In 1990, a British airline pilot somehow survived a harrowing incident where he dangled out the cockpit of his plane high in the air for 20 minutes — Although the disaster can be enormous when things go wrong during air travel, it’s actually much safer than driving by car. The infrequent instances where there are air accidents can produce headline making stories. This includes the story of British Airways Flight 5390 in 1990, which saw its pilot get…

The former big league star player and manager had some interesting insight about what players should consider when pursuing a playing career — Feisty baseball Hall-of-Famer Hughie Jennings was one of the most loquacious figures the sport has ever seen. From his trademark yell of “Ee-yah” as he coached the bases, to his chattering on the field as a player and manager, there is little he wouldn’t say if it came across his…

A special type of dog did some very grueling work for many years in English kitchens to make sure dinner was on the table every night — Dogs have long been referred to as “man’s best friend.” While they are certainly amazing companions for taking walks or enjoying quiet time, they’ve actually held many additional roles of service over the years. One of the most interesting include “Turnspit dogs,” which were valuable helpers in the kitchen and…

A Polish man named Charles Domery could never get full and gained a reputation for eating vast quantities of everything — including things not fit for consumption — There are many people who claim to have bottomless appetites. However, those are mere words compared to the reality of a Polish soldier from more than 200 years ago named Charles Domery. Embodying the definition of a glutton, he could truly never get enough to eat. When he couldn’t find…

In 1948, a British schoolmaster who was against corporal punishment, plotted to have his students ambush and beat a man who came to the school thinking he was giving a speech on the benefits of caning — Although corporal punishment has long been a hot button issue, physical punishments have all but disappeared from Western society school systems. However, more than 70 years ago a zealous advocate for caning children, who sold his own custom canes, went to speak at a British school with the intention of…

A major player in the electric car world is about to add a whole new branch to their growing company — Electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar (PSNY) has emerged as one of the most prominent names in the EV world. While they have made impressive progress designing and delivering their cars, they will soon have a whole new line to offer potential customers. The company’s CEO has announced they will simultaneously begin…

In 1938, a pair of 15-year-old boys broke into a U.S. Treasury building that had previously been thought to be unbeatable — Within society, people like identifying things as being the best, and so advanced and complex that they are unbeatable in calcuable ways. However, most of these assertions fail to hold up over any length of time. A famous example includes the “Unsinkable” Titanic. Another less known instance was in 1938…

In 1907, a deranged New Jersey man tried to get the woman he was obsessed with marrying by taking her to a minister at gunpoint — Usually, weddings are a time for great joy and celebration. The union of two people making a lifetime commitment is a celebration of love. However, that was not the case for a New Jersey woman named Belle Crouse, who was forced to the altar at gunpoint by a love crazed…

More than 100 years ago, Johann Beck spent 16 days confined in a shipping container in the hold of a ship because he couldn’t afford a ticket to emigrate to the U.S. — Throughout history many people have found their personal situations to be untenable and sought new opportunities, even if that meant completely uprooting their lives. Such change is never easy and rarely cheap. This didn’t deter Johann Beck, a poor German man, who pivoted when he discovered he couldn’t afford a…