Category: history

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Fisherman Surprised to Find 10,000-Year-Old Irish Elk Skull on the Other End of His Fishing Line

That’s right – antlers and all.

Pulling non-fish items out of the water is a common occurence for fishermen. Sadly, most of them are some kind of refuse that’s been carelessly dumped, but he’s also caught snakes, turtles, and, once, even a seagull.

Photo Credit: Facebook

So I’m sure that fisherman buddies Raymond McElroy and Charlie Coyle weren’t surprised to find they’d hooked something other than their intended target in Ireland’s Lough Neagh, a lake near Ardboe – though they were clearly shocked to discover that what they’d snagged wasn’t a piece of driftwood, but a skull and antlers that measured over six feet across.

Photo Credit: Facebook

Coyle told The Irish Times, “I thought it was the devil himself. I was going to throw it back in. I didn’t know what to do with it.”

That may sound crazy, until you learn that the Irish elk (megaloceros giganteus), which has been extinct for over 10,500 years, once stood over 6.5 feet fall and tipped the scales at 1300 pounds. That’s a pretty monstrous skull to suddenly find yourself facing on an otherwise normal day.

The Irish elk actually roamed much of Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia but is often found in Ireland’s lakes and bogs because of their natural preservative qualities. In fact, the two didn’t dump their find only because McElroy recalled that a similarly-sized jawbone had been found in the same area in 2014. They decided to keep the skull, and presumably some scientist will be by to take it off their hands for some cash.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

In case you’re curious, the Irish elk died out largely because of environmental change, according to Mike Simms at the Ulster Museum, who noted for Belfast Live that “giant antlers aren’t great in the forest.” They’re part of a club of giant extinct mammals (called megafauna) that includes giant sloths, giant beavers, saber-toothed tigers, mastodons, and mammoths, though I’m quite sure that none of them applied, or is thrilled about their acceptance.

Lesson learned – don’t get angry the next time you hook something weird on your next fishing trip. You never know what you’ll unearth from a watery grave.

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Why The Salem Witch Trials Happened, According to Tumblr

Nowadays, we know that witches are nothing more than a bunch of hocus-pocus, but back in the 1600s, it was a different story. The Salem Witch Trials were a real thing that led to over 200 people being accused of witchcraft, 20 of whom were eventually executed.

While many theories exist as to the actual reason behind this strange moment in history, they’ve all been based on rumor, speculation, or ridiculous fiction. But some of the best evidence we have lies in medical reports that attribute “possession” to hallucinogenic effects.

So, a group of Tumblr users put their heads together and attempted to offer up their best guess as to how the Salem Witch Trials came about. If you ask me, it makes a whole lot of sense!

Photo Credit: Tumblr: obytheby

So, what do you think? Are you as convinced as I am?

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The Peanut Butter And Mayo Sandwich Debate May Tear Us Apart

Peanut butter and mayonnaise: two sandwich toppings that you don’t often see together in the same sentence.

But what if I told you that not only are peanut butter and mayo sandwiches a thing, but they’re wildly popular? Does that thought make you gag? Or maybe it sends you running to the kitchen to whip one up for yourself?

Photo Credit: Huffington Post

Let’s take a look back at where this strange combination got started. Just like with every other food, someone had to be the first person to try it, so what brave soul first thought to slather peanut butter and mayo between two slices of bread?

Likely, it was born from the Great Depression, when poor families didn’t have much on hand and needed to combine what little food they had into meals that were high in calories and easy on the palette. Of course, necessity is often the mother of invention, and what started as a utilitarian food quickly evolved into something people enjoyed eating on a regular basis. As someone who has grown up in the South, I can tell you that people down here love their mayo. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Southern families in the early 20th century were putting mayonnaise on just about everything in an attempt to make it better.

