Discord delays its age verification, admits it knew the rollout was "going to be controversial" and that it "failed at its most basic job" After constant pushback from its users, popular chat platform Discord is pulling back on plans to introduce a "global age assurance" process, admitting in a statement that the company "failed at our most basic job" of "explaining what we're doing and...

Leak: Samsung Galaxy S26 batteries include a surprising downgrade As the mobile world awaits the big upcoming announcement from Samsung about its new line of smartphones, a new leak has provided some disappointing news.Mobile news outlet Ytechb have just acquired the EU labels for the still-unannounced, brand new Samsung Galaxy S26...

Everything to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked is almost here, and if the leaks are to be believed, the Galaxy S26 series won’t just be a routine refresh. Between hardware tweaks, a redesigned One UI, upgraded earbuds, and a heavier AI push, there’s a lot on deck.Here’s everything to expect ahead of...

Throughout the centuries since her death, Anne Boleyn has become a subject of fascination to a huge variety of people. Historians, writers, academics, and even television audiences have become obsessed with King Henry VIIIs second queen. It seems that her tragic fate only adds to her appeal as an enchanting figure.In this article, we will step back into the 16th century and venture straight into the Tower of London. In order to relive the last days of Anne Boleyn, we will attempt to answer one integral question. How did her shocking downfall and untimely death unfold?A Brief Timeline of Anne Boleyns Last DaysThe Arrest of Anne Boleyn, by David Wynfield, 19th century. Source: VictorianWebAnne Boleyns luck began to decline noticeably in January of 1536, almost exactly three years after her wedding to King Henry. There are several significant events that acted as markers for the beginning of her downfall. These include the death of Catherine of Aragon on January 7th, King Henrys jousting accident on the 24th, and most notably, Anne Boleyns miscarriage on the 29thcontemporaries claimed that she had Miscarried her savior. By this point, it is likely that Jane Seymour was beginning to replace Anne Boleyn in King Henrys affections. From this day onward, throughout the next three months, her story spiralled out of control.One of the most surprising elements of the story of Anne Boleyns downfall is the speed of its progression. The swiftness with which her arrest, trial, and execution were carried out is shocking to behold, even five centuries after their completion. Between her arrest (the first step of her downfall, which would have been obvious to her) to her death (the end of her enduring story), there were only 17 days.It all began on May 1, when King Henry VIII mysteriously vanished from the annual May Day joust, apparently without so much as waving goodbye to his wife. This was the last time Anne Boleyn would have had any sight of her husband. Less than 24 hours later, on May 2, she was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. After twelve days imprisoned in her lodgings at the Tower, Anne Boleyn and her brother George were both found guilty and sentenced to death.Portrait of Anne Boleyn, c. 1550. Source: Wikimedia CommonsImmediately following these events, the marriage between King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn was declared null and void by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. This left their only child, Princess Elizabeth, as unwanted and illegitimate.Anne Boleyns execution was originally scheduled for May 18, but was postponed due to the executioner being delayed on his way from France. On May 19, Anne Boleyns story came to an end with her execution inside the walls of the Tower of London.The following day, King Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour, were formally betrothed. Ten days later, without a thought to spare for the woman he used to love, King Henry married Jane at Whitehall Palace, and shortly after, she was declared the new Queen of England.The Arrest of Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn in the Tower of London, by Edouard Cibot, 1835. Source: French Ministry of CultureTradition tells us that Anne Boleyn was watching a game of tennis at Greenwich Palace at the time of her arrest. A messenger arrived at her side and informed her that the King desired her presence before the Privy Council. Doing as she was bid, Anne Boleyn immediately left the game and made her way to the council chamber.What came next must have been an incredible shock. The council informed her that she was being arrested on charges of adultery with numerous men. After exchanging a selection of heated words with the Duke of Norfolk, Sir William Fitzwilliam, Sir William Paulet, and a few others, she was escorted back to her apartments. She remained there for a few hours, but at around two oclock in the afternoon, she was placed in a barge, taken down the Thames, through the Tower Gate (rather than Traitors Gate), and delivered to the Tower of London.There, she was met by the constable of the Tower, Sir William Kingston, who was prepared for her arrival. It was Kingston who would be responsible for Anne Boleyns safety and well-being for however long she was required to remain at the Tower. This would have been a difficult job. On the one hand, Anne Boleyn was a prisoner awaiting trial. On the other hand, she was still technically Queen of England. The level of her treatment would have been extremely hard to assess, especially with the likes of Thomas Cromwell demanding regular updates on her behavior, her words, or anything else that might incriminate her.Thomas Cromwell, by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532-3. Source: The Frick CollectionsOn May 3, William Kingston wrote to Thomas Cromwell to tell him of Anne Boleyns reaction to her imprisonment. I went before the Queen into her lodging, Kingston explained. She said unto me, Mr. Kingston, shall I go into a