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As far as free speech goes, May 10, 1933, was one of Western Civilization’s saddest, most frightening days. That’s the date the newly-empowered Nazi Party led a wholesale literary immolation—participated in by university students and broadcast on radio stations throughout Germany—at Bebelplatz, the square of the Berlin Opera House. Some 25,000 volumes of books deemed

Throughout history, people have held a special fascination for haunted paintings. There is just something about certain artworks that naturally lend themselves to speculation of the supernatural. The eyes that seem to follow you or the inexplicable feeling that the subject could jump out at any minute and claim you as their next victim. “The

One could be forgiven for believing that every crime is a Machiavellian scheme acted out by masterminds or a twist-laden story that turns out to be a tragic miscarriage of justice by an evil state perpetrated against “the little guy.” Thanks, Netflix. The truth is that most crimes are quite simple, both in the action

Horror and thriller films “have legs,” as they say in the Hollywood film industry, meaning that they have long-lasting appeal. Not surprisingly, the true stories on which many such movies are based also have legs, intriguing generations of moviegoers long after the actual crimes that inspired them have been solved. These 10 cinematic chillers and

Humans are sometimes known for their resilience and ability to survive horrendous situations. Some people may call it a miracle or divine intervention, but we may never know what enables some people to triumph when faced with life-draining accidents or intentional acts of violence and pain. It makes us wonder what we might be capable

As the Halloween season approaches, several images come to our minds: witches, monsters, haunted houses, horror movies, a full moon, and overflowing amounts of candy. It is that time of year where we indulge in all things macabre and spooky. And now you can add another unexpected activity to your October fright-filled festivities—Ballet! How many

We tend to think of history as a book that has been written. So to find out anything, all you have to do is look up the facts, and you can find what you want to learn. But to the frustration of historians, history is riddled with mysteries. Some of the things that are unknown

The Great Lakes, inhabiting over 152,800 square kilometers (95,000 square miles) and filled with 27.3 quadrillion liters (6 quadrillion gallons) of water (no, really!), collectively make up the largest body of fresh water on earth. More than 170 species of fish (and perhaps one Loch-Ness-like creature) lurk beneath the surface, and its waters have claimed

Movies fail when they create villains with thin or nonexistent motivations and justifications. Bad guys who are just bad for the sake of badness tend to suck the drama and tension right out of stories. But there’s a problem on the reverse side, too; sometimes villains are created a little too sympathetic and reasonable, and

Fire is a powerful element that the human species has long manipulated. We use it for cooking, warmth, and light, among many other things. It has been a lifeline in the ever-changing world. However, what happens when a rare few no longer use fire as a helpful tool but instead use it as a deadly

Everyone wants to build something with their lives and leave it behind in the right way. But some, whether because they’re crazy, rich, or most often both, leave their vast estates behind with some thick strings attached. Far from the usual bequeathals to spouses and kin, these eccentrics use their deaths to settle scores, atone

Every culture in history has created its own bestiary of otherworldly and mythical creatures. And the deeper you get into mythology, the weirder the monsters are. From the giant to the tiny, the ethereal to the subterranean, the sagely to the fiendish, if you can imagine it, it most likely exists in lore. Except we

Cartoons are loved by children and even adults across the world. While many of them may seem innocent, sometimes they push the boundaries a little too far. Some of the most popular cartoons have seen episodes and entire collections censored and banned in different countries for several reasons such as violence, drinking, smoking, sexual scenes,

Wherever tragedies happen, urban legends settle. Roads around the world are often the site of tragic accidents and death, then becoming the center of terrifying legends. In the city of Wildwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, lies Zombie Road, which stretches through a valley and ends near the Meramec River. Mostly unused since the 1950s, it

Keeping homes intact is tricky. That’s especially true for apartments, which are used repeatedly, year after year, by a string of different tenants who may or may not have any idea how to keep their homes. Inevitably, both tenant and landlord end up fixing damages—or just hiding them. Most often, neither party is exactly a

