Cracked Archive - History
How A Former Slave Became Our First Drag Queen
All of history, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the fabulous, had to start somewhere. That’s why we’re here to tell you about William Dorsey Swann.
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- By Adam Bumas
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5
5 4 Stories From The Weird History Of Christianity In Japan
The religion actually has a long history in the country, and that history is totally bonkers.
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- By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz
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- 20
How A Flea Market Find Uncovered A Lost, Unknown Photographic Genius
If not for a $400 flea market box, we'd never have known one of the greatest street photographers.
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- By Oona O'Brien
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4 Unsolved Mysteries That Took Place At American Landmarks
The Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls are hotbeds of enigma.
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- By Amanda Mannen
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Benjamin Franklin Tried To Simplify The English Alphabet ... And Failed
The samples of writing that use Franklin’s alphabet are nightmarish.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 20
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The High-Sea's Mystery Of A Found Ship ... With No Crew Or Passengers
The MV Joyita started out life in 1931 as a pleasure yacht. It ended its life as ... well, no one knows.
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- By Laura Caseley
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- 9
How Harry Houdini Trolled 'Psychics' From The Grave
A tiny case of death didn't stop the great escape artist’s war on mediums.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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4 Ridiculous Lies ... From People With Even More Ridiculous Lives
The following people are known for their wild lies and wilder lives.
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- By Alex Hanton
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I Learned My Hometown, In New Jersey, Welcomed The KKK
The KKK bought a college in New Jersey, and everyone pretends this never happened.
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- By Becca Barglowski
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Inside The Bizarre Theory That Socrates Didn't Exist
Some are trying to claim that Socrates was 'A Beautiful Mind'-style figment of imagination.
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- By Oona O'Brien
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A Virginia Mystery Grave Has Led To Two Centuries Of Rumors And Legends
Who is buried in the grave of The Female Stranger?
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- By Laura Caseley
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Our Odd Obsession With Animals Running For Public Office
And they become a running joke …
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- By Oona O'Brien
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Meet Father Yod, The Hippie Judo Killer Who Made Vegetarian Food Cool
Much of our modern obsession with vegetarian cuisine traces back to one restaurant (and its extremely weird owner).
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- By Mark Hill
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Ancient Greece Had Memes And 'Diogenes Washing Vegetables' Was Its Biggest
Kyrios Mimeme.
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- By Cedric Voets
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How The Great Chicago Fire Gave Birth To The Skyscraper
Without The Great Chicago Fire, Spider-Man wouldn't have anything to swing from and King Kong nothing to climb.
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- By Tara Marie
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