuate.

Joughin then retreated to the pantry for a drink of water. While there, he heard “a kind of a crash as if something had buckled” and then “a rush overhead.”

This noise was likely the Titanic splitting in two. Joughin made it back up to the sloping deck — but he found himself alone. He climbed over the railing of the stern and held on as the ship started sinking into the icy Atlantic.

The Last Survivor On The Titanic

If Charles Joughin’s account is true, he may have been the last survivor to leave the Titanic. He clutched the railing as the ship went under and then floated in the water with the other passengers and crew members who were still alive.

Of the roughly 1,500 people who didn’t make it onto a lifeboat, only a small fraction — around 40 — were pulled from the water. The rest perished from injuries, drowning, or hypothermia. Joughin was one of the lucky few who survived.

After treading water for what he estimated to be two hours — though many experts doubt that he could have survived in the low temperatures for so long — Joughin spotted the overturned Collapsible Boat B with two dozen men standing on top of it. He swam over, and although there was no room for him to climb on, he held onto the side with his legs and feet still in the water.

Public DomainCharles Joughin survived by holding onto the side of Collapsible Boat B, pictured here overturned.

Shortly after, another lifeboat paddled over. “They got within about 50 yards and they sung out that they could only take 10. So… I swam to meet it, so that I would be one of the 10.”

Joughin was ultimately taken onto the RMS Carpathia with the other Titanic survivors. Shockingly, he had few injuries to show. “I was all right barring my feet,” Joughin testified, “they were swelled.”

So, how did Charles Joughin manage to survive in the water — even if he wasn’t really floating for two hours? Some have credited the spirits he drank before the ship sank, though alcohol typically speeds up hypothermia. However, his intoxication likely helped him stay calm, preserving both his energy and his core temperature. Indeed, he stated that he didn’t feel exceptionally cold until he was on the lifeboat.

Despite his traumatic experience, Joughin didn’t stay away from the sea for long. He continued to work on ships, including troop transport vessels during World War II. He died in 1956 at age 78, but his story wasn’t over yet.

Paramount PicturesA deleted scene from Titanic picturing Charles Joughin (in white) on Collapsible Boat B.

In 1997, Joughin was portrayed by Liam Tuohy in the iconic movie Titanic. He can be seen drinking from a flask and climbing onto the railing next to Jack and Rose as the ship sinks. There’s even a deleted scene showing Joughin on the overturned lifeboat.

While parts of Joughin’s account — particularly the amount of time he spent in the water — may be exaggerated, the story of the drunk baker who survived the Titanic is one of the most extraordinary tales that emerged from the disaster.

After learning about Charles Joughin’s miraculous survival story, read about Violet Jessop, another Titanic survivor. Then, look through 55 colorized photos of the famous ship.

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Public DomainRichard Floyd McCoy Jr.’s daring 1972 plane hijacking has fueled rumors that he may have also been the elusive D. B. Cooper.

Richard McCoy Jr. was an unlikely criminal. He was a decorated Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, devoted family man, and Sunday school teacher. He had studied law enforcement at Brigham Young University and dreamed of becoming an FBI agent.

But on April 7, 1972, McCoy boarded a United Airlines flight carrying a hand grenade and a pistol. Once the plane was in the air, he demanded $500,000 in cash and four parachutes in exchange for the safe release of his fellow passengers. Airline officials agreed to pay the ransom when the plane landed in San Francisco, and after receiving his loot, McCoy allowed everyone except a few crew members to deboard.

Then, McCoy asked the pilot to fly over Utah, where he parachuted out of the plane and vanished into the night. Despite his “foolproof” plot, the FBI captured Richard McCoy just two days later. But his story didn’t end there.

After escaping from federal prison in 1974 and dying in a shootout with police officers three months later, speculation grew that McCoy may have committed an even more infamous crime: the unsolved hijacking attributed to the mysterious D. B. Cooper.

How Richard McCoy Jr. Went From A War Hero To A Hijacker

Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. was born in North Carolina in 1942. After high school, he enrolled at Brigham Young University, but he left to enlist in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

Find a GraveRichard McCoy Jr. completed two tours in Vietnam and earned the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Army Commendation Medal.

He completed two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he piloted helicopters and earned a Purple Heart in 1964. After returning home, McCoy settled into civilian life. He continued his education at Brigham Young, married Karen Burns, started a family, and joined the Utah National Guard as a warrant officer.

But despite his seemingly ideal life, McCoy was reportedly struggling financially. In early 1972, he allegedly told an acquaintance that he had a “foolproof” way to make money: hijack a commercial plane and escape by parachute.

