Stories

In 2015, a massive underwater volcanic eruption in the South Pacific led to the birth of a new island, Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai. The eruption connected the two separate Tongan islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Haʻapai, forming a land bridge that quickly captured scientists’ attention.

In early 1945, as Auschwitz was about to be liberated, a group of European immigrant artists in New York published The Bloody Record of Nazi Atrocities, a pamphlet combining images and text to reveal Nazi crimes. One page featured “Nazi Death Parade,” a six-panel comic showing the mass killing process in graphic, shocking detail.

In 1910, Cincinnati’s Imogene Rechtin attended a social event where the hostess greeted each guest with a kiss. Disgusted by this “promiscuous kissing,” Rechtin, a middle-aged mother, resolved to stop the practice, citing fears of spreading disease.

Rosewood, a town in central Florida, thrived as a small Black community in the early 20th century. But in January 1923, it was destroyed in a tragic week of mob violence that left homes burned and lives shattered. With only one house left standing, Rosewood vanished from maps and memory.

On August 24, 410, Roman princess Galla Placidia roamed the Palatine Hill as the Visigoths, led by King Alaric, surrounded Rome. At midnight, the Goths breached the city’s gates. The streets filled with chaos, fire, and despair as the “invincible” Rome faced its first sacking in centuries.

In April 1993, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, known for its apocalyptic beliefs, purchased Banjawarn Station, a remote cattle property in Western Australia. The group, led by Shoko Asahara, attracted attention due to its secretive activities and alleged experiments on the property.

In April 1982, frustration boiled over in Key West, Florida. The U.S. Border Patrol set up a roadblock on Highway 1, the only road connecting Key West to the mainland, causing massive traffic delays and impacting tourism. Outraged, Key West officials demanded the blockade be lifted, but the government refused.

In the 19th century, rural New England was gripped by a tuberculosis epidemic, then known as “consumption.” The disease spread quickly within families, and with no clear medical explanation, townspeople suspected the work of the undead, believing that deceased family members were draining the life from the living.

In the 1950s and 60s, the Nevada desert became a testing ground for nuclear detonations under Operation Plowshare, aimed at finding peaceful uses for nuclear energy. One such experiment, Project Sedan, took place on July 6, 1962, creating a crater nearly 1,280 feet in diameter.

In 1922, Charles Osborne started hiccupping after a farm accident involving a 350-pound hog. Doctors believed he had burst a tiny blood vessel in his brain, triggering continuous hiccups.