Apple Inc. announced Monday that Tim Cook will step down as chief executive, with John Ternus set to take over the role as Cook transitions to company chairman. Cook leaves the CEO role after presiding

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that one of its soldiers smashed an effigy of Jesus Christ torn off of a crucifix.The soldier committed the sacrilege in southern Lebanon, which Israel is seeking

Public DomainLeslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind. On June 1, 1943, a swarm of eight Nazi planes shot down a civilian aircraft flying from Portugal to England. The attack killed all 17 people on board, including the English movie star Leslie Howard. Known for his role in Gone With The Wind, Berkeley Square, and Pygmalio, Howard was a respected actor and writer. But since his death, some have speculated that hed played another role as a British secret agent. Was Howard the target of a Nazi assassination? Or was his death a case of mistaken identity? This is everything we know about Leslie Howard, from his career as an actor to his shocking death in 1943. Leslie Howard, The Hollywood Movie StarBorn Leslie Howard Steiner on April 3, 1893, the future movie star started his working career as a bank clerk, then as a soldier in World War I. Diagnosed with shell shock after the war, Howard was encouraged by his doctor to take up acting as a sort of therapy. Before long, the spotlight chased him. After getting his start in the London theater scene, Howard soon made the move to Broadway in New York. Then, in 1930, he made his Hollywood debut in the film Outward Bound.Over the next decade, more film roles followed. In 1933, he starred in Berkeley Square, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, acted alongside Bette Davis in The Petrified Forest (1936), received his second Oscar nod for his role in Pygmalion (1938), and, in 1939, starred in one of the most iconic films of the 20th century: Gone With The Wind. Selznick International PicturesBefore World War II broke out, Leslie Howard starred in Gone with the Wind with Vivien Leigh. But not long after playing Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind, Leslie Howard left Hollywood. World War II had begun, and the actor wanted to support the war effort back home in England. How Leslie Howard Supported The War EffortDuring World War II, Leslie Howard support the British in many ways. Not only did he give weekly radio broadcasts, but Howard also made a number of anti-Nazi films. Public DomainLeslie Howard in The First Of The Few, an anti-Nazi movie that he produced, directed, and starred in.In 1941, he starred in the 49th Parallel, a film meant to convince the United States to join the war effort. That same year, he produced, directed and starred in Pimpernel Smith, an anti-Nazi thriller. In that film, Howard played a Cambridge archaeologist who went behind enemy lines to free Nazi prisoners, including those in concentration camps. The film even inspired Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat and businessman, to rescue thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary.The next year, Howard produced, directed, and starred in The First of the Few, a biographical film about the creator of the Spitfire plane. British audiences flocked to see the signature plane of the Royal Air Force defeat the Luftwaffe on screen.But they seemingly werent the only ones watching Howards film. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, was purportedly outraged by how Howard had ridiculed him in Pimpernel Smith. And some believe that he began to plot his revenge. The Death Of Leslie Howard At The Hands Of The NazisOn June 1, 1943, Leslie Howard boarded BOAC Flight 777 en route from Portugal to England. Hed had a bad feeling about the voyage; according to the Irish Times, hed told his wife he had queer feeling about the trip before adding what the hell you know that Im a fatalist anyway.Public DomainLeslie Howard died on June 1, 1943, after his plane was shot down by the Nazis.His feeling wasnt entirely unfounded. Howard may have not known it, but the Douglas DC-3 aircraft had already been attacked by Nazi planes before. That said, civilian planes were generally left alone, and BOAC Flight 777 was expected to land safely in Bristol.But as it took off, eight German Junkers Ju-88 crews also took off from Nazi-occupied France. Shortly before 1 p.m., the Nazi planes began to pursue BOAC Flight 777, prompting the pilot to send a message in Morse code: I am followed by unidentified aircraft I am attacked by enemy aircraft.The eight Nazi planes fired on BOAC Flight 777, causing it to crash into the ocean. All 17 people onboard, including Leslie Howard, perished, and the German pilots photographed the wreckage to prove they had succeeded.In the aftermath, Joseph Goebbels newspaper bragged Pimpernel Howard has made his last trip. Goebbels reportedly wrote the headline himself.Why Was BOAC Flight 777 Shot Down By The Nazis?After