Stories

In June 1940, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Portugal’s consul general in Bordeaux, faced thousands of desperate refugees outside his office. With the Nazis advancing, they needed visas to escape through Spain to neutral Portugal.

The Diomede Islands consist of two small land masses in the Bering Strait: Big Diomede, controlled by Russia, and Little Diomede, belonging to the United States. They are separated by just 2.4 miles of water but lie on either side of the International Date Line.

Anthropologist Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, known as the Queen of Latrines, has spent 25 years studying ancient Roman toilets to uncover details about hygiene and daily life. Public toilets, called foricae, often connected to bathhouses, lacked privacy and were hubs of communal activity.

On August 24, 1961, Jackie Cochran flew a Northrop T-38 Talon near Edwards Air Force Base, aiming to reclaim her title as the fastest woman alive. At age 55, Cochran achieved an average speed of 844.20 mph, shattering the previous record held by French pilot Jacqueline Auriol by 129 mph. Over seven weeks, Cochran set seven more records, including reaching an altitude of 56,071 feet.

In 2012, Australian researchers conducted studies to identify the world’s least appealing color. Their goal was to discourage smoking by using unattractive packaging. The result was Pantone 448 C, a drab greenish-brown shade described as resembling “death” and “dirty.”

In December 1750, Benjamin Franklin attempted an unusual culinary experiment: killing a turkey using electricity. Franklin believed that a turkey killed by an electrical charge would be more tender and flavorful than one killed conventionally. Using a Leyden jar, a device that stored static electricity, he conducted a demonstration for his friends.

In December 1919, Boston’s Post Office Square hosted a unique Christmas celebration—for workhorses. Organized by the MSPCA, the event featured a tree decorated with corn and carrots, barrels of oats, and apples for the horses. Passersby helped chop carrots and feed the animals.

For around 150 years, a still life painting depicting a half-eaten pie and nuts collected dust in Woodford Academy, a 19th-century school in Australia. The painting was one of many artifacts donated to the National Trust of Australia and recently rediscovered in a major collection review.

In November 1983, NATO ran a military exercise called Able Archer 83, simulating nuclear escalation in Europe. Soviet intelligence watched closely, suspecting it might be a cover for a real attack. As NATO forces practiced raising DEFCON levels, Soviet forces readied their nuclear arsenal.

On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard Jr. prepared to become the first American in space, but after hours of delays, he faced an unexpected issue—the need to relieve himself.