Best power station deal: Save $91 on EcoFlow Delta 2 SAVE $91: As of Jan. 28, the EcoFlow Delta 2 is on sale for $388 at Amazon. That's a 19% discount and its best-ever price at Amazon. $388 at Amazon...

Gemini-powered Siri could be days away from big reveal Apple's revamped Siri, powered by Google's Gemini model, could be revealed soon. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a frequent Apple newsbreaker, reported that the company planned to reveal the Gemini-powered Siri in February. The announcement is highly anticipated, as Apple is turning to...

Samsung 65-inch Class Q8F 4K TV: Save $200 at Amazon SAVE 22%: As of Jan. 26, the Samsung 65-Inch Class QLED Q8F Smart TV (2025) is on sale for $697.99 at Amazon. That’s a 22% discount or $200 in savings. $697.99...

Best TV deal: Save $80.02 on the 65-inch TCL Class S5 4K TV SAVE $80.02: The 65-inch TCL Class S5 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for $369.97, down from the list price of $449.99. That's an 18% discount. $369.97 at Amazon...

When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, his doctors advised him to seek surgery as soon as possible. Instead, he delayed the procedure for nine months and attempted to treat himself with alternative medicine. This fateful decision may have quickened Steve Jobs death when he still couldve been saved.Steve Jobs died from pancreatic cancer complications on October 5, 2011, just eight years after his initial diagnosis. He was only 56 years old when he died, but his cancer had taken such a toll on his body that he looked gaunt, frail, and much older than his actual age. It was a far cry from the robust, energetic man who had once pioneered the personal computer era.Wikimedia CommonsSteve Jobs died in 2011, a little over a year after he presented the iPhone 4.In life, Steve Jobs was renowned for thinking differently. At Apple, he had masterminded world-changing products like the Macintosh computer, the iPhone, and the iPad. Jobs genius came from his exacting, demanding nature and his uncanny ability to think outside the box. But tragically, he used the same mindset to confront his pancreatic cancer.Though he eventually sought proper treatment, it was too late. As the years passed, and Jobs grew sicker, the public could tell that something was wrong. But Jobs downplayed his health problems and threw himself into work. He changed the world when he introduced the iPhone in 2007. But two years later, in 2009, he had a liver transplant and took a leave of absence. And in 2011, Jobs took another leave of absence. That August, he resigned as the CEO of Apple. As he lay dying on October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs took one last look at his family. Then his gaze rose over their shoulders as he spoke his final words. Oh wow, Jobs said. Oh wow. Oh wow. This is the tragic story of Steve Jobs death and the fateful choices that may have sent him to an early grave.The Rise Of Steve Jobs And AppleBorn on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, California, Steven Paul Jobs was given up by his biological parents early on. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs as a baby. When he was six years old, a young neighbor told him that his adoption meant your parents abandoned you and didnt want you. Jobs adoptive parents assured him that wasnt true.[They said] You were special, we chose you out, you were chosen,' explained Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson. And that helped give [Jobs] a sense of being special For Steve Jobs, he felt throughout his life that he was on a journey and he often said, The journey was the reward.' Steve Jobs journey zigged and zagged. After growing up in Cupertino, California, he enrolled at Reed College but soon dropped out. He quit one of his first jobs as a video game designer, experimented with drugs like LSD, and even traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment. But throughout his early life, one thing remained constant: his fascination with technology. As an eighth-grader, Jobs boldly called William Hewlett, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, after he discovered that he was missing a part for a frequency counter that he wanted to assemble. After preparing the parts for Jobs to pick up, Hewlett offered him a summer internship. In high school, Jobs made a fateful friend in Steve Wozniak, the future co-founder of Apple, when they took an introductory electronics class. Wozniak and Jobs later attended Homebrew Computer Club together. Eventually, Wozniak had the idea to build a machine of his own. Bettmann/Getty ImagesSteve Jobs, Apple president John Sculley, and Steve Wozniak with an early Apple computer in 1984.But while Wozniak simply liked to build things, Jobs wanted to build a company and sell commercial products to people. In 1976, Jobs and Wozniak famously started Apple in Jobs familys garage. From there, the company exploded. They introduced Apple II in 1977 (Wozniaks first computer had been Apple I) to great fanfare. The first mass-market personal computer, Apple II helped the company soar to success.And though there were bumps along the way Jobs left Apple in 1985, only to return in 1997 Jobs innovation helped the company produce hit after hit well into the beginning of the 21st century. Apple released the colorful iMac in 1998, the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007, and the iPad in 2010. Jobs perfectionism helped churn out popular products. He insisted that Macintosh developers go through over 20 iterations of the computers title bars Its not just a little thing. Its something we have to do right, Jobs yelled and scoffed when he heard a Microsoft engineers plan for a tablet. F*ck this, Steve Jobs said, prior to the development of the iPad. Lets show him what a tablet can really be.But even as Apple solidified its status as one of the most important tech companies of the 21st century, Jobs himself