dungeon? I said, No, Madam. You shall go into the lodging you lay in at your coronation. The fact that Anne Boleyn stayed in the queens lodgings rather than a dungeon is significant. Kingston continued, It is too good for me, she said, Jesus have mercy on me. And kneeled down, weeping a good pace, and in the same sorrow fell into a great laughing, as she has done many times since. Anne Boleyn was not alone in her imprisonment, but had many ladies to attend to her. However, it is important to remember that these ladies were not her usual companions but had been handpicked by Thomas Cromwell. They were Mistress Coffin (the wife of Anne Boleyns Master of the Horse), Lady Boleyn (whose identity has not been confirmed, but who is likely to have been an aunt on her fathers side), and Baroness Elizabeth Stonor (the wife of Walter Stonor). Mary Scrope, the wife of William Kingston, was also present at Anne Boleyns side.A Letter From the Lady in the TowerDepiction of the Tower of London, 15th century. Source: British LibraryAlthough Anne Boleyn spent only 17 days imprisoned in her lodgings at the Tower of London, it seems likely that it felt to her an eternity. Throughout this time, it was reported that she grew gradually more anxious and increasingly fretful. Her greatest desire was to meet with the King and to speak with him face-to-face.There was a good reason Anne Boleyn desperately sought to convene with King Henry. She believed that if they saw each other in the flesh, she would be able to convince him to change his mind; if not about their marriage, then at least about her current situation. Anne Boleyn was well aware of King Henrys weakness when it came to desperate situations such as these. Some seven years earlier, she herself had forbidden King Henry from having any close contact with Cardinal Wolsey, for fear that he would relent in his presence and forgive him.The requests to meet King Henry were met with firm and definite replies. The answer was no, without room for negotiation. However, there was an alternative offered. On May 6, Anne Boleyn was finally granted permission by William Kingston to write a letter to the King. This small mercy was not exactly what she had in mind, but it allowed her one last chance to make some form of contact with her husband, insist on her innocence, and even make a plea for forgiveness.Henry VIII, by Joos van Cleve, 1530-35. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIf and when he opened his letter, King Henry would have been greeted with the words To the King from the Lady in the Tower. Anne Boleyn began the content of her letter by professing her confusion over her arrest; Your Graces displeasure, and my imprisonment are things so strange to me, as what to write, or what to excuse, I am altogether ignorant.Anne Boleyn finished her letter with one final appeal. She implored King Henry that the other men who had been imprisoned should not die for her sake. Her plea is so filled with genuine compassion and desperation that it may bring an air of sadness to any modern-day reader. If I have ever found favour in your sight, she began, if ever the name of Anne Boleyn hath been pleasing to your ears, then let me obtain this request.She signed her letter with the words, Your most loyal and ever faithful wife, Anne Boleyn. Her final words to the King were, From my doleful prison, the tower, this sixth of May.The letter consisted of nearly 700 words. It also included a plea for a fair trial, reminders that their daughter Elizabeth was innocent of all wrongdoing, assurance of acceptance and obedience if she should be sentenced to death, and prayers that God would forgive him for all his sins against her.The letter received no reply, and obviously, her requests were wholly ignored.The Last Night of Anne Boleyns LifeAnne Boleyn as portrayed by Claire Foy in Wolf Hall. Source: YouTube/Luh573There are a few cases in which a person can predict the exact moment of their death. Upcoming execution is one of the exceptions. On the night of May 18, Anne Boleyn knew that she would die at eight oclock the following morning. The thought of her final night in the Tower of London is chilling, perhaps even haunting.Anne Boleyns final evening is undocumented, and so her actions, behaviors, and emotions remain unknown. We assume that she would not have slept, but would have spent hours before God in prayer. It is likely that she prayed for her soul, her painless death, her safe entry into heaven, and the safety of her daughter.The Last Moments of Anne BoleynHenry VIII Meets Anne Boleyn for the First Time, by Daniel Maclise, 1835. Source: LNEIt was May 19, during the year of 1536, that Anne Boleyn was executed at the Tower of London. When she appeared at eight oclock in the morning, she was said to have been calm, composed, and dignified. One eyewitness account tells us that she went to her death with an untroubled countenance.Anne Boleyn had spent the morning with her confessor, John Skip, who had administered to her the last rites. During confession, she supposedly once again confirmed her innocence. Then, less than an hour before her death, she took communion for the last time. The rest of the time, she is likely to have spent standing still, contemplating her former life and her upcoming afterlife, whilst her ladies dressed and readied her.Anne Boleyn had been carefully prepared by her ladies for her death, and it is unlikely that any of the details on her clothing were placed there by accident. Her ermine trim represented her position as queen. Her kirtle was red, the traditional color of martyrdom. She wore an English hood, rather than the more fashionable French hood, so that she might cover her hair entirely.The execution of Anne Boleyn by beheading, 17th-18th century. Source: PicrylGeorge Boleyn, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, Sir William Brereton, and Mark Smeaton had all been executed on Tower Hill two days previously. They were originally supposed to have been hanged, drawn, and quartered, but in his mercy, King Henry commuted their