Wikimedia CommonsThe HMHS Britannic was converted to a hospital ship during World War I.History is full of infamous shipwrecks. One of the most well-known wrecks is from the Titanic disaster that occurred in 1912. But the Titanic was not an only child. White Star Line, the British shipping company behind the Titanic, also commissioned two other luxurious ocean liners around the same time, the Olympic and the Britannic. The Olympic narrowly escaped tragedy twice before being retired and sold for scrap, but the Britannic would unfortunately meet an untimely demise like the Titanic, also sinking to the bottom of the sea. However, the Britannic is far more hidden in the depths of history than its famous sister. Lets dive into the story of the often-overlooked Britannic, which met a tragic fate after striking a German mine in the Aegean Sea on Nov. 21, 1916.The Commissioning Of The Titanic, The Olympic, And The BritannicWikimedia CommonsThe Olympic and the Britannic in the same Belfast shipyard.The Britannic was the sister ship of the Titanic and the Olympic. The White Star Line ships were meant to be competitors of Cunard Lines Lusitania and Mauretania, in terms of both safety and luxury. The three White Star Line ships were commissioned by J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman and managing director of the shipping company. The Olympic and the Titanic were built first, with construction on the Olympic beginning in 1908 and construction on the Titanic starting in 1909.The ships were so massive that only two of them could be built at a time in a special gantry at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.Wikimedia CommonsThe Britannic under construction.The ocean liners were meant to complete a transatlantic journey in about a week or so. While they were not as fast as other competing ships, like the Lusitania, they were arguably more lavish and elegant. Rumors spread that the Britannic was initially given the name Gigantic, but White Star Line insisted that the ship was always meant to be named Britannic. Still, gossip persisted that its name was changed in order to not create comparisons or compete with its sister ship, the Titanic. Inside The Construction Of The BritannicWikimedia CommonsThe Britannic, shortly before it was launched.Construction on the Britannic didnt begin until three years after work on the Olympic began. Builders started working on the Britannic in November 1911, shortly before the Titanics infamous disaster in April 1912. Like the Olympic and the Titanic, the Britannic was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard. After the tragic sinking of the Titanic, many changes were made to the Britannics design to ensure it would be safer than its sibling.These changes included increasing the ships beam to 94 feet, adding to the overall width of the vessel, and using higher-rated horsepower.The number of watertight compartments was also increased, and crucially, more lifeboats were added. There were 48 lifeboats on board, far more than the Titanics 20 lifeboats, and the Britannics lifeboats had more than enough room for all its passengers, even if the ship was at maximum capacity.The Britannic was officially launched on Feb. 26, 1914. Meant To Be A Passenger Ship, The Britannic Enters World War I InsteadWikimedia CommonsThe HMHS Britannics boat deck.Before the Britannic could begin its regular transatlantic voyages as a commercial vessel, World War I broke out in Europe. Because of this, the Britannic and other liners were requisitioned by the British government.Since the Britannic was larger than many other vessels and a little more challenging to operate, it was converted to a hospital ship.Slightly renamed to HMHS (His Majestys Hospital Ship) Britannic, the vessel was outfitted with extra davits capable of holding even more lifeboats than the ship already had onboard, and the ships dining rooms were transformed into spaces where medical operations could be completed. The ship was also repainted, now sporting a horizontal green stripe and three large red crosses down each side, so it would be clear it was a vessel where wounded soldiers could be treated not one that would fight in battle. By late 1915, the ship was declared fit for service during the war.Wikimedia CommonsA funnel for the HMHS Britannic being transported. On Dec. 23, 1915, the HMHS Britannic embarked on its maiden voyage, sailing from Liverpool, England, to the Greek island of Lemnos. There, the vessel picked up over 3,000 injured and sick British soldiers, then brought them back to Southampton, England. The medical staff aboard treated them throughout the journey and kept them as comfortable as they could.Along with making voyages to pick up wounded soldiers, the HMHS Britannic also spent a few weeks serving as a floating hospital near the Isle of Wight. The vessel was supposed to be released from war duty in June 1916, but it was soon called back to duty as World War I dragged on.The Ships Final Voyage Ended With An ExplosionWikimedia CommonsA New York Times headline about the Britannics sinking. Though the ship was initially thought by some to be the victim of a torpedo, evidence later showed that a mine was responsible for the explosion on board.The HMHS Britannics sixth and final voyage began on Nov. 12, 1916. This time, the ship and its crew were headed back to Lemnos once again. There were 1,066 people on board for this journey, including 673 crew members, 315 Royal Army Medical Corps, 77 nurses, and the captain. The ship made it to a scheduled stop in Naples for coaling. But at the same time, a storm was brewing in the region, forcing the vessel to stay in Naples until a small storm break allowed the liner to continue its mission.While still en route to Lemnos in the Aegean Sea, the HMHS Britannic accidentally hit a German naval mine on Nov. 21, 1916. The resulting explosion, which happened shortly after 8 a.m., caused