Every so often, an idea comes along that is so simple, yet so profound that you smack yourself in the head for not having thought of it yourself. Even more rare is such an idea that can have global implications. An idea that can create empires, topple kingdoms, and establish economic orders which can last …
The Mona Lisa is unquestionably the most famous painting in the world. Heck, it is probably the most famous work of art in the world. Yet the reason why it is so famous is due to an event which happened on the 21st of August 1911. It was wasn’t for the events of that day, …
2,000 years ago the Han Empire in China and the Roman Empire in Europe were the two greatest empires in the world. Between them, they covered an enormous amount of the Earth’s land and a large percentage of the world’s population. But were these two great empires even aware of each other? If so, was …
You probably heard the expression that something is “the greatest thing since sliced bread”. Well did you ever wonder what the greatest thing was before sliced bread? Or why we measure greatness in terms of sliced bread? Well, there’s an answer to these questions. Learn more about why sliced bread is so freaking amazing on …
If you wanted to know how many countries there were in the world it should be a pretty easy thing to find out. Go to a map, count all the countries, and voila! However, it isn’t even remotely close to being that simple. Defining what is a country is extremely difficult and has been a …
You probably couldn’t think of two things which are further apart than the character James Bond and the vegetable broccoli. Yet, in a not so roundabout way, there is a very direct connection between the two. In fact, if it wasn’t for broccoli, we might never have had any James Bond movies. Find out what …
The 3rd Olympic Games held in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri was unquestionably the greatest train wreck of an Olympics ever held. In fact, the Olympics in ancient Greece were probably better organized and better attended than the 1904 Olympics. Nothing quite exemplifies the hot mess which was the St. Louis Olympics quite like the …
Podcast Transcript Alphonse Gabriel Capone, aka Al Capone, aka Scarface, is one of the most notorious gangsters in American history. Known for dominating Chicago’s underworld during Prohibition, he gained fame and notoriety throughout the United States. Capone cultivated a celebrity image while participating in violent criminal activity. Despite his wealth and fame, in the end, …
Podcast Transcript One of the most significant and long-lasting outcomes of the First World War didn’t take place in Europe. It was a reshuffling of the political order in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. During the war, various Arab tribes joined together to free themselves from centuries of Ottoman Rule. The legacy of the …