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Moral of the story? Impress your students, they might name a mountain after you. Wikimedia Commons George Everest Sir George Everest was the greatest surveyor in British history. In 1823, he took over as superintendent of the survey of India after his predecessor passed away, and then the earned the position of surveyor general of India seven years later. Because of Everest’s highly accurate maps of India, he received a singular honor....

Questions have swirled about how Elvis died ever since the iconic rocker was found dead on the bathroom floor at Graceland in Memphis on August 16, 1977. Though the basic story of how Elvis died at just 42 years old is well-known, it remains shrouded in both mystery and rumor. The essential facts are that at around 2:30 on the afternoon of August 16, 1977, his fiancé Ginger Alden was wandering around the Graceland mansion in Memphis Tennessee in search of him....

After a beautiful English woman named Mary Ann Bevan developed acromegaly, she was forced to perform in sideshows and circuses to support her family in the early 20th century. A. R. Coster/Getty ImagesMary Ann Bevan, known as the “Ugliest Woman in the World,” regularly appeared in sideshows to support her children. Mary Ann Bevan wasn’t always “ugly.” Born on the then-outskirts of London in the late-19th century, she looked much the same as any other young woman of the time, and was even considered attractive....

Beginning in the Late Middle Ages, Ottoman soldiers abducted children from Christian families and forced them into the Janissaries, one of the fiercest armies in history. During the late Middle Ages, the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire emerged as one of the most powerful military forces in the world. Wikimedia CommonsThe Janissaries were highly trained in archery and individual combat. The Janissaries were the most highly-trained fighters that Europe and the Middle East had seen since the days of the Roman Empire....

Archeologists found the remains of 28 villagers that were shown to have been tortured before their village was burned to the ground. Universal History Archive/UI/Getty Images According to centuries-old folklore from the Eskimos of southwestern Alaska, also known as the Yup’ik, an innocent dart game once sparked a historically bloody massacre. Now, 350 years later, a group of archaeologists may have found proof that this tragic tale is actually at least partially true....

The must-see attraction for visitors to Museo Santuarios Andinos (Museum of Andean Sanctuaries) in Arequipa, Peru is without a doubt the Mummy Juanita, one of the world’s best-preserved corpses. Her full head of dark hair is still intact and the skin on her hands and arms, discoloration aside, shows almost no decay. The mummy’s discoverer, Johan Reinhard, even made note of just how perfectly the mummy’s skin had been preserved, “down to visible hairs....

The Haast’s eagle was the largest predator in prehistoric New Zealand and the biggest eagle that has ever lived. The Haast’s eagle was the largest eagle species known to man. These humongous birds weighed up to 33 pounds and had an 8-foot wingspan. They inhabited the South Island of New Zealand, which was a hidden oasis to a number of unique birds in prehistoric times. Wikimedia CommonsThe Haast’s eagle was the largest eagle species on Earth before it went extinct....

Peruvians usually gather ever June to destroy and rebuild the bridge but were prevented from doing so last year. YouTubeThe bridge in 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic frayed connections all over the world. In Peru, it frayed the 500-year-old Q’eswachaka bridge, which fell apart in March 2021. Now, Peruvians are joining together to re-weave the Incan bridge. “Last year because of the pandemic, it wasn’t strengthened … That is why at the beginning of this year the bridge fell,” explained Cusco Regional Governor Jean Paul Benavente....

In an effort to show up Soviet Russia in the Space Race, the United States considered exploding an H-bomb on the moon so that the mushroom cloud be seen around the world. Armour Research FoundationUnder the name, “A Study of Lunar Research Flights,” the Air Force secretly considered shooting nuclear missiles at the Moon. In 2015, Elon Musk suggested nuking Mars as part of his plan to terraform the planet. Shockingly, it wasn’t the first time someone suggested space nukes – in 1958, the U....

From the shocking ticket prices to the sad halftime show, these Super Bowl 1 facts and images reveal just how much has changed over time. The game wasn’t known as the “Super Bowl.” The term was informally used by some, but the game was officially called the “First A.F.L.-N.F.L. World Championship Game.“YouTube The game’s location was determined just six weeks prior to playing it. Its date was determined just four weeks prior....