It may have seemed like a joke at the time, but the world would soon discover just how serious Richard McCoy Jr. really was.

The Hijacking Of United Airlines Flight 855

On April 7, 1972, United Airlines Flight 855 was traveling from Newark to Los Angeles with a stop in Denver, where McCoy boarded under the alias James Johnson. The Boeing 727 was carrying 85 passengers and six crew members.

McCoy had carefully planned his heist, and he brought a manila envelope containing his typed ransom notes. Once he was on the plane, he went directly to the bathroom to disguise himself with a wig and makeup. Then, he heard a flight attendant asking if anyone had left an envelope in the boarding area.

He hesitated, wary of incriminating himself if anyone had peeked at the letters inside. After a moment, however, he reached out to accept the packet. Nobody had looked into it. McCoy’s plot was still in motion. He took his seat — and prepared to hijack the aircraft.

According to the FBI, McCoy was spotted with a hand grenade roughly 20 minutes after takeoff. A flight attendant informed the captain, and an off-duty pilot on the plane walked by McCoy’s seat to confirm that he had a weapon. As he approached, the hijacker pulled out a pistol and handed over an envelope labeled “hijack instructions.”

FBIOne of the handwritten notes Richard McCoy Jr. used to hijack United Airlines Flight 855.

Inside were two typed pages of detailed demands, the pin from his grenade, and a bullet. The letter ordered the crew to fly to San Francisco and hand over $500,000 in cash and four parachutes while avoiding police interference.

Fearing for the safety of everyone on board, United Airlines complied with McCoy’s demands. After receiving the ransom money and parachutes in San Francisco, McCoy released the passengers and ordered the crew back into the air.

The hijacker then instructed the pilot to fly east toward Utah at a low altitude and reduced speed. Once the plane reached the designated area, McCoy donned a jumpsuit, helmet, and parachute before lowering the rear staircase of the Boeing 727.

Then, Richard McCoy Jr. vanished into the darkness with a duffel bag full of cash.

How The FBI Solved The Case In Just Two Days

Initially, it seemed as if the hijacking might go unsolved. The airline didn’t know McCoy’s real name, and while investigators were able to recover fingerprints, handwritten notes, and other evidence from inside the plane, they had nothing to compare them to.

As the authorities frantically searched for the mysterious suspect, McCoy was reportedly on National Guard duty — flying one of the helicopters that was trying to track down the hijacker.

FBI/Salt Lake TribuneThe $499,970 in cash found in Richard McCoy Jr.’s home after the hijacking.

Then, the FBI had a breakthrough. A concerned citizen contacted the authorities after reading the news and noticing similarities between the crime and the hijacking plot that his acquaintance, Richard McCoy Jr., had previously bragged about.

Investigators compared McCoy’s military handwriting samples with a handwritten note he’d accidentally left on the plane. The writing matched. They also discovered that a fingerprint found on a passenger magazine belonged to McCoy.

Other witnesses helped place him near the suspected landing area after the jump. A restaurant employee remembered serving him a milkshake that night, while a teenager said that someone who looked just like McCoy paid him five dollars for a ride.

The FBI had enough evidence for a warrant, so they raided McCoy’s Utah home — and found $499,970 in cash. Their search also revealed skydiving equipment and the typewriter used to create the ransom notes.

McCoy continued to claim he was innocent, but the evidence against him was overwhelming. He was convicted of hijacking the plane and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison.

FBIThe FBI issued this wanted poster after Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. escaped from federal prison in 1974.

But Richard McCoy Jr. wasn’t done yet. After two years behind bars, he staged a daring escape, stealing a garbage truck with a fake gun crafted from dental paste and crashing it through the prison gate. He managed to evade arrest for three months, but the FBI tracked him to Virginia Beach in November 1974.

When agents confronted 31-year-old McCoy, he opened fire and was killed in the ensuing gunfight. Even McCoy’s death couldn’t bring an end to his dramatic tale, though.

Was Richard McCoy Jr. Really D. B. Cooper?

Five months before McCoy hijacked United Airlines Flight 855, an unidentified man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305. The cases were eerily similar. Like McCoy, Cooper had demanded cash and parachutes before escaping through the rear staircase of a Boeing 727. Cooper had never been caught — so had he struck again?

In 1991, former FBI agent Russell Calame and probation officer Bernie Rhodes published D. B. Cooper: The Real McCoy. The book argued that Richard McCoy Jr. and D. B. Cooper were actually the same person. Not everyone agreed, though.

FBIA 1972 FBI sketch of D. B. Cooper.

