What is Namahage?

Arriving in Japan more than 2,000 years ago, the namahage were notorious for stealing crops and kidnapping young women from Oga’s villages. After the villagers eventually fended them off by tricking them, they would come back every New Year, or so the children thought. In Japan’s Akita prefecture, men dress up as large, ogre-resembling demons

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Why Did McDonald’s Redesign Their McFlurry Cups?

A trip to McDonald’s usually ends with one of their best-selling desserts. None of these are more famous than the beloved McFlurry. But did you know that the tasty dessert, or rather its packaging, was a grave threat to a certain animal? In 2006, McDonald’s redesigned their McFlurry cups. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society found

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Why Did Rowan Atkinson Want to Be Listed on the French-Speaking Bill During the Just For Laughs Festival?

Mr. Bean, the famous comedic character we’ve all grown to love, was the brainchild of comedian Rowan Atkinson. Mr. Bean has captivated and humored us in the early nineties. But did you know how Atkinson verified that non-English communities would positively receive his character as well? In the 1987 Just For Laughs Festival, Atkinson insisted

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How Did The Beatles Album “Revolver” Get Its Name?

The Beatles were one of the most influential bands in the 20th century. Their songs captivated millions and influenced many bands that succeeded them. Revolver was considered their greatest album, but did you know how the band came up with the name? Contrary to popular belief, the album “Revolver” wasn’t named after the gun. It

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Why Did Oldham Kelsey Ban Thalidomide?

With medical advancement, the US avoided thousands of infant deaths and severe abnormalities in the 1960s. Through the expertise and steadfastness of one doctor, it was made possible. Frances Oldham Kelsey requested further studies for the drug thalidomide as she discovered that it caused death and deformities in infants across 46 countries. It was a

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What Happened to the Disney World Performer Who Played Gaston?

Devon Staples and his peers just wanted to enjoy the fourth of July together in the backyard of their friend’s house in Maine. Drinking and lighting fireworks to celebrate the night, a tragic sequence of events soon followed, changing the fourth of July forever.  22-year-old Devon Staples, Disney performer of both Gaston and Goofy at

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Why Did Harvard Refuse to Give Mary Whiton Calkins the Doctorate Degree She Earned?

In 1836, Wesleyan became the first woman’s college in the world. Over the next few decades, other women’s colleges started to open up, and soon after, about 50 colleges for women opened in the United States between the years of 1836 and 1875. While earning a bachelor’s degree was widely accepted at the time, a

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Why Did Stein Arvid Huseby Hijack the Braathens SAFE Flight 139?

There have been many hijacking incidents in the past. From the mystery of D.B. Cooper to the tragedy that beset 9/11, terrorists have different reasons for committing the crime. But did you know that the first hijacking incident in Norway occurred for an insignificant reason? Norway’s first hijacking incident occurred in 1985. The hijacker, Stein

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