Death Of Elisa Lam, 2013. In 2013, 21-year-old Canadian University Student Elisa Lam Was Staying At The

The Dyatlov Pass incident, Soviet Union, 1959. In January of 1959, a skiing expedition was organized by a group of 10 people from the Ural Ploytechnic Institute led by student Igor Dyatlov. All group members were experienced hikers and skiiers and all except one were students at the institute. The expedition was planned to last three weeks and take the group to the top of Gora Oterton, a mountain in Russia. The group traveled by train to the town of Ivdel and then by truck to the village of Vizhai, the last inhabited settlement before the mountains. The group stayed the night in Vizhai before starting the trek the next day. On January 27th, the group began their expedition. On the 28th, group member Yuri Yudin turned back because of joint pain. That was the last time anyone saw the 9 other group members alive. Cameras and diaries found at the camp detailed the events leading up to the incident. On January 31st, the group stored surplus food and supplies in a wooded valley for their return trip. The next day the group began through the pass. However, due to bad weather conditions, the group got lost and strayed from their route, and instead of turning around they set up camp at the base of Kholat Syakhl (literally ‘Dead Mountain’ in the Mansi language). The group planned to send a telegram to their sports club when they had returned to Vizhai on February 12th. However, Dyatlov expected the trek to take longer, so the 12th came and went with no contact from the group with little alarm. By February 20th, relatives of the hikers demanded a search and rescue operation. The institute sent out volunteer groups consisting of students and teachers which were eventually joined by members of the military. On February 26th, searchers found the groups campsite. The tent had been torn open from the inside and all the groups shoes and personal belongings were still in the tent. Nine sets of footprints showed that the hikers fled the tent wearing only socks, a single shoe, or simply barefoot. Two bodies were discovered along the edge of some woods under a Siberian pine along with the remains of a small fire. The bodies were dressed only in underwear and evidence shows that one of them attempted to climb the tree. Three more bodies were discovered between the woods and camp apparently attempting to return to the tent. Two months later, on May 4th, the remaining bodies were found under 13 feet of snow at the bottom of a 247 foot ravine. Signs show that clothing belonging to the deceased were removed for use by the others. Examination of the bodies posed even more mysteries. While six died of hypothermia, one had a major skull fracture and two had fatal chest fractures. The force needed for these injuries would need be the equivalent of a car wreck. One hiker was missing her eyes, tongue, and part of her lips, one was missing his eyes, and a third was missing his eyebrows. Clothing on some of the bodies tested positive for trace amounts of radiation. Soviet authorities declared that a “compelling natural force” was responsible for the deaths. Numerous theories have been put out including aliens, avalanche, wild animal attacks, attacks by Mansi natives, infrasound panic, and military involvement. In 2019 the case was reopened by Russian authorities who claimed that an avalanche had caused the deaths. These claims have been disputed.

As the United States 2022 Midterm Elections come to a close, both Democratic and Republican parties have celebrated a number of historic victories in the past few weeks. These victories have resulted in a very diverse field of elected candidates.

Alabama

The first woman to be elected to the Senate from Alabama: Katie Britt

Two women, Dixie Bibb Graves and Maryon Pittman Allen, have previously been appointed to the office to fill vacancies.

Arizona

First Latino Republican elected to Congress from Arizona: Juan Ciscomani

Arkansas

First woman to serve as Governor of Arkansas: Sarah Huckabee Sanders (a position previously held by her father Mike Huckabee from 1996 to 2007)

First woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor: Leslie Rutledge

With the election of Sanders and Rutledge, Arkansas will be one of two states with women serving concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor, the other being Massachusetts.

California

First Latino elected to the Senate from California: Alex Padilla (he was previously appointed to the position to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris when she became Vice President)

First elected Black Secretary of State of California: Shirley Weber (Weber was appointed last year to replace Alex Padilla)

First elected Filipino Attorney General: Rob Bonta (Bonta was appointed last year to replace Xavier Becerra who left to become Secretary of Health and Human Services)

First openly LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress: Robert Garcia

First woman and first black woman elected Mayor of Los Angeles: Karen Bass

Colorado

First Latina elected to Congress from Colorado: Yadira Caraveo

Connecticut

First Black woman to serve as Secretary of State of Connecticut: Stephanie Thomas

Florida

First member of Generation Z elected to Congress: Maxwell Frost

Georgia

First Muslim women elected to the Georgia State Legislature: Nabilah Islam and Ruwa Romman

