modern history

What Does ‘Shiver Me Timbers’ Mean — And Did Pirates Really Say It?

The expression "shiver me timbers" was first recorded in print in 1795, and since then, it's appeared everywhere from Treasure Island to SpongeBob SquarePants. But it's unclear whether this phrase was ever truly part of the pirate vernacular.

By Erin Kelly • Oct 8, 2023

What Does ‘Shiver Me Timbers’ Mean — And Did Pirates Really Say It?

The expression "shiver me timbers" was first recorded in print in 1795, and since then, it's appeared everywhere from Treasure Island to SpongeBob SquarePants. But it's unclear whether this phrase was ever truly part of the pirate vernacular.

By Erin Kelly • October 8, 2023

The Story Of David Berkowitz And The ‘Son Of Sam’ Killing Spree That Paralyzed New York

From July 1976 to August 1977, David Berkowitz roamed the streets of New York, where he shot six people at random in what's known as the "Son of Sam" killings.

By John Kuroski • Oct 7, 2023

The Story Of David Berkowitz And The ‘Son Of Sam’ Killing Spree That Paralyzed New York

From July 1976 to August 1977, David Berkowitz roamed the streets of New York, where he shot six people at random in what's known as the "Son of Sam" killings.

By John Kuroski • October 7, 2023

The Disturbing Story Of Angelo Buono, The ‘Hillside Strangler’ Who Tormented 1970s Los Angeles

Angelo Buono displayed a troubling hatred toward women from a young age — and in 1983, he was sentenced to life in prison for raping, torturing, and killing nine women and girls alongside his cousin Kenneth Bianchi.

By Matt Crabtree • Oct 7, 2023

The Disturbing Story Of Angelo Buono, The ‘Hillside Strangler’ Who Tormented 1970s Los Angeles

Angelo Buono displayed a troubling hatred toward women from a young age — and in 1983, he was sentenced to life in prison for raping, torturing, and killing nine women and girls alongside his cousin Kenneth Bianchi.

By Matt Crabtree • October 7, 2023

A Group In France Has Spent Decades Building Guédelon Castle Using Only 13th-Century Methods

Guédelon Castle has been under construction for using strict methods for 25 years in the forest near Paris — and it is nearly complete.

By Austin Harvey • Oct 6, 2023

News

A Group In France Has Spent Decades Building Guédelon Castle Using Only 13th-Century Methods

Guédelon Castle has been under construction for using strict methods for 25 years in the forest near Paris — and it is nearly complete.

By Austin Harvey • October 6, 2023

The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping And The Victims’ Miraculous Escape

The 1976 Chowchilla school bus kidnapping saw 26 California children abducted, buried alive, and held for ransom — then they miraculously escaped.

By Jessica O'Connor • Oct 6, 2023

The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping And The Victims’ Miraculous Escape

The 1976 Chowchilla school bus kidnapping saw 26 California children abducted, buried alive, and held for ransom — then they miraculously escaped.

By Jessica O'Connor • October 6, 2023

The Harrowing True Story Of The Aberfan Disaster That Killed 144 People In Wales

A catastrophic collapse of coal waste, the Aberfan disaster engulfed a small Welsh town in 1966, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

By Genevieve Carlton • Oct 3, 2023

The Harrowing True Story Of The Aberfan Disaster That Killed 144 People In Wales

A catastrophic collapse of coal waste, the Aberfan disaster engulfed a small Welsh town in 1966, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

By Genevieve Carlton • October 3, 2023

The Cape Romano Dome House, The One-Of-A-Kind South Florida Home That Was Swallowed By The Sea

Built on the tip of Marco Island in 1982 and destroyed by Hurricane Ian 40 years later, the Cape Romano dome house was a unique cluster of igloo-shaped units perched on stilts and connected by walkways.

By Matt Crabtree • Oct 2, 2023

The Cape Romano Dome House, The One-Of-A-Kind South Florida Home That Was Swallowed By The Sea

Built on the tip of Marco Island in 1982 and destroyed by Hurricane Ian 40 years later, the Cape Romano dome house was a unique cluster of igloo-shaped units perched on stilts and connected by walkways.

By Matt Crabtree • October 2, 2023

How Did Nikola Tesla Die? The Story Of The Famed Inventor’s Tragic Demise

Following his groundbreaking career, Nikola Tesla descended into poverty and mental illness before dying on January 7, 1943.

By Kaleena Fraga • Oct 1, 2023

How Did Nikola Tesla Die? The Story Of The Famed Inventor’s Tragic Demise

Following his groundbreaking career, Nikola Tesla descended into poverty and mental illness before dying on January 7, 1943.

By Kaleena Fraga • October 1, 2023

Meet The Real Haunted Doll Behind ‘Annabelle’

The real Annabelle doll reportedly committed a series of attacks in the early 1970s before it was confined in the Occult Museum of Ed and Lorraine Warren in Connecticut.

By Katie Serena • Oct 1, 2023

Meet The Real Haunted Doll Behind ‘Annabelle’

The real Annabelle doll reportedly committed a series of attacks in the early 1970s before it was confined in the Occult Museum of Ed and Lorraine Warren in Connecticut.

By Katie Serena • October 1, 2023

David Fuller, The ‘Morgue Monster’ Who Murdered Two Women — And Sexually Abused Over 100 Corpses

After arresting Englishman David Fuller in 2020 for a pair of 1987 murders, police were shocked to find evidence that he had been using his job at a hospital to sexually abuse corpses for years.

By Maggie Donahue • Sep 29, 2023

David Fuller, The ‘Morgue Monster’ Who Murdered Two Women — And Sexually Abused Over 100 Corpses

After arresting Englishman David Fuller in 2020 for a pair of 1987 murders, police were shocked to find evidence that he had been using his job at a hospital to sexually abuse corpses for years.

By Maggie Donahue • September 29, 2023

Charles Whitman, The ‘Tower Sniper’ Who Shot 45 People At The University Of Texas

On August 1, 1966, an ex-Marine named Charles Whitman fatally stabbed his wife and mother before climbing the clock tower at the University of Texas and carrying out a 90-minute rampage that left 14 dead and 31 wounded.

By Austin Harvey • Sep 28, 2023

Charles Whitman, The ‘Tower Sniper’ Who Shot 45 People At The University Of Texas

On August 1, 1966, an ex-Marine named Charles Whitman fatally stabbed his wife and mother before climbing the clock tower at the University of Texas and carrying out a 90-minute rampage that left 14 dead and 31 wounded.

By Austin Harvey • September 28, 2023

11 Astonishing Underground Cities Around The World, From Derinkuyu To Coober Pedy

From the caves of India to the deserts of Australia, these amazing and bewildering underground cities once housed thousands of people below the surface of the Earth.

By Austin Harvey • Sep 28, 2023

11 Astonishing Underground Cities Around The World, From Derinkuyu To Coober Pedy

From the caves of India to the deserts of Australia, these amazing and bewildering underground cities once housed thousands of people below the surface of the Earth.

By Austin Harvey • September 28, 2023