Some deaths stick with us. Some lives are extinguished in such strange and horrifying ways that they haunt us for years. They become those famous murders that dominate headlines and airwaves around the world and haunt our collective dreams.Its not just the deaths themselves that makes these murder cases so chilling. Millions of lives end every day without a single peep on the news. But in a handful of cases, theres something else that hits us on a deeper, more primal level, something that feeds into our darkest fears.Wikimedia Commons, Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images, Julian Wasser/Online USA Inc./GettyVictims of some of historys most famous murder cases, from left: Elizabeth Short, Sharon Tate, Kitty Genovese, JonBent Ramsey, Lizzie Borden (infamously, not a victim but a suspect), and Dorothy Stratten.Below, read the full stories behind some of historys most famous murders and see for yourself why, after so many years, weve never been able to shake them.Famous Murders: The Boy In The BoxWikimedia CommonsThe boy in the box, depicted on a flyer sent out to residents of surrounding towns.It started on a chilly February day in 1957, on a roadside highway just outside of Philadelphia. A young muskrat hunter, checking his traps, stumbled upon a cardboard box lying in the woods. Inside was the dead body of a young boy, stripped naked and mutilated.The muskrat hunter didnt tell a soul. He was terrified that, if he reported it, the police would come down on him for his illegal traps. And so, for days, until a braver soul found him, the boys body lay cold and rotting, alone in the woods.The boy was somewhere been three and seven years old, and he had undergone terrible neglect. He was small, malnourished and unkempt. His hair had been cut around the time of his death; clumps of it still clung to his body. The body itself was covered in small scars, most notably on his ankle, groin, and chin.Only one small act of care had been given to the boy abandoned naked in that box. Whoever had killed him had wrapped up tightly in a blanket before leaving him to rot. It was the only hint of love hed been shown.Wikimedia CommonsA facial reconstruction of the boy in the box.The police fingerprinted the boy in hopes of finding a match, but nothing came up. Hundreds of thousands of flyers were sent out to the surrounding area, begging for information about the unidentified boy, but no one came forward. His parents never claimed him as their own.The investigators tried everything they could. They analyzed the evidence from the crime scene, from the cardboard box to the blanket he was wrapped in.Every clue they followed, though, just led to a new dead end.Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. The Black DahliaWikimedia CommonsA mugshot of Elizabeth Short from 1943, when she was arrested for underage drinking.The Black Dahlia, Elizabeth Short, was an aspiring actress who wanted be famous more than anything else in the world. She never could have imagined, though, how she would earn it: as the victim of a brutal murder that has haunted America for decades.On January 15, 1947, a young woman and her three-year-old daughter stumbled upon the body of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short. She was horribly mutilated, lying in the grass of a Los Angeles residential neighborhood, her body completely chopped in half.Bettmann/Getty ImagesA sheet covers the horrific dissection of Elizabeth Shorts corpse.The two pieces of her body were about a foot apart. Her intestines had been removed, folded up and then shoved back into her gut. There were ligature marks on her wrists, pieces of her skin had been removed, and her body had been completely drained of blood.Perhaps the worst part, though, was her face. The killer had cut it open from the corners of both sides of her mouth to her ears, permanently etching a Joker-like smile on the young womans face.Wikimedia CommonsThe body of Elizabeth Short lies uncovered in the grass on the day of one of Americas most famous murders: January 15, 1947.One week later, an editor at the Los Angeles Examiner received a call from someone claiming to be the murderer. He kept souvenirs, he said, and he would be sending them over in the mail.He made good on his promise. Four days later, a postal worker pulled out a letter addressed to the Examiner. Inside was Elizabeth Shorts birth certificate, business cards, photographs, and her address book.But like so many other famous murders, this ones ensuing chaotic media circus only obscured the investigation. The police were overrun with too many tips to filter out the truth from the lies.They interviewed 12 possible Black Dahlia suspects and listened to more than 60 people who tried to insist they were the killers. But though suspects, including George Hodel, have become favorites of amateur sleuths, the police never managed to make a single arrest.The post 11 Of The Worst Murders Ever And The Stories Behind Them appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Provinces of Caserta and BeneventoSome of the limestone blocks pulled from the stream featured reliefs of gladiators in combat.In 2021, the seasonal flooding of a stream in Apollosa, Italy, revealed several large, limestone blocks. A local resident reported them to the regions Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, prompting archaeologists to head out and investigate. To their surprise, the stones turned out to be part of a 2,000-year-old Roman funerary monument.Even more remarkably, the blocks featured reliefs of gladiators in combat, which was unusual for Roman tombs. Experts believe the monument was likely constructed by a wealthy elite who was involved with organizing gladiatorial games and that this structure was meant to illustrate his social status to travelers, even after his death.The Discovery Of An Ancient Roman Funerary Monument Featuring Gladiator ReliefsIn September 2021, the Serrentella stream in the southern Italian town of Apollosa flooded its banks. When the water withdrew, it had exposed a series of limestone blocks beneath the soil. A local volunteer named Marco Zamparelli alerted the Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento. The subsequent excavation that was completed in January 2026 revealed approximately 40 blocks that once made up a Roman funerary monument.Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Provinces of Caserta and BeneventoThe Serrentella stream near Apollosa, where the ancient funerary monument was discovered.The structure, which dates to the early first century C.E., consisted of a cylinder that was roughly 40 feet in diameter set upon a cubical base. It was constructed of elaborately decorated limestone, including a section that featured a sculpted relief of at least three gladiators in combat.One of the figures was a Samnite gladiator, one of the earliest types of Roman gladiators who fought with weapons styled after the ancient warriors of Samnium in southern Italy. According to a statement from the Superintendency, the gladiator was distinguishable by his curved rectangular shield, bound calves, and a belt decorated with vegetal motifs securing his loincloth.This type of iconography was rare on Roman tombs, and it suggests that the person who commissioned the structure may have been involved with organizing public games or worked as a lanista: an owner, manager, or trainer of gladiators. At the time, elite Romans often financed gladiatorial events to show off their wealth and gain public favor.Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Provinces of Caserta and BeneventoArchaeologists found around 40 limestone blocks, and once recovered 20 in a single day.Archaeologists also uncovered the entrance to the monuments underground burial chamber, where they found rich frescoes covering the walls. This discovery, in addition to the monuments location along the ancient Appian Way, is a further testament to the high social status of the tombs owner.The Significance Of The Appian Way In The Ancient Roman WorldThe Appian Way, or Via Appia, was built starting in 312 B.C.E. As one of the first major roads of the Roman Empire, it served as a vital route for trade, travel, and military movement. It initially stretched from Rome to Capua, but it was later extended further south to Brindisi, located in the heel of Italys boot.Roman elites often commissioned funerary monuments for themselves along this famous thoroughfare as a display of their prestige. As Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo noted in the statement, The monument in Apollosa is not merely a significant testament to Roman funerary art, but a precious piece of the puzzle for understanding the role of the Via Appia as a cultural and symbolic infrastructure of this territory.Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Provinces of Caserta and BeneventoAn archaeologist cleans dirt from one of the ancient Roman reliefs depicting battling gladiators.Apollosas mayor, Danilo Parente, added, The discovery made in Apollosa confirms the richness of the historical layering that characterizes our lands, as well as the importance of the role the Appia has played throughout the ages.While this ancient funerary monument was seemingly disassembled and repurposed into a retaining wall during the medieval era, its still revealing valuable information about the early Roman Empire and the people who lived there from gladiators to the upper-class citizens who funded their careers even 2,000 years later.As the Superintendency said, This discovery yields not only a monument but also rekindles the memory of a territory that continues, even today, to tell the grand story of the Via Appia.After reading about the Roman funerary monument found along the ancient Appian Way, go inside the stories of 11 famous Roman gladiators. Then, learn about nine of Romes worst emperors.The post Archaeologists In Italy Just Unearthed An Ancient Roman Tomb Covered With Massive Carvings Of Gladiators In Combat appeared first on All That's Interesting.

When it comes to hidden figures in Black history, few have a legacy as instantly recognizable as Esther Jones. A primarily Harlem-based jazz singer known as Baby Esther in the early 1900s, Jones became the inspiration for the character of Betty Boop but never received a penny in compensation.And, despite her relationship to the internationally-known character, Joness life and death remain shrouded in mystery. In fact, few recordings of her work remain, and what little is known about her came out in a lawsuit that exposed the real Betty Boops true origins once and for all.This is the little-known true story of Baby Esther Jones, the original Black Betty Boop.The Origins Of Esther Jones, The Black Betty BoopWikimedia CommonsEsther Lee Jones, also known as Baby Esther, seen here in a publicity image circa 1930.Born in 1919 or 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, Esther Jones was a born performer who first took the stage at age 4. Her parents, Gertrude and William, were her original managers. In her performances, Jones danced, made funny faces, and used the phrase, Boop, Boop-a-Doop. But word of Joness performances quickly swept New York City, and it wasnt long before she was performing regularly in the Big Apple. In 1924, when she was barely 4 years old, Lou Bolton stepped in as her manager, and Jones bookings and profile increased exponentially. A 1928 article in Variety marveled at Jones by then 7 years old and going by Baby Esther and her performance at the Everglades Nightclub in New York City. The child is small for her age and said to be an exceptional black-bottom dancer, read the