Less than a century ago, people were exhibited in enclosures. — An 1835 poster read: “The Greatest Natural & National Curiosity in The World” This was not an advertisement for a rare animal species, nor for a new World Wonder, but for a woman. A black woman called Joice Heth. P.T. Barnum’s display of Joice Heth on August 11, 1835, in…

The hidden poisoners of the Victorian Era. — In 1850, during the Victorian Era, the average life expectancy for men was 40 years. For women, it was two years more. Since then, the average human life span has risen to around 72 years. That 30-year difference has been achieved mainly with better medical care. However, some other factors…

Half a millennium ago, Europeans did some strange things. — The Middle Ages are amongst the five main historical eras. Over a time span of one thousand years, the Middle Ages turned out many customs, underwent numerous changes, and left their mark in history books. However, as with every era from the past, some things that were done during the…

How customs change with time. — The Victorian Era lasted for sixty-four years. …

When animals were tried as humans. — If you go through literature about law practices from several centuries ago, you will come across a peculiar custom — animal trials. In the book “The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals” by Edmund P. …

None of them are practiced in modern-day Italy. — At the peak of its territorial height, the Roman Empire spread over an area of around 5 million km². For comparison, Australia occupies 7.688 million km². As the capital of one of the largest empires in history, Ancient Rome was a mixing pot of customs and traditions. And whereas some…

What lies behind a picture. — It is hard to imagine our world without photography. Capturing moments and later combining them into moving pictures revolutionized the world of entertainment and marketing. For that reason, the camera is frequently mentioned as “one of the most important inventions of all time.” But pictures are not only used for…

Some were granted, some not. — Before they are executed, death row prisoners are usually granted a last statement, a last meal, a phone call, or time with their family. But sometimes, their wishes are not what one would expect from a person whose days are numbered. These are five bizarre last requests of death row…

The power of money, words, and choices. — In 2019, Erika Kullberg was one of the world’s highest-paid lawyers for her age. She earned more than $250.000 as a corporate lawyer in mergers and acquisitions, working in Big Law. “Working in Big Law” means being employed by one of the most prestigious law firms in the US. In…