Famous for all eternity; Donald Trump only wishes he had this much bling Photo by v.williams46 Few historical figures are mired in as much mystery as the young boy king, Tutankhamun. Had he died in the 21st century, it's likely his face would have been plastered across celebrity gossip blogs (alongside pictures of his enormous treasure trove of wealth) and Internet forums endlessly circulating rumors regarding his cause of death. To this day, historians are still uncertain how Tutankhamun died so suddenly at age 19. However, had it not been for his untimely death, he might have been lost in historical obscurity; just another Egyptian pharaoh with a lot of pretty baubles. Sure, Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army is one of the greatest archeological discoveries of modern times, but did Steve Martin perform a song about him? British Egyptologist Howard Carter first discovered the steps to Tutankhamun's tomb under the remains of workers' huts in November of 1922, more than 3,000 years after it had first been sealed. A few weeks later on November 26, Carter and Lord Carnarvon entered the antechamber of the tomb, uncovering one of the most extensive and well-preserved burial sites of a pharaoh to date. Their discovery vaulted Tutankhamun out of royal anonymity and into the same sphere of other tragic historical figures such as Pocahontas, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, and Princess Diana. Within a short period of time, Tutankhamun had gone from a blip in an ancient line of rulers, to a mysterious young king frozen inside a gilded fairytale. People love a good story, but there's something unique about that combination of wealth, privilege, and a life cut down at its prime that continues to pique our curiosity. Suggested Sites... Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs - official website of the touring exhibition. Tutankhamun at the Griffith Institute - pictures of the original excavation, excerpts from Howard Carter's diary, and maps of the site. Global Egyptian Museum - a virtual museum that gathers artifacts and pictures from all over the world. The Mysteries of King Tut - National Geographic's exploration on the boy king, with photos, stories, and more. Theban Mapping Project - a project to catalog tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the Theban Necropolis.

Directory categories: Tutankhamun, The Curse of King Tut, Howard Carter, Egyptian History, Egyptology

Archived under: 1920s, Ancient History, Archaeology, Curses, Egypt, History, Museums, Royalty, Tutankhamun

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"I tell you, Ike; Mamie's a looker, but she's no Annette." I recently found out that Nikita Khrushchev and I have at least one thing in common: Disneyland figured into our first trips to the United States -- though not for the same reasons. (Rest assured we didn't go to the "Magic Kingdom" together) My own story is pretty short and really not worth a line in history books: when I was 14, I came from France to "discover" the U.S. I was expecting I'd visit national parks and see the wonders of nature. Instead, the family I was staying with took me to Disneyland, even though I hate roller coasters and rides. I give them a lot of credit, though, for thinking that was the best "American" experience for a little foreigner like me. Apparently, Khrushchev had much higher expectations regarding Disneyland: he asked specifically to visit the amusement park during his first trip to the U.S. in September 1959. The then-Prime Minister of the Soviet Union landed in Washington, DC on September 15, and embarked for a snapshot tour of America, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Des Moines. (Des Moines?) Khrushchev spent only one day in the City of Angels, but still managed to trigger a major diplomatic incident. After a pleasant visit to the 20th Century Fox studios and a lunch with such famous attendees as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, and Charlton Heston, the General Secretary expressed his desire to go to Disneyland. The amusement park had opened in 1955, giving many celebrities and politicians the chance to stroll through the Magic Kingdom and meet with a giant mouse, but the Chief of the LAPD refused to be held responsible for the security of the convoy to Disneyland, arguing that Anaheim was in Orange County, and therefore, out of his jurisdiction. Needless to say, Khrushchev was not happy, and threw a tantrum in front of a baffled crowd: "What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there? Have gangsters taken hold of the place? Your policemen are so tough they can lift a bull by the horns. Surely they can restore order if there are any gangsters around. I say, 'I would very much like to see Disneyland.' They say, 'We cannot guarantee your security.' Then what must I do, commit suicide? For me, such a situation is inconceivable. I cannot find words to explain this to my people." Fortunately, he didn’t bang his shoe to show his anger, keeping that trick for his trip to the United Nations the following year. A film based on the incident was in the works, with Peter Ustinov playing Khrushchev, but the Disney Studio cancelled the project after Walt Disney died in 1966. Too bad, since they would have had the perfect title: "The Bay of the Three Little Pigs Invasion." (*"No, you can't go to Disneyland.") Suggested Sites... Nikita Khrushchev Goes to Hollywood - a detailed report on the Soviet Prime Minister's visit to Los Angeles. The Incident -- According to Walt Disney - what the father of Mickey Mouse had to say about Khrushchev being barred from his park. More Parks That Khrushchev Missed - for his own good?

