american history

The Wild Story Of The Eggnog Riot, When A Drunken Christmas Party At West Point Nearly Turned To Outright Mutiny

In 1826, several West Point cadets snuck alcohol onto campus to celebrate Christmas — but the so-called Eggnog Riot quickly got out of hand and 19 cadets were expelled.

By Amber Morgan • Dec 24, 2024

The Wild Story Of The Eggnog Riot, When A Drunken Christmas Party At West Point Nearly Turned To Outright Mutiny

In 1826, several West Point cadets snuck alcohol onto campus to celebrate Christmas — but the so-called Eggnog Riot quickly got out of hand and 19 cadets were expelled.

By Amber Morgan • December 24, 2024

The Shocking Story That Inspired Pain & Gain, From A Ninja-Inspired Kidnapping Plot To A Fatal Injection Of Horse Tranquilizer

The Michael Bay movie Pain & Gain opens with the line: "Unfortunately, this is a true story." But the film took some notable creative liberties.

By Rivy Lyon • Dec 21, 2024

The Shocking Story That Inspired Pain & Gain, From A Ninja-Inspired Kidnapping Plot To A Fatal Injection Of Horse Tranquilizer

The Michael Bay movie Pain & Gain opens with the line: "Unfortunately, this is a true story." But the film took some notable creative liberties.

By Rivy Lyon • December 21, 2024

The History Of The New York Mafia’s Five Families, From Their Formation In 1931 To Where They Stand Today

The Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo, and Bonanno crime organizations make up the Five Families of New York City's Italian-American Mafia, and though their power peaked in the mid-20th century, their blood-soaked saga continues to this day.

By Austin Harvey • Dec 20, 2024

The History Of The New York Mafia’s Five Families, From Their Formation In 1931 To Where They Stand Today

The Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo, and Bonanno crime organizations make up the Five Families of New York City's Italian-American Mafia, and though their power peaked in the mid-20th century, their blood-soaked saga continues to this day.

By Austin Harvey • December 20, 2024

What Happened To Frank Morris? Inside The True Fate Of The Inmate Who Escaped From Alcatraz In 1962

Frank Morris was a career criminal who became one of only three people to ever successfully break out of Alcatraz on June 11, 1962 — but he may have drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay before he made it to freedom.

By Rivy Lyon • Dec 17, 2024

What Happened To Frank Morris? Inside The True Fate Of The Inmate Who Escaped From Alcatraz In 1962

Frank Morris was a career criminal who became one of only three people to ever successfully break out of Alcatraz on June 11, 1962 — but he may have drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay before he made it to freedom.

By Rivy Lyon • December 17, 2024

Over 150 Years Later, This Is Still The Tallest Couple In History

On the southern leg of the P.T. Barnum's tour, Anna Haining Swan would meet Martin Van Buren Bates. Soon after, they would enter the record books as the world's tallest couple.

By Katie Serena • Dec 17, 2024

Over 150 Years Later, This Is Still The Tallest Couple In History

On the southern leg of the P.T. Barnum's tour, Anna Haining Swan would meet Martin Van Buren Bates. Soon after, they would enter the record books as the world's tallest couple.

By Katie Serena • December 17, 2024

Lloyd Avery II, The ‘Boyz n the Hood’ Actor Who Became A Real-Life Killer

After famously playing the character who shot Ricky Baker in the 1991 film "Boyz n the Hood," Lloyd Avery II was found guilty of killing two people over a drug debt in 1999.

By Amber Morgan • Dec 16, 2024

Lloyd Avery II, The ‘Boyz n the Hood’ Actor Who Became A Real-Life Killer

After famously playing the character who shot Ricky Baker in the 1991 film "Boyz n the Hood," Lloyd Avery II was found guilty of killing two people over a drug debt in 1999.

By Amber Morgan • December 16, 2024

The Blood-Soaked Story Of Thomas Pitera, The Bonanno Family Mobster Known As ‘Tommy Karate’

Martial arts master Thomas Pitera was a deadly Mafia hitman who killed — and dismembered — up to 60 victims throughout the 1970s and '80s.

By Austin Harvey • Dec 16, 2024

The Blood-Soaked Story Of Thomas Pitera, The Bonanno Family Mobster Known As ‘Tommy Karate’

Martial arts master Thomas Pitera was a deadly Mafia hitman who killed — and dismembered — up to 60 victims throughout the 1970s and '80s.

By Austin Harvey • December 16, 2024

The Incredible Life Of Ruth Handler, The Woman Who Invented Barbie

The president of Mattel, Ruth Handler debuted the Barbie doll in 1959 — and later created an innovative prosthetic for breast cancer survivors.

By Austin Harvey • Dec 15, 2024

The Incredible Life Of Ruth Handler, The Woman Who Invented Barbie

The president of Mattel, Ruth Handler debuted the Barbie doll in 1959 — and later created an innovative prosthetic for breast cancer survivors.

By Austin Harvey • December 15, 2024

Wanda Holloway, The ‘Pom Pom Mom’ Who Hired A Hitman To Kill The Mother Of Her Daughter’s Cheerleading Rival

Outraged that her daughter Shanna hadn't made the cheerleading team two years in a row, Texas mom Wanda Holloway hired a hitman in 1991 to try and kill the mother of Shanna's rival — in the hopes of making room for Shanna on the team.

By Amber Morgan • Dec 15, 2024

Wanda Holloway, The ‘Pom Pom Mom’ Who Hired A Hitman To Kill The Mother Of Her Daughter’s Cheerleading Rival

Outraged that her daughter Shanna hadn't made the cheerleading team two years in a row, Texas mom Wanda Holloway hired a hitman in 1991 to try and kill the mother of Shanna's rival — in the hopes of making room for Shanna on the team.

By Amber Morgan • December 15, 2024

The Sad Story Of Keith Papini, The Ex-Husband Of Kidnapping Hoaxer Sherri Papini

When Sherri Papini vanished from her Redding, California neighborhood in November 2016, Keith Papini led the search to find his wife — but even though she later returned and claimed to have been kidnapped, it was all a lie.

By Amber Morgan • Dec 14, 2024

The Sad Story Of Keith Papini, The Ex-Husband Of Kidnapping Hoaxer Sherri Papini

When Sherri Papini vanished from her Redding, California neighborhood in November 2016, Keith Papini led the search to find his wife — but even though she later returned and claimed to have been kidnapped, it was all a lie.

By Amber Morgan • December 14, 2024