Some investigators argued that McCoy did not match witness descriptions of Cooper. Others pointed out that McCoy was reportedly with his family in Utah when the 1971 hijacking occurred. Still, the speculation has continued for decades. FBI documents released in 2020 revealed that investigators were still trying to obtain DNA from McCoy’s family for years after his death.

Then, in 2024, McCoy’s own children added more fuel to the theory by openly stating that they believed their father was D. B. Cooper. As reported by The Guardian at the time, Chanté and Rick McCoy III found a parachute in their mother’s shed that matched descriptions of Cooper’s skydiving gear.

These claims have not been confirmed — at least not publicly — so, for now, Cooper’s true identity remains unknown. But one day, we may know whether or not Richard McCoy Jr. was one of history’s most infamous criminals.

After learning about Richard McCoy Jr. and his daring hijacking plot, read about Robert Rackstraw, another potential suspect in the D. B. Cooper case. Then, go inside the deadly 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73.

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Piotrus/Wikimedia CommonsA statue of Yi Sun-sin at Yudalsan Mountain Park in Mokpo, Korea.

Between 1592 and 1598, Japan invaded Korea. During the Imjin War, Japanese warriors swept across the country, leaving millions starving and homeless. But one man, Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin, stood up to the invading Japanese force — and dealt them multiple, stunning defeats at sea.

A hero in Korea today, Yi was a fearless tactical genius who triumphed over the Japanese despite having a much smaller fleet. In fact, during all the battles he fought during the Imjin War, Yi never lost a single Korean vessel.

Despite his success, however, his enemies in the Korean court plotted against him, and Yi temporarily was arrested, tortured, and stripped of his command. But he continued to fight for his country once he was released.

“Today I am to die,” Yi Sun-sin declared before his final battle. “Give me but one more victory over these Japanese and I shall die content.”

The Rise to Command

Born on April 28, 1545 to an aristocratic Korean family in present-day Seoul, Yi Sun-sin sought a career in the military. In the 1560s, he studied archery, horseback riding, and swordsmanship in preparation for his military examinations in 1572.

Though Yi fell off his horse during the exam and broke his leg, he showed his tenacity. As the Association for Asian Studies reports, he splintered his broken leg with a willow branch and completed the assessment.

War Memorial of KoreaYi Sun-sin was a tactical genius and a determined warrior.

In the 1580s, Yi distinguished himself while fighting Jurchen forces from China. He lured them into a trap, defeated them, and captured their leader.

However, suspicion and jealousy from his superiors lead to Yi’s arrest, imprisonment, and torture. Yi was stripped of his rank and forced to serve as a common soldier until King Sǒnjo pardoned him in 1588.

Then, in 1591, Yi Sun-sin was fatefully given command of the Left Jeolla Navy along the country’s southern coast. Yi educated himself about naval strategy, and uncovered archival records about “turtle ships,” encased in armored plates, which had never been built. He then ordered the construction of these turtle ships, which some consider to be the first ironclad ships.

It was a serendipitous decision. Japan was preparing to invade Korea, and Yi’s turtle ships would play a crucial role in repelling its forces.

Japan Invades Korea — And Yi Sun-Sin Fights Back

In 1592, Japan — hoping to attack China — triggered the Imjin War by launching 800 ships toward Korea. The conflict lasted six years, and would prove devastating for the Korean people.

That May, more than 150,000 skilled Japanese soldiers landed at Busan and marched toward Seoul. They killed civilians, destroyed Buddhist monuments and monasteries, and kidnapped skilled workers to take back to Japan. In just a few years, 90 percent of Koreans had lost their homes, and burned fields spread starvation across the peninsula.

Wikimedia CommonsHundreds of Japanese ships carrying tens of thousands of samurai invaded Korea during the Imjin War.

But while some Korean admirals, including Won Kyun, fled before the Japanese, Yi Sun-sin prepared to fight back.

He had identified his enemy’s weakness: an overreliance on land warfare. Japan’s samurai warriors had made its military strong, but at sea, Japan used its ships primarily to transport warriors, not to engage in naval battles. Most of the Japanese ships were not even armed with cannons. Instead, they fired arrows and relied on their ability to board enemy vessels.

But the Japanese would need to control the sea around Korea in order to reach China.

With this in mind, Yi protected his ships from arrows and boarding. As History Net reports, his turtle ships had a protective, rounded cover, and were armed with spikes as a defensive measure against anyone who tried to board. He also made sure that they were armed with cannons.

National Diet LibraryYi Sun-sin’s turtle ships had ironclad tops, spikes, and a dragon head.