sentences to beheading. Anne Boleyn received similar merciful treatment; instead of being burned as initially intended, she was killed by the sword. An executioner from Calais, well known for his skill at delivering quick and painless deaths, was specifically selected by the King and Cromwell to perform the task.Many notable figures gathered to watch the spectacle. Some of the most significant names include Thomas Cromwell, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, Henry Fitzroy, Sir Ralph Warren, and even the Lord Mayor of London. Also present were aldermen, sheriffs, and representatives from various guilds. Most of King Henrys Privy Council also had the pleasure of observing the beheading.It was on the scaffold that Anne Boleyn addressed the crowd gathered before her.The Last Words of Anne BoleynGrave of Anne Boleyn. Source: Wikimedia CommonsPeople always want to know the last words of their hero. Whether they be witty and amusing or deep and meaningful, the sentence a person chooses to say with their last breath can reveal so much about their life, their character, and even the nature of their death.Unfortunately, the truth is that Anne Boleyns final words are not overwhelmingly exciting. They have been well documented and are well known to many historians, but have not been carried through history in the same way as many other final declarations. Even Catherine Howards famous jibeI die a Queen, but I would rather die the wife of Thomas Culpepperis significantly better known than anything uttered by Anne Boleyn on the scaffold.Arrest of Anne Boleyn, 1865. Source: PicrylIt is Edward Hall, a chronicler of the 15th and 16th centuries, that we have to thank for the longevity of Annes final words. It is he who recorded Anne Boleyns address to the crowd, which she delivered just moments before her beheading. The last speech of Anne Boleyn, as recorded in full, can be found belowGood Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the King and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me.That may have been an end to her public address, but it was not an end to her private prayer. After completing this speech, Anne Boleyn knelt on the scaffold in preparation for her death. While on her knees, she continued to speak quietly, to herself and to God. To Jesus Christ I commend my soul, she repeated, Lord Jesus receive my soul.The Tower of London, photo by Juhi Sewchurran. Source: UnsplashThis short prayer highlights two things: firstly, her devotion to God, and secondly, her acceptance of her fate.As Anne Boleyn was repeating her final prayer, she was swiftly and effortlessly dispatched by the French swordsman. The executioner was renowned for his expertise, and so as she knelt and prayed, he was already equipped with his sword. According to many eye-witness accounts, he shouted across the crowds for an imaginary assistant to bring him the sword. As Anne Boleyn instinctively turned her head in the direction of his calls, he caught her off guard and fulfilled his duty.Anne Boleyn was dead. Her life had come to an end at the age of around 28 to 35 years.Anne Boleyn: Discovering What RemainsPortrait of Frederic Mouat, 1894. Source: Wikimedia CommonsTo say that the body of Anne Boleyn was treated poorly after her death would be something of an understatement. Her burial could hardly have been less dignified. Anne Boleyns body and head were collected by her attendants, wrapped in linen, and placed in a chest made of elm. That chest was later laid beneath the chancel pavement in the Tower of Londons famous Chapel, that of Saint Peter ad Vincula.Anne Boleyns grave was communal, which meant that a former Queen of England now lay with a selection of criminals who had also been executed at the Tower. There was nothing more to the process of her burial. Her body was concealed without so much as a funeral to commemorate her life.For three centuries, it appeared as if Anne Boleyn had been lost to history. That was, until the year of 1876, when some major renovations were carried out and as a result, equally major discoveries were made. With Queen Victorias permission, the construction work in the Chapel was undertaken, and a skeleton of great significance was uncovered. It was taken for observation and identified as belonging to Anne Boleyn.Queen Elizabeth I, painted by Levina Teerlinc, 1600-1610. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe surgeon presiding over the investigation was named Frederic Mouat. His findings were recorded by Donye Bell. Together, they gathered their evidence and determined that the skeleton belonged to Anne Boleyn.Mouat and Bell made and published many comments regarding the skeleton. A female of between twenty-five and thirty years of age, of a delicate frame of body, and who had been of slender and perfect proportions. He also wrote that The forehead and lower jaw were especially well formed, and that the vertebrae were particularly small. Later, he continued to describe his findings by stating that the skeleton had a well formed round skull, an intellectual forehead, straight orbital ridge, large eyes, oval face, and rather square, full chin.Although it was decided that these descriptions matched the appearance of Anne Boleyn as she appears in her authenticated portraits, it is important to remember that this is not a definitive finding. Some historians believe that the identified bones could have belonged to another woman executed at the Tower of London. Some even go as far as to suggest that they could have belonged to Anne Boleyns similarly fated cousin, Catherine Howard.Nonetheless, whether Anne Boleyns or not, the remains were later reinterred in the same location.In the 21st century, the grave of Anne Boleyn is prominently marked on the marble floor. Her monument includes a selection of moving words.Gentle visitor, pause a whileWhere you stand death cut away the light of many daysHere, jeweled names were broken from the vivid thread of life.May they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courageUnder these restless skies.

