american history

Velma Barfield, The ‘Death Row Granny’ Who Killed Her Loved Ones To Conceal Her Drug Addiction

Velma Barfield seemed like a sweet, God-fearing woman. In reality, she was a serial killer responsible for the deaths of as many as seven people, including three romantic partners and her own mother.

By Mark Oliver • Jan 12, 2025

Velma Barfield, The ‘Death Row Granny’ Who Killed Her Loved Ones To Conceal Her Drug Addiction

Velma Barfield seemed like a sweet, God-fearing woman. In reality, she was a serial killer responsible for the deaths of as many as seven people, including three romantic partners and her own mother.

By Mark Oliver • January 12, 2025

The Legend Of Black Bart, The Poetic Bandit Of The American Frontier

Perhaps the most dignified stagecoach robber of the Old West, Black Bart earned the nickname the "gentleman bandit" because of his well-mannered demeanor, his reputation for never firing a shot, and his peculiar habit of leaving poems behind at his crime scenes.

By Wyatt Redd • Jan 12, 2025

The Legend Of Black Bart, The Poetic Bandit Of The American Frontier

Perhaps the most dignified stagecoach robber of the Old West, Black Bart earned the nickname the "gentleman bandit" because of his well-mannered demeanor, his reputation for never firing a shot, and his peculiar habit of leaving poems behind at his crime scenes.

By Wyatt Redd • January 12, 2025

The Devastating History Of Bikini Atoll And The Cold War Nuclear Tests That Poisoned The Islands With Radiation

Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. government carried out 23 nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, forcing the native islanders to leave their homes and contaminating the reef with dangerous radiation levels that persist to this day.

By All That's Interesting • Jan 12, 2025

The Devastating History Of Bikini Atoll And The Cold War Nuclear Tests That Poisoned The Islands With Radiation

Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. government carried out 23 nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, forcing the native islanders to leave their homes and contaminating the reef with dangerous radiation levels that persist to this day.

By All That's Interesting • January 12, 2025

The Unhinged Story Of Stratton Oakmont, The ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Firm That Defrauded Investors Out Of Millions

Jordan Belfort and Danny Porush founded Stratton Oakmont in 1989, but the Long Island brokerage firm was more like a "fraternity" than a workplace, with wild parties, rampant drug use, and even company-provided sex workers.

By Austin Harvey • Jan 12, 2025

The Unhinged Story Of Stratton Oakmont, The ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Firm That Defrauded Investors Out Of Millions

Jordan Belfort and Danny Porush founded Stratton Oakmont in 1989, but the Long Island brokerage firm was more like a "fraternity" than a workplace, with wild parties, rampant drug use, and even company-provided sex workers.

By Austin Harvey • January 12, 2025

Jimmy Carter’s House, The Humble $239,000 Residence That The Former President Called Home

Jimmy Carter's house at 209 Woodland Drive in Plains, Georgia was a simple, two-bedroom ranch that he and his wife Rosalynn lived in ever since he left the White House in 1981.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jan 8, 2025

Jimmy Carter’s House, The Humble $239,000 Residence That The Former President Called Home

Jimmy Carter's house at 209 Woodland Drive in Plains, Georgia was a simple, two-bedroom ranch that he and his wife Rosalynn lived in ever since he left the White House in 1981.

By Kaleena Fraga • January 8, 2025

The Wild Story Behind Hands Across America, The 1980s Charity Event That Saw 5 Million Americans Forming A Human Chain

Hands Across America was meant to raise money to fight poverty in the United States, but it ended up being controversial.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jan 7, 2025

The Wild Story Behind Hands Across America, The 1980s Charity Event That Saw 5 Million Americans Forming A Human Chain

Hands Across America was meant to raise money to fight poverty in the United States, but it ended up being controversial.

By Kaleena Fraga • January 7, 2025

The Moving Story Of Owen Vanessa Elliot And Her Close Relationship With Her Mother, ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot

Owen Vanessa Elliot, the only daughter of The Mamas & the Papas singer Cass Elliot, was just seven years old when her mother died. Since then, she has dedicated her life to uncovering the mysteries surrounding the singer’s life.

By Amber Morgan • Jan 7, 2025

The Moving Story Of Owen Vanessa Elliot And Her Close Relationship With Her Mother, ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot

Owen Vanessa Elliot, the only daughter of The Mamas & the Papas singer Cass Elliot, was just seven years old when her mother died. Since then, she has dedicated her life to uncovering the mysteries surrounding the singer’s life.

By Amber Morgan • January 7, 2025

The Short Life Of Carl Switzer, The Actor Best Known For Playing Alfalfa On ‘Our Gang’

A child star turned dog breeder and trainer, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer was fatally shot in 1959 at age 31 — over a dispute concerning a lost dog.

By Amber Morgan • Jan 6, 2025

The Short Life Of Carl Switzer, The Actor Best Known For Playing Alfalfa On ‘Our Gang’

A child star turned dog breeder and trainer, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer was fatally shot in 1959 at age 31 — over a dispute concerning a lost dog.

By Amber Morgan • January 6, 2025

The USS Indianapolis Shark Attack: How The Sinking Of A World War II Ship Led To The Worst Feeding Frenzy In History

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine — plunging hundreds of its men into the shark-infested waters of the Philippine Sea.

By Austin Harvey • Jan 6, 2025

The USS Indianapolis Shark Attack: How The Sinking Of A World War II Ship Led To The Worst Feeding Frenzy In History

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine — plunging hundreds of its men into the shark-infested waters of the Philippine Sea.

By Austin Harvey • January 6, 2025

The Blizzard Of 1888, The ‘Great White Hurricane’ That Paralyzed The East Coast For Days

The Great Blizzard of 1888 tore through the Eastern Seaboard without warning that March, severing telegraph lines, stranding thousands of passengers on elevated trains, and killing roughly 400 people.

By All That's Interesting • Jan 5, 2025

The Blizzard Of 1888, The ‘Great White Hurricane’ That Paralyzed The East Coast For Days

The Great Blizzard of 1888 tore through the Eastern Seaboard without warning that March, severing telegraph lines, stranding thousands of passengers on elevated trains, and killing roughly 400 people.

By All That's Interesting • January 5, 2025