report. The crowd in the place continually applauded the little dancer. Jones also had a booking agent named Tony Shayne, who regularly booked another aspiring singer and dancer named Helen Kane. As the Supreme Court of the State of New York would later find out, Kane was in attendance at the aforementioned Everglades Nightclub performance, where she had front-row seats with Shayne and Bolton.And Joness performance inspired Kane to incorporate it into her own act an act that would forever be immortalized in the Betty Boop cartoons.The Infamous Betty Boop TrialYouTube/Movie AtticBetty Boop, seen in one of Max Fleischers 90 theatrical cartoons.In the 1920s and beyond it was quite common for white performers to steal the acts of their Black counterparts without credit or compensation. But, whereas the Black performers of today can rally people to their cause using the power of social media, Black performers of yester-year like Esther Jones werent quite as lucky.So, Helen Kane continued to swipe her whole act from Baby Esther, and became infinitely more popular than the original. Kane became so popular, in fact, that when the Betty Boop cartoon debuted in 1930, it all but completely mimicked Kanes style. And as the cartoon became wildly successful, Kane felt slighted by the Boop, Boop-A-Doop and without a shred of self-awareness or irony, proceeded to file a $250,000 lawsuit against Max Fleischer, Betty Boops creator, just two years after the cartoon vixen debuted on the big screen. According to the New York Daily News, Kane felt exploited by Fleischer and the Paramount Publix Corp.But Kanes lawsuit ultimately backfired on her, because Bolton Jones manager was called to testify on behalf of Fleischer and the Paramount Publix Corp. A 1934 article in The New York Times reported on Boltons testimony, wherein he stated that he coached a little Negro girl to sing the Boop, Boop-A-Doop that Betty Boop ultimately made famous.Interestingly, Kanes attorney cross-examined Bolton and asked whether Baby Esther had been paid for her loss of revenue and Bolton confirmed that she had not. Ultimately, the judge ruled against Kane, and she walked away without a dime. Historian Charles Solomon summed up the judgment succinctly: The Fleischers won the case by proving that a Black entertainer named Baby Esther had previously used the phrase before either Kane or [Mae] Questel [the voice actress who provided the voice for Betty Boop in the original cartoons].In other words, Esther Jones was the original Betty Boop.Baby Esther Lee Jones Tragic Anonymity Despite Being The Original Betty BoopWikimedia CommonsA photograph, circa 1930, of a woman often erroneously said to be Esther Lee Jones, while very few confirmed photos of Jones herself are known to exist today.Very little is known about Esther Joness life, or her death, after the infamous Betty Boop trial. Many photos alleged to be of Baby Esther were actually of other performers named Esther, and Baby Esther is most commonly confused with jazz singer Little Esther Phillips. According to Harlem World, Baby Esther died in 1984 from liver and kidney complications brought on by a drug overdose. But according to Essence, Jones is believed to have died shortly after the Kane vs. Fleischer trial concluded.Regardless of the truth about Jones later life and death, the fact that her story continues to be so obscure in 2021 is a testament to how truly hidden she is as a historical figure. Despite being the original Betty Boop inspiring one of the most enduring cartoons of the 20th and 21st centuries Jones own life is all but an enigma, and neither she nor her family ever received a penny for their contributions.As of 2021, two subsidiaries of Paramount claim ownership to Betty Boop. Olive Films retains the home video rights to the cartoon, while Trifecta retains the television rights. Vintage Betty Boop items can fetch hundreds of dollars on auction sites, and there are various festivals and cosplay conventions that celebrate the cartoon character.But none of it would have been possible without Esther Jones, the original Betty Boop, with a voice that reverberates through the ages.Now that youve read the true story of Baby Esther Jones, the Black Betty Boop, read all about Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to become a doctor in American history. Then, learn all about the tragic story of Juana Maria, whos life inspired the classic novel Island of the Blue Dolphins.The post Meet Esther Jones, The Black Performer Who Inspired Betty Boop appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Jeffrey StilwellThe two mating flies are between 40 million and 42 million years old and were found in a Victoria coal mine site.A research team from Monash Universitys School of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment in Melbourne just discovered some of the oldest fossils ever found in Australia. The historic findings include a pair of 41-million-year-old flies frozen in amber while mating.Published in the journal of Scientific Reports, the study claims that the discovery is a strong candidate for the first frozen mating behavior to be inscribed in Australias fossil record.According to ABC News Australia, amber is quite rare in the land down under making this discovery all the more remarkable.This extensive haul consisted of 5,800 pieces of amber from dig sites across Australias southeast, Tasmania, and New Zealand. It includes fossilized ants, wingless hexapods (known as slender springtails), liverworts, biting midges, and the aforementioned flies and spiders.This is one of the biggest discoveries in Australian paleontology, said lead author of the study, Monash Universitys Dr. Jeffrey Stilwell. Almost all amber records are from the Northern Hemisphere. There are very few from the Southern Hemisphere.Jeffrey StilwellAfter the coal