In 1942, in Iran, a unit of Polish soldiers bought an orphaned brown bear cub from a local boy. They named him Wojtek — a name meaning “happy warrior.” Wojtek started out as the unit’s mascot, but he quickly became... Read more
In December 1997, a 23-year-old woman named Julia “Butterfly” Hill climbed a giant redwood tree in California — a tree roughly 1,000 years old and 180 feet tall. Her goal was simple: to stop a logging company from cutting down... Read more
In July 1518, a woman known as Frau Troffea suddenly began dancing in the streets of Strasbourg. There was no music. There was no joy on her face. She simply danced — for hours, then for days. Within a week,... Read more
On the morning of August 6, 1945, a 29-year-old engineer named Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima, on the final day of a three-month business trip. As he walked toward the shipyard, he saw a blinding flash in the sky. He... Read more