Today, the peanut butter and mayo sandwich (often referred to as a PBM) endures on, with an entire Facebook group and several Reddit threads devoted to singing its praises. There’s no denying, however, that it hit peak popularity in the time between the Great Depression and the 1960s – all leading up to this gem of an ad that Skippy and Hellmann’s ran together:

Photo Credit: Skippy, Hellmann’s

Forget Infinity War, this is the crossover event of the century. They even tried to spritz it up with fancy toppings like bacon, apples, and even hard-boiled eggs. You might be able to convince me to try peanut butter and mayo, but throw a pickle on that bad boy and you’ve lost me.

If this combo still sounds nasty to you despite overwhelming evidence of people eating it throughout history, you’re not alone. The Independent recently conducted a reader poll that revealed 62 percent of its readers would never try a PBM.

But for those who love it, PBMs are more than just a sandwich…they’re a tradition. Athens, GA native Burns Sullivan told the Huffington Post that his great-grandmother would always send his great-grandfather out to work in the fields with a peanut butter and mayo sandwich.

“It was always government white bread, untoasted, specifically Duke’s mayonnaise and peanut butter,” said Sullivan. He went on to say that, “…there’s a rift in the family on smooth or crunchy [peanut butter]. My dad swears that crunchy is best, but claims that when my great-grandparents were eating them, it was creamy.” Sullivan currently works as a sous chef at Farm in Bluffton, South Carolina, though I don’t think we’ll be seeing PBMs on the menu anytime soon.

Sullivan was lucky enough to meet his great-grandmother, who he claims lived until she was 102 years old, and sample one of her famous PBMs with iceberg lettuce.

“I’m not going to do it justice, because it is — I don’t know if I’d say it’s great — but it’s a pretty good sandwich,” said Sullivan. “It’s like a sour peanut butter. The lettuce is there purely for texture, and it sticks to the roof of your mouth, anyway. It doesn’t make it sound very tasty, but, I promise, it’s decent.”

While he may not have done the best job of selling us on the flavor, Sullivan’s reasoning makes sense. To someone who’s never had it before, a PBM sounds like a random mashup of ingredients that could taste anywhere from decent to horrendous. But for Sullivan and many others like him, the PBM is a doorway to the past – a way for you to taste exactly what your ancestors ate while they were working the fields, enduring the Great Depression, or simply needing an after-school snack in the 1960s.

So, even if it doesn’t quite sound like your type of thing, don’t knock it ’til you try it. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s just peanut butter and mayo.

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20 Hilarious Bad Driver Memes

Bad drivers are EVERYWHERE. And there’s no stopping them. If you can’t beat em’, well, err….we won’t join them, but we can at least laugh at them, right?

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Millennials Look Back on 15 Things They Miss from the ’90s

It’s almost impossible not to look back on the years you grew up as anything other than wonderful, and millennials who grew up in the 90s are going through that right now. If you’re one of them (or just love the 90s) then these 13+ people’s memories are probably going to spark more than a few of your own.

 

#15. When you got home

“I miss being safe from bullies when you got home. Like when I was in school I would get shit from someone, but once I got home that stopped. With the way we are all connected now through the internet and social media, I probably wouldn’t have escaped it like I used to be able to. I feel bad for kids that are bullied in school nowadays because they can’t escape the bullying by going home if they have any sort of presence on the internet.”

#14. The news wasn’t 24/7

“Stop watching the news. I stopped a couple of years ago and I’m happier. Most of it is irrelevant anyway. Think about it this way. What have you learned from the news in the past year that has directly affected your life? Of those things, what’s the likelyhood of you finding out about it through other means. If the answer is high, just stop watching.”

#13. I didn’t appreciate it enough

“I spent the 90s on college and grad school, mostly. I miss having a life where my job was just to think, learn and mature. I didn’t appreciate it enough.”

#12. Instant win

“Instant win contests.

You could buy a bottle of Coke, win another bottle of Coke and immediately turn around to get another one for free.

Now you have to go online, enter some code somewhere and it sucks.”