mine site was bulldozed, Dr. Jeffrey Stilwell and his team used a bulldozer to haul off the thousands of invaluable amber pieces.The fossilized creatures were found at the Macquarie Harbour Formation in Tasmania and the Anglesea Coal Measures site in Victoria, Australia. For the international team of scientists, hailing from Spain, Italy, the U.K., and Australia, these 40-million to 50-million-year-old relics are a gift.Amber is considered to be a holy grail in the discipline, as organisms are preserved in a state of suspended animation in perfect 3D space, looking just like they died yesterday, said Stilwell. But in fact [they] are many millions of years old, providing us with an enormous amount of information on ancient terrestrial ecosystems.Enrique PealverThis biting midge is perfectly preserved and dates to around 41 million years ago.To his point, the two mating flies which date back to between 40 million and 42 million years ago come from an era where Australia was part of a supercontinent called Gondwana. With nearly all amber fossils hailing from the Northern Hemisphere, this latest discovery has the potential to refine our collective fossil record of Earth with invaluable new data. For Stilwell, one of the fossilized finds stood out from all others.I am surprised that in more than 100 years of studying fossils in Australia that a fossil ant has never been found.Jeffrey Stilwell/Andrew LangendamThe Victorian coal mine site also yielded this new species of delicate moss which is estimated to be around 42 million years old.The Tasmanian site held a complete mite and an insect called a felt scale, dating back between 52 million and 54 million years. According to The Daily Star, Stilwell considered his success as a dream come true. These are the oldest animals and plants in amber from the entire southern Gondwana supercontinent, said Stilwell. We were able to bulldoze the [Victoria] site and we now have a freight container full of amber-bearing coal to go through.Stilwells peers are thoroughly impressed.Finders University paleontologist Trevor Worthy lauded the research team for doing a great job in revealing that Australasia has a range of old to very old amber deposits and that, significantly, there is good potential to find fossil invertebrates and plants in them.For senior curator in entomology from the Museum of Victoria, Ken Walker, its the new insight into the past, rather than the future, that this discovery has been most revealing.Jeffrey StilwellSince amber is rather rare in Australia, finding such a trove of prehistoric relics was utterly remarkable to Stilwell and his team.Imagine having a pair of mating flies from millions of years ago, he said. What these specimens clearly show is that most of the major groups of insects had already been diversified by the Gondwana times. I find it extraordinary that the amber ant species have a direct link to ant groups alive today.While the fornicating flies are certainly worth a chuckle, these excavations could open the proverbial doors to unprecedented information about prehistoric evolution.Our findings provide exciting new insights into the origin, antiquity, and evolution of the modern Australian biota and show that there may be a vast potential for future, similar finds in Australia and New Zealand, said Stillwell.There has never been a fossil ant recorded in Australia before, but we can now state for the first time that ants have been a significant part of the Australian ecosystem for over 40 million years when Australia was still attached to Antarctica during the last gasp of the Gondwana supercontinent, said Stilwell.Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on the archaeological marvel. Stilwells lab is currently shut down, though he and his team arent discouraged in the slightest.Were just getting started, theres so much to learn.After learning about the extraordinary archaeological discovery of 40- to 50-million-year-old insects fossilized in amber, take a look at these gorgeous 100-million-year-old flowers found perfectly preserved in amber. Then, learn about the 305-million-year-old spider ancestor discovered in France.The post 40-Million-Year-Old Mating Flies Found In Rare Australian Amber Fossil appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Like her rival, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield died tragically young, leaving a rush of rumors about her untimely demise in her wake. On June 29, 1967, around 2 a.m., a car carrying Jayne Mansfield and three of her children, including future actress Mariska Hargitay, slammed into the back of a semi-truck on a dark Louisiana highway.The impact sheared off the top of Mansfields car, instantly killing the three adults in the front seat. Miraculously, the sleeping children in the back seat survived.Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesThe aftermath of the car accident that caused Jayne Mansfields death.The shocking accident quickly led to gossip involving decapitation and devilish curses that still persists today. However, the truth behind Jayne Mansfields death is more gruesome and even sadder than anything the rumor mill could dream up.Who Was Jayne Mansfield?In the 1950s, Jayne Mansfield rose to stardom as a cartoonishly-sexy alternative to Marilyn Monroe. Born Vera Jayne Palmer on April 19, 1933, Mansfield arrived in Hollywood at just 21 years old, already a wife and mother.Allan Grant/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty ImagesJayne Mansfield lounges on an inflatable raft in a swimming pool surrounded by bottles shaped like bikini-clad versions of herself, Los Angeles, California, 1957. Mansfield starred in films like 1960s Too Hot to Handle and 1956s The Girl Cant Help It. But the actress was best known for her personality off-screen, where she played up her curves and sold