Alex Hanton
Freelance writer
How Laughing Gas Created America’s First Comedy Boom
The 1840s saw Americans across the country acting like a bunch Jokers
The Guy Who Impersonated A Russian Tsar So Well They Made Him King for Real
Back in the 18th century, plenty of grifters attempted to pass themselves off as royalty, but no one did it quite like Scepan Mali, aka ‘Stephen the Small,’ who somehow convinced the citizens of Montenegro to hand over their country to him
The Time Neil Armstrong Got Suckered Into Searching For Ancient Aliens
Armstrong learned about his mistake mid-flight to South America.
The Lost Civilization Adventures Of The Dude Who Invented The Human Cannonball
Spoiler alert: he had a terrible personality.
The Real Time The USSR Tried To Visit A Magical City
To the mystical city of Shambhala, comrade.
"Rectal Dilators" Were Once Considered A Medical Miracle
The health fads of the past don't really hold up 120 years later.
GUBU, or The Wild Crime Spree That Rocked Ireland In The 1980s
If you're looking for the most wanted criminal in the land, check the attorney general's house first.
That One Time An Evil Baron Stole A Ton Of Arizona
How do you steal 20,000 square miles? With history's most complex ARG.
1920s Illinois Lived In Fear Of The Priest-King Of The Flat Earth
Before being confined to unhinged YouTube videos, Flat-Earthers tried to set up their own government.
When A Guy Named 'Preserved Fish' Ruled New York City - Wikipedia Deep Dive
Wealthy, powerful, inexplicably named: meet Preserved Fish.