The Touching Story of the Letter Jimmy Stewart Read Before Every Bombing Mission
Famous for his memorable performances in classic films like The Philadelphia Story (1940), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959), James…
Being a Medieval Executioner Was a Family Profession – And Not By Choice
We’ve all seen medieval executioners in movies and cartoons: the oversized man carrying a large axe, masked with a hood, who brought death to the…
The Battle of Khasham Was the ‘First Deadly Clash’ Between Americans and Russians Since the Cold War
In the early years of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the US coalition forces engaged in conflict with Syrian pro-government militia and Russian private military contractors…
With the Type 93 Torpedo, the Allies Didn’t Know What Hit Them… Literally
The Type 93 torpedo was developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the interwar period and became the most advanced and superior torpedo of…
History of Malbork Castle: From the Teutonic Knights to the Second World War
Malbork Castle has a long and rich history that makes it deserving of its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 13th-century castle is…
The True Story Behind the Court-Martial Scene in ‘Band of Brothers’
Fact and fiction are blended seamlessly in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), which can sometimes make it hard to determine what really happened and…
Why Albert Einstein Wasn’t Involved In the Manhattan Project
One of the brightest minds of the 20th century, you’d think Albert Einstein would have been among those to join the Manhattan Project and help…
Why Can’t the Public Visit J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Grave?
The release of Oppenheimer in 2023 has increased the public’s interest in the life of the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” However, one thing no…
‘The Hurt Locker’ Was a Box Office Flop, Despite Being a Critically-Acclaimed Film
Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (2008) saw Jeremy Renner portray a character serving in the Iraq War. While the film did poorly upon its debut in…
Niš Incident: The Top-Secret Military Confrontation Between the US and the Soviet Union
During the Second World War, the United States teamed up with the Soviet Union to fight the German threat. That’s why, in late 1944, it…
Before Starring Alongside Andy Griffith, Don Knotts Served In the US Army Special Services
Before Don Knotts became a household name for his roles on television and film, he scored some of his first comedy gigs serving in the…
Errol Flynn’s Son Disappeared While Serving As a Photojournalist In Vietnam
In 1970, Sean Flynn, son of Vintage Hollywood legend, Errol Flynn, disappeared in Cambodia while covering the Vietnam War. At 28 years old, he’d already…