herself as a naughtier version of Marilyn Monroe.Hollywood reporter Lawrence J. Quirk once asked Monroe about Jayne Mansfield. All she does is imitate me, Monroe complained, but her imitations are an insult to her as well as to myself.Monroe added, I know its supposed to be flattering to be imitated, but she does it so grossly, so vulgarly I wish I had some legal means to sue her.20th Century Fox/Wikimedia CommonsA 1957 promotional photograph for Mansfields film Kiss Them for Me. Jayne Mansfield didnt shy away from the rivalry. In fact, she actively pursued John F. Kennedy because of his relationship with Monroe. After snagging the president, Mansfield cackled, Ill bet Marilyns pissed as all get out!In 1958, Mansfield married her second husband Mickey Hargitay, an actor and bodybuilder. The couple had three children, including Mariska Hargitay, and starred in several movies together. Mansfield married and divorced three times and had five children in all. She also had a number of highly publicized affairs. Unknown/Wikimedia CommonsJayne Mansfield and her husband Mickey Hargitay in costume at the 1956 Ballyhoo Ball.Mansfield wasnt shy about her sex symbol status. She posed for Playboy as a playmate and declared, I think sex is healthy, and theres too much guilt and hypocrisy about it. Her turbulent love life made for constant tabloid fodder, and she pushed boundaries that other stars at the time wouldnt approach. She was infamous for exposing her breasts to photographers on the street, and she was the first mainstream American actress to go nude on screen, baring all in the 1963 film Promises, Promises.Nor did she shy away from camp. Mansfield famously lived in a rose-colored Hollywood mansion dubbed The Pink Palace, complete with a heart-shaped swimming pool. But when news of Marilyn Monroes sudden death reached Mansfield in 1962, the typically audacious actress worried, Maybe Ill be next.The Fatal June 1967 Car AccidentFive years after Monroes death, Jayne Mansfield died in a car accident. In the early morning hours of June 29, 1967, Mansfield left Biloxi, Mississippi, driving toward New Orleans. The actress had just performed at a Biloxi nightclub, and she needed to reach New Orleans for a television appearance scheduled for the next day. On the long drive, Mansfield sat in front with a driver, Ronald B. Harrison, and her boyfriend, Samuel S. Brody. Three of her children slept in the backseat. Bettman/Getty ImagesMansfield in 1965 with all five of her children. Left to right are Jayne Marie Mansfield, 15, Zoltan Hargitay, 5, Mickey Hargitay Jr., 6, unidentified hospital attendant, Jayne holding baby Anthony, and husband Matt Cimber with Mariska Hargitay, 1.A little after 2 a.m., the 1966 Buick Electra crashed into the back of a trailer truck, instantly killing everyone in the front seat. Harrison likely didnt see the truck until it was too late because of a nearby machine pumping out thick fog to kill mosquitos. Jayne Mansfields DeathAfter the Buick Electra crashed into the truck, it slid under the back of the trailer, shearing off the top of the car.Police rushed to the scene to find Mansfields three children alive in the backseat. The accident instantly killed the three adults in the front seat and also killed Mansfields dog. Police declared the actress dead on the scene.Bettmann/Getty ImagesAnother view of Mansfields mangled car after the accident.As news of the grisly accident went public, rumors swirled that the crash decapitated Jaynes Mansfield.The Jayne Mansfield death photos released after the accident added fuel to the rumors. Her wig had been thrown from the car, which in some pictures made it look as though her head had been cut off. According to police, Mansfield suffered a gruesome though near-instantaneous death. The police report taken after the accident states that the upper portion of this white females head was severed. Mansfields death certificate confirms that she suffered a crushed skull and a partial separation of her cranium, an injury more akin to a scalping than total decapitation. But the beheading story remains oft-repeated, even finding its way into the 1996 movie Crash.Another rumor followed on the heels of Mansfields alleged beheading. Gossip hounds said that the starlet, who had been in a relationship with Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey, was killed by a curse LaVey put on her boyfriend Brody. This rumor, of course, has not been substantiated. But it too lingers on, thanks in part to a 2017 documentary called Mansfield 66/67.Mariska Hargitay On Her Mothers LegacyBettmann/Getty ImagesA 1950s studio portrait of Jayne Mansfield.Mariska Hargitay, who went on to become famous for her role as Olivia Benson in Law and Order: SVU, survived the car accident that killed her mother. So did two of her brothers: Zoltan, who was six, and Miklos Jr., who was eight.Hargitay may have slept through the car accident, but it left a visible reminder in the form of a scar on the actresss head. As an adult, Hargitay told People, The way Ive lived with loss is to lean into it. As the saying goes, the only way out is through.Rather than trying to avoid the pain of losing her mother, Hargitay says shes learned to really lean into it, because sooner or later you have to pay the piper.Mariska Hargitay remembers her mother differently from Mansfields public image. My mother was this amazing, beautiful, glamorous sex symbol, Hargitay acknowledges, But people didnt know that she played the violin and had a 160 IQ and had five kids and loved dogs.She was just so ahead of her time. She was an inspiration, she had this appetite for life, and I think I share that with her, Hargitay told People.Surprisingly, Jayne Mansfields death had a huge impact outside of her family and fans. The accident that killed her spurred a change in federal law. The