Illinois

First Latina elected to Congress from Illinois: Delia Ramirez

First openly gay person elected to Congress from Illinois: Eric Sorenson

First Muslim elected to the Illinois State House: Abdelnasser Rashid

Iowa

First Arab American to serve in the Iowa State Legislature: Sami Scheetz

Maryland

First Black governor of Maryland: Wes Moore

First Asian American Lieutenant governor: Aruna Miller (her family is from India)

First Black Attorney General of Maryland: Anthony Brown

Massachusetts

One of two of the first openly Lesbian governor is US history and first woman governor of Massachusetts: Maura Haley (the other being Tina Kotek)

With the election of Haley and her running mate Kim Driscoll, Massachusetts will join Arkansas as one of two states with women serving concurrently as both governor and lieutenant governor.

First Black woman to serve as Attorney General of Massachusetts: Andrea Campbell

Michigan

First Black Republican elected to Congress from Michigan: John James

First Indian American elected to Congress from Michigan: Shri Thanedar

Minnesota

First ever Transgender person elected to the Minnesota State Legislature: Leigh Finke

Montana

First ever Transgender person elected to the Montana State Legislature: Zooey Zephyer

First openly nonbinary person elected to the State Legislature: SJ Howell

Nevada

First Latino to serve as Secretary of State of Nevada: Cisco Aguilar

New Hampshire

First ever Transgender man elected to a state legislature in the US: James Roesener

New York

First woman to be elected governor of New York: Kathy Hochul (she assumed the position last year after her successor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, resigned in disgrace)

First candidate elected from a House of Representatives race between two openly gay candidates: George Santos

Ohio

Longest serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives: Marcy Katpur (began serving in 1982)

Oklahoma

First Native American elected to the Senate from Oklahoma in over a century: Markwayne Mullin (Member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)

Robert Owen, also Cherokee, served in the position from 1907 to 1925.

Oregon

One of the two first openly Lesbian governors in US history: Tina Kotek (the other being Maura Haley)

First Latinos elected to Congress from Oregon: Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Andrea Salinas

Pennsylvania

First Black lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania: Austin Davis

First Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania: Summer Lee

Vermont

First woman and first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Vermont: Becca Balint

With the election of Balint, Vermont loses its distinction of being the only state to never send a woman to Congress

First woman to be elected Attorney General of Vermont: Charity Clark

Washington

First Latino Democrat elected to Congress from Washington: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (her predecessor, Jaime Herrera Butler, was the first Hispanic member of Congress from Washington)

The Somerton Man, Australia, 1948. At 6:30 AM, on December 1, 1948, police were called after the body of an unknown man was discovered on Somerton Park Beach in Glenelg, South Australia, about 7 mi (11 km) southwest of Adelaide. He was found laying against the sea wall across from the crippled children’s home. He had an unlit cigarette in the collar of his coat. A search of his pockets revealed an unused second-class rail ticket from Adelaide to Henley Beach, a bus ticket from the city, an aluminum comb made in the US, a half full packet of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, a quarter full box of Bryant & May matches, and an Army Club cigarette package that oddly contained seven cigarettes from the brand Kensitas Club. He had no wallet, cash, or ID of any kind. Witnesses came forward saying that they had seen a man on the beach the previous evening at 7pm and 7:30 to 8pm respectively. Two stated they saw him extend his right arm and then drop it back down and another indicated he had not moved while in view. They didn’t investigate because they thought he was asleep or drunk. One witness indicated that they had seen another man looking down at him from the steps that led to the beach. In 1959, another witness came forward and claimed that he saw a well dressed man carrying another man on his shoulders along the beach that night. Further investigation revealed that all the labels in his clothes had been removed and his dental records couldn’t be matched with any known person. An autopsy showed signs that the man had been poisoned, although the type of poison could not be determined. Other then that, the coroner couldn’t determine the cause of death nor the mans identity. On January 14, 1949, staff at the Adelaide Railway Station discovered a suitcase with its labels removed that was checked in at 11AM on November 30th: the day before the body was found. Inside was a dressing gown, slippers, underwear, a pair of trousers, pajamas, ties, handkerchiefs, shirts, toiletry items, undershirts, a pair of scissors, a screwdriver, a knife, a square of zinc, a stenciling brush, and a book of orange thread - the same thread used to repair the pocket lining of the trousers the man was wearing. All clothing labels had been removed, but the name “Keane” was found on three items, along with three dry cleaning marks on one of the shirts. Not long after an inquest of launched into the mans death, a piece of paper was found in a fob pocket of the mans trousers. The paper had the phrase “Tamam Shud” written on it, meaning “ended” or “finished” in Persian. The phrase came from the book Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, an English translation of a collection of poems by 12th-century Persian polymath Omar Khayyám written in 1859 by Edward Fitzgerald. Following a public appeal by police, the book the paper came from was allegedly located in a car parked on Jetty Road in Glenelg. The book was missing “Tamam Shud” from the last page. Within the book there was also a group of five lines of text that was believed to be a kind of encrypted code. Attempts at deciphering the code have been so far fruitless. A telephone number was also found in the book belonging to a nurse named Jessica Ellen Thomson, who lived 1,300 ft (400 meters) north of where the body was found. When Thomson was interviewed by police, she claimed she had no idea who the man was or why he had her phone number. However, detectives and Thomson’s daughter Kate, claimed she was being evasive and was “taken aback” when showed a plaster bust of the man. Thomson gave a copy of Rubáiyat to Australian Army Lieutenant Alf Boxall while working in Sydney during World War II. However, Boxall was found living in Sydney in 1949 with his copy of the book intact. There was no evidence of any correspondence between Thomson and Boxall since 1945. In 1949, the man was interred at West Terrace Cemetery marked only as the “Somerton Man”.