had begun to fade. In between the release of the iPod and the iPhone, he was diagnosed with cancer. How Did Steve Jobs Die?In 2003, Steve Jobs went to the doctor for kidney stones. But the doctors soon noticed a shadow on his pancreas. They told Jobs that he had a neuroendocrine islet tumor, a rare form of pancreatic cancer. In a way, it was good news. People diagnosed with neuroendocrine islet tumors generally have a far better prognosis than those with other forms of pancreatic cancer. Experts urged him to seek surgery as soon as possible. But to the dismay of his loved ones, he kept putting it off. I didnt want my body to be opened, Jobs later confessed to Isaacson. I didnt want to be violated in that way. Instead, Jobs leaned into what Isaacson called magical thinking. For nine months, he tried to cure his disease with a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbs, bowel cleansings, and other remedies that he found online. At one point, he even reached out to a psychic. Jobs had willed an entire company into existence, and he seemed to believe he could do the same with his health. But his cancer wasnt going away. Finally, Jobs agreed to have the surgery. In 2004, he admitted to Apple employees that hed had a tumor removed. I have some personal news that I need to share with you, and I wanted you to hear it directly from me, Jobs wrote in an email. I had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which represents about 1 percent of the total cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year, and can be cured by surgical removal if diagnosed in time (mine was).Despite Jobs reassurances, it was clear that he wasnt quite out of the woods. In 2006, concerns about his health spread after he appeared looking gaunt at Apples annual Worldwide Developers Conference. However, an Apple spokesperson insisted, Steves health is robust.Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesMany thought that Steve Jobs looked sickly when he spoke at the 2006 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on August 7, 2006 in San Francisco, California.But to anyone watching, it was obvious that something was wrong. Jobs showed up to Apple events looking as gaunt as ever in 2008. And he bowed out of a keynote address in 2009. All the while, both Jobs and Apple dismissed concerns about his health and downplayed his problems. Apple claimed Jobs simply had a common bug. Meanwhile, Jobs blamed his weight loss on a hormone imbalance. At one point, he even quipped: Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. But by early 2009, Steve Jobs couldnt deny his illness any longer. He took a medical leave of absence and notified Apple employees via email. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well, Jobs wrote. In addition, during the past week, I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought. Still, The Wall Street Journal shocked the world in June 2009 when they broke the news that Jobs had had a liver transplant in Tennessee. Though the hospital initially denied that he was a patient, they later admitted to treating him in a public statement. They also added, [Jobs was the] sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available.Though Steve Jobs returned to work after six months away, he continued to struggle with his health. In January 2011, he took another leave of absence. By that August, he had stepped down as the CEO of Apple. I have always said that if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apples CEO, I would be the first to let you know, Jobs said in a company email. Unfortunately, that day has come.But even as Jobs got sicker, he stubbornly maintained his high standards. At the hospital, Jobs went through 67 nurses before finding three that he liked. By October, though, there was nothing more the doctors could do. On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs died, surrounded by his family, at his home in Palo Alto, California. The official cause of death was respiratory arrest related to his pancreatic tumor. Later, his biographer would reveal how long he had put off surgery and how much he regretted that decision.The Legacy Of A Tech TitanThough time marched on after Steve Jobs death, he left a lingering impression on the world. By 2018, over 2 billion iPhones had been sold changing how people communicated and lived their lives. Im going to remember him as always being [of] very quick mind, said Steve Wozniak following Steve Jobs death, and almost all the time that we had discussions about how something should be done in the company, he was almost always right. He had thought it out.Indeed, Jobs vision for Apple and the world of technology itself had led the company to great heights. Exacting, persistent, and confident in his own ideas, Jobs didnt even accept any market research for the iPad. Its not the consumers job to know what they want, he said. Wikimedia CommonsA tribute to Steve Jobs at an Apple store in London.But when it came to his own health, Jobs relied on his gut instinct instead of the advice of doctors. He let his cancer spread for nine months before opting for surgery. Some doctors say that this delay is why Steve Jobs died. One integrative medicine expert said, He had the only kind of pancreatic cancer that is treatable and curable. He essentially committed suicide. By 2010, Steve Jobs knew that he was near the end. And as Steve Jobs death approached, his ever-working mind turned to the afterlife. Sometimes Im 50-50 on whether theres a God, Jobs told Isaacson during one of their last conversations. Its the great mystery we never quite know. But I like to believe theres an afterlife. I like to believe the accumulated wisdom doesnt just disappear when you die, but somehow it endures.Then, the Apple CEO paused and smiled. But maybe its just like an on/off switch and click and youre gone, he said. Maybe thats why I didnt like putting on/off switches on Apple devices.After