Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) knew the value of a faithful friend. Maybe that's why he acquired a yellow mixed-breed dog in 1855 when he lived in Springfield, Illinois. The future President named the dog Fido, and they quickly became inseparable. Their connection would unite them in life -- and in death. Fido accompanied Lincoln everywhere in... Continue Reading →
Fans of Wallace and Gromit mourned the passing of Peter Sallis (February 1, 1921 - June 2, 2017) at the age of 96. This versatile actor was beloved as the voice of Wallace in the claymation series Wallace and Gromit. Whovians tip their hat to Sallis as having a featured role in the 1967 Doctor... Continue Reading →
Grave robbery was not something that just showed up in Frankenstein stories. In the last half of the 19th century, human corpses were in high demand by medical schools, and the body snatching market grew in response. No one's remains were considered off limits. Extraordinary measures had to be taken to protect the body of... Continue Reading →
Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) reigned as King of Scots from 1306 to 1329. He led a ragtag bunch of Scottish farmers to defeat England's Edward II's professional army that was four times the size of Scotland's. He unified the Scots and secured their freedom from England and is remembered as the greatest of Scotland's monarchs. Such... Continue Reading →
Irish playwright Brendan Behan was known for his sardonic wit. It is unknown whether it was this quality or distraction by his circumstances that led him to utter his last words to the astonished nun who attended him: "Bless you, Sister. May all your sons be bishops."
Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was one of the greatest astronomers to ever live. He was also probably at least a little bit off his gourd, if history is to judge. The Danish astronomer who brought a new level of exactitude to astronomical observations and applied that specificity to the theories and observations of Copernicus and Ptolemy,... Continue Reading →
President William McKinley was known for wearing a red carnation. He referred to it as his "lucky flower," and he began the practice of placing a fresh carnation in his lapel after winning his first Congressional campaign in 1876. His opponent in that race was Levi Lamborn, an amateur horticulturist, who gave McKinley a carnation... Continue Reading →
Justice in the Old West was quick, decisive, and occasionally poetic. Witness this colorful death sentence issued in United States v Gonzales (1881), U.S. District Court, New Mexico Territory. Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, in a few short weeks, it will be spring. The snows of winter will flee away, the ice will vanish, and the annual... Continue Reading →
College students have been ditching classes for centuries, but rarely in such numbers as to effect the educational institution. Even the most casual observer would have known that this was no ordinary skipping of classes at the University of Mississippi in May 1861. Out of the 139 students enrolled, 135 left the school on May... Continue Reading →
Branwell Brontë was the brother of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë. He is historically noteworthy in his own right as a painter and writer. He would perhaps be better remembered had he not hastened his death through abuse of alcohol and opium. The approach of his own death really illustrated his tenacity. Although suffering from depression and... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you just can't escape fate. Take Henry Ziegland, for example. When he broke up with his girlfriend in 1893, she committed suicide. Her brother blamed Ziegland for his sister's death and vowed revenge. He confronted Ziegland, pulled a gun, and took a shot at him. Fortunately for Ziegland, the bullet only grazed his... Continue Reading →
When it comes to death, the only real certainty is that we all will face it eventually. As to the manner in which you are likely to leave this world, well, statisticians have chimed in on the likelihood of meeting the following types of death: Shark Attack -- One chance in 300,000,000 -- About 5... Continue Reading →
No doubt you received many wishes for a happy new year as the calendar started over once again. Have you stopped to consider the likelihood that you will still be here to receive another batch of New Year's greetings twelve months from now? Statisticians have calculated the odds of dying during the next 365 days,... Continue Reading →
The Charlotte, North Carolina television station WBTV reported a homicide in October 2011. As reporter Ron Lee gave live details of the shooting, the line “Man Killed to Death” was displayed at the bottom of the screen. WBTV quickly changed the lower-third to the more specific “Man Shot After Argument". source
Dr. Horace Emmett came up with a revolutionary advancement for modern medicine: eternal youth. He determined that regular injections of ground-up squirrel testicles would produce immortality, reverse old age, and preserve youthfulness forevermore. He announced his exciting discovery in 1899. He died later that same year. source