The case is considered one of Australia’s most “profound mysteries”. There have been numerous theories put forward about the identity of the man and the cause of death. A popular theory states that the man was a spy due to the political tensions at the time, the apparent use of a secret code, the apparent use of an undetectable poison, and the inability by the authorities to identify the man: even investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States and New Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom turned up nothing. In 2022, Adelaide University professor Derek Abbott and Genealogist Colleen M. Fitzpatrick believe they have identified the man as Carl Webb, an electrical instrument maker from South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne. The South Australia Police have not verified this information and have remained “cautiously optimistic” about it.

An original Jack O Lantern made from a turnip.

Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, is said to have been influenced by ancient Christian, pagan, and Irish traditions. In Christianity, Halloween in the first day of AllHallowTide, a festival consisting of All Hallow’s Eve, All Hallow’s Day, and All Soul’s day. The celebration was meant to remember the dead. In pagan tradition, the holiday was influenced by the ancient gealic festival of Samhain, which marks the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. During the festival, large bonfires were lit and the bones of animals kept for slaughter were thrown in as a sacrifice. According to gaelic mythology, during this time, the boundary between the living world and the spirit world is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to cross into our world. According to legend, the spirit of a man named stingy Jack was cursed to wonder the earth for an eternity after his death, with nothing but a hollowed out turnip containing a lit coal to guide his way. He was dubbed Jack of the Lantern or Jack O’ Lantern. The Irish people would carve out gourds, such as turnips, to ward off malicious spirits. Irish immigrants in North America began to use pumpkins because they were easier to carve. The children of the poor would wear costumes and go from door to door of the wealthy receiving small gifts of special cakes called soul cakes in exchange for a song or a prayer for the dead. Eventually children took up this practice by going from door to door asking for small gifts of food or money. Eventually All these traditions evolved into the Halloween that we all know and love.

Today is June 6th. On this day, in 1944, 156,000 allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in Nazi occupied France. 10,000 of these soldiers were counted as casualties by the end of the fighting. The troops consisted of American, British, and Canadian forces. The soldiers attacked at 5 beaches: Utah and Omaha by the Americans, and Gold, Juno, and Sword by the British and Canadians. All five beaches were linked by the 12th. By then, the liberation of France and all of Europe had begun.

To mark the end of Women’s History Month, here are 10 women who changed the world and inspired thousands.

Florence Nightingale, 1820 - 1910

Florence Nightingale trained nurses and organized medical care for soldiers during the Crimean War (1853 to 1856) between the Ottoman and Russian Empires. Considered to be the founder of modern nursing.

Clara Barton, 1821 - 1912

Clara Barton served as a nurse during the American Civil War, providing self taught nursing care, as she did not possess any formal medical training. Went on to found the American Red Cross in 1881.

Marie Curie, 1867 - 1934

Marie Curie was a French-Polish physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research in the field of radioactivity, along with her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel. First woman to win a Nobel prize, and only person to win a Nobel prize to two scientific fields (physics and chemistry). Also first woman to serve as a professor at the University of Paris in France.

