Flying saucers weren’t the first reported…

Flying saucers weren’t the first reported UFOs. During the 1880s and 1890s, there were widespread reports of mysterious airships. Rumors that Thomas Edison was behind the airships were so common that he had to write a letter denying involvement.

In 1825, a British geologist went…

In 1825, a British geologist went to Sicily and examined the remains of a female saint. He concluded that they weren’t human and likely belonged to a goat. He told the priests, who kicked him out and then placed the bones into a casket to prevent future study.

In 1850, California law made…

In 1850, California law made it legal for towns to pay bounties for Indian scalps. Shasta City offered $5 for every Indian head brought to city hall, expenses reimbursed by the state treasury. There were 150,000 Indians in California before the 49ers, by 1870 less than 30,000.

During the cold war, soviet…

During the cold war, soviet troops weren’t issued toilet paper in the field, leading to them using official documents; Spies were sent in to retrieve these documents from disposal bins. It’s seen as one of the most successful espionage missions of the cold war.

The Tulsa Center of the Universe…

The Tulsa Center of the Universe is an acoustic anomaly located in Oklahoma. When one stands in the center of the circle and makes a noise, that noise is echoed back several times louder than it was made, but no one standing outside the circle can hear a thing.

Today China is experiencing piano…

Today China is experiencing piano frenzy with an estimated 40m children now learning to play. The instrument is increasingly in vogue among China’s burgeoning middle classes, who have the money to splurge on steep lessons and expensive fixtures. For many, owning a Steinway is a status symbol.