history

The Story Of ‘Fat Pete’ Chiodo, The Mobster Who Was Too Heavy To Be Killed

Peter Chiodo was a high-ranking New York gangster in the late 1980s, until he defied his bosses — then survived their attempt on his life because his weight protected him from the bullets.

By Neil Patmore • Nov 7, 2022

The Story Of ‘Fat Pete’ Chiodo, The Mobster Who Was Too Heavy To Be Killed

Peter Chiodo was a high-ranking New York gangster in the late 1980s, until he defied his bosses — then survived their attempt on his life because his weight protected him from the bullets.

By Neil Patmore • November 7, 2022

Albert DeSalvo: The Career Criminal Who Confessed To Being The ‘Boston Strangler’

Though Albert DeSalvo confessed to murdering 13 women in the early 1960s, some believe that the "Boston Strangler" was really multiple serial killers.

By Katie Serena • Nov 6, 2022

Albert DeSalvo: The Career Criminal Who Confessed To Being The ‘Boston Strangler’

Though Albert DeSalvo confessed to murdering 13 women in the early 1960s, some believe that the "Boston Strangler" was really multiple serial killers.

By Katie Serena • November 6, 2022

Who Was D.B. Cooper, The Mysterious Plane Hijacker Who Stole $200,000 In 1971?

Go inside the unsolved mystery of D.B. Cooper, the infamous skyjacker who may have been a paratrooper and ex-convict named Robert Rackstraw.

By Kaleena Fraga • Nov 6, 2022

Who Was D.B. Cooper, The Mysterious Plane Hijacker Who Stole $200,000 In 1971?

Go inside the unsolved mystery of D.B. Cooper, the infamous skyjacker who may have been a paratrooper and ex-convict named Robert Rackstraw.

By Kaleena Fraga • November 6, 2022

33 Photos Of La Sagrada Familia, The Magnificent Catalan Church That’s Taken Over 140 Years To Build

Construction on the Barcelona basilica of La Sagrada Familia, the magnum opus of controversial Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, began in 1882 and is slated for completion in 2026.

By Erin Kelly • Nov 5, 2022

33 Photos Of La Sagrada Familia, The Magnificent Catalan Church That’s Taken Over 140 Years To Build

Construction on the Barcelona basilica of La Sagrada Familia, the magnum opus of controversial Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, began in 1882 and is slated for completion in 2026.

By Erin Kelly • November 5, 2022

Ambergris, The Rare ‘Whale Vomit’ Used In Perfume

Ambergris is a waxy substance sometimes found in the digestive system of a sperm whale — and it can be worth millions.

By Katie Serena • Nov 5, 2022

Ambergris, The Rare ‘Whale Vomit’ Used In Perfume

Ambergris is a waxy substance sometimes found in the digestive system of a sperm whale — and it can be worth millions.

By Katie Serena • November 5, 2022

This Week In History News, Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

Trophy heads from human sacrifices found in Peru, face of 19th-century "vampire" reconstructed, 85-year-old explorers' cameras recovered in the Yukon.

By All That's Interesting • Nov 4, 2022

News

This Week In History News, Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

Trophy heads from human sacrifices found in Peru, face of 19th-century "vampire" reconstructed, 85-year-old explorers' cameras recovered in the Yukon.

By All That's Interesting • November 4, 2022

This Medieval Warrior Died During The Battle Of Visby — And Scientists Just Recreated His Wound In All Its Gory Glory

Researchers hypothesized that the man was likely struck by an ax — and other weapons — during the 1361 Battle of Visby.

By Kaleena Fraga • Nov 4, 2022

News

This Medieval Warrior Died During The Battle Of Visby — And Scientists Just Recreated His Wound In All Its Gory Glory

Researchers hypothesized that the man was likely struck by an ax — and other weapons — during the 1361 Battle of Visby.

By Kaleena Fraga • November 4, 2022

Meet Mickey Featherstone, The Deranged Hitman Who Turned Informant And Helped Bring Down The Westies

Operating in Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s and '80s, Francis "Mickey" Featherstone was one of the most feared hitmen in the Irish American mob.

By Neil Patmore • Nov 3, 2022

Meet Mickey Featherstone, The Deranged Hitman Who Turned Informant And Helped Bring Down The Westies

Operating in Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s and '80s, Francis "Mickey" Featherstone was one of the most feared hitmen in the Irish American mob.

By Neil Patmore • November 3, 2022

Expedition Recovers Cameras Left On Yukon Glacier 85 Years Ago — And They Still Contain Film

By mapping out how the Walsh glacier had moved over the past eight decades, the expedition was able to pinpoint where explorers had abandoned their equipment, including cameras.

By Kaleena Fraga • Nov 2, 2022

News

Expedition Recovers Cameras Left On Yukon Glacier 85 Years Ago — And They Still Contain Film

By mapping out how the Walsh glacier had moved over the past eight decades, the expedition was able to pinpoint where explorers had abandoned their equipment, including cameras.

By Kaleena Fraga • November 2, 2022

How The Fox Sisters Brought Spiritualism To 19th-Century America — Then Admitted It Was All A Hoax

Leah, Kate, and Maggie Fox carried out an elaborate prank for 40 years, convincing audiences that they could communicate with spirits.

By Kaleena Fraga • Nov 1, 2022

How The Fox Sisters Brought Spiritualism To 19th-Century America — Then Admitted It Was All A Hoax

Leah, Kate, and Maggie Fox carried out an elaborate prank for 40 years, convincing audiences that they could communicate with spirits.

By Kaleena Fraga • November 1, 2022

Mathew Brady And His Groundbreaking Photos That Showed The Public The Gruesome Price Of The Civil War

Known as the "father of photojournalism," Mathew Brady helped take 10,000 pictures of the Civil War — and captured the reality of America's bloodiest conflict.

By Kaleena Fraga • Nov 1, 2022

Mathew Brady And His Groundbreaking Photos That Showed The Public The Gruesome Price Of The Civil War

Known as the "father of photojournalism," Mathew Brady helped take 10,000 pictures of the Civil War — and captured the reality of America's bloodiest conflict.

By Kaleena Fraga • November 1, 2022

Researchers Reconstruct The Skull Of A 19th-Century Mutilated ‘Vampire’

John Barber died of tuberculosis in 19th-century Connecticut, and when townspeople remained sick thereafter, superstitious locals claimed he was a vampire who rose from the grave to spread his illness.

By Kaleena Fraga • Nov 1, 2022

News

Researchers Reconstruct The Skull Of A 19th-Century Mutilated ‘Vampire’

John Barber died of tuberculosis in 19th-century Connecticut, and when townspeople remained sick thereafter, superstitious locals claimed he was a vampire who rose from the grave to spread his illness.

By Kaleena Fraga • November 1, 2022