american history

The Infamous Story Of Frances Farmer, Hollywood’s Original Bad Girl

Notorious for her drunken exploits and various stints at mental health facilities, Frances Farmer was subjected to a slew of dark rumors — but here's the truth about her tumultuous life.

By Elisabeth Sherman • Jun 14, 2026

The Infamous Story Of Frances Farmer, Hollywood’s Original Bad Girl

Notorious for her drunken exploits and various stints at mental health facilities, Frances Farmer was subjected to a slew of dark rumors — but here's the truth about her tumultuous life.

By Elisabeth Sherman • June 14, 2026

Annie Jones, The ‘Bearded Lady’ Who Became One Of The Most Famous Sideshow Performers Of The 19th Century

Born with "a good-sized mustache" that quickly turned into a full beard, Annie Jones was put on display in sideshows by her parents before she could even walk.

By Gina Dimuro • Jun 13, 2026

Annie Jones, The ‘Bearded Lady’ Who Became One Of The Most Famous Sideshow Performers Of The 19th Century

Born with "a good-sized mustache" that quickly turned into a full beard, Annie Jones was put on display in sideshows by her parents before she could even walk.

By Gina Dimuro • June 13, 2026

How The Hole-In-The-Wall Gang Got Its Name From A Secret Outlaw Hideout In The Mountains Of Wyoming

From the late 1860s until the early 20th century, Wild West gangs including Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch and the posse of Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum hid at Hole-in-the-Wall Pass, where they collectively became known as the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.

By Rivy Lyon • Jun 13, 2026

How The Hole-In-The-Wall Gang Got Its Name From A Secret Outlaw Hideout In The Mountains Of Wyoming

From the late 1860s until the early 20th century, Wild West gangs including Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch and the posse of Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum hid at Hole-in-the-Wall Pass, where they collectively became known as the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.

By Rivy Lyon • June 13, 2026

The Real Story Of The Bowery Boys And Bill The Butcher That Gangs Of New York Didn’t Tell

While Martin Scorsese's 2002 drama about the gang wars of 19th-century Manhattan captured the violence of the feud between the Dead Rabbits and Bill the Butcher's Natives, the real Bowery Boys were even more vicious than portrayed onscreen.

By Katie Serena • Jun 12, 2026

The Real Story Of The Bowery Boys And Bill The Butcher That Gangs Of New York Didn’t Tell

While Martin Scorsese's 2002 drama about the gang wars of 19th-century Manhattan captured the violence of the feud between the Dead Rabbits and Bill the Butcher's Natives, the real Bowery Boys were even more vicious than portrayed onscreen.

By Katie Serena • June 12, 2026

The Notorious Crimes Of The Wild Bunch, The Old West Outlaw Gang Led By Butch Cassidy

The Wild Bunch terrorized the American frontier in the 1890s, carrying out bold heists and shooting any lawmen who got in their way — but by the first decade of the 20th century, most of the outlaws were dead or behind bars.

By Rivy Lyon • Jun 11, 2026

The Notorious Crimes Of The Wild Bunch, The Old West Outlaw Gang Led By Butch Cassidy

The Wild Bunch terrorized the American frontier in the 1890s, carrying out bold heists and shooting any lawmen who got in their way — but by the first decade of the 20th century, most of the outlaws were dead or behind bars.

By Rivy Lyon • June 11, 2026

Johnny Roselli, The Mobster Who Worked With The CIA In An Attempt To Assassinate Fidel Castro

Johnny Roselli and other mobsters agreed to collaborate with the CIA to kill the Cuban leader, but he was able to evade everything from poison pills to snipers to midnight boat raids.

By Rivy Lyon • Jun 10, 2026

Johnny Roselli, The Mobster Who Worked With The CIA In An Attempt To Assassinate Fidel Castro

Johnny Roselli and other mobsters agreed to collaborate with the CIA to kill the Cuban leader, but he was able to evade everything from poison pills to snipers to midnight boat raids.

By Rivy Lyon • June 10, 2026

The Collyer Brothers, The New York City Hoarders Found Dead In 1947 — Surrounded By 120 Tons Of Rubbish

The Collyer brothers hoarded countless items inside their Harlem brownstone for years, and when they died, police found mountains of junk ranging from ceiling-high stacks of newspapers to 14 pianos.

By Gabe Paoletti • Jun 10, 2026

The Collyer Brothers, The New York City Hoarders Found Dead In 1947 — Surrounded By 120 Tons Of Rubbish

The Collyer brothers hoarded countless items inside their Harlem brownstone for years, and when they died, police found mountains of junk ranging from ceiling-high stacks of newspapers to 14 pianos.

By Gabe Paoletti • June 10, 2026

9 Of History’s Most Infamous Con Artists And The Scams They Almost Got Away With

From the conman who invented the Ponzi scheme to the modern scam artist who built a multi-billion-dollar company on a fake medical breakthrough, these are history's most conniving grifters.

By Natasha Ishak • Jun 9, 2026

9 Of History’s Most Infamous Con Artists And The Scams They Almost Got Away With

From the conman who invented the Ponzi scheme to the modern scam artist who built a multi-billion-dollar company on a fake medical breakthrough, these are history's most conniving grifters.

By Natasha Ishak • June 9, 2026

Inside The Turbulent Life And Death Of Malcolm Shabazz, The Troubled Grandson Of Malcolm X

Malcolm Shabazz spent much of his youth in and out of prison, and just as he was beginning a career of activism like his grandfather, he was murdered in Mexico City at age 28.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jun 9, 2026

Inside The Turbulent Life And Death Of Malcolm Shabazz, The Troubled Grandson Of Malcolm X

Malcolm Shabazz spent much of his youth in and out of prison, and just as he was beginning a career of activism like his grandfather, he was murdered in Mexico City at age 28.

By Marco Margaritoff • June 9, 2026

How Ted Kaczynski Went From A Child Math Prodigy To The Unabomber

After resigning from his position as a math professor at UC Berkeley to live in solitude, Ted Kaczynski spent nearly two decades sending bombs across the United States to protest modern technology before he was finally caught in 1996.

By Andrew Lenoir • Jun 9, 2026

How Ted Kaczynski Went From A Child Math Prodigy To The Unabomber

After resigning from his position as a math professor at UC Berkeley to live in solitude, Ted Kaczynski spent nearly two decades sending bombs across the United States to protest modern technology before he was finally caught in 1996.

By Andrew Lenoir • June 9, 2026

The Real Story Of Mr. Rogers’ Supposed Military Career, From His Service Record To His Alleged Tattoos

Stories about Mr. Rogers' military career have circulated online since his death in 2003, with some even claiming that he was an ex-Navy SEAL who was covered in tattoos.

By Erin Kelly • Jun 8, 2026

The Real Story Of Mr. Rogers’ Supposed Military Career, From His Service Record To His Alleged Tattoos

Stories about Mr. Rogers' military career have circulated online since his death in 2003, with some even claiming that he was an ex-Navy SEAL who was covered in tattoos.

By Erin Kelly • June 8, 2026

Candy Stevens, The Sex Worker Who Became Charles Manson’s Second Wife

Leona "Candy" Stevens lied to a judge to help keep Charles Manson out of jail, then married him and gave birth to their son before she divorced him on grounds of "cruelty" in 1963.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jun 8, 2026

Candy Stevens, The Sex Worker Who Became Charles Manson’s Second Wife

Leona "Candy" Stevens lied to a judge to help keep Charles Manson out of jail, then married him and gave birth to their son before she divorced him on grounds of "cruelty" in 1963.

By Marco Margaritoff • June 8, 2026