Federal Requirement For Mansfield BarsIldar Sagdejev/Wikimedia CommonsThe back of modern semi-truck trailers include a low bar, known as a Mansfield Bar, to prevent cars from sliding under the trailer.When the Buick carrying Jayne Mansfield slid under the back of a semi-truck, the top of the car was torn off, but it didnt have to happen this way. The gruesome deaths had been avoidable and the federal government stepped in to make sure similar accidents didnt take place in the future. As a result, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered all semi-trucks to change their design. After Jayne Mansfields death, trailers require a steel bar to prevent cars from rolling underneath the semi-truck.These bars, known as Mansfield bars, would ensure that no one else suffered the same tragedy as Jayne Mansfield and her family.Jayne Mansfield wasnt the only Old Hollywood star to die tragically young. Next, read about Marilyn Monroes death and then learn more about the mysterious circumstances surrounding James Deans death.The post A Blonde Bombshell, A Satanic Curse, And Rumors Of Decapitation: The Tragic Story Of Jayne Mansfields Death appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Sam Ballard was a promising 19-year-old rugby player from Sydney, Australia, enjoying a weekend get-together with friends in 2010 when he made a random decision that would alter his life. As the friends had a bit of a red wine appreciation night, as friend Jimmy Galvin said, a typical garden slug crawled out in front of them.In a moment of teenage bravado, perhaps influenced by the wine, Ballard was dared to eat the slug. And then off Sam went, Galvin said.FacebookSam Ballard was popular as a student in Sydney and described as a larrikin by his mother before he contracted rat lungworm disease.At first, everything seemed fine, and the friends carried on as usual. But within a few days time, Sam began to complain of severe pain in his legs. Then, he started vomiting and experiencing dizzy spells. When his condition worsened and he fell weak, his mother rushed him to the hospital.No one could have predicted that hospital visit would result in a 420-day-long comathat would paralyze Ballard for eight years and eventually kill him. So how could such an innocuous event cause such a horrific tragedy?Rat Lungworm: The Rare Disease That Paralyzed Sam BallardWhen they first arrived at the hospital, Sam Ballards mother, Katie, feared that Sam might have multiple sclerosis a condition that had affected his father but doctors assured her that wasnt the case.Sam turned to his mother and explained that he had eaten a slug. And I went, No, no one gets sick from that,' she said during a segment on the Australian current affairs show The Project. As it turned out, he had indeed gotten very sick from it. Sam Ballard had become infected with rat lungworm disease, a condition caused by a parasitic worm usually found in rodents though it can transfer to slugs and snails if they eat rodent excrement. When Ballard ate the live slug, it transferred to him.When a human ingests rat lungworm larvae, they penetrate the inner lining of the intestinal tract and work their way into the liver and lungs, then into the central nervous system.In most instances, rat lungworm disease causes only mild symptoms, if any, and most people who contract the illness recover within a matter of days or weeks. However, there are those rare instances where the symptoms are much more severe, as was the case with Sam Ballard.Humans are a dead-end host for the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis the scientific name for rat lungworms meaning the parasites dont reproduce in humans, but they do get lost in the central nervous system or even move into the eye chamber until they die.Punlop Anusonpornperm/Wikimedia CommonsAngiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm parasite that caused severe damage to Sam Ballards brain.The presence of these parasites can result in transient meningitis inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord or more severe and direct damage to the brain, spinal cord, and nerve roots. In the case of Ballard, this damage induced a coma and left him bound to a wheelchair and unable to eat without a tube. Sam Ballards Life After Waking Up From His ComaKatie Ballard once described her son as invincible and called him a larrikin, an Australian slang term used to describe a young man who is often boisterous and badly behaved.In other words, a bit of a delinquent, his mothers rough-and-tumble Sam. Katie felt shed never had to worry about anything bad happening to him. When something bad ultimately did happen, it blindsided her.He is still the same cheeky Sam, and laughs a lot, she wrote in a Facebook post, but later added, Its devastated, changed his life forever, changed my life forever. Its huge. The impact is huge.Katie Ballard initially remained hopeful that her son would one day regain the ability to walk and talk. After some time, though, her hope faded. Sams paralysis meant he now required 24-hour care, seven days a week. He was prone to seizures, unable to go to the bathroom without help or control his body temperature. He spent three years in the hospital before being released, just able to operate a motorized wheelchair.Online, trolls were quick to cast blame, saying that Sams friends should be the ones paying for Sam to be looked after. Katie Ballard never blamed his friends, though. They were young, just being mates.Simon Cocksedge/News Corp AustraliaI only care about Sam and his family and what we do in this situation, what we are doing in the future, Jimmy Galvin (bottom left) said. My feelings are irrelevant to be honest.Jimmy Galvin told The Project that the first time he saw his friend again, he apologized for not stopping him from eating the slug. Hes in