We learn about geography in school. We have a basic understanding, or at least we should, of where places are, how they got there, and why they are that way. We piece together an image of the world in our heads based on maps and globes, things we hear in […]
Islands are supposed to be sunny, peaceful, and warm – exotic locales where you spend time on the beach, maybe do a bit of snorkeling, and even enjoy a few fruity drinks. Except sometimes, none of that happens. The world sports many deceptively beautiful islands, ones that look pleasant but […]
In the era of the battle royale, it’s no wonder that renewed interest has arisen in deciphering once and for all who the toughest warriors of all time were, both in the general sense and in the specific. Ranking various historical armies and their members is all well and good, […]
A blind king rode into battle, two armies clashed over a stolen bucket, and a severed head got its revenge by killing an earl. These medieval war stories sound completely fake – but they’re all real. Take, for example, the Battle of Hastings, one of the most important battles in […]
Human history has, to a remarkable extent, been shaped by natural disasters. Whether it’s volcanic eruptions or floods, plague or environmental devastation caused by human activity, human life has proven to be both remarkably precarious and, paradoxically, remarkably resilient. Some natural disasters have come dangerously close to ending the world […]
Throughout the 13th century, the group of nomadic tribes known as the Mongols unified under a single ruler and proceeded to carve out the largest empire the world had ever seen. From the Danube River in Europe to all the way across Asia up to the Pacific Ocean, the highly […]
Death is one of the few certainties in life. Every person experiences it in some way (including their own), and very often, will take part in a ritual surrounding the end of a loved one’s life. Many similarities exist among historical death traditions, but there is no single way to […]
You’ve seen Caravaggio’s stunning paintings, but do you know the story behind the images? Caravaggio was a violent and tragic figure who likely died because of his commitment to his art. He became “the most famous painter in Rome” in 1600 and gave birth to the Baroque style and the […]
In large part thanks to Disney’s version of her story, Cinderella is a familiar fairy tale character. The girl is maltreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, and essentially ends up as their servant. When it comes time for a royal celebration, Cinderella can’t attend – until the intervention of her […]
Organized crime can be explained as a complex and thoroughly centralized criminal enterprise that has been established for the explicit purpose of engaging in unlawful activities. In the world we live in, hundreds of organized crime families operate illegally and often engage in illicit activities. These activities include fraud, human […]