Directory categories: Nikita Krushchev, Disneyland, The Cold War, Soviet Union, Soviet Leaders

Archived under: 1950s, Amusement Parks, Ancient History, Anniversaries, Bob Hope, California, Celebrities, Censorship, Communism, Communists, Dictators, Disney, Disneyland, History, Hollywood, In Character, Los Angeles, Marilyn Monroe, Men, Presidents, Russia, United Nations, United States, Urban Legends

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Albert Einstein's brain The world has long had an obsession with preserving the body parts of the dead. The ancient Egyptians were famous for it. During the Middle Ages, nearly every church in Europe had relics in its possession, often including the bones and organs of saints. But as perceptions of death changed, these traditions gradually went out of style -- with a few notable exceptions. Most famously, the brain of Albert Einstein was removed after his death and owned by a succession of scientists for the next forty years. Only in the 1990s was it returned to Princeton University, where researchers concluded that, yes, Einstein was smarter than the average bear. After Napoleon’s mysterious death in 1821, his overeager jailers stole many of the former French leader’s belongings -- including his "little corporal" (if you believe the rumors). It now rests in a quiet home in New Jersey. The same fate was said to befall the bodies of John Dillinger and Grigori Rasputin, but both stories just may be urban legends. Other famous body parts that remained in circulation after the deaths of their owners include Oliver Cromwell's head, Sarah Bernhardt's leg, and more recently and tragically, the bones of famed BBC and PBS personality Alistair Cooke. And poor Thomas Hardy's heart was supposedly eaten by his doctor's cat! So I suppose the moral of this story is, at least for dead celebrities, keep your friends close and your enemies far, far away. Suggested Sites... Napoleon's Privates - a recent book about the unfortunate fate of Napoleon's remains -- and other scandalous historical moments. Postcards from the Brain Museum - another book about research completed on the brains of important figures from Einstein to Lenin. Dead Celebrities' Body Parts - photo gallery of just what it sounds like. National Museum of Health and Medicine - owns pieces of Abraham Lincoln’s skull and hair, as well as the bullet that killed him.

Directory categories: History, Death Beliefs and Practices, Collecting, Urban Legends, Dead Celebrities

Archived under: 19th Century, Actors, Anatomy, Ancient History, Authors, Bereavement, Celebrities, Collectibles, Collecting, Crime, Criminals, Dead Celebrities, Death, Grigori Rasputin, History, In Character, Medicine, Mysteries, Mythology and Folklore, Oliver Cromwell, Rumors, Secrets, Urban Legends, Weird Stuff

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"What's in the daily news? I'll tell you what’s in the daily news." So this afternoon I took a gander at what folks were looking for on the Interwebs; seeing what people are searching for or sending to each other. As I surfed, it occurred to me that we have a lot of information in the Yahoo! Directory on those very subjects; the things that people are interested in, whether it be the Obama's dog; the doings at the caves in Lascaux, France; serial killers; Tiger Woods's comeback (and his wife, of course); or baseball gearing up again (not to mention the question of just where Manny Ramirez is going to end up). So take a look at the Yahoo! Directory, won't you? The more you know about the stuff you’re interested in, the more interesting it (and you) will be. Suggested Sites... Yahoo! Directory: Michelle Obama - he may run the country, but I'll bet she runs the household. Yahoo! Directory: French Travel - see the caves before they're fungused away -- and the rest of the country, too. Yahoo! Directory: PGA Tournaments - follow all the action. Yahoo! Directory: Homicide - more than just serial killers -- though they're there, too. Yahoo! Directory: Spring Training - all the info about the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues.

Directory categories: Dogs, Barack Obama Administration, Paleolithic Cave Painting, Serial Killers, Manny Ramirez

Archived under: Ancient History, Animals, Archaeology, Artists, Arts, Athletes, Barack Obama, Baseball, Baseball Players, Crime, Criminals, Dogs, France, Golf, History, In Character, Internet, Law Enforcement, MLB, Models, Presidents, Serial Killers, Spring, Spring Training, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Directory

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(Photo by Kolby) In 1888, 33 explorers and scientists gathered in Washington, D.C., with a mission to create "a society for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge." The result of that meeting was the National Geographic Society, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. National Geographic is near and dear to my heart for a variety of reasons, but mostly for the realms of discovery it's provided for me since childhood. Not only was the Society's magazine the sole delight I could look forward to while visiting various doctors' offices, but its photography, cultural travel, and science articles have been a never-ending source of eye candy and brain manna. The periodical opened up the entire world for Western populations, long before mass media and the Internet were available. Today it has blossomed into dozens of publications and news channels across the planet -- including the glorious National Geographic Channel in HD. But, not to forget the original intent of this organization -- to explore and discover -- here are but a few fruits of the Society's myriad labors: Discovery of Canada's highest peak, Mount Logan Support of the first successful expedition to the North Pole Excavations of Machu Picchu NGS flags flew along with John Glenn on America's first orbital space flight, as well as to the moon on Apollo 11 And in what may have provided the inspiration for my own college aspirations, the National Geographic Society, paired with Louis and Mary Leakey, helped launch (and fund) the careers of Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, and Birute Galdikas, So here's my salute to you, National Geographic, for bestowing upon me -- and the rest of the planet -- your sense of adventure, need for knowledge, and the drive to make our world feel that much smaller, and all of us more connected. Suggested Sites... National Geographic Society - official site of the "society for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge." National Geographic Magazine - official subsite to connect with the popular publication. National Geographic Channel - see what's airing on the television channel. Wikipedia: National Geographic Society - an explanation and history of the group started by explorers and scientists.

Directory categories: National Geographic Society, Conservation, Photojournalism, Anthropology and Archeaology

Archived under: Adventure, Ancient History, Archaeology, Journalism, Magazines, National Geographic, Photography, Society and Culture, Travel

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