Left: Public Domain; Right: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty ImagesPamela Courson became Jim Morrisons girlfriend after they met at a Hollywood club in 1965.Pamela Courson embodied the free spirit of the hippie generation. An art school dropout, she was determined to pursue art on her own terms and make a name for herself. But ultimately, shes mostly remembered for being Jim Morrisons girlfriend.The beautiful Californian had already embraced the counterculture movement by the time she met The Doors frontman in 1965. So its little wonder why she was attracted to the wild rock star. The pair quickly became a couple, with Morrison describing her as his cosmic partner.But the relationship of Pamela Courson and Jim Morrison was far from a fairytale. From drug abuse to repeated infidelities to explosive arguments, their relationship was the definition of tumultuous and sometimes even escalated into violence. Yet Morrison and Courson always seemed to find a way to reconcile.By 1971, the couple had decided to move to Paris together. But tragically, they were only there for a few months before Jim Morrisons death at 27. And nearly three years later, Pamela Courson would meet an eerily similar fate.How Pamela Courson Met Jim MorrisonEstate of Edmund Teske/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesPamela Courson and her cosmic partner at a 1969 photo shoot in Hollywood.Pamela Courson was born on December 22, 1946, in Weed, California. Though her interior designer mother and junior high school principal father were kind and caring, Courson wanted more than a white picket fence.As a young adult in the mid-1960s, Courson studied art at Los Angeles City College. But the rigors of academia felt constraining to her and she soon dropped out. It was around that same time that she met Jim Morrison.As the story goes, Pamela Courson found herself at a Hollywood nightclub called London Fog, attending one of the earliest shows that The Doors played in the city. Courson and Morrison were instantly drawn to each other.By the time Light My Fire hit the scene in 1967, the couple had already moved in together in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek confessed that he never knew another person who could so complement [Morrisons] bizarreness.Life As Jim Morrisons GirlfriendEstate of Edmund Teske/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesPamela Courson and Jim Morrison were known for their volatile relationship.After just a year of living together, the couple made plans to marry. In December 1967, Pamela Courson obtained a marriage license in Denver, Colorado while she was on the road with The Doors. But Courson failed to have the license filed or notarized causing her plans to fall through. Instead of trying elsewhere at another time, Morrison surprised his cosmic partner with full access to his money. He also agreed to finance Themis, the fashion boutique that Courson had dreamt of opening.With a high-profile clientele that included Sharon Tate and Miles Davis, Coursons career had taken off in tandem with her boyfriends. Sadly, the couple was fighting constantly, often fueled by alcohol and drug abuse.One former neighbor of the couple said, One night, Pam came over late, claiming Jim had tried to kill her. She said he had pushed her into the closet and set it on fire when he found out she had been sleeping with this phony prince who had supplied her with heroin. Meanwhile, Morrison became increasingly dependent on alcohol, and it showed in his performances. In 1969, he was even accused of exposing himself on stage in Miami. Though Morrison avoided convictions for serious legal charges like a felony count of lewd and lascivious behavior and public drunkenness he was found guilty of indecent exposure and open profanity. He was ultimately released on a $50,000 bond.While its still debated whether Morrison actually exposed himself that night, there was no question that his addictions were getting the better of him. So Morrison moved to Paris with Courson hoping for a change of scenery.The Tragic Scene Of Pamela Coursons Death Just Three Years After Morrisons DemiseBarbara Alper/Getty ImagesThe grave of Jim Morrison. Sadly, Pamela Courson died just three years after the Lizard King.In Paris, Morrison seemed to find peace and take better care of himself. So it came as a shock when he died just months after arriving. But not everyone was surprised. While in the city, Morrison and Courson had indulged in old habits and frequented many notorious nightclubs. On July 3, 1971, Pamela Courson found Jim Morrison immobile and unresponsive in the bathtub of their Paris apartment. When the police arrived, she said that he had woken up in the middle of the night feeling sick and started a hot bath. Morrison was soon declared dead of heart failure, thought to be brought on by a heroin overdose.But not everyone buys the official story. From whispers that he died in the bathroom of a nightclub to rumors that he faked his own death, Morrisons demise has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. But perhaps most ominously, some people have accused his girlfriend of playing a role in his death, especially since Courson was the sole heir in his will. While Courson was interviewed by the police, they apparently took her story at face value and no autopsy was ever performed. Still, Courson was never officially suspected of anything related to her boyfriends death. After he was buried, she simply returned to Los Angeles alone. And due to legal battles, she never saw a dime of Morrisons fortune.In the years after Morrisons death, Pam Coursons own addictions grew rapidly worse. She often described herself as Jim Morrisons wife despite the fact that they had never married and sometimes even delusionally claimed that he was about to call her.Nearly three years later, on April 25, 1974, she suffered the same fate as The Doors frontman and died at age 27 of a heroin overdose just like him.After learning about Pamela Courson and Jim Morrison, read the tragic story of Janis Joplins demise. Then, uncover the chilling mystery of Natalie Woods death.The post The Story Of Pamela Courson And Her Turbulent Relationship With Jim Morrison appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Its no wonder why Ridley Scott made American Gangster, a movie based on the life of New York kingpin Frank Superfly Lucas. The details of his ascent to the upper echelon of the 1970s drug trade are as wildly cinematic as they are likely exaggerated. What