significant damage to the vessel, which was then located near the island of Kea. Even though some of the watertight compartments flooded, the ship initially seemed capable of staying afloat at least for the time being. The captain, Charles Bartlett, hoped to beach the damaged ship off Kea, so he fatefully ordered the crew to move toward the island at full speed.Unfortunately, this move only caused more water to enter the vessel.By this point, Bartlett had already sent out distress signals, but he was perplexed as to why hed gotten no response from any nearby ships. Unbeknownst to the crew at the time, the explosion had severely damaged the ships antenna wires. While the ship could still send out signals, they could no longer receive them, so they had no idea when help would arrive.And chillingly, it soon became clear that the vessel was doomed.Thanks To Quick Thinking, Most Of The Passengers SurvivedWikimedia CommonsSurvivors of the Britannic, pictured on the HMS Scourge.Captain Charles Bartlett quickly realized that the HMHS Britannic was reaching its flooding limit, and it wouldnt be long before the vessel was in the same condition that the Titanic was in after hitting the infamous iceberg. Bartlett moved quickly to help people evacuate the ship. Tragically, some onboard began to board lifeboats without Bartletts permission, and when they lowered into the water using automatic lowering gear, the lifeboats were sucked into the ships massive, still-spinning propellers.This led to horrifically gruesome deaths for people on two lifeboats. A third lifeboat came dangerously close to the same terrible fate, but fortunately, Bartlett gave the order for the engines to be stopped just in time. The lucky people onboard that lifeboat were able to successfully push away from the now-static propellors that had already claimed lives.Violet Jessop, who survived both the Titanic and the Britannic, later wrote of her near-death experience while escaping the Britannic sinking: I leapt into the water but was sucked under the ships keel which struck my head. I escaped, but years later when I went to my doctor because of a lot of headaches, he discovered I had once sustained a fracture of the skull!Before long, the official order was given for the lifeboats to be lowered, and within an hour after the ship hit the mine, most of the people onboard had been evacuated. Though Bartlett fervently tried to find some way to save the ship after saving the passengers, it soon became clear that he would have to abandon the HMHS Britannic, as it continued sinking into the water.As it turned out, Bartlett was able to step directly into the sea and then swim to one of the lifeboats in the water. Meanwhile, the doomed vessel continued to sink. By 9:07 a.m., it had slipped below the waves less than an hour after the fateful explosion had happened onboard.The Discovery Of The Britannic Wreck And The Exploration That FollowedGreek Ministry Of CultureA diver exploring the wreck of the HMHS Britannic, which lies at the bottom of the Aegean Sea near Kea.Compared to the wreck of the Titanic, the Britannic had a much smoother and much more successful rescue. Of the 1,066 people on board the Britannic, 1,036 people survived the sinking. Tragically, 30 people perished, but the death toll was far lower than that of the Titanic, which saw about 1,500 deaths and only 706 survivors during its sinking.Aside from the quick thinking of the Britannics captain and the prompt evacuation of the vessel, the rescue was also aided by the fact that the Britannic was far closer to land than the Titanic, there were more ships in the surrounding area, and the water temperature was warmer in the Aegean Sea than in the North Atlantic, where the Titanic had met its fate.The wreck of the Britannic was discovered in 1975 by Jacques Cousteau, a French ocean explorer and the co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung. Since then, the wreck has been visited a number of times, but only by the most experienced and most highly-qualified researchers and diving crews.It was only in 2025 that divers with the Greek Ministry Of Culture announced that they had recovered artifacts from the Britannic wreck for the first time ever. One of the most exciting items pulled from the Britannic wreck was the ships lookout bell, but other objects included one of the vessels navigation lamps, ceramic tiles from a Turkish bath, and a pair of binoculars.While the Britannic will never be as infamous as its sister, the Titanic, its notoriety has gradually increased following the discovery of its wreck. The last survivor of the Britannic, George Perman, died on May 24, 2000, just short of his 100th birthday. He had been just 15 when the ship sank. After reading about the sinking of the HMHS Britannic and the wreck left behind, discover the stories of more astonishing shipwrecks around the world. Then, go inside the chilling stories of ghost ships from history.The post What Happened To The HMHS <em>Britannic</em>, The White Star Line Ship That Sank Four Years After The <em>Titanic</em>? appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Treasures of the WorldThe birch tar used by a Stone Age teenager as chewing gum.More than 10,000 years ago, a teenage girl in present-day Estonia put a piece of birch tar in her mouth, chewed it, and spit it out. Now, researchers in Estonia are using the unassuming prehistoric artifact to learn more about her and other Stone Age people. The finding, recently revealed in the Hidden Estonia: Land of Fire and Ice episode of Bettany Hughes Treasures of the World documentary series, offers fascinating insights about the Stone Age people who lived in Europe thousands of years ago. The Stone Age Chewing Gum Found In EstoniaInsights about the chewing gum, analyzed by researchers at the Institute of History and Archaeology at the University of Tartu, were revealed for the first time in a recent