That June, Yi met the Japanese at sea — and destroyed dozens of their ships, while losing none of his own. Over the next several years, he continued to batter the Japanese forces, at one point destroying 128 Japanese vessels near Busan.

Wikimedia CommonsJapanese armies ravaged Korea during the Imjin War, and Japan’s ships played a critical role in resupplying the samurai.

“Our warships spread their sails, turned round in a ‘Crane-Wing’ formation and darted forward, pouring down cannon balls and fire arrows on the enemy vessels like hail and thunder,” wrote Yi’s nephew about one naval battle. “Bursting into flame with blinding smoke, seventy-three enemy vessels were soon burning in a red sea of blood.”

The Betrayal of Yi Sun-sin

As History Net reports, Yi Sun-sin had destroyed over 352 Japanese ships by 1597. But while he protected the coast, his enemies plotted against him at court. Won Kyun, another admiral, accused Yi of cowardice. Other schemers accused Yi of “disloyalty and disobedience.”

Korea’s King Sǒnjo folded to the pressure — and issued an arrest warrant for the admiral.

Won Kyun took over the Korean fleet while an ox cart transported Yi to Seoul in chains. Korea’s war hero went on trial and was found guilty. He was tortured and exiled.

“What shall I do?” Yi wondered. “Is there anyone else under heaven in such a pitiful plight as myself? The sooner I die the better.”

But without Yi’s tactical brilliance, Won sailed Korea’s fleet into a trap, losing nearly every ship under his command. Realizing his error, King Sǒnjo reinstated Yi as Supreme Naval Commander.

National Institute of Japanese LiteratureEven after Korea’s king ordered Yi Sun-sin’s arrest and torture, the commander returned to the battlefield to fight for his country.

Yi took command of a fleet that consisted of just 12 ships and 120 soldiers. But that didn’t intimidate Yi. “After all, I still have twelve ships!” he declared. “As long as I live, [our] enemies will never look down on us.”

Yi soon proved his strategic value. As a Japanese fleet of 300 vessels, including 130 warships, sailed toward Korea, Yi set up a trap in a narrow strait with strong tidal surges. Thanks to his knowledge of local waters, Yi pinned the fleet in the narrows and battered the Japanese ships with cannon fire.

After the battle, Japan’s fleet retreated – minus the 31 ships Yi sank. The Korean fleet did not lose a single ship.

The Death of Admiral Yi

In the end, Yi Sun-sin died as he lived. While chasing a Japanese fleet of 500 ships on Dec. 18, 1598, he was fatally shot in the leg.

“The battle is at its height,” Yi called to his son, “do not announce my death!”

Yi’s son followed the order, hiding his father’s body in a cabin of the ship and returning to lead the battle – so that no one knew that Yi had died until the battle had ended. The Koreans had emerged triumphant, and the Imjin War ended with the Japanese withdrawal.

During his six years as a naval commander, Yi fought in 23 battles. He never lost, and destroyed hundreds of Japanese ships without ever losing a single one of his own.

Wikimedia CommonsStatues of Yi Sun-sin stand across South Korea, including this statue in Seoul.

Sine his death, Korea has celebrated Yi Sun-sin as a legendary military hero. Statues in Busan and Seoul memorialize the leader who protected the shores of his country, even when his own king turned against him.

And in 1905, when Japanese Admiral Heihachiro Togo was compared to Horatio Nelson and Yi Sun-sin for his stunning defeat of the Russians at Tsushima Strait, he demurred.

“It may be proper to compare me with Nelson,” Togo stated, “but not with Korea’s Yi Sun-sin, for he has no equal.”

After reading about Yi Sun-sin, one of Korea’s most celebrated military heroes, discover the story of the Haenyeo, the all-female divers in South Korea who harvest seafood. Or, look through these rare photos from inside North Korea.

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Dendermonde PoliceThe provenance of the dozens of gold bars and thousands of gold coins found inside the house in Dendermonde remains a mystery for now.

Usually, in order to conduct renovations on a building, money needs to be poured into the project — not the other way around. However, construction workers renovating an historic house in the Belgian city of Dendermonde were recently shocked to discover a huge cache of money just waiting to be taken out of the building.

Concealed in a chest built into the wall of the cellar, workers found more than 40 gold bars and at least 4,000 gold coins, valued in total at roughly $10 million. Now, Belgian authorities need to figure out where it came from — and what to do with it.

The Discovery Of $10 Million In Gold During House Renovations In Dendermonde

First reported by the Flemish news site VRT NWS, the discovery was made at a building in Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde, East Flanders, that is currently owned by the social welfare organization CAW Oost-Vlaanderen.