The existence of the paranormal is a controversial subject. There’s been no reputable scientific evidence to support the existence of what we call supernatural, which leaves many people to believe that all allegations of hauntings and paranormal phenomena are fake and even baseless. Staunch believers, however, would disagree. Pointing to evidence they think wasn’t properly

For the ultra-wealthy, money is no object. Instead, it’s many objects: golden mammoth skeletons, rooftop pools full of Patron, and jetpacks for their butlers (I assume). But when the one-percenters inevitably get sick of soaking in their own opulence, they vacation in search of fresh, new luxuries at the finest resorts in the world. Luckily,

With 2020’s Netflix remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Rebecca, it’s clear that Hitchcock’s movies still have a significant influence on pop culture, film, and TV even 40 years after his death. He is one of those rare directors who comes along once in a while and changes cinema forever. Even long after his death, we

Science has come such a long way it’s laughable. Ancient humans used to mistake every correlation for causation, and that’s why they thought sneezes caused lighting and sacrificing children made corn grow. They even worshipped cats as gods instead of the indifferent little furballs they are. But for all the progress we’ve made, from a

There have been hundreds of video game consoles that hit the market and fizzled out, and most of them died for a good reason. Bad games, horrible controls, intense competition, and bad marketing will often kill the sales of an otherwise crappy console. That said, there have been several consoles that failed even though they

If you decide to become a world traveler, you will quickly surmise that despite having the same needs and many wants, people have developed different ways of satisfying these desires. We take certain things for granted when we see or do them everyday. But when you leave your home base and connect with a different

Statues immortalize important moments in history, represent a central belief or celebrate a major accomplishment. Statues have been around for a long time and many ancient statues still stand tall today, including the Moai of Easter Island, the Lamassu statues on the Gate of All Nations in Persepolis and the Leshan Giant Buddha in China.

Movie buffs know the names behind the music in their favorite films. Hollywood composers usually rise in fame when they get the chance to write music for blockbuster hits, often becoming as recognizable of a name as a movie’s director or lead actor. For example, think about composer Danny Elfman’s long-lasting partnership with director Tim

Charles Manson may have died in 2017, but his infamy lives on, as do many of his former followers. The women who followed Manson have garnered similar notoriety over the years. The intrigue of what made these women follow an ex-con fresh out of prison, standing only 5’6″ with a strange outlook on the world,

Most of the time, when somebody upsets us, we attempt to stay calm, offer our forgiveness, try to be the bigger person, and move on. However, in some scenarios, we just cannot suppress the urge to seek some sort of revenge. And some people out there have resorted to some wacky and hilarious revenge-seeking methods!

The Billboard charts can be a funny thing, making certain musical acts appear bigger or smaller than they actually are. Some of the most notorious supposed “one-hit wonders” such as Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, or Soulja Boy technically charted two top-10 hits. On the other hand, some of the most legendary musical acts of all

It is not exactly a revelation to say that those capable of snuffing out a life are deeply disturbed individuals. We all get angry, and we all have moments when we let that anger get the best of us, but the vast majority of people will not only never commit murder but will, thankfully, never

Breaking Bad is one of the most influential and brilliant shows to ever air on television—in my humble opinion—but that influence can also reach the wrong people. Here are 10 cases of people who followed Walter White on his tragic journey but learned nothing good from it. This list was made as spoiler-free as possible,

Even before the outbreak of Covid-19, the image of modern medicine in developed countries has for some time been one of ruthless cleanliness and clinical dazzle. But for most of history, medicine was often raw, messy, and outrightly disgusting. In contexts where plague, smallpox and cholera were the norm, not the exception, patients were rarely

Most people will die under pretty mundane circumstances. But throughout history, there have been several unlucky individuals whose deaths can be described as more than simply noteworthy. While many have died heroic deaths over the centuries, this list is dedicated to those who died in amusing, ironic, and sometimes simply stupid ways. Related: 10 Unfortunate