episode of Bettany Hughes Treasures of the World documentary series. The researchers found that the gum a small piece of birch tar was chewed by a teenage girl roughly 10,500 years ago. By extracting DNA from traces of saliva in the birch tar, researchers were incredibly able to determine that the Stone Age girl whod chewed the gum likely had brown eyes and brown hair. Having access to the teams research was a really magical moment, Hughes stated. This shows how one throwaway item can bring us face to face with the people of the past. We now know people chewed tar burnt or heated silver-birch bark for things like relieving toothaches and as glue. Its still used as an adhesive today, sealing breaks in tools and pots. Hughes added, We even know [the gum chewer] had brown eyes and hair, which I love because it challenges the assumption that northern Europeans had fair hair and blue eyes. Its such a relatable but profoundly remarkable thing.Treasures of the WorldDocuseries host Bettany Hughes with the 10,500-year-old Stone Age birch tar chewing gum.The episode, Hidden Estonia: Land of Fire and Ice, also discussed other exciting archaeological finds in the country, including a metal cross with a vulva and a penis that makes a brilliant noise when the two pieces knock against each other, as well as the 12th-century remains of a woman buried with a fertilized egg. But the chewing gum is an especially interesting discovery. And its not the first time that such an object has offered insights about prehistoric people. How Prehistoric People Used GumWhile an exciting discovery, the chewing gum in Estonia is not the first such artifact to be analyzed by researchers. Gum from other places has offered fascinating insights about prehistoric people as well. In 2019, researchers in Denmark analyzed a piece of 5,700-year-old chewing gum (birch bark) and uncovered a fascinating story about the person whod chewed it. They found that the chewer was a female with dark skin, dark hair, and blue eyes, and that she likely subsisted on a diet that included hazelnuts and duck. They also found evidence of gum disease, as well as Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes pneumonia. Tom BjrklundA depiction of the woman or girl who chewed the 5,700-year-old gum found in Denmark.A few years later, in 2024, researchers put forward a study about 10,000-year-old gobs of gum (also pieces of resin made of birch bark) that had been found in Sweden. Chewed by Stone Age teenagers, the gum revealed insights about their diet deer, trout, and hazelnuts and that one of the chewers had a painful gum infection. Discoveries like these offer a unique and fascinating look at people who lived thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago. And for Hughes, the gum found in Estonia is especially significant as a window into life in prehistoric Europe. Estonia feels like a mystical place, Hughes remarked. A cherished land full of intriguing wonders. Facing the Baltic Sea, it boasts over 2,000 islands. Half the country is covered in forest. Beneath the surface of these stunning Nordic landscapes are fascinating secret histories. And new science is uncovering untold stories.After reading about the Stone Age gum found in Estonia, discover the story of the horrifying werewolf trials that swept through Europe beginning in the 14th century. Or, learn about the fall of the Soviet Union through this collection of striking photographs.The post Archaeologists In Estonia Discover 10,500-Year-Old Gum That Was Chewed By A Stone Age Teenager appeared first on All That's Interesting.

R&R Delivery AuthorityExcavations began this year, in advance of a restoration project at the Palace of Westminster.Archaeologists have unearthed dozens of artifacts, some dating as far back as 6,000 years, right beneath Londons Palace of Westminster. These discoveries come after an archaeological survey was launched in anticipation of restoration work at Britains Houses of Parliament.The newly-uncovered relics, which span thousands of years, include everything from Stone Age tools to a heart-shaped badge from the Middle Ages to a Victorian beer jug. In perhaps the most exciting discovery, archaeologists unearthed the remains of Lesser Hall, a medieval structure that was once used as a royal dining hall. It was believed to have been destroyed in the fire of 1834, but now, like so many other pieces of English history, it has finally come to light.The Artifacts Found Under The Palace Of Westminster, From The Stone Age To The Victorian PeriodR&R Delivery AuthorityArchaeologists found approximately 60 prehistoric flint tools.The archaeological excavations, led by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), have uncovered a wealth of artifacts spanning from Neolithic societies to medieval times to the Victorian era, according to a statement from the Houses of Parliaments Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority. Among the items were approximately 60 struck flint tools from the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic period.These artifacts, dating back to around 4300 B.C.E., were found undisturbed in the sands below the palace. Archaeologists have theorized that the landmass along the Thames, then known as Thorney Island, was where prehistoric peoples likely fished, hunted, and gathered food.The history of Westminster is long, fascinating and well-documented. Discoveries such as these allow us to add to our knowledge of this ancient site, Lord McFall of Alcluith said in the statement.Archaeologists also found the remains of a Roman altar from 2,000 years ago. Experts think the altar was repurposed and later incorporated into the structure of the Palace of Westminster.MOLA 2025The medieval badge made of lead thats shaped like a flowering heart.Also uncovered were fragments of centuries old clothing, including leather footwear and straps. Researchers also discovered an ornate