reading about Steve Jobs death, learn 10 surprisingly dark truths about Steve Jobs. Then, look through these 33 powerful Steve Jobs quotes.The post Inside Steve Jobs Death And The Bizarre Cures For Cancer That May Have Hastened It appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Zou Zheng/Xinhua/Alamy Live NewsBritish icon Alan Rickmans acting career spanned about 40 years before his death.Alan Rickman is one of the most fondly remembered actors in modern history. Perhaps best known in recent years for his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, Rickman portrayed a wide variety of characters in film, in television, and on stage throughout his life.From his role as the villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard in 1988, to Harry in Love Actually in 2003, to his last on-screen performance as Lieutenant General Frank Benson in Eye In The Sky in 2015, Rickmans career was full of memorable highlights. When he wasnt working, he advocated for many noble causes, including aiding refugees and fighting poverty.Sadly, on January 14, 2016, Alan Rickman died after a private battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 69 in London. This came years after he endured a separate battle with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.Since Alan Rickman had kept his health issues largely under wraps, many of his former costars were shocked to hear about his death, with Jason Isaacs saying he was sidestepped by the awful news and Ralph Fiennes remarking, I cannot believe he is gone and we are the poorer for it.Alan Rickmans Foray Into ActingAlan Rickman was born on Feb. 21, 1946 and grew up in Acton, London. He had three siblings: two brothers and a sister. When he was just eight years old, his father died from lung cancer. His mother sought out various jobs to support her family, and Alan remembered her as a tigress who worked hard and always reinvented herself.Alan Rickman was interested in the arts at an early age, and was particularly gifted in watercolor and calligraphy. After attending Latymer Upper School in London as a teenager, he studied graphic design at the Chelsea School of Art (now the Chelsea College of Art and Design) and at the Royal College of Art.Though he was involved in theater while in school, he began working at a graphic design studio, not seeing acting as a sustainable profession. He also enjoyed his relationship with Rima Horton (the two met as teens and stayed together for decades, but they only officially married in 2012).Wikimedia CommonsAlan Rickman eventually studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.But eventually, Rickman decided to pursue acting more seriously, and he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in the early 1970s.After his time at RADA, Rickman began picking up roles in the British theater industry. In 1978, he performed with the Court Drama Group, appearing in productions like Romeo and Juliet and A View from the Bridge.He later worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in 1980s productions of Troilus and Cressida and As You Like It.Around this time, Rickman also started picking up a number of television roles, appearing in a 1980 mini-series adaptation of Thrse Raquin and the 1982 mini-series The Barchester Chronicles.His big break came in 1988, when he booked the role of the infamous, sharp-tongued terrorist Hans Gruber in the movie Die Hard. An Incredible Rise To Stardom And Unforgettable RolesWarner Bros.Alan Rickman is often remembered for playing Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie series.As it turned out, Alan Rickman had a real talent for playing villains. Another notable role of his was in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), where he played the memorable antagonist, Sheriff of Nottingham. The film, which also featured actors Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, wasnt necessarily a big success with critics. However, Rickmans performance received nearly universal acclaim. In 1992, he even won a BAFTA for his performance in that movie.While both the roles of Hans Gruber and the Sheriff of Nottingham brought Rickman success, he was wary of being typecasted as a villain. He began pursuing roles that broke out of the antagonist mold he had fallen into. In an effort to seek out different types of roles, Rickman played the romantic lead in the 1991 movie Truly, Madly, Deeply. He earned a BAFTA nomination for that performance, and the film was a success. Critic Roger Ebert described Rickmans striking presence in the film: The man is Alan Rickman, who you will look at on the screen, and know you have seen somewhere, and rattle your memory all during the movie without making the connection that he was the villain in Die Hard.Throughout the 1990s, Alan Rickman picked up role after role, and he received two other BAFTA nominations in 1996 and 1997, for his work in the films Sense and Sensibility and Michael Collins.In 2001, Alan Rickman debuted one of his most iconic and widely remembered roles, portraying Severus Snape in the first Harry Potter film. While he would portray the character in all eight Harry Potter movies in the series (from 2001 until 2011), he continued appearing in other projects, including the romantic ensemble comedy Love Actually in 2003.Wikimedia CommonsAlong with acting in movies, television, and on stage, Alan Rickman also did some directing before his death.In 2005, Rickman also directed the play My Name Is Rachel Corrie at the Royal Court Theater in London. The play focused on Rachel Corrie, an American activist who was fatally crushed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to stop its operators from demolishing Palestinian homes in 2003.The play was successful in London, and it received the 2006 London Theatregoers Choice Award for Best Play and Best Director. Though the play was also supposed to be performed at the New York Theater Workshop, it was