The Mesoamerican worldview, cyclical and dualistic, understood the universe as a system in constant renewal. The cosmos was organized into 13 heavens and nine underworlds arranged along a central axis, with the earth in the middle. Mictlan was the place where those who died in any way not associated with war, water, or premature […]

On June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico was executed by a firing squad of Mexican Republican soldiers, thus ending the short-lived Second Mexican Empire. From the outset of his reign, Maximilian made several policy mistakes, with the result that the Second Mexican Empire never achieved sufficient domestic support to replace its dependence on […]

Vibia Perpetua was a Roman noblewoman who converted to Christianity early in the 3rd century CE. Her refusal to worship a Roman god resulted in her arrest and, ultimately, her execution in 203 CE. Only 22, with a baby son, she kept a diary chronicling her last days in prison, a diary which represents […]

In antebellum New York City, a rivalry between Shakespearean stage actors spiraled out of control. Supporters of the actors violently clashed in the streets in front of the Astor Place Opera House in May 1849, leading to nearly two dozen dead, 150 wounded, and 177 arrested. How do we make sense of this event? […]

Austrian neurologist and psychologist Sigmund Freud is a pioneer of modern psychology, famously known as the father of psychoanalysis. Despite his fame, most of the quotes circulating online under his name are misattributions. In this article, we examine Freud’s most famous authentic quotes, tracing them back to their original sources and exploring the wealth […]