lead badge in the shape of a flowering heart from the medieval period as well as a 19th-century five-pint beer jug.A Major Medieval Discovery Underneath The Houses Of ParliamentR&R Delivery AuthorityThe remains of the medieval Lesser Hall.The most noteworthy find from the past year of excavations was the discovery of Lesser Hall in August 2025. Lesser Hall was first built around 1167, and served as the royal dining space before being converted for parliamentary use, housing the Court of Chancery, the Court of Requests, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords over the years.It was believed to have been destroyed during the Great Fire of 1834, which started in the furnace room in the halls basement. However, the new archaeological evidence suggests that not only did pieces of the hall last through the fire, but the remaining pieces also survived a nearby bombing during World War II.R&R Delivery AuthorityThe Victorian beer jug, inscribed with the name of George Painter, tavern keeper of the historic Ship and Turtle Tavern in Londons Leadenhall area.The locating of the Lesser Hall walls is particularly exciting. As this work continues, we hope it will further expand our understanding of the surviving Medieval buildings, especially Westminster Hall, and that the discoveries will enrich our knowledge of this World Heritage Site, said David Brock, Head of the Government Historic Estates Unit at Historic England. It must also pave the way for a sensitive response to the sites past when proposals are made for the restoration and renewal of the Palace.Excavations at the Palace of Westminster are ongoing. Currently, the archaeological team is excavating 14 trial pits, drilling 10 geoarchaeological boreholes, and surveying the river foreshore for artifacts.The work will continue on through 2026, with a full report on their findings due out in 2027.It is vital we continue these investigations to understand what lies beneath the ground here at an early stage to inform and guide decisions on design and further surveys ahead of future enabling and construction works, said Diane Abrams, archaeology lead at the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority.After reading about the discoveries beneath the Palace of Westminster, learn about the medieval dungeon that archaeologists found underneath Leicesters market place. Then, take a look at the 3,000-year-old Scottish weapons found in a soccer field.The post Dozens Of Artifacts Dating Back 6,000 Years Have Been Discovered Underneath Londons Westminster Palace appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsBobby Kent was killed in 1993.In 1993, seven people lured 20-year-old Bobby Kent to a construction site in Florida and savagely killed him. What could be the motive behind such a brutal murder? In the words of the killers, Kent was a bully who had physically and emotionally abused many of them for years.Several of the killers, including Kents best friend since childhood, Marty Puccio Jr., claimed that Kent was a cruel and domineering figure. Not only did Kent and Puccio have an abusive and contentious relationship, but Kent had also purportedly abused his ex-girlfriend, Ali Willis.Puccio, Willis, and five others got together to kill Kent, in a brutal and shocking homicide that ultimately inspired the 2001 film Bully.How A Childhood Friendship Turned SourBobby Kent was born on May 12, 1973 to Iranian immigrants Fred and Farah (Khayam) Kent in Hollywood, Florida. But while Kent seemed like a well-behaved boy to adults, he showed a different side to his peers including his best friend, Marty Puccio. According to court documents, Kent and Puccio had known each other since third grade, and grew up on the same block in Broward County. The Sun Sentinel additionally reported that the two were inseperable and that, in addition to school, they went to parties together, worked out together, and were even arrested together on a handful of minor charges. However, bad blood had quietly developed between the two. Puccio later claimed that Kent would bully and pummel him. Court documents compiled by Florida State University additionally claim that Kent once derived amusement by sicking his dog on Puccio, and on another occasion punched Puccio in the face when he drove his car up onto a curb.According to Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze, there was also a homosexual element to Kent and Puccios relationship. The two boys pretended to be a couple in order to hustle gay men, Puccio made money through phone sex, and Kent tried to sell a pornography film.Free Marty Puccio/FacebookMarty Puccio in the early 1990s.Bobby was almost pimping Marty and they were getting money that way, and who knows what [else] they actually did? Larry Clark, who directed the 2001 film Bully, told the Los Angeles Times. We dont know. But I felt this was an interesting part of the story that I insisted be in the screenplay.Whatever their relationship, things grew more complicated between Puccio and Kent when they started dating women. In 1993, Puccio began dating Lisa Connelly, and Connelly set Kent up with her friend, Alice Ali Willis.But it wasnt long before Kent started abusing Willis. Then, a few weeks before Bobby Kents murder, Connelly asked Puccio about his true feelings toward Kent. And Marty Puccio told her about the years of abuse.That opened the floodgates, Sheriffs Lt. Richard Scheff told the Sun Sentinel. Marty said how much he disliked Bobby.Marty Puccio told his girlfriend that he was tired of Kent pushing him around and insulting him. Connelly stated that she didnt like Kent and that he scared her. According to investigators, Puccio and Connelly and soon Willis as well then begun to plot Bobby Kents murder.The Murder Of Bobby KentOn July 13, 1993, Connelly, Puccio, and Willis tried to kill Bobby Kent for the first time. They lured Kent to a construction site in Weston, but though Connelly