Eastman’s criteria for a name were that it had to be “short and euphonious and likely to stick in the public’s mind.”
The Last Passenger Pigeon
Martha, the last of the passenger pigeons was found dead on this day in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.
The Charleston Earthquake
All hell broke loose as one of the biggest quakes to ever hit the east coast left 60 people dead.
Scared to Death
Max Factor was a cosmetics pioneer who rose from rags to riches and became famous around the world.
Quebec Bridge
In 1907 two massive sections of the bridge snapped off and plunged over 300 feet into the Saint Lawrence River.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
In 1996 Richard Jewell saved countless lives while working as a security guard during the Atlanta Olympics. A suspicious package he discovered contained the largest pipe-bomb in American history.
Manolete
On the day he died, the greatest matdor faced a venerable opponent descended from a deadly line of Miura bulls.
Crazy Drake
In 1859 a semi-retired train conductor named Edwin Drake engineered the world's first successful oil drilling operation.
Death by Cornflake
Lon Chaney is most remembered for his iconic roles as Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and as Erik in The Phantom of the Opera.
The Exploding Casino
It was the biggest homemade bomb explosion in U.S. history until the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Creatures on the Moon
In 1835 the New York Sun published the first of six articles detailing the amazing discovery of life on the moon.
Captain Webb
In 1875, an Englshman named Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to successfully swim across the Engilsh Channel. It was one of his many heroic feats.
3,096 Days in the Cellar
An Austrian girl was held captive for 8 years by a creepy loner named Wolfgang Priklopil.
The Marichal Incident
One of the most infamous brawls in baseball history happened at Candlestick Park during a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Hopkinsville Goblins
The detailed accounts from this famous encounter are extraordinary in that they come from a wide range of sources and remain convincingly consistent.
Trotsky Gets the Axe
The exiled Russian Bolshevik was assassinated by a Soviet agent named Ramon Mercader.
Belka and Strelka
These were the first living creatures (that we know of) that journeyed into space and returned alive.
Let Them Eat Grass
Many regard this comment as the spark that ignited the Dakota War of 1862, an incredibly bloody campaign of terror that claimed the lives of up to 800 white settlers.
Deal with the Devil
A priest named Urbain Grandier was burned alive after a notorious trial that included a remarkable piece of evidence - a document signed by Satan himself.
Double Eagle II
Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman crossed the Atlantic in a helium balloon