there 100 percent, Galvin said. I apologized to Sam about everything that happened that night in the backyard. And he just started bawling his eyes out. I know hes there.Another of Sams friends, Michael Sheasby, described what it was like seeing Sam in the hospital. When I walked in, he was very gaunt, and there were cables everywhere, he said. It was a big shock. Still, his friends never abandoned him. They would come around often to watch footy and rugby with him. When Katie left the room, Sam would reach out for an open beer, and his friends would pour just a little bit out onto his lips.They said his eyes lit up whenever they entered the room.Seeing where he is now, being able to move his arms or just grip something, that to me is a huge improvement, Michael Sheasby told The Project. The walking into the room and a hand coming out to give you a handshake. Its that kind of stuff.Team Ballard, as they were called, initially even managed to raise enough money to pay for Sams care, but it wasnt enough for the constant, round-the-clock care Sam would require for the rest of his life. Thankfully, Sam became eligible for a $492,000 care package in 2016 when his mother submitted an application to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). After Eight Years, Sam Ballard Dies At Age 27A second tragedy struck the Ballard family only a year after Sam was approved for NDIS funding.As reported by The Courier Mail, in October 2017, after a review of Sams plan, the Australian NDIS slashed his allocation from $492,000 to only $135,000. When they texted Katie to inform her, they offered no explanation the funding cut left the Ballards $42,000 in debt to the nursing service that had been caring for Sam.Substantial media coverage and a push from Katie Ballard eventually saw the decision reversed and Sams funding restored, with the NDIS claiming that the cut to Sams funding was due to an error, not a policy change.Despite this, unfortunately, the seemingly endless health complications Sam Ballard faced over the course of eight years took their toll, and he passed away in November 2018. Danny Aarons/News Corp AustraliaKatie Ballard fought for years to acquire funding to support Sams round the clock care.Lisa Wilkinson, The Project reporter who originally spoke with Sam, Katie, and his friends, wrote a tribute to Sam shortly after his death, writing that while meeting huge names can be fascinating, its far more fascinating to meet everyday people with extraordinary stories to tell None more so than the remarkable Sam Ballard.Of his friends, she wrote, I have rarely met a finer group of young men. They made a mistake, a spur of the moment muck around of unforeseen consequences that should not define them. And their love and support for Sam has never wavered in the years since.Tributes to Sam Ballard flooded social media in the days following his death. He was described as the life of the party during the North Sydney golden era. Before you jump off a roof into a pool, or if youre daring a mate to eat something stupid, just think about it, because it can have the worst consequence, Galvin said. Just take care of each other.Sam Ballards final words to his mother were, I love you.After reading about Sam Ballards tragic death, learn about John Callahan, the man who learned to draw his politically incorrect art while paralyzed. Then, meet Paul Alexander, one of the last few people on Earth in an iron lung.The post The Story Of Sam Ballard, The Australian Who Ate A Slug On A Drunken Dare And Died Because Of It appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsA portrait of Dina Sanichar, widely known as the real-life Mowgli, taken sometime between 1889 and 1894.Rudyard Kiplings novel The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli, a boy who was abandoned by his parents and raised by wolves. While he was taught the ways of the animal kingdom, he never learned how to interact with another human being.Kiplings famous tale, later adapted into several films by Disney, ends on an uplifting message about self-discovery and harmony between human civilization and nature. However, few people know that it may have been based on tragic true events.A 19th-century Indian man named Dina Sanichar, often called the real-life Mowgli, was raised by wolves and spent the first few years of his life thinking he was one. When hunters discovered him lying in a cave in Uttar Pradesh in February 1867, they took him to a nearby orphanage.There, missionaries tried to teach him all the things hed never learned as a young child, starting with the basics: walking and talking. However, the gulf between human behavior and animal instinct proved too wide for Dina Sanichar to overcome, and the story of the real-life Mowgli didnt end the way the Disney version did.The Discovery Of Dina Sanichar, The Boy Who Was Raised By WolvesThe year was 1867. The setting: Bulandshahr district, India. One night, a band of hunters made their way through the jungle when they stumbled upon a clearing. Beyond it lay the entrance of a cave that, they believed, was being guarded by a lone wolf.The hunters prepped to ambush their unsuspecting prey, but they were stopped in their tracks once they realized this animal wasnt an animal at all. It was a boy, no older than six. He neither approached the men nor answered their questions.Dina Sanichar preferred to eat raw meat and had trouble standing on two feet.Not wanting to leave the boy behind in the unforgiving outskirts of the jungle, the hunters brought him to Sikandra Mission Orphanage in the city of Agra. Since he did not have a name, the missionaries gave him one. They named him Dina Sanichar, after the Hindi word for Saturday the day he arrived.Sanichar Struggles To Adjust To The Civilized WorldDuring his stay at the Sikandra Mission Orphanage, Dina Sanichar was