better medium to tell such a trumped-up tale than a Hollywood blockbuster?Though the 2007 movie is supposedly based on a true story starring Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas many in Lucass orbit have said that the film is largely fabricated. But piecing together the truth of his life and his many misdeeds is a daunting task.YouTubeDuring the late 1960s and early 1970s, Frank Lucas built a heroin empire in Harlem.The most well-known profile of the man, Mark Jacobsons The Return of Superfly (which the film is largely based on), relies primarily on Frank Lucass own firsthand account that is full of boasts and braggadocio from a notorious braggart, trickster, and fibber.If youre unfamiliar with Lucas or with the film, here are some of the wildest details about his life (have a few grains of salt handy).Who Was Frank Lucas?Born on September 9, 1930, in La Grange, North Carolina, Frank Lucas had a rough start to life. He grew up poor and spent a lot of time looking after his siblings. And living in the Jim Crow South took a toll on him.According to Lucas, he was first inspired to enter a life of crime after he witnessed Ku Klux Klan members murder his 12-year-old cousin Obadiah when he was just six years old. The Klan claimed that Obadiah had engaged in some reckless eyeballing of a white woman, so they fatally shot him.Lucas reportedly fled to New York in 1946 after beating up his former boss at a pipe company and robbing him of $400. And he quickly realized there was much more money to be made in the Big Apple. From robbing local bars at gunpoint to swiping diamonds from jewelry stores, he slowly became bolder and bolder with his crimes. He eventually caught the eye of drug trafficker Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson who acted as a mentor of sorts to Lucas and taught him everything he knew.While Lucas took Johnsons teachings to the next level with his crime organization, there was a sad and ironic twist to Lucass desire to get back at the KKK members who murdered his cousin. Thanks to his deadly brand of imported heroin, known as Blue Magic, he ended up wreaking havoc in Harlem one of Americas most iconic Black neighborhoods. Frank Lucas has probably destroyed more Black lives than the KKK could ever dream of, prosecutor Richie Roberts told The New York Times in 2007. (Roberts was later portrayed by Russell Crowe in the movie.)David Howells/Corbis/Getty ImagesRichie Roberts, who is portrayed by Russell Crowe in the American Gangster.How Frank Lucas supposedly got his hands on this Blue Magic is perhaps the wildest detail of all: He allegedly smuggled the 98-percent-pure heroin into the United States by using the coffins of dead soldiers being returned from the Vietnam War. Jacobson calls it his most culturally pungent claim to fame:Of all the dreadful iconography of Vietnam the napalmed girl running down the road, Calley at My Lai, etc., etc. dope in the body bag, death begetting death, most hideously conveys Nams spreading pestilence. The metaphor is almost too rich.To his credit, Lucas said that he didnt put the smack next to the bodies or inside the bodies as some legends have suggested. (No way Im touching a dead anything, he told Jacobson. Bet your life on that.) He instead said that he had a carpenter buddy flown in to make 28 copies of government coffins rigged up with false bottoms.With help from former U.S. Army sergeant Leslie Ike Atkinson, who just so happened to be married to one of his cousins, Lucas claimed to have smuggled more than $50 million worth of heroin into the U.S. He said $100,000 of that was on a plane carrying Henry Kissinger, and that he at one point dressed up as a lieutenant colonel to aide in the operation. (You should have seen me I could really salute.)If this so-called Cadaver Connection story sounds like an impossible operation, it just might have been.It is a total lie thats fueled by Frank Lucas for personal gain, Atkinson told the Toronto Star in 2008. I never had anything to do with transporting heroin in coffins or cadavers. Though Atkinson fessed up to smuggling, he said it was inside furniture, and that Lucas wasnt involved with making the connection.From Low-Ranking Drug Dealer To American GangsterWikimedia Commons/YouTubeFrank Lucass federal mugshot and Denzel Washington as Lucas in American Gangster.How Frank Lucas managed to get his hands on Blue Magic mightve been a fabrication, but theres no denying that it made him a rich man. I wanted to be rich, he told Jacobson. I wanted to be Donald Trump rich, and so help me God, I made it. He claimed to be making $1 million per day at one point, but that, too, was later discovered to be an exaggeration.In any case, he was still determined to show off his newly acquired wealth. So in 1971, he decided to wear a $100,000 full-length chinchilla coat bought by his wife Julianna Farrait at a Muhammad Ali boxing match. But as he later wrote, this was a massive mistake. Apparently, Lucass coat caught the eye of law enforcement who were surprised that he had better seats than Diana Ross and Frank Sinatra. As Lucas put it: I left that fight a marked man.So regardless of how much money he was actually making, Lucas didnt get to enjoy the fruits of his labor for very long. After supposedly hobnobbing with some of New Yorks wealthiest and most famous folks in the early 1970s, the famously fur-clad Frank Lucas was arrested in 1975, thanks in part to Roberts efforts (and some Mafia snitching).The drug lords assets were seized, including $584,683 in cash, and he was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Lucas later bristled at such a low count of cash money, and accused the DEA of stealing from him, according to Superfly: The True Untold Story of Frank Lucas, American Gangster:Five hundred and eighty-four thousand. Whats that? Superfly boasted. In Las Vegas I lost 500 Gs in half an hour playing baccarat with a green haired whore. Later, Superfly would tell a television interviewer that the figure was actually $20 million. With time, the story has kept getting longer like Pinocchios nose.Lucas likely wouldve been in prison for the rest of his life if he didnt become a government informant, enter the witness protection program, and ultimately help the DEA nab more than 100 drug-related convictions. One relatively minor setback aside a seven-year sentence for an attempted drug deal in his post-informant life he went on parole in 1991.Overall, Lucas managed to get through everything relatively unscathed and