Special flights brought in tonnes of banknotes which disappeared into the war zone.

Marilyn Monroe had been raised for a short time in an orphanage and she often told the press that she had no living family. Due to the star’s wishes for privacy, fans around the world had no idea that she had a sister for many years. After Monroe’s death…

institutionalized servitude in ancient Rome

The Ritchie Boys were responsible for gathering more than half the actionable intelligence on the battlefield during World War II. For the many German-born Jews in their ranks, defeating the Nazis was heartbreakingly personal.

The Republic of Pirates was the base or stronghold of a loose confederacy run by privateers-turned-pirates in Nassau on New Providence island in the Bahamas for about eleven years from 1706 until 1718. While it was not a republic in a formal sense, it was…

You were abducted by aliens, you saw Bugs Bunny at Disneyland, and then you went up in a balloon. Didn't you? Laura Spinney on our remembrance of things past

Don't know the difference between a city and a country ham? Don't know how to cook and serve them? Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's our complete guide to the types of ham out there, what to look for when shopping, and how to cook and serve your…

Posted in r/todayilearned by u/SvanteArrheniusAMA • 133 points and 7 comments

early American lawyer and politician, Founding Father of the United States (1721-1793)

An unusual visitor has been hanging out in the St. Lawrence River for the past three years: A narwhal, more than 1,000 kilometres south of its usual range. And it appears that the lone narwhal has been adopted by a band of belugas.

In 1897, in a two-week period while working at Bayer, Hoffmann synthesized both aspirin and heroin. Aspirin is still widely sold as an over-the-counter medication today.

American film and television actor (1921-2003)

Although antiquated for some tasks, revolvers still have some tactical advantages, but GIGN also uses them in risky 'trust shot' rites of passage.

Nature took her revenge on the "Wickedest City in the World."

A brief history of a hideous invention shows, once again, that the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.

Africa is reputed to be the most complex multilingual part of the world. With over 2,086 indigenous languages, the degree of multilingualism of individual countries ranges from five languages in...

Shakespeare mentions the European Starling once, in Henry IV Part I. That moved a 19th Century Shakespeare enthusiast to introduce the bird into America.

New research shows a single 19th century tree in southern Queensland gave rise to the world’s dominant plant variety

I support The Uncensored Library and the fight for press freedom. #TruthFindsAWay

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex subjective experiences, which have been previously associated with the psychedelic experience and more specifically with the experience induced by the potent serotonergic, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Potential similarities…

Canadian man convicted of murder