Rosa Parks, 1913 - 2005

Rosa Parks was an activist during the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1955, she was arrested for refusing to vacate her bus seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. This incident helped inspire the Montgomery Bus Boycott that led to the desegregation of public buses in the State of Alabama in 1956.

Amelia Earhart, 1897 - disappeared 1937, declared dead 1939

Amelia Earhart was a pilot who was the first female aviator to fly solo over the Atlantic Ocean. Instrumental in the formation of the Ninety-Nines, a female pilots organization. Disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island in 1937, along with her navigator Fred Noonan.

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884 - 1962

Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States as wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945. Advocated for expanded roles of women in the work place and supported the civil rights of Black and Asian Americans. Served as the first chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and oversaw the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Aretha Franklin, 1942 - 2018

Aretha Franklin was a singer and songwriter best known for being the “Queen of Soul”. She started out singing in her church choir as a child, and signed with Columbia Records in 1960 and Atlantic Records in 1966. Sang hit songs that include “Respect”, “Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”, “Think”, and “I Say a Little Prayer”.

Harriet Tubman, 1822 - 1913

Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist and escaped slave who led approximately 70 slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Served as a Union spy during the civil war and supported women’s suffrage after the war. Serves as a symbol for freedom and courage.

Katherine Johnson, 1918 - 2020

Katherine Johnson was a mathematician whose calculations in orbital mechanics working at NASA were critical in the success in the first American crewed spaceflights. Pioneered the use of computers to perform the tasks. One of the first few black women to work as a NASA scientist. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.

Susan B. Anthony, 1820 - 1906

Susan B. Anthony was a social reformer and women’s rights activist who was pivotal in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Staton in 1869, which merged with the American Woman Suffrage Association in 1890 to form the National American Women Suffrage Association, in which Anthony served as a dominant figure. Presented to Congress an amendment that allowed women to vote. The 19th amendment, nicknamed the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment” was passed in 1920, allowing women the right to vote.

As we near the end of pride month, I would like to celebrate a number of LGBTQ+ figures that may be unknown to some.

Alan Turing (1912 - 1954)

Alan Turing was British mathematician, cryptologist, and computer scientist who is credited as the founder of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. During World War II, he worked for Britain’s Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, leading the effort to decrypt German naval intelligence. Turing created a number of methods and devices that helped crack the German Enigma Code and allowed the allies to read German intelligence and allow allied ships to avoid U-Boat ‘Wolf-packs’. Turing’s work was pivotal in helping the allied victory in the war. Sadly, Turing was arrested in 1952 for homosexual acts and convicted of ‘gross indecency’. He accepted chemical castration as an alternative to prison. In 1954, was found dead from suicide by cyanide poisoning. It’s believed that Turing’s work helped shortened the war by several years.

Harvey Milk (1930 - 1978)

Harvey Milk was a politician and the first openly gay man to serve in public office in the United States. Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 and took up residence in the Castro District, a neighborhood that was heavily populated by lesbians and gay men, and opened a camera store called Castro Camera. Milk became involved in politics because of civic issues and policies that drew his ire. Homosexuality was still heavily persecuted in the city at the time. In 1973, he announced his declared his candidacy for city supervisor. However, he faced a negative reception from the established gay political scene and lost the election. He lost his second election two years later. By this point, Milk had become a leading figure in the gay community, known as the “Mayor of Castro Street”, and had allies that included Mayor George Moscone, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, and future Senator Diane Feinstein. Finally, in 1978, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, inaugurated January 8. During his tenure he was involved in a number of issues including childcare, housing, and police reform. Sadly, he only served eleven months in office before he, along with George Moscone, was assassinated by former supervisor Dan White, who was against many of Milks policies. Today, Harvey Milk is considered an icon of San Francisco and a martyr of the LGBTQ movement.

Rose Cleveland (1846 - 1918)

Rose Cleveland was the sister of U.S. President Grover Cleveland and, as such, acted as First Lady of the United States from his inauguration until he married Frances Folsom in 1886. After leaving the White House she became a teacher, writer, and lecturer in Indiana. At age 44 she started a romantic relationship with wealthy widow Evangeline Marrs Simpson. They exchanged numerous letters, some with explicitly erotic imagery. The relationship cooled after six years after Simpson married Episcopal preacher Bishop Henry Whipple, despite Cleveland’s protests. After Whipple died in 1901, their relationship resumed. Cleveland and Evangeline moved to Bagni di Lucca, Italy in 1910, where they cared for Evangeline’s ill brother and settled there after his death. They lived there together until Cleveland died during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. After her death, Evangeline wrote “the light has gone out for me…the loss of this noble and great soul is a blow that I shall not recover from”. Evangeline died in 1930 and is buried in the cemetery in Italy next to Rose. Many of their letters remain an important part of LGBTQ history.

Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987)

Andy Warhol was an American artist, director, and producer who was a leading figure in the pop art movement of the 1950’s to 1970’s. This movement focused on combining fine art with elements of popular culture, hence the name pop art. Warhol’s paintings focused on mass produced consumer goods and celebrity portraits. Warhol’s most famous pieces include Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962), Green Coca-Cola Bottles (1962), Marilyn Diptych (1962), and Mao Tse-Tung (1972). He also directed and produced experimental films including Empire (1964) and Chelsea Girls (1966). His New York City gallery, The Factory, was a popular gathering place for artists, musicians, actors, socialites, and celebrities. In 1966, he became the manager of rock band The Velvet Underground, which became the house band of The Factory. In 1969, he created Interview magazine, which features interviews with celebrities, artists, musicians, and other creatives. Warhol lived openly as a gay man before the gay liberation movement and had a series of male partners. He said his sexuality was a major influence of his work. Warhol died on February 22, 1987 due to complications from a gallbladder surgery. Andy Warhol is regarded as one of America’s most famous visual artists.

Gladys Bentley (1907 - 1960)

Gladys Bentley was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Her career took off after performing at Harry Hansberry’s Clam House, a well known gay speakeasy in New York City. She gained popularity as a black, lesbian, cross dressing performer. She performed in men’s clothes and was backed up by a chorus of drag queens. She sang with a deep, growling voice, and took popular songs and added her own raunchy lyrics while flirting with women in the audience. Despite being openly lesbian in the beginning of her career, she later started wearing dresses and married during the more conservative 1950’s in order to adapt to the mindset of the time period. Bentley died of pneumonia in 1960 and is remembered as an icon of both the LGBTQ and Black communities.

Willem Arondeus (1894 - 1943)

Willem Arondeus was an openly gay Dutch artist and writer who fought for the Dutch resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II. Prior to the war, he wished to work as an artist, but he found very little popularity, so he turned to writing instead. After Germany occupied The Netherlands, Arondeus joined the Resistance Movement, publishing underground periodicals and forging documents. His most famous endeavor, was his involvement in the bombing of the Amsterdam Civil Registry in 1943. The Civil Registry was established following the German invasion and occupation of the Netherlands in 1940 and was used to keep records of all residents of the country and identified those who were Jewish, resistance members, and those who could be called up for forced labor. On March 27, resistance members, including Arondeus, entered the building by disguising themselves as police officers and sedating the guards. They then piled all the documents on the floor and set of explosives. They fire department delayed putting out the fire and then doused the whole building with water. 800,000 ID cards were destroyed in total. Unfortunately, someone betrayed Arondeus and he was subsequently arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. Before his execution, his last words were “tell people that homosexuals are not cowards”.

Gilbert Baker (1951 - 2017)

Gilbert Baker was an American artist and designer who is the original creator of the LGBTQ Rainbow Pride flag. He joined the anti-war movement in the 1970’s where he met, and became friends with, Harvey Milk. Milk commissioned Baker to create a flag that could represent gay pride. Using the American flag as inspiration, Baker hand sew the original flag, which had eight colored stripes (two more than the modern version). Each color represents a different aspect important to the gay community: (from hot pink to violet) sex, life, healing, sunlight, nature, magic, serenity, and spirit. The flag was first flown in San Francisco on June 25, 1978, for gay pride day. Baker died in 2017, and is regarded as a major figure in the pride movement. Today there are many different variations of the Pride flag, with each one representing a different group from the gay community

Larry Kramer (1935 - 2020)

Larry Kramer was an American playwright, author, film producer, and gay rights activist, who worked to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis in the 1980’s. He began his career writing scripts for Columbia pictures, winning an Academy Award for the 1969 film Women in Love. After witnessing the disease later known as AIDS spread among his friends, Kramer became involved in gay activism. In 1982, Kramer co-founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis, now known as GMHC, which provides social services for those infected with AIDS, along with testing, legal assistance, and mental health support. It’s currently the largest AIDS assistance organization in the world After, growing frustrated with the government paralysis and apathy towards gay men, he wanted to engage in further action, so in 1987, he helped found the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). ACT UP is a direct action protest organization that works to change legislation and public policy to end the AIDS crisis. ACT UP soon had chapters in cities all over the United States. The movement then spread internationally, with separate movements being established in other countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, India, and Germany. In 1992, Kramer wrote the play ‘The Destiny of Me’, which follows a character from his 1985 play ‘The Normal Heart’ seeking experimental treatment for AIDS. The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The Normal Heart debuted on Broadway in 2011, and was adapted into an HBO movie in 2014. Kramer died of pneumonia on May 27, 2020.