the war ended, some of the German pilots whod shot down BOAC Flight 777 stated that they had not known it was a civilian plane. We would shoot down everything that came in sight, one of the pilots later remarked, according to reporting from The Times in 2011.However, their account is suspect, as they may have been trying to avoid war crime charges. So why was the plane shot down? Lmbuga/Wikimedia CommonsA monument to Leslie Howard and the others in Cedeira, Spain.One possibility is that Leslie Howard was the target not only because of his public work, but because he was a secret British agent. Indeed, rumors have swirled that Howard was in Lisbon to try and discourage the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco from joining the war on the side of the Nazis. His former lover and co-star Conchita Montenegro had connections at the top of Spains government, and she may have planned a secret meeting between Howard and Franco, who was on the fence about bringing Spain into the war.Thats one possibility. Another is that Howards propaganda roles may have simply annoyed the wrong Nazi Goebbels. Or perhaps Howard wasnt the target at all. Another theory claims that the Nazis believed that Winston Churchill was on Howards flight. Their suspicious were allegedly confirmed when they saw Howards manager, Alfred Chenhalls, board the plane, as Chenhalls bore a strong resemblance to Churchill, and even had a habit of smoking cigars. Churchill himself believed this theory, writing in his memoirs: The brutality of the Germans was only matched by the stupidity of their agents.But there were also other potential targets on the flight. Passenger Tyrell Shervington ran the Shell Oil company in Lisbon, and also had connections with the British secret service; passenger Wilfrid Israel had helped save thousands of Jewish children from the Nazis. Today, there are still many questions about Leslie Howard. Was he operating as a secret agent during the war? Did the Nazis target BOAC Flight 777 because of him? Sadly, the truth may have died with Howard himself. Was Leslie Howard a spy for British intelligence? The documents still have not been declassified. Next, learn about British spy Sidney Reilly, one of the possible inspirations for James Bond. Then read about Britains Special Operations Executive to take down the Nazis. The post Leslie Howard, The Gone With The Wind Star Who May Have Been A British Secret Agent appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Public DomainBabe Ruth in 1919.For two decades, Babe Ruth dominated baseball. He hit 40 or more home runs for 11 seasons, led the league in home runs for 12 seasons, and was baseballs home run leader with a career record of 714 home runs, until he was dethroned by Hank Aaron forty years later. Ruth seemed unstoppable. As such, Babe Ruths death at the age of 53 came as a shock.Ruth began to feel ill in 1946, and doctors soon determined the cause: the baseball star had a rare type of cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which affects the tissue in the back of the nose and mouth. There was little hope of saving Ruths life, but doctors were willing to try and Ruth agreed to try experimental treatments with new kinds of drugs.These drugs became the precursor for modern-day chemotherapy, and Ruth was one of the very first people to take them. But doctors were ultimately unable to save his life. Babe Ruth died on Aug. 16, 1948 at the age of 53, and was mourned by tens of thousands of fans at Yankee Stadium. The Legendary Career Of The Great BambinoBorn on Feb. 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland, George Herman Ruth developed a passion for baseball at a young age. As a student at St. Marys Industrial School for Boys, Ruth was introduced to baseball. He became such a strong player that his teachers invited Jack Dunn, the owner of the Baltimore Orioles to come see him play. Dunn was so impressed that he offered Ruth a contract. Ruth was just 19, and became known as Jacks newest babe. The nickname stuck. And before long, baseball fans across the country had heard about Babe Ruth. Public DomainBabe Ruth in 1916.After starting in Baltimore, Ruth was soon sent to play for the Boston Red Sox. He led the team to three championships and hit 29 home runs in 1919, breaking the Major League Baseball single-season home run record. Soon afterward, he was sent to play for the New York Yankees. There, his talent really shone and Ruth soon became a baseball legend. In 1920, he hit 54 home runs. In 1921, Ruth hit 59 home runs. And in 1927, the Great Bambino hit 60 home runs in a single season, a record that would stand for the next three decades. Its no wonder that Yankee Stadium, which was built in 1923, became known as the The House That Ruth Built.After a stunning career, the Great Bambino retired from baseball in 1935. But just over a decade later, Babe Ruth died at the age of 53. A Terminal Cancer Diagnosis And An Attempted Treatment With Experimental