American citizens and diplomats were lined up as hostages in 1979 by a group of armed students who attacked the US Embassy based in Tehran. They used the 52 captives as leverage to support their demand to bring the last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, back to the country to face his crimes.
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The shah was ousted from power during the Iranian Revolution and stayed in the US to receive cancer treatment. Negotiations failed, as did a rescue attempt ordered by the US President at the time, Jimmy Carter. Many unnecessary deaths resulted.
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When Jayne Mansfield was just starting out as a professional model, she was given a chance to pose for a General Electric commercial. She was young and stunning, but in the early 50s, the size of her bosom was deemed too prominent for public viewership, so she was cut out of the scene.
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She wasn’t a naturally talented actress either, but that didn’t prevent her from rising to fame. Her notoriety came largely from her infamous publicity stunts. One notable example was when she jumped into a pool surrounded by journalists and lost her top. Moments like this helped build her larger-than-life persona.
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Dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, 1982
Thousands of people gathered during the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Everyone expected its design to be grandiose and architecturally elaborate, so they were shocked to be greeted by a bleak V-shaped structure.
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Image Courtesy of Biography
The memorial wall was designed by a 21-year-old Chinese-American named Maya Lin, who described her design as something being brutally honest in its simplicity, rising from the earth and bearing the names of those who went missing or died during the war. It was designed to be like the scar of a healing wound.
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The Bhopal Disaster was caused by a gas leak at the pesticide plant (UCIL) Union Carbide India Limited that took the lives of 15,000 people. There had been reported gas leaks before this incident due to equipment problems, but no action was taken to prevent the disaster.
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Image Courtesy of The Economic Times India Times
The mixture of methyl isocyanate and water caused pressure to build in one of the tanks, which eventually released the toxic substance, exposing not just the workers but also those living in neighboring areas. This is still considered one of the worst industrial disasters in the world.
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Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962 created a sudden void, not just in Hollywood but across America, that needed to be filled. Her passing by probable suicide affected many of her fans to the point that the suicide rate in the country doubled in September 1962, a month after her death.
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In her own way, Marilyn lives on, despite her passing. One of her many continuing effects on the world was the inspiration of look-alike contests, like the one shown above. Events like this kicked off mere months after her death.
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Behind the intimidating gorilla masks weren’t hefty men with hairy chests but female artists in high heels and short skirts, protesting against racism and sexism in broad daylight. They were called the Guerilla Girls, and they often took the streets of New York by surprise.
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Image Courtesy of SMH
Except for Donna Kaz, the membership-by-invite squad remained anonymous to ensure the focus remained on the issues at hand rather than their personalities. They were usually armed with posters, billboards, books, and artworks to expose corruption and malpractice in the art world.
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Instead of complaining about her challenging experience during the First and Second World War, before she was known as the novelist who gave life to popular characters Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie took advantage of her monotonous job as a hospital dispenser to learn about her favorite weapon: poison.
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Image Courtesy of War History Online
This is why the characters in more than half of her novels resort to using poison in a most plausible, detailed manner. The realism behind the spiked drinks and deadly toxins wielded by Agatha’s characters came from knowledge that only first-hand experience can provide.
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This is a vintage photograph of American animator Walt Disney, taken in his studio in 1931 by Harris & Ewing. In a playful mood, he shows off a Mickey Mouse illustration to one of his cats. He points an instructional finger to guide the cat’s attention, making this rare print even more adorable.
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Image Courtesy of NiNagore/Reddit
Disneyland is said to have around 200 cats that live in Castle Walkthrough and the park grounds. They were hired by Disney for rodent control and are regarded as employees.
Few people hope to be caught in a storm and shipwrecked on a faraway island with an uncertain future. However, those that do often dream of sharing this experience with actress Dawn Wells, who played the role of Mary Ann Summers of Gilligan’s Island.
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Image courtesy of HellsJuggernaut/Reddit
Dawn Wells is best known for her castaway role, but in real life, the actress wanted to be a professional ballerina. Unable to pursue this dream due to an injury, she detoured via the Miss America pageant and then found her way to Hollywood.
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Although Bruce Lee passed away almost fifty years ago, he has a strong presence on social media thanks to many references in pop culture and the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Indeed, Bruce lives on as vividly as if he were with us today.
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We can thank Yip Man for Lee’s strong Martial Arts foundation and for teaching him Wing Chun self-defense. Yip Man did this at a time when no other martial artist was willing to impart their knowledge to foreigners. In turn, Bruce Lee was able to bridge the gap between the East and the West, introducing hybrid martial arts to the world.
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