had a gun, she seemingly lost her nerve. However, the killers were determined. They recruited more people Willis new boyfriend Donny Semenec, her friend Heather Swallers, Connellys cousin, Derek Dzvirko, and a self-proclaimed hitman and tough guy named Derek Kaufman who would would become known as the Broward Seven. And the very next night, July 14, the killers put their plan into action. ZUMA Press, Inc.Several of the Broward Seven and their lawyers following the murder of Bobby Kent.They lured Kent to a construction site by telling him he could race Willis Mustang in a drag race, according to the Sun Sentinel. Kent arrived and met Willis, who was soon joined by Swallers and Semenec. The women distracted Kent, and then Semenec attacked by stabbing him in the neck. Kent, noticing Puccio at the scene, yelled for his help, saying Marty, Marty, help me. But instead of helping Kent, Puccio stabbed Kent in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. What I remember after that was [Kent] screaming at Marty, Bobbys yelling at Marty: Get him, get him. Do something, do something. He hit me, he hit me,' Willis later told NBC Miami. I remember standing there To me, it looked like [Puccio] hauled off and hit [Kent]. Ill never forget the look on [Kents] face when this happened. I looked down and there was blood everywhere and he was holding his stomach and I just froze.Then the others attacked. They stabbed Kent with knives and beat him with a lead pipe and a baseball bat. Once Kent was unconscious and fatally wounded, they rolled his body into the swamp, where they hoped that alligators would finish the job. The Broward Seven may have planned to take the secret of Bobby Kents murder to their grave. But when the gravity of what theyd done set in, Dzvirko confessed to his uncle and then the full truth quickly came out.Bobby Kents Murder Inspires BullyShortly after Bobby Kents murder, the seven people who had killed him were arrested. Kents family was astounded to learn that Puccio, Kents childhood friend, was one of the killers. After 14 years of friendship, I cant believe this, his father told the Sun Sentinel. [Martin and Bobby] spent 99 percent of their time together. I fixed them sandwiches and dinners. They have been together since they went to Hollywood Hills Elementary School.For his part, however, Puccio claimed that Kents relentless bullying had driven him to murder. He was ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to death, before his sentence was reduced to life in prison. Semenec and Kaufman were also sentenced to life in prison, and Connelly, Willis, Dzvirko, and Swallers, all served several years in prison, but have since been released. But the legacy of their crime lives on. In 1997, Schutze wrote Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge, and in 2001, the story of Kents murder was adapted into the film Bully.Wikipedia2001 film poster for Bully, a film inspired by the murder of Bobby KentWhile critics gave the film mixed to poor reviews, the late Roger Ebert was one of the films staunch proponents. He wrote: Bully calls the bluff of movies that pretend to be about murder but are really about entertainment. His film has all the sadness and shabbiness, all the mess and cruelty and thoughtless stupidity of the real thing. this is not about the evil sadist and the release of revenge; its about how a group of kids will do something no single member is capable of. And about the moral void these kids inhabit.After reading about the murder of Bobby Kent, and how it inspired the 2001 film Bully, discover the harrowing true stories behind The Conjuring films. Or, go inside the chilling true story behind the horror classic The Exorcist.The post How The Grisly Murder Of Bobby Kent Inspired The Cult Classic Film Bully appeared first on All That's Interesting.

When Howard Carter peered into the sealed tomb of Tutankhamun on Nov. 26, 1922, and whispered that he saw wonderful things, he could not have imagined that his discovery would launch not only the greatest archaeological sensation of the century but also one of historys most enduring supernatural legends: the tale of King Tuts curse.Within months of breaching the pharaohs 3,000-year-old resting place, members of the expedition began dying under mysterious circumstances, sparking headlines about an ancient curse that would claim victims for years to come.Some of the alleged victims of King Tuts curse never even set foot in his tomb. They were simply connected in one way or another to the pharaohs mummy, to the glimmering artifacts found inside his burial chamber, or even just to Lord Carnarvon, the British aristocrat who financed the excavations.The Curse of the Pharaohs became a cultural phenomenon that blended genuine tragedy with media sensationalism, raising questions that persist to this day: Were these deaths the result of paranormal vengeance or something far more earthly?Click here to view slideshowThe Discovery That Took The World By StormThe story began in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, where British archaeologist Howard Carter had spent 15 frustrating years searching for the tomb of the obscure boy king Tutankhamun.Financed by the wealthy Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, Carter's excavations had yielded little beyond mounting expenses and dwindling hope. Lord Carnarvon, who had taken up Egyptology after seeking Egypt's warm climate to recover from a serious automobile accident, was considering abandoning the project when Carter finally struck gold in November 1922.Wellcome CollectionA close-up of King Tut's mummified skull.The discovery was everything archaeologists dream of: an essentially intact royal tomb, untouched by grave robbers, filled with golden treasures and artifacts that offered an unprecedented window into ancient Egyptian royal life. Lord Carnarvon rushed from England to be present for the opening, becoming