DEATH

Tombstone symbols can sometimes be hard to interpret.

The Hidden Meanings Behind 11 Common Tombstone Symbols

"RIP" has a pretty obvious meaning, but some tombstone symbols—like a corn husk or a camel—can be a little puzzling.

Ed Warren and Lorraine Warren in Amityville II: The Possession (1982).

10 Facts About Famed Paranormal Investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren

While 'The Conjuring' films, 'The Amityville Horror,' and 'The Haunting In Connecticut' brought paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren fame, the question of who they were behind the films remains as interesting as ever.

Ghostly legends surround the mausoleum of George Mackenzie.

The Grim, Ghostly History of Scotland's 'Most Haunted' Graveyard

According to local lore, Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland, is haunted by the malevolent ghost of Lord Advocate George "Bluidy" Mackenzie.

Warren G. Harding looking dapper in June 1920.

The Grandson of Warren G. Harding's Mistress Wants to Prove His Presidential Lineage—By Exhuming Harding's Body

For the record, other DNA tests have already proven that Warren G. Harding’s grandson is, in fact, Warren G. Harding’s grandson.

Weekend at Errol Flynn’s: When John Barrymore’s Friends Stole His Corpse From the Morgue for One Last Prank

Drew Barrymore recently corroborated this epic Hollywood legend, but it’s still highly questionable.

13 Inventors Killed By Their Own Inventions

Get swept away in the tale of how Henry Winstanley was swept away in the lighthouse he designed (and other fascinating yet tragic tales).

Fever in the mornin', fever all through the night.

New Study Suggests That Raphael Died from Bloodletting and Pneumonia—Not Syphilis

Many have long believed that Italian painter Raphael’s excessive philandering led to his untimely death.

Grave Error: A Man Attempting to Fake His Own Death Was Caught Because of a Typo

Robert Berger tried to avoid a jail sentence by forging a death certificate. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the Office of Vital Statistics and Regsitry.

The Teddy Roosevelt-Inspired Roller Coaster That Killed 7 People at Coney Island

Between 1907 and 1915, Coney Island's Rough Rider-themed roller coaster killed seven people in two separate incidents.

An unlikely cause of death, streaking through the sky.

The First Death By Meteorite Occurred in 1888

Documents discovered by researchers show that a meteorite killed one man and paralyzed another in modern-day Iraq more than a century ago.

Eden, Janine and Jim, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

University College London Moves Jeremy Bentham's Auto-Icon to a New Location

Jeremy Bentham’s auto-icon, consisting of a wax head and a foam body built around his actual skeleton, has been moved to a new location in its London home.

The 50-Year Journey to Solve the Murder of Harvard Student Jane Britton

Strange powder at the crime scene, rumors about Harvard’s drug crowd, and other red herrings created an investigation rife with dead ends.

The Teenage Girl Gang That Seduced and Killed Nazis

In the 1940s, sisters Freddie and Truus Oversteegen used their unassuming profile as teenagers to ambush and kill Nazis in the Netherlands.

Mount Vesuvius's Volcanic Eruption Turned One Victim's Brain into Glass

It's just one of several horrors that befell victims in Pompeii and Herculaneum when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE.

Not-So-Fancy Feast: Your Cat Probably Would Eat Your Rotting Corpse

The idea of cats devouring their dead owners is no urban legend. A new paper documented these savage creatures dining out on human flesh.

History Vs. Episode 10: Theodore Roosevelt Vs. Death

At age 55, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on an Amazonian jungle trek along the River of Doubt, where he very nearly lost his life. It was, in many ways, the icing on the cake of a life brimming with near-death experiences. He had close encounters with wild

The World's First Human Composting Facility Is Coming to Seattle

Washington state will soon be home to the world’s first human composting facility. The process, which will cost about $5500, will turn a human body into one cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil.

Scientists Just Created 3D Digital Replicas of John F. Kennedy’s Assassination Bullets

Sorry, JFK conspiracy theorists—the National Archives has made it clear that this doesn’t mean his case is reopened.

A Forged Deed and a Bloody Trunk: Mary Farmer’s Plot to Steal Her Landlord’s Home

In 1908, Mary Farmer came up with a plan to steal her landlord's home. The crime was brutal enough to make her the second woman executed by electric chair in New York's history.

A circa 1860s lithograph titled "Fire: The horrors of crinoline & the destruction of human life."

7 Very Victorian Ways to Die

In the Victorian era, a glass of water, a beautiful dress, or a brightly colored piece of wallpaper could all spell your doom.

9 Awesomely Odd American Curiosity Shops You Should Visit

Have a penchant for skulls, specimens, or maybe some human-hair jewelry? We’ve got a place for you!

Why Don’t Bugs Eat People’s Bones?

In "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs," Caitlin Doughty explains why human bones usually don't make a very good snack.

Elisabeth Demidoff's tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris

The Russian Countess Who Supposedly Wanted Company in Her Tomb

Did the Russian aristocrat Elisabeth Demidoff really offer the family fortune to anyone who would spend a year and a day in her tomb?

A ‘Lost’ Viking Graveyard Was Discovered in Norway

The archaeological site in Norway contains several burial mounds and boats that were used in Viking funerals.

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