ultimately canceled due to concerns about the shows political content.I never imagined that the play would create such acute controversy, Rickman said in 2007. Many Jews supported it. The New York producer was Jewish and we held a discussion after every performance.He added: Both Israelis and Palestinians participated in the discussions and there was no shouting in the theater. People simply listened to each other.What Caused Alan Rickmans Death? Inside His Private Battle With CancerWikimedia CommonsMany were shocked to hear about the cancer that caused Alan Rickmans death, as he kept his diagnosis largely hidden.In 2005, Alan Rickman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which eventually required the surgical removal of his entire prostate. Amidst his agonizing health concerns, Rickman debated on whether he should return as Snape for the fifth Harry Potter movie. He already had mixed feelings on continuing the role even before his diagnosis, as the lengthy films sometimes seemed to be never-ending.However, after Rickmans surgery was completed, he wrote in his diary: Finally, yes to HP 5. The sensation is neither up nor down. The argument that wins is the one that says: See it through. Its your story.'Though Rickman indeed completed the films and continued to act throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, his health issues were far from over.In August 2015, Rickman had a minor stroke, which led to a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He kept this grim diagnosis largely private, only telling his family members and a few of his close friends. Because of this, it came as a huge shock to the world when Alan Rickman died from the pancreatic cancer at the age of just 69 on Jan. 14, 2016. To make matters even more shocking, Alan Rickman died just four days after another iconic British cultural figure, David Bowie who was also 69 at the time of his death and also kept his cancer battle hidden from the public.Rickman reportedly spent his final moments surrounded by his family and friends in London. His neighbors said they had no idea he was sick and described him as upbeat in the weeks before he died.Many of Alan Rickmans former costars were just as shocked to hear about his cause of death as his neighbors and his fans, as his diagnosis had been kept private until the end. Most who shared tributes to him expressed their shock and devastation and their fond memories of him.Daniel Radcliffe posted this moving tribute: Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people Ive ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter.And Emma Thompson shared this emotional goodbye: I couldnt wait to see what he was going to do with his face next He was the ultimate ally. In life, art and politics. I trusted him absolutely. He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again.After reading about the remarkable life and heartbreaking death of Alan Rickman, learn about Gilda Radners death and the cancer that caused it. Then, read about Steve Jobs death and how his bizarre cures for pancreatic cancer may have hastened it.The post Inside The Incredible Life And Heartbreaking Death Of British Acting Legend Alan Rickman appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Novosibirsk State Pedagogical UniversityA silver pendant inlaid with a garnet that was found in the medieval grave of a Siberian child.Archaeologists working in Siberia have discovered several medieval child burials containing grave goods like ornate belts and jewelry.Researchers say these finds are shedding new light on the social structures of medieval Siberia and how status played a role even from a young age. The artifacts, experts say, were not indicative of parental love or ritual traditions they were about publicly affirming elite identity.Grave Goods From Siberian Child Burials Marked Their Elite StatusA study into these medieval graves and other, more recent, child burials was led by Professor Andrey Pavlovich Borodovsky of Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, who looked into several child burial sites across Western Siberia spanning multiple historical periods.Some of these burials dated to between the fifth and eighth centuries C.E. and revealed children interred with goods like belts, metal ornaments, and finely crafted jewelry. At one site, known as Ivanovka-6, the excavation team unearthed a silver pendant reminiscent of those found in the Byzantine world. While this doesnt confirm any direct contact with Byzantium, it does suggest that elites of the Upper Ob likely participated in long-distance exchange networks that stretched across Eurasia. Novosibirsk State Pedagogical UniversityA drawing of an opulent belt found in one childs grave.That these objects were found in childrens graves is of particular note, Borodovsky said. They would typically be found buried with adults.The artifacts, which would have been worn in life to outwardly express an individuals high status and prestige, likely did not hold much sentimental value. So, why bury them with the children?Historical Concepts Of Childhood Across SiberiaWhat we see in these elite child burials is not sentimental excess, Borodovsky said, but a deliberate and highly mythologized ritual language.In other words, burying these symbolically high-status objects with the children of elite members of society was a way of reaffirming their social status. Borodovsky explained that early medieval societies in southern Siberia and Central Asia often told legendary stories about royal or heroic youths children who were predestined to achieve greatness and the excess of these grave goods seems to align with this interpretation. Other evidence supports this as well. Ethnographic data, for instance, shows that among the nomadic Tuvan people, young boys were often dressed in fur coats bearing the same insignia and ranks of adult men. This was done to introduce the young boy not only to the world