Ayahuasca, or "vine of the soul," is a South American hallucinogenic brew made from the bark and stems of a tropical vine, generally Banisteriopsis caapi, mixed with other psychotropic plants. Many indigenous Amazonian peoples use the brew in their folk medicines and shamanistic rituals. In addition to its hallucinogenic properties, ayahuasca helps protect the body […]
Bedbugs are small, nocturnal, reddish-brown insects that infest dwellings and bedding and feed on human blood. They emit an unpleasant-smelling oily secretion from two glands on their undersurface; but more unpleasant than a bedbug's odor is its bite, which can cause irritation, itching, welts, and swelling. Contrary to popular belief, poor housekeeping does not invite […]
Aviophobia, also called aviatophobia, is the fear of flying or being on an airplane while it is in flight. Because air travel is difficult to avoid, this fear can be crippling both professionally as well as personally. While a significant portion of the population experiences anxiety related to air travel, the fear only becomes aviophobia […]
Canisius was a 16th century Jesuit preacher who fought against the spread of Protestantism in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and Switzerland. His catechism, Summa Doctrinae Christianae, authorized in 1566, was one of the earliest popular expositions of the faith. The reestablishment of Roman Catholicism in Germany after the Reformation was largely due to his zeal, and […]
A towering figure in Russian music and one of the most popular composers in history, Tchaikovsky became interested in music as a child and turned to serious composition at 14. His works are noted for their expressive melodies, and he is said to have revolutionized ballet by transforming it from a grand decorative gesture into […]
Welles began acting on stage at 16 and made his Broadway debut in 1934. In 1937, he and John Houseman formed the Mercury Theatre, creating a series of radio dramas and winning notoriety with their panic-producing broadcast of War of the Worlds. Welles then moved to Hollywood, where, at age 26, he cowrote, directed, produced, […]
In response to the US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the USSR, Cuba, and East Germany, boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. The USSR cited US "chauvinistic sentiments and anti-Soviet hysteria" in its announcement of its decision not to participate. Thanks, in part, […]
By the beginning of 1944, air warfare had turned overwhelmingly in favor of the Allies, who wrought unprecedented destruction on many German cities and on transport and industries throughout German-held Europe. German collapse came after the meeting of the Western and Russian armies at Torgau in Saxony, and after Hitler's death amid the ruins of […]
In 1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, British secretary for Ireland, and Thomas Henry Burke, his undersecretary, were assassinated as they were walking in Dublin's Phoenix Park. They were stabbed to death by members of a radical splinter group of the Fenian movement called the "Invincibles." Two of those arrested turned state's evidence, five were hanged, and […]