Director Stanley Kubrick’s secretary often heard the sound of a book hitting the wall as he flung it into a reject pile when looking for a novel to adapt. When it had been a while since she had heard any sound, she walked in to check on her boss and found Kubrick deeply engrossed in […]
In 2000, a meat department at a Walmart in Texas became the first…
In 2000, a meat department at a Walmart in Texas became the first store to unionize. Within two weeks Walmart eliminated all meat department positions and switched to pre-packaged meats.
The first responders to accidents in high speed motorcycle…
The first responders to accidents in high speed motorcycle races in Northern Ireland are motorcycle doctors. They travel at speeds upwards of 180mph to get to the scene.
Robert Kennedy took up a paper route as a young boy…
Robert F. Kennedy took up a paper route as a young boy. However, he had the family chauffeur driving him, so that he could make his deliveries in a Rolls-Royce.
In 2003 a teen with cancer died because his…
In 2003 a teen with cancer died because his naturopathic Dr assured his parents he will cure his cancer with photo luminescence: taking a vial of blood from him, exposing it to ultraviolet light from a device, injecting the treated blood back in a hydrogen-peroxide solution. He died 9 days later.
A 14-year-old North Korean schoolgirl drowned while…
A 14-year-old North Korean schoolgirl drowned while attempting to rescue portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il from a flood.
To study wind currents, the US Navy sprayed San Francisco….
To study wind currents, the US Navy sprayed San Francisco with S. marcescens, thought to be a non-pathogenic bacterium. Doctors soon noted drastic increases in pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
A French man fell in love with someone he thought was a female…
A French man fell in love with someone he thought was a female Chinese opera singer, and had a decades-long affair that resulted in a child… only to discover that the whole time the singer had actually been male and a spy.
Up to 70% of people will experience a…
Up to 70% of people will experience a hypnagogic jerk when falling asleep. A hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person is drifting off to sleep. The phenomenon is so named in reference to the hypnogogic state — the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep.
18th century infamous rivals, Kitty Fisher and Maria…
18th century infamous rivals, Kitty Fisher and Maria Gunninng, died the same way by lead poisoning by excessive use of make-up. At the time, make-up contained Lead, a poisonous substance, that would make a person look pale. A sign of beauty at the time.