DrugsBabe Ruth hadnt always been careful about his health. He was known for drinking soda and downing hot dogs during games, and often paired cigars and whiskey for breakfast. In the 1920s, hed even had surgery to remove an intestinal abscess and an ulcer. But in the 1940s, Ruths health worsened. Public DomainBabe Ruth in 1947. By this point, the baseball legend had become very sick.In 1946, Ruth began to notice that his voice was growing hoarse. Whats more, hed developed a terrible pain behind his left eye. Doctors ultimately determined that he had a large tumor at the base of his skull, and realized that the baseball legend was suffering from a rare cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This kind of cancer affects the nasopharynx, the tissue at the back of the nose and throat, and at the time, it was terminal. Though its unknown if Ruth knew his cancer was terminal, as doctors in his era often shielded patients from distressing news, he knew he was badly sick. Ruth could hardly speak, and once described the sound of his voice as similar to somebody gargling ashes. He underwent radiation and surgery, which caused him to lose weight and did little to help his symptoms. The public knew that Ruth was recovering from an operation, and MLB commissioner Happy Chandler organized Babe Ruth Day at baseball stadiums across the country so that fans, players and the management of the game [can] unite in a salute and join in a prayer for his early recovery. Though Ruth was still very sick, he attended Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium on April 27, 1947. Clearly diminished, he addressed the crowd, saying: You know how bad my voice sounds. Well, it feels just as bad.He added: Theres been so many lovely things said about me. Im glad I had the opportunity to thank everybody.Meanwhile, Ruths doctors could tell that the radiation treatment wasnt working. Though there was little hope of recovery, they suggested that he try an experimental drug called teropterin that June. Teropterin, the precursor to modern chemotherapy drugs, had only ever been tested on rats. But Ruth agreed to give it a try. I realized that if anything was learned about that type of treatment, whether good or bad, he later wrote, it would be of use in the future to the medical profession and maybe to a lot of people with my same trouble.At first, the treatment seemed to work. Ruths symptoms improved, he gained back some of the weight hed lost, and he even felt well enough to attend the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium in June 1948. Word began to spread in the scientific community that a cure for cancer had been found. Public DomainA Pulitzer-winning prize photo of Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium in June 1948, just two months before he died of cancer.But sadly, the experimental drug treatment had only delayed Babe Ruths death. He passed away just two months later. How Babe Ruth Died At The Age Of 53Just days after his Yankee Stadium appearance, Babe Ruth checked into Memorial Hospital in New York City. Though he left the hospital on a few occasions, including to attend the screening of The Babe Ruth Story, a movie about his life, his condition continued to deteriorate. According to reporting from UPI in August 1948, Ruths hospital sent daily bulletins about his health, stating in his final days that the baseball legend was still critical. On the morning of Babe Ruths death, he seemed to improve, and the hospital reported that his temperature had dropped and he was holding his own. But as the day went on he soon took a turn for the worse. At 5 p.m. the hospital reported that Ruth was more critical, and at 6 p.m. it announced that he was sinking rapidly. At this news, hundreds of young fans began to gather outside the hospital. They were standing in vigil when the hospital released its final bulletin.Babe Ruth died at 8:01 p.m. tonight, the final bulletin read. Death was due to cancer.New York Daily NewsA headline from the New York Daily News announcing Babe Ruths death.Outside the hospital, a priest announced Babe Ruths death to the crowd. One young fan collapsed in tears. Im deeply shocked, deeply shocked, MLB commissioner Happy Chandler said. His death will be a deep distress. He was one of my personal friends. And it grieves me greatly that weve lost him.But the Great Bambino would return to Yankee Stadium one last time. The Aftermath Of Babe Ruths DeathBabe Ruths death shook baseball. And New York City went into mourning for their favorite player. In the aftermath of his death, his body lay in state at Yankee Stadium for two days so that fans could pay their final respects.Babe Ruth goes home today to Yankee Stadium, UPI reported on the day after Babe Ruths death. There thousands of his fans will get a chance to walk past the open casket of the famous home run hitter who died last night of cancer and pay a last silent farewell.Indeed, as many as 100,000 fans flocked to the stadium to say