one of the first people in over three millennia to gaze upon the pharaoh's treasures. The tomb contained over 5,000 objects, from gilded chariots to the iconic golden funerary mask that would become one of the most recognizable images in archaeology.Carter, meanwhile, assembled a team of experts to carefully catalog and preserve the delicate artifacts. Among them was Arthur Mace, an experienced archaeologist from the Metropolitan Museum who helped open the sealed chambers, and various visiting scholars and dignitaries who were granted the privilege of viewing this archaeological miracle. The discovery made international headlines, drawing tourists from around the world and establishing Tutankhamun as the most famous pharaoh in history, despite his relatively minor role in ancient Egypt's actual political landscape.But the tomb also made headlines for another reason when people involved with the find began dropping dead from "King Tut's curse."Death Comes To The DisturbersThe curse narrative began almost immediately after Lord Carnarvon's sudden death on April 5, 1923, just five months after the tomb's opening. The earl had been bitten by a mosquito, accidentally reopened the wound while shaving, and developed blood poisoning that progressed to pneumonia. He died in Cairo at age 56, his weakened constitution from his earlier accident unable to fight the infection. Newspapers, however, seized upon his death with sensational headlines, claiming that disturbing the pharaoh's rest had triggered supernatural revenge.These rumors were exacerbated by Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes. As the Glasgow Herald reported on April 6, 1923, Doyle stated, "An evil elemental may have caused Lord Carnarvon's fatal illness. One does not know what elementals existed in those days, nor what their form might be. The Egyptians knew a great deal more about those things than we do." The alleged curse of King Tut quickly accumulated victims. Public DomainHoward Carter, the archaeologist who led the excavation of Tut's tomb, pictured here in 1924. Lord Carnarvon's half-brother, Aubrey Herbert, died just five months later in September 1923, also from blood poisoning following a dental procedure. American railroad magnate George Jay Gould, who had visited the tomb as Carnarvon's guest, died in May 1923 from pneumonia after reportedly falling ill shortly after his trip to Egypt. The pattern seemed undeniable: Those who entered the tomb were being struck down by mysterious illnesses.More deaths followed in subsequent years, each adding to the mythology. Arthur Mace, who had worked directly with Carter in removing artifacts and handling the mummy itself, left Egypt in 1924 due to declining health and died in 1928 from complications of pleurisy and pneumonia at age 53. Archaeologist Hugh Evelyn-White, who had entered the mortuary chamber, hanged himself in 1924, allegedly leaving a suicide note stating, "I have succumbed to a curse."Even peripheral connections proved fatal in the public imagination: Egyptologist Aaron Ember, who was merely friends with expedition members, died in a 1926 house fire while trying to save his manuscript titled The Egyptian Book of the Dead.The stories of King Tut's curse grew more elaborate with each retelling, too. Sir Bruce Ingram, a friend of Carter who was gifted a mummified hand by the archaeologist that he used as a paperweight, saw his house burn down and then flood during reconstruction. Radiologist Sir Archibald Douglas Reid allegedly died soon after X-raying Tut's mummy, though this tale proved to be fabricated Carter did reportedly invite him to examine the corpse, but Reid died before he had the chance.The media had also reported that lights went out across Cairo at the moment of Carnarvon's death and that his dog simultaneously howled and died back in England, though neither claim was verified. In fact, as more and more people looked into the so-called curse of King Tut, they would ultimately discover exactly how much of it was completely fictional. The Scientific Reality Behind King Tut's CurseModern analysis revealed that the curse was largely a creation of sensational journalism meeting unfortunate coincidence. Of the 58 people who were reportedly present when the tomb and sarcophagus were opened, only eight died within 12 years hardly evidence of supernatural targeting. Most tellingly, Howard Carter himself, who spent more time in the tomb than anyone and handled the mummy directly, lived until 1939, dying at age 64 from cancer.In truth, the deaths that were attributed to King Tut's curse can largely be linked to the comparatively rudimentary medical knowledge of the 1920s. Before the discovery of antibiotics, infections from mosquito bites, dental procedures, and minor wounds frequently proved fatal. Blood poisoning, pneumonia, and pleurisy were common killers in an era when medical science had limited tools to combat bacterial infections. Lord Carnarvon's compromised immune system from his earlier accident made him particularly vulnerable, as did Arthur Mace's progressive respiratory condition.Public DomainHoward Carter kneels down to peer into a shrine in King Tut's tomb alongside archaeologist Arthur Callender (right) and an Egyptian worker.Some scientists have proposed that environmental hazards in the tomb itself may have contributed to respiratory illnesses. The sealed chamber contained dust, bat droppings, and potentially toxic fungal spores like Aspergillus flavus that could have accumulated over millennia. Archaeologists working in poorly ventilated ancient tombs inhaled these irritants for hours, potentially triggering or exacerbating lung conditions. This would explain why those who spent the most time inside, like Mace, developed respiratory problems, while other visitors remained healthy.Occupational hazards also claimed supposed curse victims. Sir Archibald Douglas Reid likely died from