reportedly enriched. According to the New York Post, Lucas received $300,000 from Universal Pictures and another $500,000 from the studio and [Denzel] Washington to buy a house and a new car.But at the end of the day, beyond the ravages of his famous Blue Magic, Lucas was an admitted killer (I killed the baddest motherfker. Not just in Harlem but in the world.) and an admitted liar, on a grand scale. Robin Hood, he was not.In some of his last interviews, Frank Lucas walked back a bit of the braggadocio, admitting, for instance, that he only had one false-bottom coffin made. And for what its worth, Lucas also admitted that only 20 percent of American Gangster is true, but the guys that busted him said thats also an exaggeration. DEA agent Joseph Sullivan, who raided Lucass home back in 1975, said its closer to the single digits.His name is Frank Lucas and he was a drug dealer thats where the truth in this movie ends.The Death Of Frank LucasDavid Howells/Corbis/Getty ImagesFrank Lucas in his later years. The former gangster died of natural causes in 2019.Unlike other famous gangsters, Frank Lucas didnt go out in a blaze of glory. He died in 2019 at the age of 88 in New Jersey. His nephew, who confirmed his death to the press, said that he died of natural causes.By the time Lucas died, he had become pretty good friends with Richie Roberts the man who helped bust him. And ironically enough, Roberts eventually ended up getting in some trouble with the law himself pleading guilty to tax crimes in 2017.I am not one to condemn anyone for anything that they do, Roberts said after Frank Lucass death. Everyone gets a second a chance in my world. Frank did the right thing [by cooperating].Did he cause a lot of pain and hardship? Yeah. But that is all business. On a personal level, he was very charismatic. He could be very likable, but I wouldnt want to, well, I was on the wrong end of him. There was a contract on me at one time.Roberts had the chance to talk to Lucas just a few weeks before he died and was able to tell him goodbye. Although he was aware that the former drug kingpin was in poor health, he still found it hard to believe that Frank Lucas was really gone.He said, You expected him to live forever.After learning about Frank Lucas and the real story of American Gangster, take a look at the history of 1970s Harlem in pictures. Then, explore the rest of the city in 41 horrifying photos of life in 1970s New York.The post The True Story Of Frank Lucas, The Harlem Drug Lord Who Built A Heroin Empire appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Fotos International/Courtesy of Getty ImagesThe rumors about Mr. Rogers tattoos first began circulating before the 1990s.If urban legend is to be believed, Mr. Rogers had a bunch of secret tattoos on his arms and he hid them extremely well with his signature long-sleeve cardigan sweaters.This story often goes hand-in-hand with the rumor that the host of the childrens TV show Mister Rogers Neighborhood was once a feared military sniper. Many people assume that if Mr. Rogers was indeed tattooed, he surely must have gotten his ink while he was a soldier. Some have even suggested these tattoos commemorated his kills in battle.But did Mr. Rogers have tattoos in the first place? Did he really serve in the military? And how did these outlandish stories emerge?Did Mr. Rogers Have Tattoos?Getty ImagesMr. Rogers was known for wearing long-sleeve sweaters on his show.To put it simply, the rumors about Mr. Rogers tattoos are not true at all. The man had zero ink on his arms or anywhere else on his body.Its difficult to pinpoint when people started whispering about Mr. Rogers supposed tattoos and his alleged military background but the rumors trace back to sometime before the mid-1990s.While the myth seemed to fizzle out in the decade before Mr. Rogers death in 2003, the rumor mill began turning again shortly after he passed away.This fake chain email, which circulated in 2003, has been linked to the revival of the tall tale:There was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he portrayed. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeve sweater to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. (He was) a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. He hid that away and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.While this email offered no proof of its jaw-dropping claims, the false story took on such a life of its own that the U.S. Navy issued a formal correction:Firstly, Mr. Rogers was born in 1928 and thus at the time of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict was too old to enlist in the U.S. Navy.Secondly, he had no time to do so. Right after finishing high school, Mr. Rogers went straight into college, and after graduating college directly into TV work.Interestingly enough, the U.S. Navy even addressed the tattoo rumor: He was purposely choosing long-sleeve clothes to keep his formality as well as authority not only to children but to their parents as well.While other false rumors have circulated that Mr. Rogers served in other branches of the military such as the Marine Corps the icon did not serve in the military at all.He had no kills to commemorate and thus no kill record to ink on his skin or anywhere else.How Did The Myth Of Mr. Rogers Tattoos Start?Essentially, rumors about Mr. Rogers tattoos stem from the fact that he always wore long-sleeve sweaters on his show. Based on that alone, people started claiming that he did so in order to cover up secret tattoos.But the real reasons why he swore by his sweaters are just as wholesome as the songs he sang on Mister Rogers Neighborhood.First of all, his beloved mother Nancy knitted all his famous cardigans by hand. He thought very highly of his mother, so he wore the sweaters in honor of her.Getty ImagesOne of Mr. Rogers sweaters on display at the Smithsonians American History Museum in 2012.Secondly, the sweaters were part of the persona that Mr. Rogers created for his program. This stylistic choice allowed him to maintain formality with children. Although he was friendly with them, he also wanted to establish a relationship with them as an authority figure, similar to a teacher.And finally, the sweaters were simply comfortable. While Mr. Rogers formal persona was important, he certainly didnt want to feel uncomfortable in a stiff jacket while interacting with kids. Who would?Why Do The Rumors Persist?Getty ImagesMr. Rogers with his puppets.The untrue rumors about Mr. Rogers tattoos and military