Browsing: The Bizarre

A Brief History Fans of the film Braveheart may recall the heir to England’s throne, future king Edward II, having eyes for men rather than his French wife, Isabella the She-wolf.  One of these men, Hugh Despenser, 1st Lord Despenser (c. 1286 – November 24, 1326), became a victim of that vengeful woman in one of history’s all-time most brutal executions, because as they say, well, sort of, “Hell hath no fury like a she-wolf scorned”! Digging Deeper Earlier on our site, we presented an article on hanging, drawing, and quartering.  As that article mentioned, the process took multiple steps…

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A Brief History On November 14th, the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Theodora who once spanked a man after he talked trash about his own wife! Digging Deeper One of history’s most influential and significant empresses is Theodora (c. 500 A.D. – June 28, 548 A.D.).  Her life is also among the more difficult imperial lives to get a clear picture of because to some she is revered as a saint, whereas to others she is remembered for having possibly worked in a brothel and being the daughter of a dancer and actress (not considered classy professions in those days).…

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A Brief History On November 12, 1933, Hugh Gray took the first known photos of the Loch Ness Monster. Digging Deeper Outside of maybe Bigfoot, Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster) is probably the most well-known cryptid in the English-speaking world.  Claims of the existence of this monster date back possibly as far back as to Saint Columba (December 7, 521 A.D. – June 9,  597 A.D.).  According to legend, Columba helped rescue a man from a water beast in Scotland. Of course, humans had not yet invented photographs and so it would not be for another nearly millennium and a…

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A Brief History On November 7, 1907, Jesús García saved the entire town of Nacozari de Garcia, Sonora by driving a burning train full of dynamite six kilometers away before it could explode. Digging Deeper By now on History and Headlines, we have had full towns and cities destroyed by everything from armies to earthquakes, floods, and even a tornado!  In November 0f 1907, Nacozari, Sonora in Mexico nearly experienced a disaster that could have been added to the list of annihilated cities.  The city survived thanks to a man now known as el héroe de Nacozari and for whom…

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A Brief History On November 2, 1947, eccentric airplane designer Howard Hughes performed the maiden and only flight of his Spruce Goose (also known as the H-4 The Hercules), the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built. Digging Deeper Howard Hughes was a veritable renaissance man.   The businessman dabbled in everything from film making to flying.  One of the wealthiest men of his day, he had a net worth of $1.5 billion at the time of his death.  A man of such wealth and such diverse interests is not surprisingly going to sometimes use that wealth for attempting to make his most…

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