Before they took ownership, the building was the home of a brewer who set up shop circa 1900, which opens up interesting historical possibilities related to the gold.

Dendermonde PoliceThe building became the residence of a prominent brewer circa 1900, but there is no evidence linking him to the gold.

The construction company De Brand was conducting renovations at the site when the hidden gold was first discovered.

Eighteen-year-old worker Kobe Philips told VRT NWS that when the crew found the gold, their first reaction was disbelief.

“We certainly hadn’t expected to find gold,” Philips said. “We stumbled across it while carrying out groundworks to lay a pipe for the sewerage system.”

Even after spotting the glimmering cache, Philips said the crew still believed the coins were ordinary.

“At first, I thought they were €1 coins. But then we also saw a gold nugget lying there. That’s when we realized it was something bigger,” Philips said.

VRT NWSThe site manager remarked that the construction team was in disbelief after discovering the gold.

The site manager, Mario, told VRT NWS that as they kept looking, more pieces of gold and many bars were found.

“After 33 years in the construction industry, this is the first time I’ve experienced anything like this,” Mario said. “I don’t think it will ever happen again.”

After letting the discovery sink in, the team called the local authorities.

In the end, the cache of gold contained at least 4,000 gold coins and more than 40 gold bars, as well as multiple ingots, although no exact inventory has been released.

In total, the estimated value of the gold is around $10 million.

The Mystery Of Who Left These Coins And Bars In The House — And Why

The police took the gold into custody and brought it to a secure location. The East Flanders prosecutor will conduct an investigation into who the gold belonged to and why it was placed there.

In a statement, the local police have also warned treasure hunters away from the site, due to it being an active construction zone.

Dendermonde PoliceLocal authorities are currently investigating the source of the coins, considering both historical angles and criminal ones.

“At present, it is not known where the gold came from, nor, from a legal perspective, to whom it belongs,” a government spokesperson said to VRT NWS.

Because the gold was secured in a chest built into a cellar wall, it is reasonable to believe that whoever put the treasure there did so deliberately and with a goal of making it hard to find.

Archaeologically speaking, groups of coins or other valuables hidden together are known as “hoards,” which are often deposited during periods of war and economic or political instability.

But, in this case, it is too early to say whether this discovery is linked to a tumultuous historical event, or perhaps a more modern-day crime.

“For all we know, this discovery is the result of some kind of fraudulent activity and the gold has been hidden there,” Geert Hillaert of CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, the organization that occupies the building now, said to VRT NWS.

VRT NWSThe house in Dendermonde where the gold was found.

Local authorities have not released any official identification on the individual coins’ minting, dating, iconography, or origins.

The property’s former use as the home of a brewer in the early 20th century could be a potential line of investigation, but there is currently no evidence that links the former owner to the gold.

In fact, the authorities currently have no idea who will ultimately end up with the gold.

Hillaert said that if CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, the social services organization that currently owns the building, received the gold, the money would be used to support their work in assisting homeless and otherwise vulnerable populations in East Flanders.

As Hillaert said, “That would be a very welcome gift to help address the enormous need we experience on a daily basis.”

After reading about the $10 million in gold found during building renovations in Belgium, read about this hidden cache of century-old coins found in Russia. Then, learn about three World War II bunkers unearthed in a Belgian park during dune restoration.

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Jorge Zapata/UnsplashPesticides, herbicides, and fungicides used on golf course greens may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.

If you live near a golf course, you have more to worry about than flyaway balls breaking your window. According to a 2025 study from experts at the Mayo Clinic and University of Kansas Medical Center, among others, living near a golf course is associated with higher risks of Parkinson’s disease.

Breaking down the study in a viral social media post, Dr. Lee Howard explains that the research shows that people who live one to two miles from a golf course are 198 percent more likely to receive a Parkinson’s diagnosis in their lifetime than people who don’t reside near a golf course. The reason, he says, may have something to do with how those pristine greens are maintained.

Is There A Link Between Golf Courses And Parkinson’s Disease?

The 2025 study looked at data over 24 years. Using age- and sex-controlled measures across the population, researchers studied rates of Parkinson’s in people who live near golf courses. Specifically, they identified 419 people who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and compared them with 5,113 controls.

They found that the closer someone lives to a golf course, the more likely they are to develop Parkinson’s. While the odds are highest closest to the golf course, they are still elevated several miles away. Using a linear model, this meant that for every mile further from a golf course someone lived, their odds of developing Parkinson’s went down by nine percent.

Public DomainA French patient named Pierre D. became one of the first people to be officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the 1870s.