service do not fit with the mans gentle, peaceful personality at all. Some experts think thats precisely the reason why hes always been a target for these urban legends.Mr. Rogers, by all accounts, seems like a very mild-mannered, Puritan-esque character, said folklore expert Trevor J. Blank, in an interview with The History Channel. Him having a very macho back story or being a ruthless killer is kind of titillating; it runs counter to what youre presented as true in your day-to-day experience.According to Blank, the very definition of an urban legend is a fictional story that has some type of believable component. Typically, these stories seem somewhat credible because they supposedly happen to a person we know or are familiar with. But these people like Mr. Rogers in this case are also far enough away from us that we cant immediately verify the truth. Another thing about urban legends is that they tend to focus on issues of morality and decency. And who was more associated with morality and decency than Mr. Rogers?Hes an individual to whom we trust our children, said Blank. He taught kids how take care of their bodies, associate with their community, how to relate to neighbors and strangers.When you think about it, Mr. Rogers is truly the perfect target for urban legends especially ones that challenge his squeaky-clean image like tattoos of a kill record.For what its worth, Neighborhood stage manager Nick Tallo had quite a chuckle over these rumors. As Tallo put it: He didnt know how to use a screwdriver, let alone kill a bunch of people.The Truth About Mr. RogersMr. Rogers, born March 20, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, eschewed an Ivy League education to graduate magna cum laude from Floridas Rollins College with a degree in music in 1951. He learned to compose music and play the piano, talents that he put to good use in writing more than 200 songs that hed later perform for children throughout his lifetime.After graduation, he immediately embarked on a broadcasting career. And from 1968 to 2001, he was able to fulfill his mission of educating and enlightening children on Mister Rogers Neighborhood.The worst curse word hes said to have used was mercy. He would say it whenever he felt overwhelmed like when he saw the stacks of fan mail he received every week. Undeterred, however, Rogers personally responded to every piece of fan mail he received over the course of his career.Rogers never smoked, drank, or ate the flesh of animals. He was an ordained Presbyterian minister who always preached inclusion and tolerance by saying, God loves you just the way you are.Its no wonder why he was and still is admired by millions of Americans who grew up with him and his timeless words of wisdom.Sadly, Fred Rogers died on February 27, 2003 of stomach cancer. A few months before his death, Mr. Rogers recorded a message for his adult fans who watched his show every day:I would like to tell you what I often told you when you were much younger. I like you just the way you are. And whats more, Im so grateful to you for helping the children in your life to know that youll do everything you can to keep them safe. And to help them express their feelings in ways that will bring healing in many different neighborhoods. Its such a good feeling to know that were lifelong friends.Now thats the Mr. Rogers we all know and love.After this look at the myth of Mr. Rogers tattoos, read more about Mr. Rogers incredible life. Then discover the full story of Bob Ross, the man behind the happy little trees.The post The Truth Behind The Rumors About Mr. Rogers Tattoos appeared first on All That's Interesting.

On April 1, 1990, a state trooper of the Arizona Highway Patrol Division spotted a tractor-trailer on the shoulder of the highway. He approached the vehicle to see if the driver needed any assistance.What the trooper stumbled upon was a scene out of a horror movie.Chained up inside the truck was a nude young woman with a gag over her mouth and a terrified look on her face. The trucks driver, Robert Ben Rhoades, tried to explain that it was a private, consensual matter.Public DomainBetween 1975 and 1990, Robert Ben Rhoades, a.k.a. the Truck Stop Killer, may have killed as many as 50 victims.But the trooper wasnt convinced and soon placed Rhoades under arrest. While waiting for backup, he discovered a .25 caliber automatic pistol in Rhoades possession.At the time, Rhoades faced only kidnapping and assault charges. But as authorities would soon learn, Robert Ben Rhoades was actually one of the most dangerous sex offenders and serial killers in American history.The Brutal Murders Of The Truck Stop KillerPinal County JailRobert Ben Rhoades mugshot from his 1990 arrest in Arizona.Born November 22, 1945 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Robert Ben Rhoades was in trouble with the law almost from the start. While in high school, he was arrested for tampering with a vehicle and then again for fighting in public before he joined the Marines.Soon after, in 1964, his father was arrested for molesting a 12-year-old girl and committed suicide before the trial. A few years later, Rhoades himself was back in trouble with the law for a robbery that saw him dishonorably discharged from the Marines.By the 1970s, Rhoades had found work as a truck driver. What the authorities learned much later is that, while out on the road, the Truck Stop Killer tortured, raped, and killed as many as 50 women. He even took photos of some of his victims before murdering them.Its presumed that his actual first murder happened long before, but Robert Ben Rhoades first confirmed murders happened in January of 1990. After he was arrested in Arizona in April of that year, he confessed to the murders of newlyweds Patricia Walsh and Douglas Zyskowski. The couple had left Seattle in November of 1989 and were hitchhiking to Georgia, preaching the Christian gospel.The Truck Stop Killer picked them up in Texas and killed Zyskowski immediately. However, he held Walsh prisoner for more than a week, during which time he tortured and raped her repeatedly before shooting her to death.Authorities found Zyskowskis body near Interstate 10 east of Ozona, Texas later in January, though it wasnt identified until 1992. However, it took almost 13 years for the authorities to identify Walshs remains after deer hunters found her body near the mouth of a canyon in Millard Country, Utah.Committed soon after he dispatched the newlyweds, the crime that ultimately earned the Truck Stop Killer a life