Video

A gentleman to some and a menace to others, John Dillinger put America in a frenzy with a spree that led to the formation of the FBI itself—until his luck ran out.

Imagine a world where burly Norse warriors discover a new continent—and then just... walk away. Wild, right? Get ready for a story into why the Vikings pulled the ultimate “not interested” move on North America. But first, an introduction.

The House of Tudor had more than its fair share of scandalous figures, from Henry VIII’s many marriages to the intrigue and plots of the court of Elizabeth I. But few remember the twisted tale of Mary Tudor—the English princess who briefly became Queen of France. From her secret marriage to her bitter rivalry with Anne Boleyn, Mary packed a lot into her short life.

Field Marshal Bernard Law “Monty” Montgomery was instrumental in defeating the Axis forces during WWII. His strategic brilliance, however, was second only to his massive ego and total lack of tact. More people need to know about Bernard “Monty” Montgomery, the man who Winston Churchill himself described as, “In defeat, unbeatable; in victory, unbearable”.

Francis I of France is inevitably compared to Henry VIII. Both kings had big personalities, big love affairs, and big scandals that rocked the face of Europe. But there’s a lot more to Francis than just the similarities to the Tudor counterpart. From his unlikely ascension to the throne to his brutal defeats and torturous later years, Francis did not languish in his neighbor's shadow.

Meg Ryan has been a Hollywood fixture for the better part of four decades. Best known for rom-com romps such as Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, the actress’s off-screen life has been equally romance and comedy-filled....

Marlene Dietrich, David Bowie, and Prince all played fast and loose when it came to what was the norm of dress and behavior for their gender. Let’s go back an astonishing 400 years and meet one of the original gender-fluid celebs. This was a Queen way off in Sweden and right from her birth, people had confused reactions to the child. Was it a girl? Was it a boy? Queen Christina didn’t really care what people thought. She just wanted to live life to the fullest—and she most certainly did.

Best known today as the creator of Frankenstein and its unforgettable monster, Mary Shelley’s private tragedies rivaled anything in her Gothic fiction. From her teenage rebellion to her tormented marriage and all the way up to the final, dark twist of her life, Shelley’s story has a dark magnetism you can’t look away from…even when you want to.

William Wallace may be the most famous Scottish freedom fighter in modern day, but another who outlived and even fought alongside him at one point was Robert the Bruce. Becoming an enemy of England and the law itself, he fought for Scotland’s independence and to claim his right to the Scottish throne. Facing impossible odds, Robert’s efforts would earn him the legacy of a national hero—even if he was a fugitive at the time.

Everywhere Mary Mallon went, death followed. Working as a cook in a wealthy household—and suddenly, sickness. Moving on to another house—in the blink of an eye, entire families down for the count. All the while, Mary was in perfect health. For decades, no one understood what was happening, least of all Mary herself. When they finally discovered the truth, the real nightmare began.

Maria Theresa of Spain, the wife of Louis XIV of France, is a queen whom history has sometimes overlooked. Known for her virtue and religious devotion, the Spanish royal never quite managed to fit in at the fashionable French court and was often outshone by her husband’s many mistresses. But behind her pious and long-suffering façade Maria Theresa was a fascinating woman—with some shocking secrets of her own.

Of all Truman Capote’s beautiful socialite “swans,” Gloria Guinness was the most scandalous. Called “the most elegant woman in the world,” by her admirers, Guinness nonetheless hid immense tragedy, infamy, and bitterness beneath her glittering façade—and dark rumors followed her to her immaculate grave. Pull back the curtain on this high society beauty.