What happened on this day in history: President William McKinley is shot in Buffalo, Chris McCandless's body is found in Alaska, and more.1522: Ferdinand Magellan’s Ship Becomes The First To Circumnavigates The Globe The Victoria arrives at Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain, becoming the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe. Three years earlier, Ferdinand Magellan had set out from Spain with the Victoria and four other ships in hopes of finding a western route to Indonesia. Read More...
A half-goat demon said to be the son of the Norse god of the underworld, Krampus punishes naughty children at Christmastime — and drags some to hell.They say he comes on the evening of December 5th, a night called “Krampusnacht.” You can usually hear him coming, as the soft steps of his bare human foot alternate with the clip-clop of his cloven hoof.
And when you see him, you’ll instantly notice that he’s armed with birch branches — so he can beat naughty children. Read More...
Court Dwarf Wikimedia CommonsKing Philip IV of Spain prized his court dwarfs so much that he commissioned portraits of himself with them by his side.
At one point in history, dwarfs were nothing but outcasts. True-life dwarfs didn’t even appear in recorded history until they began getting employed as court dwarfs. Some of the first histories of dwarfs happened as a result of their positions in royal courts.
The court dwarf fulfilled a role similar to the jester. Read More...