sentence was the rape and murder of Regina Kay Walters. The 14-year-old from Pasadena, Texas was hitchhiking with her boyfriend, Ricky Jones, when Rhoades picked them up in February of 1990.Regina Kay Walters before Robert Rhoades cut off her hair while holding her captive.Rhoades promptly killed Jones (whose remains were later found in Mississippi), but he kept Walters hostage for several weeks or more in whats been called his traveling torture chamber. Meanwhile, he took several photos of her as he held her captive. Photographic evidence seized during a search of Rhoades home revealed photos showing different lengths of Walters hair growth and various bruising, indicating that he held her for a substantial amount of time. During Regina Kay Walters imprisonment, Rhoades would even call her father from payphones. On one call, he told Walters father that he cut her hair.Robert Ben RhoadesOne of the last photos Robert Ben Rhoades took of Regina Kay Walters before killing the 14-year-old.After torturing her with fishing hooks and other assorted instruments, Rhoades took one final set of photos of Walters just before killing her with a baling wire garrote. Afterward, he threw her body in a barn off of Interstate 70 in Illinois, where it was found in September. By then, the Truck Stop Killer had been in custody for about five months, but the book on his reign of terror was hardly closed.Once Behind Bars, Robert Ben Rhoades Confessed To Even More KillingsRobert Ben Rhoades was convicted for Regina Kay Walters murder in 1994 and sentenced to life behind bars in Illinois, but authorities couldnt get him for anything else for a long time. After he began serving his sentence, however, he started confessing to other murders committed during his long life on the road.For one, he only faced consequences for the murders of Walsh and Zyskowski in 2012, more than 20 years after the crimes were committed. After a years-long pre-trial period, the Truck Stop Killer pleaded guilty to both murders and received another life sentence as part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty.According to District Attorney Steve Smith, Ive been a prosecutor since 1979 and it was one of the rare occasions when I was in the court where the defendant walked in and you felt the evil. The hairs on my arm stand up right now talking about it.Other prosecutors and cops who worked the Truck Stop Killer case over the years likewise felt Rhoades evil. Though such allegations have never been confirmed, the authorities widely suspect that Rhoades actually killed dozens of women.Law enforcement cross-referenced his trucking logs with records of young women that went missing over a 15-year span when he was believed to be active, ultimately suggesting that he was responsible for some 50 murders, or as many as one to three women a month during his peak.His truck was certainly equipped for the job. Authorities found a dungeon-like compartment between the seats as well as handcuffs on the ceiling so that victims could be chained and tortured. They likewise found a so-called murder kit containing chains, cords, whips, and leashes, as well as dildos and clips, pins, and fishhooks that he used on the genitals of his victims.But without confessions or hard evidence, we may never know many people the Truck Stop Killer actually murdered during his bloody spree.The Woman Who Got Away From The Truck Stop KillerFacebookA photo of Pamela Milliken posted on Facebook by law enforcement.While authorities suspect that there are dozens of unsolved murders hiding within Robert Ben Rhoades tale, one recently-surfaced story from his past had something of a happy ending.In 2015, several law enforcement agencies shared a photo of a young woman taken by Rhoades inside his truck in 1985 on Facebook. It was on the same roll as the shots of Regina Kay Walters. The authorities figured the woman was another victim of the Truck Stop Killer and were looking to identify her.But then, a woman from Saskatchewan named Pamela Milliken recognized the young woman as herself.Milliken said that she was hitchhiking to go find her brother in Winnipeg when she ended up in Rhoades truck. When he snapped a photo of her just after she got in, she asked why and he told her that he kept photos of his passengers so that he could show them to the cops in case anyone ever robbed him and fled.He told me he was going to Florida, and he wanted me to come with him, Milliken said. At one point, he pointed to a sign on his dashboard that said CASH, GRASS or ASS No one rides for free, she recalled. I didnt have any money. I didnt smoke pot, so I knew which one it would be. They had what Milliken described as a consensual sexual encounter and he dropped her off at a bus depot in Winnipeg.Public DomainNow more than 80 years old, Robert Ben Rhoades remains bars in Illinois today.Of course, many were not as lucky as Milliken. And while the Truck Stop Killer will never see the light of day, we may never know how many lives he took.Robert Ben Rhoades, now in his eighties, is currently serving his two life sentences without the possibility of parole at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois. If there are more murder confessions to make, there may be time yet for other families to find some semblance of closure and justice.Now that youve read about Robert Ben Rhoades, the Truck Stop Killer, learn about Olga Hepnarova, the truck-driving mass murderess. Then, discover the most notorious serial killers in history.The post Inside The Brutal Murders Of Robert Ben Rhoades, The Truck Stop Killer appeared first on All That's Interesting.

After constant pushback from its users, popular chat platform Discord is pulling back on plans to introduce a "global age assurance" process, admitting in a statement that the company "failed at our most basic job" of "explaining what we're doing and why." The global rollout now won't happen until the second half of 2026, with a technical blog offering a deeper dive into the automatic age determination systems before they're set to go live. We'll also get to see things like "how many users were asked to verify" and "what methods they used" when the rollout does actually happen.Read the full story on PCGamesN: Discord delays its age verification, admits it knew the rollout was "going to be controversial" and that it "failed at its most basic job"

Celebrity chef and Food Network personality Bobby Flay is a true iconoclast when it comes to cooking rice. In fact, he skips a common step many swear by.