

The Backstory: Shocking Death of a Heroic 9/11 Widow
25 years ago the 9/11 terrorist attacks killed almost 3000 people. It was a horrific moment in our history but as in so many cases, heroes were born in the midst of tragedy. Beverly Eckert was speaking to her husband on his cell when she heard the South Tower collapse on top of him. She advocated f…

The Backstory: Technology: Where We Came From and Why We’re So Lonely
Imagine trying to describe our technology to someone from 1926. Now imagine trying to defend our tech to someone from 2126! Most importantly, how is this evolution impacting our brains and our bodies? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . On Facebook it’s Patty Steele a…

The Backstory: The London Fog That Killed 12,000
Imagine walking out your front door and not being able to see where you’re stepping because the air is so thick with yellow, greasy smog. This happened in London for 5 days back in 1952 and it killed 12,000 people! Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . On Facebook it’s …

The Backstory: Sibling Squabbles in Royal Families
As we watch the royal family feud in the UK escalate, we’re reminded of our own sibling rivalries. Of course, theirs plays out in the media for our questionable entertainment. But William and Harry are just the latest in a long line of royal family battles that frequently turned violent. Feel fre…

The Backstory: Famous Cat Lovers
You don’t have to be crazy about cats to be at least a little bit fascinated with them, hissing, murder mittens, and all. Great writers like Hemingway, Twain, and Dickens as well as folks like Lincoln, Churchill, Einstein, and Nightingale adored them. As did music icons like Freddie Mercury and Joh…

The Backstory: Steven Spielberg: The Kid Who Literally Snuck Into Hollywood
Believing in yourself is key to success. One of the best examples of that is Steven Spielberg. At the age of 18 he sneaked onto the Universal Studios lot and literally created a job for himself while nobody was looking. Eventually they noticed him, paid him, and he never left. Feel free to DM me i…

The Backstory: Creepy but True: The Gruesome Story of the Castrati
The angelic sounds of choirs from 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries often featured the angelic voices of boy sopranos. But sometimes those angelic voices came from full grown male bodies. They were the castrati, little boys castrated so they’d grow up with powerful soprano voices. Where did they …

The Backstory: Black Bart: 3 Years as the John Gotti of Pirates
Love a good pirate story? This is a real life story of the most successful pirate in history. Black Bart Roberts was a gentleman who reluctantly became a pirate . . but who ultimately was a cold blooded killer as he plundered 400 ships in just 3 years, 10 times as many as Blackbeard! He was finally…

The Backstory: America’s Most Notorious Hacker
We’ve all dealt with scammers or hackers when it comes to our business or personal info. It can be mildly irritating . .or horrifying depending on what they get. One of the earliest and best hackers was Kevin Mitnick. But his life did an astounding 180 after he was finally caught and convicted. Fe…

The Backstory: Terror and Survival at 24,000 Feet
Almost 40 years ago, the roof of a jetliner blew off at 24,000 feet. Amazingly, after a harrowing 13 minutes, the pilots managed to land the plane safely. All but one person survived. This was the flight that changed airline safety forever. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to …