of adults, but also to his social circle. Thus, the ancient traditions have survived to this day.As time went on, these traditions evolved, but they never fully went away. When the territory of Western Siberia became part of Russia, official uniforms became one of the most prominent markers of status.Dmitry Karyshev/Wikimedia CommonsThe graves were discovered in western Siberia. The regions Ob River is pictured here.For example, at the site of Fort Umrevinsky in Novosibirsk, archaeologists came across the burial of a boy between the ages of six and 12 who died in the late 18th or early 19th century. He, too, was dressed in what looked like an official uniform, reminiscent of the one worn by the Russian mining department.All of this paints a compelling image of childhood throughout history. Childhood in the modern term, for a long time, did not exist the child from infancy was built into a certain social system and was the carrier of social status, Borodovsky said. The modern image of childhood, when a growing child seeks autonomy or confrontation with the system in which he is brought up, thinks about his place in life, has developed only in the last 120 years.As such, the burials in Siberia provide a fascinating look into what childhood meant for people living in the region some 1,300 years ago. After reading about the elite child burials in Siberia, discover some of the coldest places on Earth, from Russia to Antarctica. Then, learn about the Lykov family, who survived in the wilds of Siberia for 42 years.The post Archaeologists In Siberia Have Discovered Medieval Child Graves Filled With Treasures appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Gareth James/Wikimedia CommonsA stretch of Margam Country Park in Wales. The exact location of the villa has, so far, been kept under wraps.Among historians, Wales has long been thought of as the distant frontier of the Roman Empire, a place where the Romans were more likely to build forts and roads than anything permanent. But a ground-penetrating scan of the area around Margam Park, near Port Talbot, has revealed the remains of an elaborate Roman villa, thought to be from the fourth century C.E.This structure, dubbed the Port Talbot Pompeii, suggests that the Romans were far more established in Wales than previously known and that the region didnt consist only of borderland outposts. Now, researchers are eager to excavate the site in order to investigate it further.The Discovery Of An Ancient Roman Villa Beneath Margam Country Park In WalesAccording to Swansea University, the villa was discovered during a project to better understand the pre-industrial heritage of Margam. While conducting a ground-penetrating survey in Margam Country Park, researchers struck gold when they detected the outlines of a sprawling structure underground that appeared to be a Roman villa.TerraDatA scan of the Roman villa that was detected beneath Margam Country Park.This is an amazing discovery, said Alex Langlands, an associate professor of heritage and history at Swansea University, and the project lead for ArchaeoMargam. We always thought that wed find something dating to the Romano-British period, but we never dreamed it would be so clearly articulated and with so much potential in terms of what it can tell us about the elusive first millennium AD here in South Wales.Scans of the area the exact location of which has been kept secret to prevent looting suggests that the villa sat within a defensive enclosure. The enclosure itself is 141 feet by 180 feet, and was perhaps constructed as far back as the early Iron Age. The villa also includes a large building in its southeast corner, which was possibly an agricultural storage building that was transformed into a meeting hall after the fall of Rome.It is too early to speculate about the date range of the building, its architectural features, who constructed it, and how it fell out of use, Langlands noted. But from the geophysical survey alone we can start to build hypotheses about how important this site could be and what it can tell us about Margams long-term role in the social, cultural, and economic developments across the first millennium in Wales.Indeed, the discovery of the villa challenges the idea that Wales was merely a far-flung territory on the edge of the Roman Empire. Instead, this villa was a permanent structure, suggesting that the ancient Romans put down bona fide roots in this region.The Murky History Of Roman-Era WalesRoman history in Wales began in 48 C.E., five years after the Romans first arrived in Britain. At the time, the invading Roman armies encountered a number of formidable native tribes. In one memorable battle in 61 C.E., they fought against a combined force of warriors and druids, who terrified the Roman soldiers by shouting spells. However, they were easily defeated. At the end of the battle, the Romans were victorious, the Roman historian Tacitus wrote of the encounter, and the holy oaks of the druids were destroyed.Indeed, Wales during the Roman era was thought of as a place of conquest a nexus of Roman camps and roads, forts and armies. A place on the edge of the frontier, and not necessarily one of permanent structures.Hazel LanglandsResearchers at Margam Park as part of the project to map the Roman villa recently found there.The villa, which Langlands estimates is from the fourth century C.E., challenges this idea. It suggests that the Roman presence in Wales was far more deep-rooted than previously known, and that the Romans were established enough to build elaborate villas similar to ones found in Britain.Whats more, scans have so far suggested that the villa could be tantalizingly well-preserved. The park above the villa has protected it from ploughing, and researchers believe that its floors and foundations are intact. Their next step will be to excavate and finally lay eyes on these astonishing ruins.Margam is famous for its nationally significant