Category: History
7 Surprising Uses of Arsenic in the Victorian Era
During the Victorian era, arsenic was used in a variety of ways, some of which seem quite bizarre by modern standards. Here are some of…
Name origins of states
Below is an article about the name origins of some of the states. It was originally published in 1879 and include popular state names which…
Large hailstones killed livestock and pierced through corrugated iron roofs
Hailstorms have historically demonstrated their capacity to wreak havoc, transcending borders and challenging the resilience of both man-made structures and the natural world. A notable…
Divine Offerings: Exploring the Ancient Art of Libation in Pre-Christian Cultures
Libation, a ritual pouring out of a liquid or grains such as barley in honor of a deity, is an ancient practice that predates Christianity…
All About Hypnos, the Greek God of Sleep
Hypnos is a fascinating figure from Greek mythology, known as the personification of sleep. He is a primordial deity, emerging from the chaos of the…
Young woman upset after discovering her boyfriend is actually another young woman
From 1921, we find yet another article about a woman presenting as a man and courting another woman. In this case, as in many others,…
Librarians mystified by lines of people visiting to read the dictionary
Long before the internet, there were dictionaries and encyclopedia sets. In 1921, librarians at the New York Library were stunned when lines of people formed…
Oakland detects bubonic plague, begins rat extermination
An examination of 40 rats found that five of them carried the bubonic plague. Oakland takes steps to exterminate the threat to public health. City…
Human hair used in lighthouse electric fog bell
Human hair was used to operate an electric fog bell 100 years ago. The logic behind that hair use was that hair stretches when damp…
The Worship of Hera, Queen of the Gods
Hera, the Greek goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family, was one of the most important and widely worshipped deities in ancient Greek religion. She…
