Betsy Golden Kellem

Legend has it that even Andrew Jackson came to investigate the Bell family’s haunting.

The Dark Knight’s most notorious foes have some surprising cultural roots.

John Steinbeck drew on the biblical tale of Cain and Abel extensively when writing his 1952 classic novel ‘East of Eden.’

The creator of chiropractic medicine was inspired by a séance.

The infamous rhyme misrepresents several details about the Borden murders.

Here's why the world's most famous escape artist became a global sensation.

These legendary clubs influenced the sound, style and culture of America.

What began as a series of children's novels grew into one of America's most enduring cultural touchstones.

The Illuminati began as a secret society with Enlightenment ideals. Its legacy has since taken on a life of its own.

In the 1800s, women playing tragic leads captivated crowds while critics struggled to reconcile talent with gender norms.

Here's how a prayer became part of the playbook.

Emily Brontë’s sole novel shocked readers—and still does.

These photos convinced people fairies were real.

Freaks asked audiences to think about the exploitative display of human difference while also demonstrating that the sideshow was a locus of community.

When pizza parlors came alive with animatronic bands.

Even when it was considered socially unacceptable, American women were knocking down pins on the local lanes.

This comfort food classic began as a battlefield remedy.

Invented in 1922, water-skiing quickly became shorthand for American ideas on beauty, athleticism, and affluence.

The press called its inventor a 'new Frankenstein.'

You may have heard of IBM’s chess-playing computer, but Johann Nepomuk Maelzel’s Automaton Chess Player beat Deep Blue to the (mechanical) punch. Check mate.