monuments and for having evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age, Medieval and Post-Medieval heritage, Langlands stated. But we knew practically nothing about what was going on in the Romano-British period. This is the missing piece of the puzzle.After reading about the sprawling Roman villa that was just detected in Wales, go inside the complicated question of when the Roman Empire actually fell. Then, discover the stories behind some of the worst Roman emperors, from Nero to Caligula.The post My Eyes Nearly Popped Out Of My Skull: Ancient Roman Villa Found Three Feet Below A Park In Wales appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsSixteen-year-old Sylvia Likens before staying with Gertrude Bansizewski and after being tortured to death.In 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens was sent to the home of a family friend, Gertrude Baniszewski, while her parents were traveling. But Likens never made it out alive.Gertrude Baniszewski and her children tortured Sylvia Likens to death. The perpetrators even managed to involve an entire neighborhood of kids to help them commit this brutal murder. As the autopsy in the Sylvia Likens case later showed, she endured unimaginable torment before she died. Nevertheless, her killers faced almost no justice at all.How Sylvia Likens Came Under The Care Of Gertrude BaniszewskiBettmann/Getty ImagesGertrude Baniszewskis police photo, taken shortly after her arrest on Oct. 28, 1965.Sylvia Likens parents were both carnival workers and were therefore on the road more often than not. They struggled to make ends meet as her father Lester had only an eighth-grade education and a total of five children to care for.Jenny was quiet and withdrawn with a limp from polio. Sylvia was more confident and went by the nickname Cookie and had been described as pretty though she had a missing front tooth.In July 1965, Lester Likens decided to take up with the carnival again while his wife was jailed for shoplifting that summer. Sylvias brothers, Danny and Bennie, were put into the care of their grandparents. With few other options, Sylvia and Jenny were sent to stay with a family friend named Gertrude Baniszewski.Gertrude was every bit as poor as the Likens and had seven of her own kids to support in her run-down home. She made little cash by charging her neighbors a few dollars to iron their laundry. Shed already been through multiple divorces, some of which resulted in physical abuse against her and dealt with a crippling depression through heavy doses of prescription drugs.She was in no condition to take care of two teenaged girls. The Likens, though, didnt think they had any other choice. Lester Likens cryptically requested that Baniszewski straighten his daughters out when he placed them in her care for $20 a week.What Happened To Sylvia Likens Inside Her New HomeFor the first two weeks at the Baniszewskis, Sylvia and her sister were treated kindly enough, though Gertrudes oldest daughter, 17-year-old Paula Baniszewski, seemed to butt heads with Sylvia often. Then one week their fathers payment came in late.I took care of you two bitches for two weeks for nothing, Gertrude spat at Sylvia and Jenny. She grabbed Sylvia by the arm, dragged her into a room, and closed the door. Jenny could only sit outside the door and listen as her sister screamed. The money arrived the following day, but the torture had just begun.Gertrude soon began to abuse both Sylvia and Jenny in broad daylight. Though a frail woman, Gertrude used a heavy paddle and thick, leather belt from one of her husbands who had been a cop. When she was too exhausted or too weak to discipline the girls herself, Paula stepped in to take her place. Sylvia, however, soon became the focus of the abuse.Gertrude Baniszewski demanded that Jenny join in, lest she take her sisters place as the brunt of the abuse.Gertrude accused Sylvia of stealing from her and burned the girls fingertips. She took her to a church function and force-fed her free hot dogs until she was sick. Then, as punishment for throwing up good food, she forced her to eat her own vomit.She allowed her children in fact, encouraged her children to partake in the abuse of Sylvia and her sister. The Baniszewski kids practiced karate on Sylvia, slammed her into walls and onto the floor. They used her skin as an ashtray, threw her downstairs, and cut open her skin and rubbed salt into her wounds. After this, she would often be cleansed in a scalding hot bath.Gertrude gave sermons on the evils of sexual immortality while Paula stomped on Sylvias vagina. Paula, who herself was pregnant, accused Sylvia of being with child and mutilated the girls genitals. Gertrudes 12-year-old son John Jr. delighted in forcing the girl to lick his youngest siblings soiled diapers clean.Sylvia was forced to strip naked and shove an empty Coca-Cola bottle into her vagina while the Baniszewski children watched. Sylvia was so beaten that she was unable to use the bathroom voluntarily. When she wet her mattress, Gertrude decided that the girl was no longer fit to live with the rest of her children.The 16-year-old was then locked in the basement without food or access to the bathroom. An Entire Neighborhood Joins Gertrude Baniszewski In The TortureBettmann/Getty ImagesRichard Hobbs, a neighbor boy who helped beat Sylvia Likens to death, Oct. 28, 1965.Gertrude spread every story she could imagine to get the local kids to join in on the beatings. She told her daughter that Sylvia had called her a whore and got her daughters friends to come over and beat her up for it.Later during the trial, some of the kids were open about how Gertrude had recruited them. One teenage girl named Anna Siscoe recalled how Gertrude told her that Sylvia had been saying: She said my mother went out with all sorts of men and got $5.00 for going to bed with the men.Anna never bothered to find out if it was true. Gertrude told her, I dont care what you