Curiosities

<!--qv q:id=9n q:key=vcaa:Halloween is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to go costume hunting. Which characters are making waves this Halloween season? Google Trends reveals the answer, reflecting pop culture fads from video games to movies. -->Halloween is just...

Beside the stone box was a wooden one, which contained the pharaoh's inscription.Andrzej Niwiński/Warsaw University’s Institute of ArchaeologyThis wooden box contained an inscription of Pharaoh Thutmose II which suggests that he was buried nearby. The tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II...

Claim: Images authentically showed a Chihuahua that joined a pack of wolves near Ely, Minnesota. Rating: In September 2025, images circulated online that claimed to authentically show a Chihuahua near Ely, Minnesota, that had joined a pack of wolves. According to one popular...

<!--qv q:id=9n q:key=vcaa:“Not all is as it seems.” Those were some of the first words viewers heard at the beginning of Paul Daniels Live at Halloween, a television special that aired live on BBC1 on October 31, 1987. For...

When we talk about dumplings, we’re not just talking about one dish but a variety, each with its own unique doughy outer layer and a filling. The thing with dumplings is that there are so many different kinds all over...

As the AIDS epidemic ripped through the U.S. in the 1980s, Stephen Stucker became one of the first celebrities to go public with his diagnosis before succumbing to the disease in 1986.Paramount Pictures/YouTubeStephen Stucker (left) was best known for...

Claim: A video authentically features an audio recording of Pope Leo XIV issuing a stark warning from God about the dangers of idolizing U.S. President Donald Trump. Rating: A rumor that circulated online in September 2025 claimed a video featured an audio...

<!--qv q:id=9n q:key=vcaa:Anyone who has ever had a skilled laborer eyeball a plumbing problem or had a body shop assess car damage is probably familiar with the phrase ballpark figure. It’s what you ask for when you want a...

René Angélil discovered Celine Dion when she was 12 years old and helped her rise to international fame — but their relationship soon developed into something more.Nicolas Laffont/Wikimedia CommonsRené Angélil, Celine Dion’s late husband and manager, in 2009. In 1980,...

If you don’t have a bit of a crush on Pedro Pascal, then there’s either something very wrong with you or you’ve been living under a rock. There’s his wholesome dad vibes in The Last of Us, the silent protector...