Bill Gates has been named the world's richest man 16 times. While he owes much of his success to perseverance, he probably owes just as much to his willingness to quit. It turns out that the old saying, “quitters never win and winners never quit” isn't exactly true. Many of … [Read more...]
The gods of Greek mythology could be brutal when angered. Of all the punishments given by the gods, the one given to Sisyphus stands out above the rest. Sisyphus was a king and a trickster. He was so clever that he actually cheated death – twice! As punishment for his hubris, he … [Read more...]
In 1948, 13 years before a human had ever even been to space, James Mangan did something audacious. He tried to create a new nation – a nation in space! The Nation of Celestial Space may have started as a publicity stunt, but Mangan made sure it became more than that. He created … [Read more...]
During one week in 1946, 14,000 babies were born in Britain. From their first breath to old age, scientists have tracked and recorded the lives of each one. New cohorts of babies have been added multiple times over the decades. At this point, there are five generations … [Read more...]
Mother Teresa was one of the 20th century's greatest humanitarians. But she wasn't perfect. Just like anyone else, she had her struggles, including depression and spiritual doubt. Before she became Mother Teresa, she was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At 18, she became a nun and took … [Read more...]
According to one survey, a whopping 80% of millennials say that one of their greatest desires is to have a lot of money. And 50% want to be famous. Are they on to something or is this desire misguided? According to a Harvard University study on human health and happiness, they … [Read more...]
If you are blind you still have the window of your ears, and if you are deaf you can listen through your eyes. Helen Keller could neither see nor hear. Yet miraculously she found her salvation through language. Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor of … [Read more...]
The story of Icarus is one of the most famous Greek myths. Young Icarus is imprisoned alongside his father Daedalus, a genius inventor. They are locked in a tower or a labyrinth in some versions of the story, with no way out. Daedalus creates two sets of wings and gives one to … [Read more...]
The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is a suicide hotspot. Since it was first built in 1968, over 2,000 people have jumped to their deaths from the bridge. In 2000, Chen Si was in a bus traveling across the imposing structure when he saw a woman crying on the footpath. Fearing the … [Read more...]
Va Meng Lee is a shaman who works with spirits to heal people and protect their souls. This sort of work usually gets short shrift by western medicine, but Lee works at a hospital, right alongside doctors. Lee is a shaman and he works at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, … [Read more...]
Millions of Americans admired Sergeant Stubby. His courage under fire was legendary. He was a decorated hero of World War I. He also had four legs and barked a lot. You guessed it - Sergeant Stubby was a dog. The short brindle bull terrier mutt was the first dog ever given … [Read more...]
In 1921, Ada Blackjack sailed to the Arctic’s Wrangel Island. She had no idea it would be a life and death struggle to survive. The petite woman was hired as a seamstress for the risky journey. Her travel companions were four men and a female cat, called Vic. Blackjack was … [Read more...]
In 1907, Dr. Duncan MacDougall announced the answer to one of humankind's most intriguing questions. Do we each have a soul? The answer, according to MacDougall, is yes – and it weighs about 21 grams. He and his team originally set out to determine whether anything … [Read more...]
How close are we to doomsday - the destruction of the planet and the end of life as we know it? The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic way to answer this question. In 1947, a group of scientists who had worked on the world’s first atomic bomb started tracking how close the world is to … [Read more...]
Every August, Klepatan says goodbye to his lover Malena, before going to South Africa where he spends the spring and summer. Every March, like clockwork, he flies back to Croatia to be with his partner. Klepatan and the love of his life, Malena, are birds, storks to be more … [Read more...]
Mamoudou Gassama, a migrant from Mali, has become a household name in France. They call him the Spiderman of Paris. Mamoudou never considered himself a hero. He grew up in Mali, an African country riddled with poverty, famine, and war. Mamoudou sought to find a better life … [Read more...]
Life can be hard when you’re different. Just ask 7-year-old Braedon Monthony from New York. Shortly after he was born, the little boy was dealt a bad hand. He lost both of his legs due to a viral infection. His disability hasn’t prevented Braedon from living life to the … [Read more...]
When Max Montgomery met Andi Traynor for a first date, he had high hopes. They went surfing on a California beach early in the morning and had a great time. Exhausted and happy, the couple left the ocean. Then, out of the blue, 56-year-old Max collapsed. He lay on the sand, … [Read more...]
Elizabeth I was Queen of England for 45 years during the late 1500s. Her nickname was the Virgin Queen. The Queen was highly-intelligent and fluent in six different languages. Despite countless marriage offers, Queen Elizabeth never took a husband. She was the equal of any … [Read more...]
Andrew Carnegie arrived in America as a penniless 13-year-old. He was a stranger in a strange land. As an immigrant, the odds were stacked against him. Through hard work and self-belief, Carnegie would become the richest man in the world. He left a mixed legacy as one of the … [Read more...]
