History

History In 2005, Eric James Torpy, was convicted of shooting with intent to kill and robbery. He asked that his sentence be changed from 30 years' imprisonment to 33 so that it would match Larry Bird's jersey number. His request was granted. April 10, 2019

History MIT has genetically modified trees to glow in the dark in the hopes of creating a literally green source of light for the future. April 9, 2019

History In 1948, a man wore 30-pound, 3-toed lead shoes and stomped around a Florida beach in the night. The footprints lead people to believe that a 15-foot tall penguin was roaming their lands. He kept up the prank for 10 years, visiting various beaches. The hoax wasn't revealed until 40 years later. April 6, 2019

History Slave Bible, an abridged version of the bible made for slaves, in which the enslaved Israelites never left Egypt and lines that condemn slave owners were removed. April 3, 2019

History Genghis Khan exempted the poor, teachers, artists, and lawyers from taxes, encouraged literacy, and established freedom of religion across his empire. He also forbade the selling of women and the hunting of animals during their breeding season. April 2, 2019

History Check out the caveman fused into rock. After extracting the bones sticking out from limestone, researchers believe the Neanderthal fell down a sinkhole around 150,000 years ago. The bones gradually became incorporated into the stalactites left behind by water dribbling down the cave walls. March 28, 2019

History When Robert E Lee and the Confederate army surrendered, Union soldiers saluted them and gave them rations (the confederate soldiers were starving). Normally victorious armies would taunt defeated ones, but Ulysses S Grant respected the Confederates and ordered that they be treated well. March 27, 2019

History Ancient Sumeria elected 'Substitute Kings' during eclipses to protect the king from a prophecy of death. Once a real king, 'Erra-imitti' suddenly died while eating hot porridge and his substitute, 'Enlil-bani' formerly a random gardener, stayed king for 24 years. March 23, 2019

History Black Mormons couldn't become priests until 1978 when their Prophet had an unprecedented revelation that the "time had come" to allow it, after which black people thanked him for his "many hours" begging God to permit it. March 21, 2019

History Native Americans created a universal sign language that allowed 2/3 of all Indigenous tribes to communicate across most of North America, hundreds of years before Europeans invented a sign language of their own. March 19, 2019

History Polish priest Maximilian Kolbe provided shelter to 2000 Jews during WW2. He was later sent to Auschwitz where he volunteered to sacrifice his life for a stranger. March 18, 2019

History There was a Russian woman named Mariya Oktyabryskaya whose husband was killed by Nazi's in WW2, so she sold her house for a tank. With permission from the Soviet union, she went to kill Nazi's with her own tank, avenging her husband death. March 16, 2019

History President William McKinley (who was assassinated) often wore a trademark good luck charm. It was a red carnation worn on his lapel. While meeting with the public a 12 year old girl asked him for the flower. He gave it to her and moments later was shot. March 16, 2019

History The last time a living Democratic president transferred the presidency to another Democrat was on March 4, 1857. March 12, 2019

History The real Johnny Appleseed did plant apples on the American frontier, but they were mostly used for hard apple cider. Safe drinking water was scarce, and apple cider was a safer alternative to drink. March 12, 2019

History The number of men working in a lighthouse in the UK was increased from 2 to 3 following an 1801 incident where one half of a duo died, the other placed him outside and was then driven mad by the wind causing his dead colleagues arm to appear to beckon him. March 8, 2019

History The boycott was named after Charles Boycott, a man so hated that people wanted nothing to do with him March 7, 2019

History Only 388k slaves out of a total 12.5 million that crossed the Atlantic were sold in the US. The rest (10.7 million) went to Mexico and South America. March 5, 2019

History The term scapegoat comes from an old Jewish ritual where they would put all the sins of the townspeople onto a goat and then banish that goat from town sending the burden of their sins with it. March 4, 2019

History The Tragic Loss of Leland Stanford Jr. that Led to the Creation of Stanford University February 12, 2019