The sinking of the HMS Birkenhead: The event that gave rise to the “women and children first” protocol
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” as a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt, was reworked for “The Graduate”
That time a strange man accepted the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress in 1937 meant for Alice Brady
Take-out restaurants existed in ancient Rome and were called “thermopolia”
Swedes swarmed a Lufthansa contest offering a fully funded brand-new life in Berlin, even changing their names to qualify
Bart the Bear, who appeared in several Oscar-winning films, was “the John Wayne of bears”
The beak-nosed plague-doctor mask that continues to terrify was invented in the 17th century because of bad smells
An English pub keeper who mesmerized with tall tales led to today’s “World’s Biggest Liar” competition
Einstein’s handwritten note musing over the meaning of happiness sold for more than $1 million in auction
The dandy decorating “The New Yorker” for nearly a century is based on Count Alfred D’Orsay, ultimate man of fashion