do to Sylvia. She invited over to her home and just watched as Anna threw Sylvia down to the ground, beat her face, and kick her.Gertrude told her own children that Sylvia was a prostitute. Then she had Ricky Hobbs, a neighborhood boy, and her 11-year-old daughter Marie carve the words Im a prostitute and proud of it into her abdomen with a heated needle.At one point, Sylvias older sister Diana attempted to see the girls under Gertrudes care but was turned away at the door. Jenny later reported how Diana snuck food into the basement in which Sylvia was hidden. A neighbor had also reported the incidents to a public health nurse who, upon entering the home and not seeing Sylvia for she was locked in a basement, concluded that nothing was wrong. Baniszewski had also managed to convince the nurse that she had kicked the Likens girls out.Other next-door neighbors allegedly were aware of how Sylvia was abused. They had seen Paula strike the girl in the Baniszewski home on two separate occasions but claimed not to report the abuse because they feared for their own lives. Jenny was threatened, bullied, and beaten by the Baniszewskis and neighbor girls alike should she go to the authorities. The abuse of Sylvia continued unhindered, in fact, aided by all those around her. The Brutal Death Of Sylvia LikensThe Indianapolis Star/Wikimedia CommonsJenny Likens, Sylvias sister, photographed during the trial.Im going to die, Sylvia told her sister three days before she did. I can tell. Gertrude could tell too and so she forced Sylvia to write a note in which she told her parents that shed run away. Sylvia was also forced to write that shed met up with a group of boys and given them sexual favors and afterward, theyd beaten her and mutilated her body. Shortly after this Sylvia overheard Gertrude Baniszewski tell her children that she was going to take Sylvia to a forest and leave her there to die.A desperate Sylvia Likens attempted one final escape. She managed to get out the front door before Gertrude caught her. Sylvia was so weak from her injuries she could not have possibly gotten too far. With the assistance of a neighbor boy named Coy Hubbard, Gertrude beat Sylvia with a curtain rod until she fell unconscious. Then, when she came back to, she stomped on her head.Welkerlots/YouTubeSylvia Likens body is carried inside of a closed casket, 1965.Sylvia was dead by Oct. 26, 1965, from a brain hemorrhage, shock, and malnutrition. After three months of torture and starvation, she could no longer form intelligible words and could barely move her limbs. When the police came, Gertrude stuck with her cover story. Sylvia had been out with boys in the woods, she told them, and theyd beaten her to death and carved Im a prostitute and proud of it into her body.Jenny, though, took her chance. As soon as she could get close enough to a police officer she whispered, Get me out of here and Ill tell you everything.The police arrested Gertrude, Paula, Stephanie and John Baniszewski, Richard Hobbs, and Coy Hubbard for murder. Neighborhood participants Mike Monroe, Randy Lepper, Darlene McGuire, Judy Duke, and Anna Siscoe were also arrested for injury to person. These minors would blame Gertrude for being pressured to partake in the death of Sylvia Likens.Gertrude herself pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Shes not responsible, her defense attorney told the court, because shes not all here.There were several more children involved who proved just too young to be charged.Ultimately though, on May 19, 1966, Gertrude Baniszewski was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was spared the death penalty despite her own lawyer admitting that, In my opinion, she ought to go to the electric chair. Paula Baniszewski, who had given birth to a daughter during the trial, was convicted of second-degree murder and was also sentenced to life imprisonment.Richard Hobbs, Coy Hubbard, and John Baniszewski Jr. were all convicted of manslaughter and given two 2-to-21-year prison sentences based on the fact that they were minors. The three boys were all paroled just two years later in 1968.How Gertrude Baniszewski And Her Children Eluded JusticeWikimedia CommonsGertrude Baniszewski, photographed after being granted parole in 1986.Gertrude spent 20 years behind bars. There was no question about her guilt. The autopsy backed up everything Jenny told the police: Sylvia Likens had died slowly and painfully over several months. In 1971, both Gertrude and Paula were retried to the result that Gertrude was again found guilty. Paula pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to two to 21 years. She once even managed to escape despite being recaptured. After about eight years behind bars, Paula was released and she moved to Iowa where she changed her name and became a teachers aide.She was suspended from her position when in 2012 an anonymous caller tipped off the school district that Paula was once convicted of the death of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens. Gertrude Baniszewski was granted parole on good behavior on Dec. 4, 1985. Jenny and a whole crowd of people picketed outside the prison to protest her release, but it was no use. Gertrude Baniszewski was set free.The only relief Jenny received came five years after Gertrudes release when the murderess died of lung cancer. Some good news, Jenny wrote to her mother with a copy of the womans obituary. Damn old Gertrude died! Ha ha ha! I am happy about that.Jenny never did blame her parents for what happened to her sister. My mom was a really good mom, Jenny has said. All she did was trust Gertrude.After this horrific look at the case of Sylvia Likens, find out about the California parents who kept 13 children shackled to their beds or the gruesome story of the acid bath killer.The post Sylvia Likens, The 16-Year-Old Who Was Tortured And Murdered By Caretaker Gertrude Baniszewski appeared first on All That's Interesting.

