In 1869, two well diggers in Cardiff, N.Y., unearthed an enormous figure made of stone. More than 600,000 people flocked to see the mysterious giant, but even as its fame… Read the rest of the article: The Cardiff giant, one of the greatest hoaxes of the 19th century
In 1903, French physicist Prosper-René Blondlot decided he had discovered a new form of radiation. But the mysterious rays had some exceedingly odd properties, and scientists in other countries had… Read the rest of the article: N-rays: a case of scientific self-deception
In 1799 two Royal Navy ships met on the Caribbean Sea, and their captains discovered they were parties to a mind-boggling coincidence that would expose a crime and make headlines… Read the rest of the article: In 1799 a shark gave evidence for the Royal Navy
In 1898, two lions descended on a company of railway workers in British East Africa. For nine months they terrorized the camp, carrying off a new victim every few days,… Read the rest of the article: In 1898 two man-eating lions terrorized a railway camp in British East Africa
In 1873 a Methodist missionary in New York City heard rumors of a little girl who was kept locked in a tenement and regularly whipped. She uncovered a shocking case… Read the rest of the article: The 1873 child abuse case that sparked a new era in child welfare
Moe Berg earned his reputation as the brainiest man in baseball — he had two Ivy League degrees and studied at the Sorbonne. But when World War II broke out… Read the rest of the article: Baseball catcher Moe Berg became a spy during World War II
In 1908 a 22-year-old Italian baker's assistant arrived in London to take part in the Olympic marathon. He had no coach, he spoke no English, and he was not expected… Read the rest of the article: The 1908 Olympic marathon in London came to a thrilling finish
In 1955, aliens from the planet Clarion contacted a Chicago housewife to warn her that the end of the world was imminent. Psychologist Leon Festinger saw this as a unique… Read the rest of the article: In 1955 a team of psychologists secretly studied a UFO religion as it prepared for the end of the world
In 1860 a party of explorers set out to traverse the Australian continent, but bad management and a series of misfortunes sent it spiraling toward tragedy. In this week's episode… Read the rest of the article: The dig tree: a tragedy of Australian exploration
In 1978 two families hatched a daring plan to escape East Germany: They would build a hot-air balloon and sail it by night across the border. In this week's episode… Read the rest of the article: In 1979 two families sought to escape East Germany in a hot-air balloon
Douglas Bader was beginning a promising career as a British fighter pilot when he lost both legs in a crash. But that didn't stop him — he learned to use… Read the rest of the article: Douglas Bader became Britain's top flying ace in World War II despite losing his legs
In 1917, a munitions ship exploded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, devastating the city and shattering the lives of its citizens. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll… Read the rest of the article: In 1917 Halifax, Nova Scotia, was devastated by an exploding munitions ship
Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits and stump your friends — play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no… Read the rest of the article: Six lateral thinking puzzles
In 1950, four patriotic Scots broke in to Westminster Abbey to steal the Stone of Scone, a symbol of Scottish independence that had lain there for 600 years. In this… Read the rest of the article: In 1950, four patriotic Scots stole a historic national relic from Westminster Abbey
Polish educator Janusz Korczak set out to remake the world just as it was falling apart. In the 1930s his Warsaw orphanage was an enlightened society run by the children… Read the rest of the article: Janusz Korczak tried to build an ideal society of children inside the Warsaw ghetto in 1942
In the late 1800s Chicago families bought their Christmas trees from the decks of schooners that had ferried them across Lake Michigan. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet… Read the rest of the article: "Captain Santa" sailed Christmas trees to Chicago until he disappeared in 1912
America's first national sports spectacle took place in 1823, when the North and South sent their best horses for a single dramatic race that came to symbolize the regional tensions… Read the rest of the article: The first American sports spectacle was an 1823 horse race between North and South
When Toronto attorney Charles Vance Millar died in 1926, he left behind a mischievous will that promised a fortune to the woman who gave birth to the most children in… Read the rest of the article: The Great Stork Derby rewarded the Toronto mother who had the most babies between 1926 and 1936
Lyudmila Pavlichenko was training for a career as a history teacher when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. She suspended her studies to enlist as a sniper in the… Read the rest of the article: Lyudmila Pavlichenko was the deadliest female sniper in history
Denis Vrain-Lucas was an undistinguished forger until he met gullible collector Michel Chasles. Through the 1860s Lucas sold Chasles thousands of phony letters by everyone from Plato to Louis the… Read the rest of the article: Master forger Denis Vrain-Lucas sold 27,000 fake letters by everyone from Plato to Louis XIV