#11. Like I was at an Irish funeral

“When I would be sitting in my living room apartment and looking at my CD shelf and seeing my Pink Floyd Pulse disk blinking that beautiful red blink. I always wondered when the exact time and date it stopped was because I would have popped that disc in and proceed to drink like I was at an Irish funeral.”

#10. All you had to do

“All you had to do was just go outside. We always found something to do and had a blast. My kids never go outside unless they have a specific activity planned ahead.”

#9. Basic necessities

“Honestly, I miss life before the internet and cell phones/texting became basic necessities.”

#8. The highest virtue

“Vintage clothes were the epitome of cool. It’s still weird to me that now it’s cool to wear expensive clothes, much less ones with obvious labels.

Also related, the idea of “not selling out” as the highest virtue. The idea that the coolest people of the 2010s are influencers with sponsored posts couldn’t be more anti-90s.”

#7. Improvised WWF

“Improvised WWF (it was still the WWF back then) matches on my trampoline with buddies.

Also NOT having the internet for every little thing made stuff like Pokemon game glitches the stuff of legend.”

#6. Having all my hair

“The music. The sense the world was improving. Having all my hair.”

#5. A bit carried away

“Climbing trees, making dens in the woods, knocking on your friends door on a Saturday morning without phoning first, ‘are you playing out?’ Summer holidays spent in the half sunny alleys and fields behind the cul de sac. Asking my dad to record my tv shows onto vcr and him always getting the audio wrong from not turning the volume up on the cable box. Those little blue chocolate wafers my Nan had and the way she made toast. My parents watching Inspector Morse after I went to bed and how the radio was always on in the kitchen. The plum tree outside my bedroom window when it blossomed. School mornings getting colder and how my Mum got the car warmed up in the winter before we left. Our dog. My home. My self when I was young and the world was still magical.

Sorry I got a bit carried away.”

#4. Most of all

“8bit graphics, rainbow windbreakers, roller rinks still being cool, AOL, Nickelodeon. But most of all, just being a carefree kid.”

#3. A sense of innocence

“Amazing music, comfy clothes, cheap gasoline and a sense of innocence and optimism about the future.

Also being around my high school classmates seven hours a day, five days a week September through June could be a mixed blessing then, but I sure miss them now.”

#2. The good stuff

90s cartoons!

#1. Some sort of game

“Starting high school in 1990. Good music. Rap rock and even pop. Getting outside. Calling people on an actual house phone to set up the weekend. Meeting girls by actually meeting and talking to them in person. You actually had to have some sort of game to even get a number. We worked hard and played hard. People weren’t so sensitive.”

Let me know when they invent a time machine, okay?!

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Stick These 7 Cool Facts in Your Thinking Cap

This collection of delightful facts will absolutely wow you.

What are you waiting for?!? Keep reading!

1. I want Samson!

Photo Credit: did you know?

2. Do you fit the bill?

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3. Whatever works

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4. We could all use some of these

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5. Do the worm

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6. Don’t show your cards, fellas

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7. Now that is a fascinating fact!

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Now go on and use these facts to impress some folks!

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These 7 Facts Will Make You Ponder Life Itself

Here are a handful of facts to make you think a little bit about life and the world around you.

That’s what we’re here for!

1. This man is a national treasure

Photo Credit: did you know?

2. Unattractive?

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3. Where are you in the order?

Photo Credit: did you know?

4. Wish this happened…

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5. It’s all the same

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6. A real jokester

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7. That’s not a good trait

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Well, are you pondering, or what?

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This Just In: Pumpkin Spice Is Nothing New

This time of year, “pumpkin spice” is in everything you see. Lattes, beer, dog treats…the list goes on and on. It seems to be a national obsession. But if you think this trend is something from the last decade or so, you’re way off. In fact, pumpkin spice has been around for an incredible 3,500 years.

Pumpkin spice is a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. On an Indonesian island called Pulau Ay, archaeologists discovered nutmeg residue on ceramic pottery that they estimate to be 3,500 years old. So a key ingredient in pumpkin spice has been around for much longer than previously thought.