radiation poisoning, a common fate for early radiologists who worked before the dangers of X-ray exposure were understood. His profession, not Egyptian magic, killed him. Hugh Evelyn-White's suicide appears linked to depression and the psychological impact of losing friends, possibly exacerbated by the media hysteria surrounding the curse itself a tragic case where belief in King Tut's curse may have become self-fulfilling.The curse legend reveals more about 1920s society than ancient Egyptian supernatural power. The public was hungry for mystery and exoticism in the aftermath of World War I. Egypt represented a romantic escape, and the idea that ancient powers could reach across millennia to punish modern intruders satisfied a cultural appetite for the occult that was widespread in the era especially as Egyptomania swept across the Western world. Newspapers simply discovered that curse stories sold papers, and each new death no matter how tangentially connected to the tomb was eagerly added to the tally.But the most damning evidence against King Tut's curse is what was never found: curse inscriptions in Tutankhamun's tomb. The dire warnings allegedly carved into the tomb walls were complete fabrications. The actual deaths, tragic as they were, fell well within normal mortality rates for the era, and the vast majority of people connected to the discovery lived long, healthy lives. After learning about the alleged curse of King Tut, read the stories of 13 people who fell victim to the Hope Diamond curse. Or, read about the incredible story behind King Tut's mask.The post Is King Tuts Tomb Really Cursed? Inside The Stories Of 9 People Who Were Allegedly Hexed By The Pharaoh appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsThe Jolly Roger, a common flag flown by some famous pirates.From roughly the 1650s to the 1730s, the world was in the throes of the Golden Age of Piracy. Although its often romanticized in recent years, it was a brutal and tumultuous time period, with thousands of pirates terrorizing the worlds oceans, disrupting global trade routes, and challenging the naval supremacy of Europes greatest empires.While popular culture has sometimes portrayed pirates as swashbuckling adventurers who were simply seeking treasure and freedom, the reality was often a far more complex story of desperation, violence, and rebellion against the rigid social hierarchies of the early modern world.Learn about some of historys most famous pirates below.Click here to view slideshowThe Rise Of Famous Pirates During The Golden Age Of PiracyThe Golden Age of Piracy emerged from a perfect storm of historical circumstances. The expansion of European colonialism had created lucrative trade networks across the Atlantic, with ships laden with sugar, tobacco, silver, and enslaved people crossing between the Old World and the New World. Simultaneously, various European wars including the War of Spanish Succession had produced countless experienced sailors who suddenly found themselves unemployed when peace treaties were signed.These men (and sometimes women), skilled in naval warfare but often facing poverty and harsh conditions in legitimate maritime employment, turned to piracy as a more profitable and, paradoxically, more egalitarian alternative.As historian Mark Cartwright explains in the World History Encyclopedia, the Caribbean was one of the biggest centers of pirate activity, with Nassau in the Bahamas known at the time as New Providence Harbour serving as an unofficial pirate haven around 1700. Here, pirates created their own societies, governed by codes that were surprisingly democratic for their time. Wikimedia CommonsCapture of the Pirate, Blackbeard, 1718 by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris.Unlike the stricter hierarchies aboard naval and merchant vessels, pirate crews often voted for their captains and quartermasters, and they distributed plunder according to agreed-upon shares. Every crew member had a vote in major decisions, and many pirate codes included provisions for compensation if sailors were injured in battle an early form of workers' compensation that often didn't exist in legitimate maritime employment.Of course, many tales about famous pirates were heavily exaggerated. "Pirate adventures and courtroom trials made good press stories," writes Dr. Robert Blyth, the author of Buried Treasure: A Pirate Miscellany. Blyth adds: "They featured regularly in early eighteenth-century newspapers and helped shift copies to a public keen to learn the grisly details of the latest pirate heist or the most recent death sentences. But journalists and editors also exaggerated their stories to make pirates appear even more violent and destructive. The 'golden age of piracy' was no stranger to fake news!"The Golden Age of Piracy had to come to an end eventually, though. At the end of the day, pirates were still thieves (and often killers), and their widespread presence was a constant threat to the European empires, which relied on naval transport and shipping to supply their colonies. The Decline And Lasting Legacy Of PiracyThe Golden Age of Piracy began to wane around the 1720s, as European powers finally coordinated effective responses to the pirate threat. Ultimately, the appointment of former privateer Woodes Rogers as governor of the Bahamas in 1717 marked a major turning point. Rogers offered pirates the King's Pardon amnesty in exchange for abandoning piracy. Meanwhile, authorities simultaneously brought military forces to fight against those who refused pardons. Many pirates accepted pardons, while others were hunted down by aggressive naval patrols.Some famous pirates were executed in a brutal and public fashion. Their deaths became spectacles designed to deter other would-be pirates."Hanging was a grisly affair during the 'golden age' of piracy," Blyth writes. "Unlike in the nineteenth century when the 'drop' was calculated to