Researchers find hidden pages in Anne Frank’s diary, scientists say octopuses have alien origins, ancient fossil rewrites crocodile family tree. Hidden Pages In Anne Frank’s Diary Revealed — And They’re Filled With Sex Talk And Dirty Jokes Wikimedia CommonsAnne Frank in Amsterdam, 1940. The Diary of a Young Girl remains one of the most powerful and poignant firsthand accounts of the Holocaust ever written. But these newly-revealed pages are not at all what you’d expect....

The famed folk singer penned some angry – and unpublished – words about Donald Trump’s father in the 1950s. Here’s why. Wikimedia CommonsWoody Guthrie It may just run in the family. Decades before the public took to verbally skewering Donald Trump for his apparent racism, folk singer Woody Guthrie set his sights on another racist Trump: Donald’s father, Fred. In 1950, Guthrie moved to New York, where he soon found himself signing a lease for a space in a Coney Island-area apartment complex called Beach Haven....

Two unidentified men have been fixing Oakland’s numerous potholes and hailed by frustrated residents as heroes. Sam Saunders/FlickrA study by a transportation research group showed that Oakland residents pay on average an extra thousand dollars in car maintenance a year because of poor road conditions. It’s late at night on the streets of Oakland. Two shadowy figures appear looming over a giant hole in the middle of the street — one of an unknown multitude that cover the city’s streets....

There are very few moments more humbling than when you gaze up at the night sky and see the massive world around us, which nevertheless represents just a tiny fraction of the Universe we live in. At least in theory. If you’re a city dweller, heightened light pollution means that if you bother to look up at all, you’ll see maybe a handful of stars. You really need to be in a dark, cloudless area with a wide sky to enjoy the cosmic spectacle to its fullest....

While cleaning the former school’s grounds, 27 “anomalies” consistent with the characteristics of unmarked graves were discovered. Florida State ArchivesGroup portrait of boys with administrators at the School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. Circa 1950s. Florida’s Arthur G. Dozier “reform” School for Boys in the city of Marianna is historically notorious for disaster — and its latest scandal may be among the most horrific yet. More than two dozen possible graves have been found outside the school’s cemetery, the Tampa Bay Times reported....

“I couldn’t believe it. Three and a half hours, with two rods, trying to get this necklace, was amazing. Hook, line, and sinker, I guess. He did it.” Victoria PoliceThe man took more than three hours to successfully fish the $800 necklace out of the store. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll steal a Versace necklace from a high-end fashion store using a fishing rod....

From his exploits during the Lincoln County War to his death at the hands of Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid’s tale of Old West bloodshed is the stuff of legend. From his first robberies to his days as a frontier gunslinger to his epic death, Billy the Kid remains perhaps the definitive legend of the Wild West. He was to outlaws what Wyatt Earp was to lawmen, an iconic figure whose legacy persists on to this day....

Eyedrops that give you superhuman night vision. Pills that raise your IQ. Thanks to biohacking, we can now practically create superheroes. But should we? Amateurs tinkering with human biology and genetics. Sounds dangerous, right? Biohacking—which probably sounds even more dangerous—is a relatively new term that encompasses all manner of amateur experimentation now taking place outside the scientific establishment. Today, DIY biohacking is a veritable underground movement. Biologists, CEO’s, nutritionists, anyone and everyone curious to understand the biology of the world around us have taken part in the biohacking and biopunk ideologies, which advocate for open access to scientific information and tools, and the freedom to experiment with them....

When the Challenger exploded just after takeoff on January 28, 1986, all seven crew members died while millions of Americans watched on TV. History Channel/TwitterThe TV crew was working on a documentary and searching for the wreckage of a WWII-era aircraft when they found the Challenger wreckage instead. Nearly 37 years after the Challenger space shuttle’s tragic explosion killed all seven crew members on board, divers working for a TV documentary came across a piece of the wreckage off the coast of Florida....

Sometimes, going to the theater is less about the show and more about the atmosphere. Luxurious seating, gorgeous colors, historical memorabilia and novelty all play a part in the cinematic experience. Regardless of what you’re seeing, any entertainment gets a boost in value when your surroundings are as intriguing (sometimes more so) as the scenes on the silver screen. The Orange Cinema Club, Beijing The pinnacle of Beijing nightlife has to be this tremendous theater, which offers patrons a full-on boutique experience....