goodbye to Ruth. Afterwards, tens of thousands of fans also lined the streets outside of St. Patricks Cathedral, where Ruths official funeral was held. After his Yankee Stadium memorial and St. Patricks funeral, Babe Ruth was then buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Westchester County, New York.Wikimedia CommonsBabe Ruths grave is in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.But in the years since Babe Ruths death, the baseball legend is far from forgotten. He remains one of the most famous players in MLB history, both for his skill and his swagger. It wasnt that he hit more home runs than anybody else, sportswriter Red Smith once remarked. He hit them higher, better, farther, with more theatrical timing and a more flamboyant flourish.Babe Ruth left behind a massive legacy. Next, read about strange celebrity deaths in the 1920s, then learn about Babe Didrikson, the woman nicknamed after Babe Ruth for hitting five home runs in a game. The post The Sad Story Behind The Death Of Babe Ruth, The Baseball Legend Who Died At Just 53 appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, Khaled BordjiThough the villages prehistoric residents seemingly tried to rebuild it after the storm, they ultimately abandoned it and moved on.For five years, a Neolithic village on the shores of Switzerlands Lake Biel existed peacefully. Its residents constructed almost two dozen houses, produced goods like ceramics and tools, and traded with surrounding settlements. But roughly 5,860 years ago, this quiet existence came to a sudden and violent end when the village was destroyed by a terrible storm.Ultimately abandoned by its residents, the ruins of the village slowly sunk into the murk surrounding Lake Biel. But during construction of a new university campus, archaeologists have rediscovered the village and uncovered fascinating insights about the people who once called it home.The Neolithic Village Destroyed By A Violent Storm In 3838 B.C.E.According to a statement from the Canton of Bern, the destroyed Neolithic village was uncovered during excavations in Biel ahead of the construction of a new campus for the Bern University of Applied Sciences. During these excavations in the heart of Biel, archaeologists discovered the ruins of the village at a depth of about 15 feet.Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, Stefan AebersoldA building post found along the northern edge of the Neolithic village in Biel.Archaeologists uncovered 1,300 posts driven into the ground which had once supported wooden houses, as well as 700 other pieces of well-preserved wood. Archaeologists were then able to reconstruct the layout of the village, which once contained 23 houses. Using data from tree rings, researchers were even able to determine that this Neolithic village existed for just five years, from 3842 B.C.E. until 3838 B.C.E.Eventually, life in this village came to a sudden and violent end when the settlement was battered by a devastating storm in the summer of 3838 B.C.E. Archaeologists found evidence of a violent westerly storm that uprooted several buildings and severely damaged them. It seems that the village suffered high winds and flooding that left it all but destroyed.Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, Andreas MartiThe layout of the Neolithic village, which existed along Lake Biel for just five years before it was destroyed in 3838 B.C.E.In the aftermath of the disaster, the residents seemingly tried to rebuilt their homes. Though they ultimately abandoned their efforts and moved on, they left behind a number of objects that shed light on what their lives were like before the great storm came.Life Inside The Neolithic Village Perched On The Edge Of Switzerlands Lake BielAs the Canton of Bern notes, the ruins of the village offered up many insights about the daily lives of its Neolithic inhabitants. Amid the ruins of the wooden homes, archaeologists found ceramic vessels, as well as tools made from stone, bone, and antler. They also found bone and plant remains, allowing researchers to reconstruct the residents dietary habits, and confirming that the villagers had a lifestyle similar to that of other contemporaneous settlements in the region.Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, Daniel Marchand and Philippe JonerSome of the ceramic vessels that archaeologists found amid the ruins of the Neolithic village.But while most of what the village used and consumed came from local sources, archaeologists also found evidence that the residents had introduced goods and customs from far-flung places. Archaeologists believe that the village had connections to Central Switzerland, the Rhne Valley, Provence, Alsace, and even the Paris Basin.In the end, the terrible fate of this Neolithic village is a boon for archaeologists, who have been able to glean rare, valuable insights about Neolithic life from these ruins. This village is, for instance, one of the oldest sites with a known