The thousands-of-years-old spice trade was a global link from Africa to the Middle East to Asia to Europe. Spices were used in food and medicine (think about how bland European food probably was before the introduction of various spices) and were highly sought after commodities.

In the 1300s, traders went to Pulau Ay and other nearby islands seeking various spices – including nutmeg, which was only known to be grown in that region. And it was very big business.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Nutmeg was so desired that in the late 1600s, the Dutch traded their colony of New Amsterdam (now known as a little place called New York City) to Britain in exchange for the nutmeg-rich island of Pulau Run. So nutmeg literally changed the course of history.

Just in the past year alone, nearly half a billion dollars of pumpkin spice-flavored products were sold in the U.S. So next time you’re sipping on your pumpkin spiced latte, remember that you’re carrying on an ancient tradition that’s been cultivated over many, many generations. Cheers!

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Newly Discovered Packing List Reveals Jackie Kennedy’s Attention to Fashion Detail

Few first ladies have reached such iconic heights as Jackie Kennedy. She reinvigorated the White House, inviting in the public through the magic of television. She advocated for causes that were important to her. And, as accomplished as she was, she was also known for her trend-setting fashions.

Jackie chose outfits that were both timely and timeless. Her choices were simple and elegant, and strongly influenced by her upbringing in New York. Many celebrities today look to designers and stylists to craft their looks. Not so with Jackie. She carefully crafted every element of her public persona and appearance.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A New York Times article reveals that Jackie kept detailed packing lists for her travels. The packing lists include the events she was planning to attend and detailed descriptions of the outfit she planned for each occasion. Even her purses, gloves, and shoes were carefully documented in the lists.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The packing lists were discovered by Gil Wells in 2015, and he gave the notes to the United States government in 2016. The notes were kept under wraps until The New York Times made an inquiry, which resulted in the article published in July of this year.

The packing lists are even more striking because of the trip Jackie was preparing for. It was the trip to Dallas that she took with her husband in November, 1963, which ended abruptly with the president’s assassination.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“I saw ‘Nov. 22’ and ‘pink and navy Chanel suit.’ I just got the sickest feeling in my stomach,” Wells said to the New York Times. 

The blood-splattered Chanel suit is still being held in a vault, and will not be allowed out for public viewing until at least 2103.

After her husband’s death, Jackie rebuilt her life, remarrying and working as an editor. She continued to be a fashion icon until her death in 1994.

Photo Credit: Twitter

The packing lists show Jackie’s planning and dedication to her role as First Lady. Her personal style was marked by class and grace, and her influence continues to this day.

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These 13 Actors Got Injured For Real While Filming Movie Scenes

Whether it was suffering broken bones, nearly drowning, or waking up in a hospital wondering how they got there, these actors gave til it hurt to create some truly memorable scenes in movie history. While we don’t want them to ever get hurt, it’s hard not to admire the commitment to the craft.

1. The Wicked Witch of the West Went up in flames Filming The Wizard of Oz! (1939)

Photo Credit: IcePop

There’s being hot, and then there’s being Margaret Hamilton hot. Thanks to a trap-door malfunction, she suffered third degree burns when filming the Wicked Witch exit scene. She found herself  fully exposed to a pyrotechnic device that was going off and almost burnt to a crisp!

2. Meryl Streep almost drowned as well during the filming of The River Wild (1994)

Photo Credit: FanPop

”I remember sinking down to the bottom with this powerful and freezing water pulling me in deeper.” For Streep, that was what drowning felt like, but she still says today that they needed to get the shot. She was just supposed to paddle the raft, but the river went wild and Streep had to be fished out by a rescue kayaker.

3. Brendan Fraser almost got killed filming the Mummy (1999)

Photo Credit: YouTube

When filming a hanging scene, something went terribly wrong.  The noose used during the shoot didn’t match the one used by the stuntman. Fraser figured he could just hold his breath and power through the shot. For almost 18 seconds, Fraser was out of it. Even though he was standing on a board, when they upped the tension, he was actually being hanged briefly!

