Olivia Newton-John followed “Grease” with “Xanadu,” a box-office flop that earned some of the first nominations for the Razzies
Castel Sant’Angelo: the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian turned into a refuge for the popes during wars, sacks, and sieges
Why Marlon Brando refused the Academy Award for his performance in “The Godfather”
In its long life, the Greek Parthenon was used as a church and then a mosque
The dangers of being an artist in the former Soviet Union
Charles Addams, master of black humor, played in cemeteries as a child
The book wheel: A rotating reading desk for 16th century, perfect for those “tormented by gout”
Madam C. J. Walker, America’s first female self-made millionaire, started with a hair tonic
The ‘Battle of Mud’ 100 years later: remarkable photos of the Battle of Passchendaele restored in color
The Jonestown Massacre: Unfathomable mystery of why more than 900 people followed Jim Jones to Guyana
