World’s Strangest

So here’s something that happened. Back in the 70’s and early 80’s, Chicago gang members had their own business cards. Created using clip art on a low budget, they’re kind of a riot — many feature heavy metal, unicorns, axes, and other stuff generally considered “awesome” by teens in of the era. Some are overtly [...]

Some residents in the Upper Midwest were surprised to be shaken by an earthquake last night. The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake, which had an estimated magnitude of 4.3, was centered near Virgil, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago, at a depth of about three miles. There were no immediate reports of aftershocks… [...]

The “Three Kings of the Blues Guitar” are Albert, B.B. and Freddie King (no relation). The three of them are among the greatest bluesmen and most influential guitarists of the late 20th century and are veritable American institutions (just as, if not more, important than barbecue and baseball). For each of the Kings, we’ve got [...]

(Image of Machu Picchu courtesy of Martin St-Amant – Wikipedia.) Airing tonight (February 2, 2010) at 8pm on PBS stations: NOVA’s Ghosts of Machu Picchu. Set your DVRs now! If you miss the program, it will be streaming online starting February 3. Machu Picchu is an Inca engineering marvel: located 8,000 feet above sea level, it contains [...]

Yes – the world’s most powerful woman (according to some reports, anyway) is celebrating the big 5-6 today. Even if you’re not a big fan, you have to admit, the woman’s done pretty well herself. Oprah hasn’t kept too many secrets about herself over the years, so I’m avoiding the big shockers that she has [...]

Take a look at seven historic Chicago locations. Some were notorious hangouts of the Prohibition-era gangsters of Chicago. You may have even been to some of them without knowing the colorful background of these placces. The speakeasy, 1920’s icon. When prohibition began, outlawing the sale of alcohol in the United States paved the way for criminals [...]

With all we’ve accomplished, it’s easy to forget that people aren’t always the dominant species. Here are eight stories of man-eating animals that remind us we really are still part of the food chain. 1. The Ghost and The Darkness Over nine months in 1898, two maneless, male lions allegedly attacked and killed over 140 workers [...]

Today marks the anniversary of the day Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky on national T.V. This may not be a big deal these days, but in 1953, the word “pregnant” wasn’t even supposed to be uttered on the airwaves for fear of offending someone. Of course, as the saying goes, there’s a first [...]

Editor’s Note: Last fall, Kara Kovalchik wrote a story titled ‘8 Not-So-Famous Firsts,’ which covered such topics as the first auto insurance policy and the first wet t-shirt contest. This year, in our newest semi-regular feature, she’ll be teaching us about all sorts of underappreciated firsts. This week’s topic: aviation. Enjoy! Stewardess The term seems hopelessly outdated [...]

If you’re doing any air travel this winter, chances are you’ll end up spending quite a bit of time sitting in airports. During those layovers, your mind may wander. Who is this O’Hare fellow? What made LaGuardia worthy of an airport? How about Hartsfield and Jackson? Here’s a look at some namesake airports whose origins [...]