When Kevin Howard found out his wife was two-timing him, he was heartbroken. He also wanted revenge. He found justice through an obscure law called 'Alienation of Affection.' In other words, his wife's affection was stolen. According to this law, being a homewrecker isn't just … [Read more...]
Jay Wilde grew up on a dairy farm in England. From an early age, he felt an emotional connection to the cows who surrounded him. He couldn’t bear the thought of any animal ending up on his plate. And so, he became a vegetarian. Jay was groomed to follow in his father’s … [Read more...]
When presented with abstract art, those who dispute its value often say, "I could do that!" Jackson Pollock, one of the more famous abstract artists, used a technique of splashing paint on a canvas in a way that looks random. But his work is not as simple as it may seem. His … [Read more...]
In 1959, John Howard Griffin, a middle-aged white man, decided to pose as a black man in the Deep South of the United States. What Griffin found shocked America. Born in 1920, the society he grew up in believed blacks were inferior, and so did Griffin. Yet one day, Griffin’s … [Read more...]
The ancient Babylonian ritual of humbling the king happened every year during the New Year festival called Akitu. On the fifth day of the festival, the Babylonian king would surrender his crown and scepter to the head priest. The priest would then drag the king by the ear in … [Read more...]
Everyone knows that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole. Why Jim Glaub and Dylan Parker started receiving hundreds of letters addressed to Santa at their New York City apartment is a mystery. Initially, they wrote off the letters as a scam or a practical joke. They Googled … [Read more...]
People who live to 100 are often asked what their secret is to a long life. Some say it’s love. Some say it’s the power of positive thinking. Others say that laughter is the key. Few would say it’s being bitten repeatedly by poisonous snakes. Snake handler, Bill Haast, would … [Read more...]
In 1912, Mrs. H and her family moved into their new home. The large and gloomy house had stood empty for years. They would soon discover the spooky reasons why. One morning Mrs. H heard footsteps coming from a room upstairs. She rushed to investigate, but no one was there. A … [Read more...]
Ted Rodriguez had been living on the streets for two decades when he stumbled across a briefcase containing $100,000. This was no happy accident. The cash had been left there by TV producers who wanted him to find it. They wanted to see if the 45-year-old man would turn his … [Read more...]
We live in the era of the lawsuit. A farmer has sued the German government for failing to tackle climate change. An Indian man has sued his parents for giving birth to him. Sometimes it seems as though anything goes! Yet when Nebraska state senator, Ernie Chambers, announced … [Read more...]
A decade ago, gender reveal parties were unheard of. Now social media and even traditional media are filled with pregnant mothers and their husbands, all one-upping each other. There seems to be no limit to the outrageous ways people are using to reveal whether one’s baby will be … [Read more...]
The English language is full of idioms extolling the virtues of hard work. We praise employees who are willing to fight tooth and nail for the company. Someone ready to go the extra mile is the kind of worker we want on our team. But employees who keep their noses to the … [Read more...]
In the summer of 2014, Joe Robinson found something unexpected in a pot he was selling at an arts festival. It was a $100 bill with the name "Benny" written on it. Joe was at a loss for words on how the money ended up in one of his handmade pots. It was no accident. A … [Read more...]
Like any doting father, Mukesh Ambani wanted his daughter Isha's wedding to be the happiest day of her life. As a rule of thumb, getting married is an expensive affair. This didn’t bother Mukesh. As India’s wealthiest man he was determined his daughter would tie the knot in … [Read more...]
The struggling young man was a wannabe actor down on his luck. He barely had the money to pay rent on his rundown Hollywood apartment. He says, “I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pairs of pants that barely fit, shoes that had holes in them and dreams of … [Read more...]
Since she was a child, Sara Gordon had strange fears. She thought everything she touched was sticky or dirty. She would wash her hands constantly and take three-hour showers. She wouldn't comb her hair because she thought the comb was contaminated. Simple run-of-the-mill tasks … [Read more...]
When office worker Laura Garzón visited a butcher's shop in Bogota, she couldn't believe her eyes. Standing behind the counter was her co-worker, Jorge Castro. But instead of wearing a suit and tie, he was wearing a bloodstained butcher's apron and white cap. Laura gave … [Read more...]
Keith Payne didn't know he was poor until one day in the fourth grade. He was standing in line when a cafeteria cashier asked him for $1.25. The cashier was new and didn't know that Keith was from a low-income family, so his lunch was always free. Keith never realized that … [Read more...]
Royce and Jessica James were a mixed-race couple keen to shake up the status quo. They believed in equality, social justice, and defying stereotypes. When Jessica became pregnant, they decided to raise their baby gender-neutral. The Jameses didn't subscribe to the school of … [Read more...]
Chuck Feeney lives a very modest life. He no longer owns a house or even a car. It's a far cry from the days when he was worth $8 billion. Chuck was born during the Great Depression, a time of belt-tightening poverty for much of the country. Chuck grew up in a tough … [Read more...]
