curiosities

Meet The Navajo Skinwalker, The Demonic Shapeshifter That Native Americans Won’t Even Mention By Name

What are Skinwalkers, the shapeshifting witches of Navajo lore, and are they actually real? Inside the mystery of these mythical beasts.

By Marco Margaritoff • Apr 16, 2024

Meet The Navajo Skinwalker, The Demonic Shapeshifter That Native Americans Won’t Even Mention By Name

What are Skinwalkers, the shapeshifting witches of Navajo lore, and are they actually real? Inside the mystery of these mythical beasts.

By Marco Margaritoff • April 16, 2024

Who Were Chang And Eng Bunker, The ‘Original’ Siamese Twins?

Exhibited as curiosities in the 19th century, conjoined twin brothers Chang and Eng Bunker were two of America's most infamous showmen.

By All That's Interesting • Apr 13, 2024

Who Were Chang And Eng Bunker, The ‘Original’ Siamese Twins?

Exhibited as curiosities in the 19th century, conjoined twin brothers Chang and Eng Bunker were two of America's most infamous showmen.

By All That's Interesting • April 13, 2024

The True Story Behind The Classic Children’s Nursery Rhyme ‘Ring Around The Rosie’

"Ring Around the Rosie" was likely created as a children's singing game in 18th-century Germany — but some people believe it has much darker origins.

By Austin Harvey • Apr 12, 2024

The True Story Behind The Classic Children’s Nursery Rhyme ‘Ring Around The Rosie’

"Ring Around the Rosie" was likely created as a children's singing game in 18th-century Germany — but some people believe it has much darker origins.

By Austin Harvey • April 12, 2024

Inside The Mystery Of The Moon-Eyed People From Cherokee Legend

Is the legend of the Moon-Eyed people proof that Welsh explorers landed in America more than 300 years before Columbus?

By Kaleena Fraga • Apr 9, 2024

Inside The Mystery Of The Moon-Eyed People From Cherokee Legend

Is the legend of the Moon-Eyed people proof that Welsh explorers landed in America more than 300 years before Columbus?

By Kaleena Fraga • April 9, 2024

The Story Of Zzyzx, The Eerie Ghost Town Along A Dead-End Road In The Middle Of The California Desert

Zzyzx was founded by a con artist in the 1940s as a spa where he could peddle his quack remedies — and its history is even weirder than its name.

By Erin Kelly • Apr 9, 2024

The Story Of Zzyzx, The Eerie Ghost Town Along A Dead-End Road In The Middle Of The California Desert

Zzyzx was founded by a con artist in the 1940s as a spa where he could peddle his quack remedies — and its history is even weirder than its name.

By Erin Kelly • April 9, 2024

The Story Of Julia Pastrana, The ‘Ape Woman’ Sideshow Performer

Billed as a human-orangutan hybrid, Julia Pastrana made her stage debut in 1854. Though she eventually fell in love and got married, her life was isolated and cut tragically short.

By Genevieve Carlton • Apr 9, 2024

The Story Of Julia Pastrana, The ‘Ape Woman’ Sideshow Performer

Billed as a human-orangutan hybrid, Julia Pastrana made her stage debut in 1854. Though she eventually fell in love and got married, her life was isolated and cut tragically short.

By Genevieve Carlton • April 9, 2024

College Students Opened Up A 1993 Time Capsule And Found Out Just How Much The World Has Changed

The time capsule included rave pacifiers, lists of the most popular shows and songs, and a condom that expired in 1997.

By Bernadette Deron • Apr 9, 2024

News

College Students Opened Up A 1993 Time Capsule And Found Out Just How Much The World Has Changed

The time capsule included rave pacifiers, lists of the most popular shows and songs, and a condom that expired in 1997.

By Bernadette Deron • April 9, 2024

The Murky History Of The Aztec Death Whistle, The Screaming Instrument Said To Make The Most Terrifying Sound In The World

While some have theorized that ancient Mesoamericans used the Aztec death whistle to terrify their enemies during battle, experts are still unsure what exactly these skull-shaped instruments were really used for.

By Austin Harvey • Apr 2, 2024

The Murky History Of The Aztec Death Whistle, The Screaming Instrument Said To Make The Most Terrifying Sound In The World

While some have theorized that ancient Mesoamericans used the Aztec death whistle to terrify their enemies during battle, experts are still unsure what exactly these skull-shaped instruments were really used for.

By Austin Harvey • April 2, 2024

What Are Rat Kings, The Super-Rodents Made Of Tangled Tails?

A rat king forms when the tails of many rodents become tangled together, creating a disturbing creature that moves as one swarming mass of terror.

By Leah Silverman • Apr 2, 2024

What Are Rat Kings, The Super-Rodents Made Of Tangled Tails?

A rat king forms when the tails of many rodents become tangled together, creating a disturbing creature that moves as one swarming mass of terror.

By Leah Silverman • April 2, 2024

A 19th-Century Book Made From A Dead Woman’s Skin Was Just Removed From Harvard’s Library

Des Destinées de L'âme was written by French novelist Arsène Houssaye in the mid-1880s about the nature of souls and life after death.

By Austin Harvey • Mar 29, 2024

News

A 19th-Century Book Made From A Dead Woman’s Skin Was Just Removed From Harvard’s Library

Des Destinées de L'âme was written by French novelist Arsène Houssaye in the mid-1880s about the nature of souls and life after death.

By Austin Harvey • March 29, 2024