Many great writers have taken inspiration from real people in creating their work. In a number of cases, the person who motivated the author is well-known, ranging from Dante’s inspiration Beatrice Portinari to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda, who was the model for Daisy in The Great Gatsby. But determining the sources of inspiration behind

Very little is known about most of the hangmen of North America. In Canada, hangmen often gave themselves aliases so as to hide their true identities. In the United States, the hangman was seldom named in newspapers, and his identity was kept secret from the general population. In many cases, a sheriff or deputy would

Mankind’s love of records left behind countless documents. Needless to say, some are so common that the very sight of them makes people regret going to the museum. Then there are the secret codes and oaths, unique manuscripts, and caves marked with people’s fear. Text-obsessed scholars are talking in dead tongues and admit once again

Far too often, the media focuses on negative events while positive news items take a back seat. That’s not the case here as this list covers only stories that inspire, amuse, and uplift. If weirdness is more your thing, you can check out the offbeat list, too. There are several stories this week of elderly

When a state has newspaper headlines that read, “Avoid reptiles as a holiday gift,” then you know there’s a problem. Florida has a reputation as the number-one state in the US for invasive species. Over the past decade or so, more than 260 exotic animals (that we know of) have escaped their cages and fled

Several governments around the world have hit lists of people they want dead. The lists usually contain names of people that are claimed by the governments to be terrorists or spies. As we are about to find out, this is not always so. Suspected terrorists, human right activists, and journalists have also been targeted. Not

Everyone knows that Elvis died on the toilet, and there have been many celebrity bathroom-related deaths since. Dying on the pot is not just a modern phenomenon, however. While it may seem an ignominious end to a life, there have been plenty of people throughout history who have had to suffer the indignity of being

Coming-of-age rituals occur when someone who was considered a child is transformed into an adult in the eyes of society. This is usually done through some sort of test or celebration, though it varies greatly around the world. Modern-day rituals are common, and many of these extend far back in history. Examples of these ceremonies,