When Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley published her novel Frankenstein 200 years ago, she could not have imagined the liberties that would be taken with her characters in the future. Published in 1818, Frankenstein was a success and became so popular that the character of Frankenstein’s monster became a well-known image even in the 1800s. “Everybody, or nearly …
Inspired by the true detective and mystery pulp fiction magazines from the early 20th century, such as Black Mask, Detective Story, and G-Men, crime comics were one of the most popular genres of the Golden Age during the 1940s and 1950s. But public fascination with crime dates back even earlier with publications such as The …
The Brooklyn Bridge opens as the longest suspension bridge in the world and is regarded by some as the eighth “wonder of the world.” The “forerunner of the giants” still stands and is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. When architect John A. Roebling first proposed building a bridge to span the …
With geysers, waterfalls, and hot springs “adorned with decorations more beautiful than human art ever conceived,” Yellowstone National Park is known today for its incredible natural wonders. Our first National Park–and the first in the world–was created by an Act of Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Newspapers …
America’s first daredevil, Sam Patch, astounded audiences by leaping from waterfalls at hair-raising heights. For two years he was unstoppable, cheating death jump after jump. “There’s no mistake in Sam Patch,” he boasted, but a mistake during the jump he dubbed his “last” led to his demise. A Rhode Island cotton mill spinner since childhood, …