break the neck, leading to near-instant death a short rope was used, which left the condemned to strangle slowly to death, which could take up to 45 minutes."Wikimedia CommonsCaptain William Kidd, publicly gibbeted after his hanging in 1701.Improved naval coordination between European powers, increased patrolling of the world's oceans, and the gradual establishment of more robust colonial governance made piracy increasingly unsustainable. By the early 1730s, the Golden Age of Piracy had effectively ended, even though piracy itself would never completely disappear from the world's seas.The legacy of the Golden Age of Piracy extends far beyond its historical moment, though. Pirates sometimes represented a form of proto-democratic rebellion against imperial authority and maritime exploitation, creating surprisingly egalitarian communities during a deeply hierarchical age. Their codes, their elections, and their systems of sharing wealth offered an alternative model of social organization that would later be studied by historians for insights into other class struggles and resistance movements.Even today, there is a certain appeal to the idea of old-fashioned piracy. Despite the many negatives associated with it, the life of a pirate was also a life that offered a sense of freedom, independence, and self-sufficiency ideals that many people today may feel they are lacking. It's not difficult to see why popular culture has been so captivated by the legendary tales of swashbuckling and seafaring adventures. After reading about these famous pirates, go inside the history of the iconic pirate phrase "shiver me timbers." Then, learn about Port Royal, the pirate haven that was once known as "the wickedest city on Earth."The post From Blackbeard To Anne Bonny, Go Inside The Stories Of 27 Famous Pirates From History appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Cities are large. Even in the ancient world, they served as homes to tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. They are quite unlike a screw or car keys, which are often easy to lose. Yet, the world contains many lost cities lost to time, lost to history, or simply abandoned and forgotten about, only to be discovered centuries later by explorers or archaeologists who happen across them.Today, many of these formerly lost cities are invaluable archaeological locations and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where researchers can carry out investigations into ancient society and visitors can marvel at the architectural magnificence of long-gone societies.Some have even inspired the arts the Strokes, for example, have a song titled Machu Picchu, and Olivia Newton-John starred in the 1980 film Xanadu but for most people, these ancient cities represent the living history of our ancestors.Check out nine of the worlds most famous lost cities below:Machu Picchu: The Wonder Of The Peruvian AndesDiego Grandi / Alamy Stock PhotoMachu Picchu, the 15th-century city nestled in the Peruvian Andes.Machu Picchu sits in the Peruvian Andes at an elevation of 7,900 feet and stretches across an area about the size of Philadelphia. Although the history of the city was once lost to time, most experts now believe the mountaintop ruins were built in the first half of the 15th century on the orders of Inca emperor Pachacuti. Machu Picchu comprised approximately 200 structures, including palaces, temples aligned with the Suns movements, residential areas, a royal tomb, and thousands of stone stairs. The site was surrounded by stepped agricultural terraces irrigated through a complex aqueduct system, and the Incas remarkably built it all without iron or steel tools. Researchers believe Pachacuti had Machu Picchu built as a royal retreat where he and his court would relax, hunt, and feast, though some theorize it functioned as a sacred pilgrimage site for ancestor worship. After about 100 years of occupation, the city was abandoned in the 16th century during the Spanish conquest. Its unclear why, though. Its possible that the inhabitants fled in fear of invaders or were wiped out by European diseases like smallpox. Either way, the Spanish conquistadors never actually found the city, as it was hidden between two Andean peaks. Public DomainExplorer Hiram Bingham with a local guide en route to Machu Picchu in 1911.In fact, Machu Picchu remained largely unknown outside of Peru until American explorer Hiram Bingham published a piece about it in National Geographic magazine in 1913 after a local farmer named Melchor Arteaga guided him to the ruins for 50 cents. Of course, Binghams rediscovery is somewhat disputed, given that locals clearly knew about the site long before his arrival. Still, Bingham deserves some credit for his article and accompanying photographs that put Machu Picchu on the international stage. Machu Picchu was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and remains the pinnacle of Inca architecture. Even today, more than 100 years after Binghams announcement, the ruins continue to fascinate researchers exploring the history of the Inca civilization, and every bit of new information discovered sheds even greater light on this lost citys past.The post The Extraordinary Histories Of 9 Lost Cities And How They Were Finally Rediscovered appeared first on All That's Interesting.

It's always a funny thing when you see a gamer say, "I wish I could live in this world.". It's usually a tribute to how much fun someone is having existing in a video game, but most of the time, that comment isn't being given a lot of thought.

You may remember during the tutorial of Where Winds Meet being able to unleash some pretty crazy moves while learning the ropes. However, when you spawn in, youre drastically less powerful than you were before.

If you hadn't considered shopping at Trader Joe's for stocking stuffers, you should! The chain sells many items perfect for gifting on Christmas morning.