Curiosities

Sparked by a publicity stunt performed by Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly, flagpole sitting was a popular test of endurance in the United States during the 1920s, before falling out of fashion during the Great Depression. Library of CongressFourteen-year-old William...

Claim: In September 2025, social media posts authentically showed a note from lawyer Alan Dershowitz referencing Vanity Fair coverage in Jeffrey Epstein's 50th-birthday album. Rating: ContextLanguage in the note and an accompanying fictional article suggested it was likely intended as a...

<!--qv q:id=9p q:key=vcaa:Countless authors have used bitter rivalries and petty squabbles as inspiration for their greatest works. Whether it was through biting satire or thinly veiled fictional portrayals, some famed writers managed to sublimate their personal vendettas into beloved...

The ink contains a newly discovered type of blue pigment that researchers say is "in a class of its own."Wikimedia CommonsNatural coloring extracts from plants were commonly used to dye clothing in the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, ink...

Claim: In September 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump called Black children "natural born killers" and "born criminals." Rating: ContextWhile Trump did make comments about some people who were "born to be criminals" during a Sept. 2, 2025, briefing — specifically after referring...

<!--qv q:id=9p q:key=vcaa:According to statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2022, roughly 30 million U.S. adults had received some kind of psychological treatment in the previous year. Some of those patients probably referred to their...

The bridge over Switzerland's Zihl River was built by the Romans around 40 B.C.E. and connected important trade and transportation routes.Joel Furrer/Archaeological Service of the Canton of BernThe oak piles that once supported the bridge were preserved in water...

Claim: An image shared on social media in September 2025 authentically showed U.S. President Donald Trump with a puffy face. Rating: In early September 2025, an image claiming to authentically show U.S. President Donald Trump with a puffy face circulated on social...

<!--qv q:id=9n q:key=vcaa:Horror icons, such as Pennywise and Ghostface, continue to terrify audiences years after their movies left theaters. Even if you’re used to seeing these villains on screen, you’ve probably never encountered them like this: Spirit Halloween has...

In 2024, the UK Passport Office initially refused to issue a passport to a six-year-old girl named... Source link