settlement plan thats ever been found, as well as the oldest site on Lake Biel to be reconstructed with such accuracy.In that way, its a village frozen in time. Though a devastating storm rolled in 5,900 years ago and destroyed the villages structures and drove out its residents, it also preserved elements of Neolithic life just as they once were. From wooden posts to ceramic vessels, the objects found amid the ruins help shed new light on prehistoric people in this area like never before.After reading about the Neolithic village that was destroyed by a violent storm some 5,900 years ago, discover the haunting stories of some of the worlds most incredible sunken cities. Then, go inside the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which buried the Roman town of Pompeii in deadly ash, killings its residents and preserving its structures, mosaics, and more.The post Construction In Switzerland Turned Up A Neolithic Village That Was Washed Away By A Violent Storm 5,900 Years Ago appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Believed to be the smartest person who ever lived, William James Sidis could read The New York Times when he was less than two years old. By the time he was six, he could speak multiple languages. And by age nine, he was accepted to Harvard, though the university didnt let him attend until he was 11.Wikimedia CommonsThough hes known as the worlds smartest person ever, William James Sidis died at 46 after spending decades as a recluse while working low-level jobs.But despite his supreme intelligence, William James Sidis struggled to fit in with a world that didnt understand him. This is the tragic story of how the smartest person in the world died penniless and alone.William James Sidis: A Child Prodigy Like No OtherOn April 1, 1898, William James Sidis, the smartest person who ever lived, was born in Boston, Massachusetts.His parents, Ukrainian immigrants Boris and Sarah Sidis, were pretty intelligent themselves. Boris was a famed psychologist while Sarah was a doctor.From the start, William James Sidis parents adored their gifted son, spending untold money on books and maps to encourage his early learning. But they had no idea just how early their precious child would catch on.Sidis ArchivesWilliam James Sidis was widely known as the smartest person in the world, but his story ended in tragedy.When William James Sidis was just 18 months old, he was able to read The New York Times.By the time he was six years old, he could speak multiple languages, including English, French, German, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian.As if that wasnt impressive enough, William James Sidis also invented his own language as a child (though its unclear if he ever used it as an adult). The ambitious youngster also wrote poetry, a novel, and even a constitution for a potential utopia.Wikimedia CommonsBoris Sidis, Williams father, was a polyglot and he wanted his son to be one as well.William James Sidis was accepted to Harvard University at the humble age of nine. However, the school wouldnt allow him to attend classes until he was 11.While he was still a student in 1910, he lectured the Harvard Mathematical Club on the incredibly complex topic of four-dimensional bodies. The lecture was nearly incomprehensible for most people, but for those who understood it, the lesson was a revelation.William James Sidis graduated from the legendary university in 1914. He was just 16 years old.The Unparalleled IQ Of William James SidisWikimedia CommonsThe town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of Harvard University, in the 1910s.Much speculation has been made over the years about William James Sidis IQ. Any records of his IQ testing have been lost to time, so modern-day historians are forced to estimate.For context, 100 is considered an average IQ score, while below 70 is often viewed as substandard. Anything above 130 is considered gifted or very advanced.Some historical IQs that have been reverse-analyzed include Albert Einstein with 160, Leonardo da Vinci with 180, and Isaac Newton with 190.As for William James Sidis, the smartest person who ever lived, he had an estimated IQ of around 250 to 300. If accurate, this could give him the highest IQ in the world for anyone who ever lived.Sidis ArchivesWilliam James Sidis was a child prodigy admitted to Harvard at just 11 years old but life would not turn out as expected for the worlds smartest man.Anybody with a high IQ will be happy to tell you its meaningless. Nevertheless, Sidis scored so high that his IQ was the same amount as three average human beings combined.But despite his intelligence, he struggled to fit in with a world full of people who didnt understand him.After William James Sidis graduated from Harvard at age 16, he told reporters, I want to live the perfect life. The only way to live the perfect life is to live it in seclusion. I have always hated crowds.For a short period of time, he taught mathematics at Rice Institute in Houston, Texas. But he was all but driven out, partially due to the fact that he was younger than many of his students.The Worlds Smartest Person Spends His Last Decades In SeclusionSidis ArchivesWilliam James Sidis spent his last decades mostly in seclusion.William James Sidis briefly courted controversy when he was arrested at a Boston May Day Socialist March in 1919. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison for rioting and assaulting a police officer, but he had actually done neither.That said, Sidis was determined to live in quiet solitude after his brush with the law. He took on a series of menial jobs, such as low-level accounting work. But whenever he was recognized or his colleagues learned who he was, he would promptly quit.The very sight of a mathematical formula makes me physically ill, he later complained. All I want to do is run an adding machine, but they wont let me alone.In 1937, William James Sidis entered the spotlight for a final time when The New Yorker ran a patronizing article about him. He decided to sue for invasion of privacy and malicious libel, but the judge dismissed the case.Now a classic in privacy law, the judge ruled that once a person is a public figure, theyre always a public figure. Such was the case for the smartest person in the world.After he lost his appeal, the once idolized Sidis didnt live much longer. On July 17, 1944, William James Sidis died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 46.Found by his landlady, the smartest person in the world left this world as a penniless, reclusive office clerk..If you enjoyed this look at William James Sidis, the smartest person in the world, read about Marilyn vos Savant, the woman with the highest IQ ever recorded. Then learn about Christopher Langan, also called the worlds smartest person by some.The post William James Sidis Had An Off-The-Charts IQ But He Died A Penniless Office Clerk appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Fabrizio Villa/Getty ImagesThe mummy of Rosalia Lombardo in the Capuchin Catacombs beneath Palermo, Sicily.In the depths of an obscure catacomb in Sicily, a young girl lies in a glass-topped casket. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo, and she died of pneumonia caused by the Spanish Flu just one week shy of her second birthday in 1920.Her father was so grief-stricken that he sought the aid of an embalmer and taxidermist to preserve his child. The embalmer, a renowned Sicilian professor of preservation named Alfredo Salafia, then mummified Rosalia Lombardo so perfectly that her internal organs are still intact a century later.Indeed, it is difficult to gaze upon the tiny body in the glass coffin and not believe that she will awaken at any moment. Her skin is still smooth and porcelain, and her golden hair is neatly tied back with a large silk bow. And most hauntingly, her crystal blue irises are visible underneath her blonde eyelashes.This facet of her preservation has led to her becoming known as the blinking mummy because some people swear that Rosalia Lombardos eyes still open and close throughout the day. Why Rosalia Lombardos Eyes Appear To OpenRosalia Lombardos eyes have fueled Sicilian lore for the past 100 years. She is one of 8,000 mummies in the catacombs underneath the Capuchin convent in Palermo, Sicily. And of the thousands of visitors who flock to see the blonde-haired girl, many report witnessing her eyes slowly open.Fabrizio Villa/Getty ImagesPaleopathologist and mummiologist Dario Piombino-Mascali with Rosalia Lombardos body in Palermo.In fact, a video composite of several time-lapse photographs appears to reveal Lombardo opening her eyes by a fraction of an inch.While this set the internet ablaze with tales of the mummy who could open her eyes, in 2009, Italian paleopathologist Dario Piombino-Mascali debunked the central myth surrounding Rosalia Lombardo.Its an optical illusion produced by the light that filters through the side windows, which during the day is subject to change, he said in a statement according to ScienceAlert.Piombino-Mascali made this discovery when he noticed that workers at the museum had moved the mummys case, which caused her to shift slightly and allowed him to see her eyelids better than ever before. They are not completely closed, and indeed they have never been, he said. So, when the light changes and hits her eyes at different angles, it can appear as though the eyes are opening.How A Skilled Embalmer Kept Rosalia Lombardos Body From DecomposingFurthermore, Dario Piombino-Mascali also managed to discover the elusive formula that was used for Lombardos impeccable preservation.Wikimedia CommonsThe mummy of Rosalia Lombardo appears to open her eyes because of a trick of the light reflecting off her half-closed eyelids, which have remained open since she was embalmed in 1920.When Rosalia Lombardos embalmer Alfredo Salafia died in 1933, he took the secret formula to the grave. Piombino-Mascali tracked down the embalmers