english history

Inside The Murky Origins Of The Term ‘Whipping Boy,’ A Child Said To Have Been Punished In The Place Of A Young Royal

Though some accounts claim that whipping boys were used by royal families as a proxy for young princes who could not be physically punished, many modern historians say they never actually existed.

By Kaleena Fraga • Sep 21, 2023

Inside The Murky Origins Of The Term ‘Whipping Boy,’ A Child Said To Have Been Punished In The Place Of A Young Royal

Though some accounts claim that whipping boys were used by royal families as a proxy for young princes who could not be physically punished, many modern historians say they never actually existed.

By Kaleena Fraga • September 21, 2023

Stephen Griffiths, The ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ Who Was Caught Killing On Camera

A criminology PhD student who was obsessed with murder, Stephen Griffiths had been on the police’s radar for years before he began killing sex workers around Bradford, England.

By Matt Crabtree • Sep 21, 2023

Stephen Griffiths, The ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ Who Was Caught Killing On Camera

A criminology PhD student who was obsessed with murder, Stephen Griffiths had been on the police’s radar for years before he began killing sex workers around Bradford, England.

By Matt Crabtree • September 21, 2023

A Metal Detectorist In England Just Stumbled Upon Two Roman Swords Still In Their Scabbards

The swords, known as "spatha," date back to the middle-imperial Roman period and were often used by ancient Roman cavalry and civilians traveling across the Roman Empire.

By Austin Harvey • Sep 19, 2023

News

A Metal Detectorist In England Just Stumbled Upon Two Roman Swords Still In Their Scabbards

The swords, known as "spatha," date back to the middle-imperial Roman period and were often used by ancient Roman cavalry and civilians traveling across the Roman Empire.

By Austin Harvey • September 19, 2023

The Story Of England’s Bucolic Bolton Strid, One Of The Deadliest Waterways In The World

Though the quaint section of Yorkshire's River Wharfe known as the Bolton Strid is only six feet wide, it's unfathomably deep — and known by locals to have a 100 percent mortality rate.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • Sep 16, 2023

The Story Of England’s Bucolic Bolton Strid, One Of The Deadliest Waterways In The World

Though the quaint section of Yorkshire's River Wharfe known as the Bolton Strid is only six feet wide, it's unfathomably deep — and known by locals to have a 100 percent mortality rate.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • September 16, 2023

How Did Freddie Mercury Die? Inside The Queen Singer’s Final Days

On November 24, 1991, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died in his London home of AIDS complications just 24 hours after revealing his diagnosis.

By Jessica O'Connor • Sep 4, 2023

How Did Freddie Mercury Die? Inside The Queen Singer’s Final Days

On November 24, 1991, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died in his London home of AIDS complications just 24 hours after revealing his diagnosis.

By Jessica O'Connor • September 4, 2023

The Chilling Story Of Mary Bell, The 10-Year-Old Murderer Who Strangled Two Boys

Serial killer Mary Bell was 11 years old when she was sentenced to life in prison for killing two toddlers in 1968 — but she now lives in anonymity after being freed just 12 years later.

By Leah Silverman • Sep 1, 2023

The Chilling Story Of Mary Bell, The 10-Year-Old Murderer Who Strangled Two Boys

Serial killer Mary Bell was 11 years old when she was sentenced to life in prison for killing two toddlers in 1968 — but she now lives in anonymity after being freed just 12 years later.

By Leah Silverman • September 1, 2023

The Murky Origins Of ‘Rule Of Thumb’ And Why It’s Been Erroneously Associated With Domestic Abuse

The expression "rule of thumb" has innocuous origins — but many believe that it derives from 18th-century laws about husbands being allowed to beat their wives.

By Kaleena Fraga • Aug 26, 2023

The Murky Origins Of ‘Rule Of Thumb’ And Why It’s Been Erroneously Associated With Domestic Abuse

The expression "rule of thumb" has innocuous origins — but many believe that it derives from 18th-century laws about husbands being allowed to beat their wives.

By Kaleena Fraga • August 26, 2023

Inside The Real History Of Exorcisms Hollywood Could Never Show

Sanctioned by the Catholic Church for centuries, exorcisms are supposed to expel evil spirits that have possessed a human — but some have ended in horrifying murders.

By Marco Margaritoff • Aug 18, 2023

Inside The Real History Of Exorcisms Hollywood Could Never Show

Sanctioned by the Catholic Church for centuries, exorcisms are supposed to expel evil spirits that have possessed a human — but some have ended in horrifying murders.

By Marco Margaritoff • August 18, 2023

How The Terrifying Enfield Haunting Inspired ‘The Conjuring 2’

Between 1977 and 1979, a seemingly ordinary London home was allegedly tormented by the Enfield poltergeist in one of England's most infamous cases of paranormal activity.

By Kaleena Fraga • Aug 12, 2023

How The Terrifying Enfield Haunting Inspired ‘The Conjuring 2’

Between 1977 and 1979, a seemingly ordinary London home was allegedly tormented by the Enfield poltergeist in one of England's most infamous cases of paranormal activity.

By Kaleena Fraga • August 12, 2023

The Dramatic Story Of Dunluce Castle, The Famed Medieval Ruins Of Northern Ireland

Though the centuries have taken their toll on Dunluce Castle — a ruined fortress that sits on the seaside cliffs of Country Antrim — it remains as awe-inspiring as ever, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.

By Erin Kelly • Aug 10, 2023

The Dramatic Story Of Dunluce Castle, The Famed Medieval Ruins Of Northern Ireland

Though the centuries have taken their toll on Dunluce Castle — a ruined fortress that sits on the seaside cliffs of Country Antrim — it remains as awe-inspiring as ever, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.

By Erin Kelly • August 10, 2023