Just over a hundred years ago, residents of Exeter, Rhode Island became convinced that one of their own was returning from the grave to feed on the lives of their own relatives. In 1892, the family of Mercy Brown family started dying off from a terrible sickness, one by one. The town blamed her –Continue reading “The Bizarre Case of Mercy Brown – Vampire or Victim?”
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
The Conqueror – the Movie that Killed actor John Wayne
There’s one movie from his very long career, The Conqueror, that’s believed to be the cause of his death from cancer. At the height of the Cold War in 1956, The Conqueror was filmed at St. George in southwestern Utah. It was just over 100 miles downwind from the Nevada Test Site where 11 atomic bombs were exploded the previous year.
The Beast of Gevaudan – the Werewolf Origin Story
In the mid-1760’s, a mysterious wolf-like creature ravaged the countryside of Gévaudan, France. Over 100 men, women and children were savagely killed. The so-called Bête du Gévaudan, or Beast of Gevaudan, tore out the throats of its victims and mutilated their organs. No one knew what it was — or how to stop it –Continue reading “The Beast of Gevaudan – the Werewolf Origin Story”
The Macabre Corpse Trial of Pope Formosus
Yes, you read that right. In 897, the new, Pope Stephen VI, held such hatred and animosity toward his predecessor, Pope Formosus, that he put him on trial in Rome. One small detail, Pope Formosus had been dead for 7 months. Undeterred, Pope Stephen ordered his body exhumed from St. Peters. Then, Formosus’ decaying corpseContinue reading “The Macabre Corpse Trial of Pope Formosus”
The 1970 Kent State Mass Shooting of College Protestors
It happened on May 4, 1970, during a student demonstration against the Vietnam War at Kent State University. Four students were killed and nine injured when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on the protestors. The impact of the shootings triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities to close. Continue reading “The 1970 Kent State Mass Shooting of College Protestors”
The Medieval Dancing Plague of St. Vitus Dance
Five hundred years ago, during a hot July summer in the French city of Strasbourg, a strange mania seized its people. Hundreds of citizens became compelled to dance uncontrollably in the streets – for no apparent reason. This collective “dance fever” lasted for WEEKS. That is, until they collapsed from exhaustion, unconsciousness or, in someContinue reading “The Medieval Dancing Plague of St. Vitus Dance”
The Forgotten Freedom Riders of 1961
During the spring of 1961, both African American and white student activists launched the Freedom Rides. Their goal was to challenge U.S. segregation on public transportation in the dangerous Deep South. Traveling on buses from Washington, D.C. to Jackson, MS, the Freedom Riders met VIOLENT racial opposition from white mobs in Alabama and Mississippi.
The 1912 Race to Claim the South Pole
There was a time, over a century ago, when there were still amazing feats yet to be achieved on Earth. Being first to reach the South Pole in Antarctica was one of those coveted prizes. Those who were first would claim international fame and have their names etched into history books. Those who failed, oftenContinue reading “The 1912 Race to Claim the South Pole”
The Tragic Story of the Radium Girls
Radium clocks and watches were all the rave during the Roaring Twenties. The watch faces glowed all the time and didn’t require charging in sunlight, like florescent paint. Everyone who was anyone had to have one. The Radium Girls were not rich debutants who flashed their wristwatches, but rather the simple factory women who hand-paintedContinue reading “The Tragic Story of the Radium Girls”
Watergate – the Scandal that took down a President
The Watergate Scandal may seem tepid compared to recent presidential escapades, but in 1973, it shocked America to its core. One of the most disturbing episodes of abuse of power occurred on the evening of October 20th, 1973. The press would dub it The Saturday Night Massacre. It would lead to the resignation of a U.S. President. President RichardContinue reading “Watergate – the Scandal that took down a President”