Ma Yuanjiang survived eight days trapped under the rubble of an earthquake in China. He had no food or water, so he ate paper and drank his own urine. Ma had no training in survival. He was a business executive, yet somehow, against all odds, he survived longer than almost anyone … [Read more...]
Most of us take our breathing for granted, but we aren’t all lucky enough to live in a place with clean air. In Beijing, pollution has gotten so bad that breathing the air has become dangerous. There are days when the smog is thick enough to block out the sun. On these days, … [Read more...]
Helen and Maurice Kaye met in 1929 when they were just teenagers. Fast forward to 2015, and the pair is now celebrating their 80th anniversary. They’ve been married longer than most people on Earth have been alive. Through thick and thin, their marriage has endured. They lost two … [Read more...]
Against all odds, the remarkable Roy Sullivan was hit by lightning seven times in his life. Roy was a park ranger working in the Shenandoah National Park when he was first hit by lightning. He was standing in a tower in the middle of a storm when he realized he wasn’t in the … [Read more...]
Preppers are people who believe the end of the world is coming, and you better be prepared. What exactly is a prepper preparing for? Well, the word ‘prepper’ is a catch-all term. The modern-day prepper might be preparing for a biblical end of days or an economic collapse that … [Read more...]
Sometimes our best ideas come when we least expect them. For Greek mathematician Archimedes, this happened during a trip to the local baths. The king of Syracuse had put him in charge of finding out how to detect fraud in the manufacture of a golden crown. The king suspected his … [Read more...]
Eighty-five-year-old retired doctor Roger Bannister sold his old leather shoes for 266,500 pounds. This was no ordinary pair of shoes. They are a piece of history and a symbol of the power of belief to break down barriers. Roger was wearing these shoes when he did what people in … [Read more...]
Have you ever thought about what happens to zoo animals during times of war? Most of us don’t think about innocent animal casualties. But thankfully, one South African man – Lawrence Anthony – did. When the US military invaded Baghdad in 2003, Anthony did what most people would … [Read more...]
Pierre Brassau burst upon the art world at a Swedish art show in 1964. The critics were nearly unanimous in their glowing reviews. Newspaper art critic Rolf Anderberg gushed over the paintings of the unknown French artist. He wrote, “Pierre Brassau paints with powerful … [Read more...]
Throw caution to the wind. With great risks come great rewards. Fortune favors the bold. English expressions like these have always celebrated men and women of action. But perhaps we should be celebrating cooler heads. Perhaps we should be studying the cautious, the careful, and … [Read more...]
English idioms often don’t make sense at first glance, but they provide a unique window into culture and sometimes have historical origins as well. The story of Peeping Tom and Lady Godiva is a prime example. If you’re a lover of chocolate, you’ve heard of Godiva chocolates. … [Read more...]
Alone, in the middle of a silent street, Frau Troffea began to dance. It was July of 1518 in Strasbourg, France, when for no reason, Troffea started to dance. Not long after, bewildered neighbors came to watch. Even stranger, Troffea’s silent dancing was joined by first one … [Read more...]
In 1914, Richard Platz, a 20-year-old son of a baker, was hiking when he threw a message in a bottle into the Baltic Sea. Little did he know that it would take over a century before anyone would read his message. Earlier this year, a fisherman named Konrad Fischer pulled the beer … [Read more...]
At some point in our lives, most of us have dreamt about leaving everything behind and escaping to an island where no one can find us. After all, sometimes, you just need a break from the world. Most of us snap out of these daydreams. But not everyone… In 1978, a group of … [Read more...]
The Apollo program was a series of space flights with the goal of landing a man on the moon. This was finally accomplished in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon’s surface. As he did so, he famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one … [Read more...]
We may not like thinking about it, but we are all on a limited journey on this earth. Regardless of what you believe happens after death, you will leave a body behind. While burial beneath the ground and cremation are the most popular ways to go, some people are literally and … [Read more...]
James Harrison has saved the lives of over 2,000,000 babies. His blood contains a very rare antibody called Anti-D, which has been used to create a vaccine for Rhesus Disease. This condition causes the antibodies in the mother’s blood to attack the red blood cells in the unborn … [Read more...]
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is most famous for his leadership during the American Civil war, his decision to free the slaves in 1863, and his eventual assassination. What gets less attention is his hat. Lincoln was already a giant at 193 cm. … [Read more...]
We all know someone who has benefitted from the advances of modern medicine: a child who has received a life saving vaccine; a cancer patient who has received chemotherapy; a baby born through in vitro fertilization. But what most of us don't know is that all of these medical … [Read more...]
On Jan 6, 1995, McArthur Wheeler boldly robbed two banks in broad daylight with no disguise. According to an article in a local newspaper, “At 5 feet 6 inches and about 270 pounds, bank robbery suspect McArthur Wheeler isn’t the type of person who fades into the woodwork.” He … [Read more...]