living relatives and uncovered a trove of his papers. Among the documents, he stumbled upon a handwritten memoir in which Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin.Formalin, now widely used by embalmers, is a mixture of formaldehyde and water that eliminates bacteria. Salafia was among the first to use this chemical for embalming bodies. Alcohol, along with the arid climate in the catacombs, dried Lombardos body. Glycerin kept her body from drying out too much, and salicylic acid prevented the growth of fungi.But the zinc salts, according to Melissa Johnson Williams, executive director of the American Society of Embalmers, were the critical element in retaining her remarkable state of preservation. Zinc, a chemical no longer used by embalmers, essentially petrified her tiny body.Zinc gave her rigidity, Williams told National Geographic. You could take her out of the casket prop her up, and she would stand by herself. The embalming procedure was simple, consisting of a single-point injection without any drainage or cavity treatment.The Blinking Mummy TodayRosalia Lombardo was one of the last people interred in the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo before they closed to new burials. The more than 8,000 burials in the catacombs date back to 1500 and include nobility, members of the clergy, and the citys bourgeois. But Rosalias are by far the most special because of her preservation.Her father, according to the catacombs website, instructed her embalmer to make her live forever. And since the catacombs opened up to the public, she has become known as the worlds most beautiful mummy and even gained the nickname Sleeping Beauty of Palermo.Today, Rosalia Lombardo is housed in a new glass case filled with nitrogen designed to protect the remains of this young girl from oxygen, light, and even tourists, who can visit the catacombs for just 3. Wikimedia CommonsRosalia Lombardos coffin is now encased in a protective glass case.It was designed to block any bacteria or fungi. Thanks to a special film, it also protects the body from the effects of light, said paleopathologist Dario Piombino-Mascali.Now, Piombino-Mascali hopes tourists will stop fabricating totally unfounded stories about Rosalia Lombardo, the blinking mummy.After this look at the story of Rosalia Lombardos mummy, read up on Xin Zhui, the 2,000-year-old Chinese mummy affectionately called Lady Dai. Then, learn about the man who may be historys first confirmed murder victim, the 5,300-year-old mummy known as tzi the Iceman.The post The Mystery Of Rosalia Lombardo, The Blinking Mummy Who Appears To Open Her Eyes appeared first on All That's Interesting.

One of the most notorious killers in Arizona history, Angela Simpson tortured, strangled, and dismembered a disabled man all because she suspected that he might be working with law enforcement as a snitch.In August 2009, the brutal murder was uncovered by police in Phoenix. After a residential trash bin was reported to be on fire, authorities discovered burned human remains inside. Fingerprint tests indicated that the remains belonged to Terry Neely, a resident of a local assisted-care facility.Shortly after the gruesome discovery, Simpson who was already behind bars for an unrelated charge admitted to killing Neely. And her remorseless confession was so bone-chilling that it helped inspire the fictional psychopathic hitwoman Villanelle in the thriller series Killing Eve.An Encounter With A Cold-Blooded KillerPhoenix Police DepartmentAngela Simpson expressed no remorse for murdering Terry Neely, a disabled man who used a wheelchair.Angela Simpson, born on November 29, 1975, has claimed that she has a long history of mental illness, a struggle that began when she was 10. She also reportedly began abusing drugs early on, and when she got older, she eventually had four children, although she now refuses to talk about them.Little is known about Simpsons life, save for the murder she committed.The crime began on August 2, 2009, shortly after 46-year-old Terry Neely left his assisted-care facility in his wheelchair. Soon afterward, he was lured into an apartment by 33-year-old Angela Simpson, who he apparently knew.YouTubeTerry Neely was a 46-year-old disabled man who used a motorized wheelchair and lived in an assisted-care facility.Simpson claimed to Neely that she would give him sex and drugs if he entered the apartment with her. Instead, she began brutally torturing him.Over the course of three days, Simpson beat Neely with a tire iron, stabbed him at least 50 times with multiple knives, hammered a three-inch nail into his head, and extracted his teeth, according to Phoenix New Times. Simpson also forced her victim to watch his own torture by placing a mirror right in front of him. As she later put it: He needed to see what he deserved.Eventually, Simpson slashed Neelys throat and strangled him with a television cord, killing him in the same apartment. She then dismembered her victims body and