4. Sean Astin had to be choppered off the set filming The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Photo Credit: Cinema Blend

“I’m running at a dead sprint and I get in, and as my right foot lands about two feet in the water, just this huge, sharp pain. I grabbed on to the boat and I just looked down and just… It hurt so bad.” Astin stepped on a shard of glass that went straight through his foot. Peter Jackson had to have him flown in a chopper to the nearest hospital 90 minutes away.

5. Isla Fisher almost died performing a magic trick filming Now You See Me (2013)

Photo Credit: IMDB

While filming a scene in which she was chained in a tank filled with water, the props went wrong. Fisher was supposed to be able to pop free of the chains holding her anytime she needed to. One set worked as designed, and the other didn’t. As a result, Fisher was literally drowning, and everyone just thought she was an amazing actress. Eventually, a few crew members caught on and freed her.

6. Robert Pattinson busted his butt filming Twilight (2008)

Photo Credit: Film Beat

Okay, he didn’t actually bust his butt, but he almost tore his glute and that’s still pretty bad. It was bad enough that he confided to MTV that he needed butt massages from a physiotherapist to get through filming. Talk about your job literally being a pain in the butt…

7. Sylvester Stallone needed 5 days in an ICU to recover from filming Rocky IV (1985)

Photo Credit: IFC

In his quest to create the most realistic boxing match he could, Stallone told Dolph Lundgren to wail on him as hard as he could and try to knock him out. He said that Lundgren hit him so hard that his heart was against his ribs, the way it would be if he was literally hit by a truck!

8. Linda Hamilton went partially deaf filming Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Photo Credit: GameSpot

Hamilton learned an important lesson about hearing protection when she forgot to use any in the elevator scene. “I fell to my knees in pain. I thought I’d been shot. The noise was so intense, so extreme, I’ll never forget it.” Like a pro, she got up from her knees, and finished off the scene.

9. Daniel Craig gave his all filming Quantum of Solace (2008)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Craig didn’t actually give his all, but he did give the tip of his finger when he accidentally sliced it off.  “I was bleeding a lot. I had to get it cauterized. Filming stopped and everybody went, ‘Oh my God! He sliced the end of his finger off!’ They went looking for it but couldn’t find it.” That’s a hardcore James Bond!

10. Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning filming The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Photo Credit: Vox

Nature actually scored a two-for-one as Caviezel and assistant director Jan Michelini were hit by different forks of the same lightning bolt. It was the second time Michelini had been hit by lightning! Call it bad luck or a sign, but that is some freaky stuff.

11. Harrison Ford and J.J. Abrams got laid up with broken bones filming Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Photo Credit: Variety

If you ever wondered whether the Millennium Falcon gets mad, question answered! It took vengeance on the cast and crew, breaking Ford’s ankle and Abrams’ back. In fairness, the hydraulic door on it tried to hurt almost everyone. It’s like Abrams told Jimmy Fallon, hydraulic doors can’t really be picked up if they don’t want to be. Ouch!

12. Channing Tatum used his head as a stud finder filming Foxcatcher (2014)

Tatum didn’t use his head to find the sexy kind of studs central casting sends over, he used it to almost find the kind that hold up walls. He was supposed to hit a prop mirror with his head and be done with it, but Tatum never goes half-speed. He hit the mirror with his head until he literally went through the wall. “I missed the stud by about four inches. I was lucky. But the cut on my head was real.”

Photo Credit: CinemaBlend

13. Cary Elwes got knocked out cold by a sword filming The Princess Bride (1987)

Photo Credit: Giphy

Elwes found out that even a small tap on the noggin from a big, heavy sword can be hazardous to your health. “I woke up in the hospital with stitches being sewn into my forehead.” That’s the danger you face when you don’t use rubber swords on set. The knockout scene looked so good, though, that it ended up being used in the film. Thankfully for Elwes, they didn’t need to get the shot from another angle.

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