Tintin, the subject of 200 million comics sold, was likely based on a real 15-year-old
Gaiola Island in Italy: a cursed little paradise from the days of Virgil to John Paul Getty
Ancient mound builder culture of northern Australia revealed, with many mounds containing human remains
A Soviet cosmonaut became the first casualty of the Space Race when his craft slammed into Earth, leaving nothing but charred remains
St. Valentine: In the beginning, there was martyrdom, prison, plague, and a Roman emperor who liked to use his fists
The story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is as old as time, though in early versions Beauty’s own family was cold and cruel
Online Plagiarism Tool Catches a Surprising Culprit – William Shakespeare
Pannier: The 18th century wide-hoop undergarment that made it challenging for aristocratic women to fit through doors
In a personal letter, J. R. R. Tolkien vetoed future dealings with Disney, for whom “I have a heartfelt loathing”
Fascinating: Origin stories of the Callanish Stones range from Druid worship or lunar observatory to giants petrified for refusing to become Christian