tossed the remains into a nearby residential trash bin, which she set on fire in an attempt to cover up the murder.How Angela Simpson Got CaughtMurderpediaAngela Simpson was eventually sentenced to life in prison in 2012 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder.Unbeknownst to Angela Simpson, the assisted-care facility where Terry Neely lived had filed a missing persons report after they realized that he was gone. And her plan to destroy Neelys remains failed, as the fire department showed up to the trash bin in time to recover the body parts on August 5th.Fingerprint tests on the remains confirmed that they belonged to the missing Neely, and police quickly opened an investigation into his murder.A few days later, Neelys wheelchair was recovered near the apartment of 36-year-old Edward McFarland, a known associate of Simpson. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, investigators searched a different apartment that was known to have been frequented by both Simpson and McFarland and discovered blood stains inside that were a match to Neely.Additionally, a witness reported to police that he had seen smoke coming from that apartment at one point. When he investigated, he saw a City of Phoenix trash can in the kitchen. The same witness also said that Simpson and McFarland asked to borrow his car, and that Simpson confessed to killing Neely and threatened to kill the witness if he reported her.By the time that Simpson and McFarland were interviewed by police, both were already in jail on an unrelated armed robbery charge. And on August 18th, Simpson freely admitted to killing Neely. She would then become nationally infamous for her motive and her apparent lack of remorse.Angela Simpsons Remorseless ConfessionYouTubeAngela Simpson during a prison interview, where she laughed about killing her victim, Terry Neely.Angela Simpson claimed that she murdered Terry Neely because he was a snitch and justified her actions by claiming that he told on a righteous person years ago He told me that. But the Phoenix police department had no record of Neely ever being an informant or telling on anyone.Still, Simpson remained insistent that Neely was a snitch and that he got what he deserved. She expressed no remorse for the murder, and said she regretted only one thing: not being able to kill any more snitches.In a 2009 interview with 3TV shortly after her arrest, Simpson defended her horrific actions to the public: I dont want my children or the people I consider family to be in a place where there are snitches. She added, I believe informants and child molesters should be killed period.Later, Simpson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on March 22, 2012. She was later sentenced to life in prison, plus 14 additional years on other charges. (Meanwhile, her alleged accomplice McFarland was indicted on felony charges of concealment of a dead body and hindering prosecution.)An interview with Angela Simpson in jail.The day of Angela Simpsons sentencing in 2012, she had another interview with 3TV, in which she said she didnt mind getting a life sentence: You know Ive got a lot of family in prison Im okay with that. Im okay with that. Ive got many sisters in prison. I cant wait to see em. Its really not that much of a punishment to be sentenced to spend my life with my family.She was also asked whether she would kill again, to which she responded: If the opportunity arises, I hope so.Simpsons prison interviews were so bone-chilling that inspired the fictional assassin Villanelle in the thriller series Killing Eve. The shows creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge said she fell into a Google hole around female assassins in an interview with The New York Times. And Waller-Bridge said Simpson immediately stood out among other female killers: She sounds more like a psycho than anyone has ever sounded.Controversially, an audio clip from one of Simpsons prison interviews also went viral on TikTok in 2021.According to Newsweek, numerous users lip-synched this quote from Simpson: He told me he was a snitch, on many occasions. I took him to my house, walked him down the street, I dont know why the media acts like the mother f**ker couldnt walk, he walked very well. Walked him upstairs, kicked his a** and killed him.This audio clip is followed by a man asking, Do you think he really was a snitch? and Simpson replying, Oops if he wasnt. Yes, I believe he was.Simpson has still never shown any remorse for murdering an innocent man and she remains behind bars to this day, serving out her life sentence.After reading about Angela Simpson, learn about Isabella Guzman, the teen who stabbed her mom 79 times and later went viral on TikTok. Then, read about 33 of historys most infamous female serial killers.The post The Chilling Story Of Angela Simpson, The Murderer Who Tortured And Killed A Disabled Man appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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