All Articles — Page 28
Every story we've published, newest first
The Kidnapping of Charley Ross: America's First Ransom Case Changed Everything
Charley Ross, America's first ransom kidnapping victim, vanished in 1874 and was never found. His case gave America the warning parents still tell children today.
How Accurate Is Valkyrie? The True Story Behind the July 20 Plot
Valkyrie historical accuracy: how faithful is Bryan Singer's 2008 thriller to the real July 20, 1944 plot to kill Hitler and the failed coup attempt in Berlin?
Time Traveler's Guide to Lisbon, 1495
Pack your bags for Lisbon, 1495: where explorers dream of reaching India by sea. Survive sardine feasts, avoid the Inquisition, witness the birth of a global empire.
Master and Commander vs. History: How Accurate Is Peter Weir's Naval Masterpiece?
Master and Commander historical accuracy examined: why Peter Weir's 2003 naval film is remarkably authentic - except for one major change Hollywood made deliberately.
Maura Murray Disappearance: The Student Who Vanished in New Hampshire
Maura Murray crashed her car on a New Hampshire highway on February 9, 2004, then vanished before police arrived. The case has never been solved.
Time Traveler's Guide to Novgorod, 1200 AD
Your survival guide to Novgorod in 1200: the medieval Russian republic where merchants ruled, literacy was widespread, and democracy came before the Magna Carta.
The Disappearance of Ambrose Bierce: The Writer Who Vanished Into the Mexican Revolution
Ambrose Bierce disappeared into the Mexican Revolution in 1913. His last letter promised an unknown destination - one that was never found.
Elizabeth (1998) vs. History: How Accurate Is Cate Blanchett's Tudor Breakthrough?
Elizabeth (1998)'s historical accuracy is uneven: Cate Blanchett's Tudor debut packs fifteen years of fact and fiction into ninety minutes.
Time Traveler's Guide to Viking Jorvik, 950 AD
Pack your furs and learn some Old Norse - we're visiting one of the Viking world's greatest trading cities in Anglo-Saxon England.
Munich vs. History: How Accurate Is Spielberg's Espionage Thriller?
Munich historical accuracy: Spielberg gets the 1972 Olympic massacre right, but invents most of the Mossad spy story that follows.
The Tylenol Murders: The Poisoner Who Changed America Forever
In the Tylenol murders 1982, seven people in Chicago died from cyanide-laced capsules. The killer was never caught - but transformed American consumer safety forever.
Time Traveler's Guide to Ancient Sparta, 450 BC
Your guide to Ancient Sparta in 450 BC: survive the world's most disciplined military state. What to wear, where not to go, and why to skip the black broth.
The Lake Bodom Murders: Finland's Most Haunting Unsolved Crime
The Lake Bodom murders: four Finnish teenagers, one summer night in 1960, three dead by morning - and the sole survivor who would stand trial 44 years later.
The Departed vs. History: How Accurate Is Scorsese's Boston Crime Epic?
The Departed historical accuracy: Scorsese drew from Whitey Bulger's real FBI corruption story. Here's what Hollywood got right - and what it left out.
Time Traveler's Guide to Tiwanaku, 500 AD
Survive the thin air and respect the gods in Tiwanaku - one of history's most mysterious Andean civilizations, built at 12,500 feet above sea level.
Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? The Wartime Mystery That Still Haunts England
The Bella Wych Elm mystery: in 1943, four boys found a skeleton in a hollow tree. Eighty years on, we still don't know who she was or who put her there.
The Post vs. History: How Accurate Is Spielberg's Press Freedom Epic?
The Post historical accuracy: how faithful is Spielberg's Pentagon Papers film? Katharine Graham's real decision, the NY Times rivalry, and what Hollywood embellished.
Time Traveler's Guide to Bagan, 1100 AD
Your survival guide to Bagan, the ancient Pagan Kingdom's capital in 1100 AD - where to pray, what to offer the monks, and how to avoid offending the nat spirits.
Spartacus vs. History: How Accurate Is Stanley Kubrick's Epic Slave Rebellion?
Checking the Spartacus historical accuracy: Kubrick's 1960 epic gets the rebellion's scale and crucifixion finale right but invents the death scene, Varinia, and the political subplot.
The SS Ourang Medan: The Ghost Ship Where Every Soul Died Screaming
The SS Ourang Medan ghost ship mystery: a 1947 Dutch freighter whose crew died with faces frozen in terror before the vessel exploded into the Straits of Malacca.
Time Traveler's Guide to Ayutthaya, Siam, 1700
Your survival guide to Ayutthaya, Siam in 1700 - where elephant processions, floating markets, and 40 nationalities collide on an island of golden spires.
The Beale Ciphers: America's Greatest Treasure Hunt and the Codes No One Can Crack
The Beale ciphers: in 1820, a stranger buried millions in Virginia and left only coded numbers to reveal its location. Two centuries on, two ciphers remain unsolved.
Lawrence of Arabia vs. History: How Much Did Hollywood Get Right?
Examining Lawrence of Arabia historical accuracy: what David Lean's Oscars epic got right about T.E. Lawrence's guerrilla campaign and where it took creative liberties.
Time Traveler's Guide to Great Zimbabwe, 1300 AD
Great Zimbabwe in 1300 ruled southern Africa's gold trade. A survival guide: what to wear, what to eat, and how not to offend a king who controls 40% of the world's gold.