culture

Meet Esther Jones, The Black Performer Who Inspired ‘Betty Boop’

A child singer and dancer, Esther Lee Jones inspired Paramount to create the cartoon character Betty Boop in 1930 — but she never received any credit or royalties.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • Mar 19, 2026

Meet Esther Jones, The Black Performer Who Inspired ‘Betty Boop’

A child singer and dancer, Esther Lee Jones inspired Paramount to create the cartoon character Betty Boop in 1930 — but she never received any credit or royalties.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • March 19, 2026

Inside The Death Of Southern Rock Legend Ronnie Van Zant In The Fiery Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash

For years, Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant claimed he would die before 30. Then when he was still 29, he was killed in a brutal plane crash in the Mississippi woods.

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 17, 2026

Inside The Death Of Southern Rock Legend Ronnie Van Zant In The Fiery Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash

For years, Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant claimed he would die before 30. Then when he was still 29, he was killed in a brutal plane crash in the Mississippi woods.

By Kaleena Fraga • March 17, 2026

Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican Sweat Lodge From The 14th Century Unearthed In Mexico City

Before Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés defeated Moctezuma II in 1521, the Mexica people used these sweat lodges to worship deities related to purification, lust, vice, birth, land, and water.

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 16, 2026

Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican Sweat Lodge From The 14th Century Unearthed In Mexico City

Before Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés defeated Moctezuma II in 1521, the Mexica people used these sweat lodges to worship deities related to purification, lust, vice, birth, land, and water.

By Marco Margaritoff • March 16, 2026

The Tragic True Stories Behind Some Of Hollywood’s Biggest Child Stars

From Shirley Temple to the Two Coreys, these iconic child actors endured hardships invisible in their onscreen lives.

By Leah Silverman • Mar 16, 2026

The Tragic True Stories Behind Some Of Hollywood’s Biggest Child Stars

From Shirley Temple to the Two Coreys, these iconic child actors endured hardships invisible in their onscreen lives.

By Leah Silverman • March 16, 2026

The Truth Behind 11 Of Your Favorite Historical Movies

Kenneth Taylor, an American pilot portrayed in Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, called the movie "a piece of trash; over-sensationalized and completely distorted."

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 14, 2026

The Truth Behind 11 Of Your Favorite Historical Movies

Kenneth Taylor, an American pilot portrayed in Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, called the movie "a piece of trash; over-sensationalized and completely distorted."

By Marco Margaritoff • March 14, 2026

The True Story Of Nicky Arnstein That ‘Funny Girl’ Didn’t Tell

The second husband of actress Fanny Brice, Nicky Arnstein was a conman, a criminal, and one of the great loves of Brice's life.

By Genevieve Carlton • Mar 11, 2026

The True Story Of Nicky Arnstein That ‘Funny Girl’ Didn’t Tell

The second husband of actress Fanny Brice, Nicky Arnstein was a conman, a criminal, and one of the great loves of Brice's life.

By Genevieve Carlton • March 11, 2026

Thomas Fitzpatrick: The Amateur Pilot Who Drunkenly Landed A Plane On An New York Street — Twice

On a barroom bet, Thomas Fitzpatrick landed a plane on a Manhattan street. And when another drinking companion later claimed that landing never happened, Fitzpatrick did it again.

By Natasha Ishak • Mar 10, 2026

Thomas Fitzpatrick: The Amateur Pilot Who Drunkenly Landed A Plane On An New York Street — Twice

On a barroom bet, Thomas Fitzpatrick landed a plane on a Manhattan street. And when another drinking companion later claimed that landing never happened, Fitzpatrick did it again.

By Natasha Ishak • March 10, 2026

Inside The Tragic Suicide Of Jeremy Wade Delle — And How His Death Became The Subject Of A Pearl Jam Song

Jeremy Delle was just 15 years old when he killed himself in front of his classmates on January 8, 1991. Then, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder was inspired to write the song "Jeremy" about him.

By Katie Serena • Mar 8, 2026

Inside The Tragic Suicide Of Jeremy Wade Delle — And How His Death Became The Subject Of A Pearl Jam Song

Jeremy Delle was just 15 years old when he killed himself in front of his classmates on January 8, 1991. Then, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder was inspired to write the song "Jeremy" about him.

By Katie Serena • March 8, 2026

The Haunting Story Of How Sylvia Plath Died And The Tragic Events That Led Up To It

Sylvia Plath died by suicide at the age of 30 on February 11, 1963, following a barrage of literary rejections and discovering her husband's infidelity.

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 7, 2026

The Haunting Story Of How Sylvia Plath Died And The Tragic Events That Led Up To It

Sylvia Plath died by suicide at the age of 30 on February 11, 1963, following a barrage of literary rejections and discovering her husband's infidelity.

By Kaleena Fraga • March 7, 2026

The Astonishing Story Of Dusko Popov, The World War II Intelligence Agent Who Helped Inspire 007

Though many spies have been named as the inspiration for James Bond, Duško Popov actually knew Sir Ian Fleming and gambled with him in between his international espionage escapades.

By Wyatt Redd • Mar 6, 2026

The Astonishing Story Of Dusko Popov, The World War II Intelligence Agent Who Helped Inspire 007

Though many spies have been named as the inspiration for James Bond, Duško Popov actually knew Sir Ian Fleming and gambled with him in between his international espionage escapades.

By Wyatt Redd • March 6, 2026