given a second name: Wolf Boy. The missionaries thought it suited him because they believed he was raised by wild animals and had never experienced human contact in his life.According to their accounts, Sanichars behavior resembled that of an animal more than it did a humans. He walked around on all fours and had difficulty standing on his own two feet. He only ate raw meat and gnawed on bones to sharpen his teeth.The facility with which they get along on four feet (hands and feet) is surprising, Erhardt Lewis, the superintendent of the orphanage, once wrote a faraway colleague. Before they eat or taste any food they smell it, and when they dont like the smell they throw it away.Wikimedia CommonsToward the end of his life, Dina Sanichar walked upright and dressed.Communicating with Dina Sanichar was difficult for two reasons. First, he didnt speak the same language as the missionaries who were taking care of him. Whenever he wanted to express himself, he would growl or howl just like a wolf does.Second, he also didnt understand signing. People who dont speak the same language can usually get close to understanding one another simply by pointing at various objects with their fingers. But because wolves do not point (or have any fingers, for that matter) this universal gesture was probably meaningless to him.Though Sanichar eventually learned to understand the missionaries, he never learned to speak their language himself. Perhaps because the sounds of human speech were simply too alien to him.The longer Dina Sanichar stayed at the orphanage, though, the more he began behaving like a human. He learned how to stand upright and, according to the missionaries, began to dress himself. Some say he even picked up the most human trait of all: smoking cigarettes.The Feral Children Who Lived Alongside Dina SanicharWikimedia CommonsDina Sanichars life story was discussed in many European books and journals.Interestingly enough, Dina Sanichar was not the only wolf child living at the Sikandra Mission Orphanage at the time. If superintendent Lewis is to be believed, he was joined by two boys and one girl who were also said to have been raised by wolves.According to one geographer, the orphanage took in so many wolf children over the years that they no longer looked up when another kid was discovered in the jungle. Quite the contrary, their discovery created no more surprise than the delivery of the daily supply of butchers meat.In fact, stories of children raised by wolves have popped up all across India. In most cases, the missionaries caring for the children were the only sources, so whether they were really feral remains up for debate.Some believe the missionaries may have invented them for media attention. Others hypothesize the children may not have been raised by animals at all and that they actually had an intellectual and or physical disability. In that case, the stories may have resulted from people jumping to conclusions about their behavior.Other Children Like Sanichar And The Tragic End Of The Real-Life MowgliWhile many of the details of Dina Sanichars life story cannot be verified, those of other feral children can. Oxana Malaya, a Ukrainian girl born in 1983, was raised by stray dogs after her alcoholic parents left her outside when she was just a baby.When she was taken into custody by social workers, she couldnt speak and moved around on all fours. After years of therapy, Oxana learned to speak Russian. She now has a boyfriend and works on a farm caring for animals.Shamdeo, an Indian boy, was around four years old when he was found living with wolves inside a forest in India. According to the L.A. Times, he had sharpened teeth, long hooked fingernails, and calluses on his palms, elbows and knees. He also died young.And so did Sanichar, who was only 35 years old when his body gave in to tuberculosis in 1895. Though he ended up spending the majority of his short life in the company of other people rather than the animals that may or may not have raised him, he never fully adjusted to life at the orphanage.Whether or not hes literally the real-life Mowgli, Dina Sanichars story shares striking similarities with Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book namely, our fascination with the idea of someone being raised in a world that is completely different from our own.Now that youve learned about Dina Sanichar, read the sad story of feral child Genie Wiley and other harrowing tales of feral children throughout history.The post The Short, Sad Life Of Dina Sanichar, The Feral Boy Who May Have Inspired The Jungle Book appeared first on All That's Interesting.

You've by now heard of Embark, the studio behind the smash hit ARC Raiders, but before Arc Raiders was a thing, they had another phenomenal game, The Finals. With a mix of hero shooter mechanics and destructive environments, the game operates in its own little niche.

There are multiple ways to get Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert. You can acquire them through combat, restoring power in the Abyss, rewards from quests, and of course, solving puzzles. Crimson Desert has a ton of puzzles that involve the player activating an Abyss Cresset, which always rewards an Abyss Artifact.

Glass mouse pads are back. Nearly 20 years since they last fell out of fashion, the durability, easy-cleaning ability, and ultra-fast-gliding appeal of this sort of mouse surface has seen them make a resurgence. Not wanting to miss out on the trend, Corsair has unveiled its own version, in the shape of the imaginatively-titled Corsair MM Glass. Hoping to wrestle its way onto our best gaming mouse pad guide thanks to its huge size, sound dampening, and super speedy gliding surface, Corsair's latest joins the likes of Attack Shark, Qpad, Razer, Superglide, and Wallhack in adding a glass option to its roster.