The show Wife Swap has a light-hearted premise. For two weeks, families with opposing values and ideologies exchange wives. But many viewers dont know about the so-called Wife Swap murders, when one of the children featured on the show ended up killing his real-life mother and brother.On June 15, 2017, 25-year-old Jacob Stockdale fatally shot his mother, Kathryn, and his brother, James, before turning the gun on himself. Though Jacob survived, his motives remain somewhat mysterious.But the woman who swapped places with Jacobs mother for a 2008 episode of Wife Swap has a chilling theory.The Stockdale-Tonkovic Episode Of Wife SwapABCOne of the families featured in the Stockdale-Tonkovic episode would become victims of the Wife Swap murders.On April 23, 2008, the Stockdale/Tonkovic episode of Wife Swap aired on ABC. It featured the Stockdale family from Ohio and the Tonkovic family from Illinois. As usual, the families featured on the show had completely different philosophies about life and raising children.The Tonkovic family Laurie, her husband John, and their children T-Vic and Meghan were easygoing and laid back. You only have so long, so enjoy every day as it comes, Laurie said on the show, which depicted her dancing with her children, bringing burgers home, and liberally handing out cash.But the Stockdale family Kathy, her husband Timothy, and their sons Calvin, Charles, Jacob, and James had a totally different perspective on family life. Their version of fun was their wholesome family bluegrass band. The children were kept in relative seclusion to protect the boys from bad influences and had to work for privileges like listening to the radio.We dont allow any cussing, Katy Stockdale said. I think that dating has physical dangers like pregnancy. Its not worth it. Its important we have control over their character and their education.As expected, Kathy and Laurie both drummed up drama in their new families. But nine years later, the Wife Swap murders proved that the TV show had only shown the tip of the iceberg in the Stockdale home. Inside The Wife Swap MurdersJacob Stockdale/FacebookJacob Stockdale was a teenager when his family appeared on Wife Swap.On June 15, 2017, police responded to a 911 hang-up call at a residence in Beach City, Ohio. Officers heard a single gunshot when they arrived and entered the home to find 25-year-old Jacob Stockdale bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head.Further inside the house, they also found the bodies of Kathryn Stockdale, 54, and James Stockdale, 21. Quickly, the officers surmised that Jacob had killed his mother and brother before turning the gun on himself. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors were able to save his life.James, our youngest brother, has always been a catalyst of family fun, Calvin Stockdale, the oldest child, said in a statement. He leaves behind many friends and a family that loved him dearly. My brother, Jacob, is still in critical condition and we are praying for his physical recovery as our family makes funeral plans and begins the healing process.Timothy, the familys patriarch, also released a statement following the Wife Swap murders. He said, Kathy has been my beloved wife of 32 years and a wonderful mother to our four sons. She loved nothing more than being a mother and grandmother. She had a strong love of learning and was passionate about her Christian faith, natural health, and organic farming.After Jacob Stockdale sufficiently recovered from his wounds, he was charged with the murder of his mother and brother. But why did he do it? Its hard to, you know, kind of surmise what the motive may have been, said Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier following the shooting. There is some speculation; we dont really want to get into that part of it but we will continue to investigate this case and try to determine if there is a motive. We just do not know at this time.Though no official motive was ever released, Laurie Tonkovic, Jacobs temporary mother during the 2008 episode of Wife Swap, has a theory for why Jacob attacked his family members. When I switched the rules and I was going to let them have fun, let them have a television and video games, and experience life a little bit, [Jacob] ran outside crying, she told TMZ. And when I went out after him, I asked him what was wrong, and he said that his mom and dad would tell him that he would burn in hell. God gives you free will free will, they didnt have. They werent allowed to make choices. I think it just caught up to him.Laurie speculated that Jacobs strict upbringing caused him to snap. So, where does the case of the Wife Swap murders stand today?Jacob Stockdale TodayStark County Sheriffs OfficeJacob Stockdale was found fit to stand trial and sentenced to 30 years in prison for the grisly double murder.Following Jacob Stockdales indictment and arrest in October 2018, Jacob pled not guilty by reason of insanity. He spent two years in mental health facilities, from which he tried to escape twice. He was later found to be sane at the time of the Wife Swap murders, however, and shortly before his trial in May 2021, he pled guilty to killing his mother and brother. He was handed two 15-year sentences, one for each death, and will spend 30 years in prison. To date, the Stockdale family has said little about the Wife Swap murders. Privately, they asked the judge to approach Jacobs case with leniency. The Wife Swap murders stand as a chilling example of the limitations of reality television. Shows like it claim to give audiences intimate views of other peoples lives. But when Jacob Stockdale killed his mother and brother, he proved that theres often more to the story than the cameras can see.After reading about Jacob Stockdale and the Wife Swap murders, discover the story of Zachary Davis who bludgeoned his mother and tried to burn his brother alive.The post The Tragic Story Of Jacob Stockdale, The Former Wife Swap Contestant Who Killed His Mother And Brother appeared first on All That's Interesting.