# European History
10 Things We Owe to the French Revolution of 1789
The French Revolution of 1789 had a greater political, intellectual, and cultural impact, than any other revolution in history. It inaugurated a worldwide shift from the absolutist monarchies that had governed most…
The Most Powerful Female Rulers in History
When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, she left a legacy of lifelong public service and dedication to her…
St. George and Beyond: 12 Dragon-Slayers from Around the World
Dragon legends are recorded all over the world, from the seas of Japanese folklore to the icy climes of Northern…
10 Ghosts of the Most Famous Historical Figures and Where to Find Them
Ghosts are dying out. Recent surveys reveal that only a third of American and British people still believe in them.…
12 Suprising Beliefs from the Malleus Maleficarum, the Witchfinder’s Guidebook
In 1484, the Dominican monk and Inquisitor, Heinrich Kramer, was expelled from the city of Innsbruck after failing to prosecute…
Charles II’s Autopsy Revealed his Head was Full of Water and His Body Had No Blood
Today, we think of marriage as something you do when you're in love. But that's actually a pretty new development.…
You Won’t Believe Why Medieval Peasants Chopped Up Their Dead
When you hear the word "zombie," you probably imagine armies of the dead rising from the grave to eat the…
Try Not to be Mortified When You Hear About the Legendary Appetite of Charles Domery
Have you ever been really hungry? So hungry that you feel like you would eat anything that someone put in…
How the Devil and an Irish Folk Story Created the Jack O’ Lantern
The jack-o'-lantern is one of the most cherished Halloween traditions. And like many holiday traditions, not many people know exactly…
14th Century Mongols Spread Death and Terror through Biological Warfare
Biological warfare is hardly a recent invention. Although today we have the technology and knowledge to create devastating biological weapons…