Bessie Smith (1894 - 1937)

Bessie Smith was an American blues singer, nicknamed the ‘Empress of Blues’. She was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930’s. Smith stated her career busking in the streets to help her family financially. In 1912, she auditioned for a music troupe that included blues legend Ma Rainey. She was originally hired as a dancer. Smith began her solo career at the 81 Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. She signed with Columbia Records in 1923. She made 160 recordings for Columbia, accompanied by some of the most famous musicians of the day including Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, and Sidney Bechet. She became the highest paid black entertainer of the day. Throughout her career, smith was apologetically herself, having affairs with both men and women. Some speculate her bisexuality was hinted at in the lyrics of her songs, including ‘boy in the boat’: “when you see two women walking hand in hand/Just look ‘em over and try to understand/They’ll go to those parties/Having the lights down low/Only those parties where women can go”. Sadly, her career was cut short in 1937, when she died at the age of 43 due to injuries sustained in a car accident enroute to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her funeral was attended by more then 5,000 people. In 1989, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with an entry saying her reign was “definitive, unprecedented, and glorious”.

James Baldwin (1924 - 1987)

James Baldwin was an American writer who gained critical acclaim across multiple forms, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. In 1953, he published his first book ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’, a semi-autobiographical novel which tells the story of a young African American man who grew up in Harlem, New York City, and his relationship with his family and the Pentecostal Church. In 1998, Modern Library ranked the book 39th on its list of 100 best English language novels of the 20th century. In 2005, Time Magazine included the book in its list of the 100 Best Novels from 1923 (when Time was first published) to 2005. In 1956, Baldwin wrote ‘Giovanni’s Room’ whose main character was a gay American man living in Paris, France, who began an affair with an Italian bartender named Giovanni, whom he met at a Gay bar. Gay and Bisexual men are also frequently featured in his other works. His unfinished manuscript Remember This House was expanded and adapted in the 2016 Oscar nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary. His 1974 novel ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ was adapted into a movie in 2018, which won Best Supporting Actress for Regina King at the 91st Academy Awards, where the film was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. King also received Best Supporting Actress at the 76th Golden Globe Awards and 24th Critics Choice Awards. Both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute included it in their top 10 films of 2018. Today, James Baldwin is considered one of the most famous LGBTQ writers in American history.

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.

- Arthur C. Clarke

The Hook Island Sea Monster. This photo supposedly captured a large, Unidentified creature in the water off the coast of Hook Island, Australia.

Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic. This chapel in the Sedlec suburb of the city of Kutna Hora, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic is one of the most unique in the world: the interior is decorated entirely with human bones.

In the mid-12th century, a Catholic monastery was established in Kunta Hora by the Order of Cistercian Monks. It was the first Cistercian abbey in Bohemia and remained in operation until it was dissolved in 1783. In 1278, Henry - the Abbott of the Monastery - was sent to the Holy Land by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. There he collected soil from the area outside Jerusalem where Jesus was supposedly crucified. When he returned home, he scattered this holy soil in the Abby cemetery. Word of this pious act soon spread, making the cemetery a desirable place to be buried for people throughout Central Europe. This, in addition to the Black Death in the 14th century and the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, led to many thousands being buried in the cemetery, leading it to be vastly expanded. Around 1400, a new gothic cathedral was built on the cemetery grounds. The basement of this chapel was used as an ossuary - a vessel or site used for the storing of human remains. Over 40,000 bodies were exhumed to make room in the cemetery and their bones were placed in unorganized heaps within the ossuary.

In 1870, the Schwarzenberg family - a noble family that were patrons of the church - hired local woodcarver Frantisek Rint to organize the bones into a much more aesthetically pleasing arrangement. The results of his work are absolutely astounding. The decorations and furnishings of the chapel are made completely out of human bones. These decorations include four massive bell-shaped mounds, chandelier, an altar, a coat of arms of the House of Schwarzenberg, and a signature of Rint by the front entrance. The chapel has a earned the name "The Chruch of Bones" and receives as many as 200,000 visitors annually.