From 1854-1929, Orphan Trains carried orphaned and homeless children from overcrowded eastern cities, such as New York City, to foster homes in the rural midwest. Approximately 200,000 children traveled to new homes during this time. In the 1850s, there were approximately 30,000 homeless or abandoned children in New York City alone. The population of the … Continue reading The Orphan Trains
November 30, 1939 in Independence, Missouri... Sharon Elizabeth Hall was born. She was raised by her mother, who was an alcoholic. She met James Kinne at a church function when she was just 16 years old. The couple, despite James's strong religious background, became physical very early on in their relationship. The summer romance got … Continue reading Sharon Kinne
April 10, 1834 in New Orleans, Louisiana... A fire erupted at the mansion located at 1140 Royal Street in the French Quarter. It was the home of Delphine LaLaurie and her husband, Dr. Leonard LaLaurie. The fire was started by the cook, a 70 year old slave. The woman had been chained to the stove … Continue reading Delphine LaLaurie
Water Intoxication (or water poisoning) is caused when a person drinks too much water. The water gets into your bloodstream and dilutes electrolytes, particularly sodium. This excess water is absorbed by your cells and they swell. This is particularly dangerous in the brain. Symptoms of water intoxication include vomiting, headache, disorientation, frequent urination and fatigue. … Continue reading Water Intoxication
March 9, 1974 in Lubang, Phillippines... Retired Major Yoshimi Taniguchi of the Japanese Imperial Army flew to Lubang to officially relieve Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of his duties and encourage his surrender to President of the Philippines, Ferdinand E. Marcos. Hiroo had been sent to Lubang to fight in 1944. In September of 1945, after … Continue reading Hiroo Onoda
June 20, 1909 in New York City... The New York American newspaper coined the term "Typhoid Mary" to describe an Irish immigrant named Mary Mallon who had been sent away to North Brother Island. Mary was the first identified asymptomatic carrier of the bacteria that causes Typhoid. She claimed that she had never had Typhoid … Continue reading Mary Mallon
August 28, 2003 in Erie, Pennsylvania... A call came into the Mama Mia Pizzeria about 1:30pm. The customer lived on the edge of town. Even though it was near the end of his shift, 46 year old Brian Wells headed out with the order. Brian was born November 15, 1965. He dropped out of high … Continue reading Brian Wells
June 15, 2013 in Burleson, Texas... A little before 11 pm, Breanna Mitchell was driving home from work when she spun out on Burleson-Retta Road in a suburb of Ft. Worth, Texas. Neighbor Eric Boyles, his wife, Hollie, and daughter, Shelby, went outside to see what had happened. Breanna used a cell phone to call … Continue reading Ethan Couch
May 19, 1884 in Southampton, England... The Mignonette set sail for Sydney, Australia. The boat was docked in England, but had been purchased by an Australian. The only way to get it to its new home was to sail it there. The Mignonette was not meant for long voyages and the new owner, John Henry … Continue reading Richard Parker
September 27, 1726 in Surrey, England... Servant Mary Toft, 25 years old, was in labor. She and her husband, Josh, had a child already, but this pregnancy was very different. In August, Mary showed all the signs of a miscarriage, but over a month later, she still appeared pregnant and was lactating. Mary's neighbor Mary … Continue reading Mary Toft
I Can't Believe It's NonFiction 