Joan of Arc’s trial took place in the city of Rouen, under the supervision of pro-English clerics who sought to discredit both her and the French war effort she was fighting for. She was captured by Burgundian forces the previous year and then sold to the English. Joan faced charges that centered around her claims of receiving divine visions and instructions from God. At the heart of the trial was the question of heresy, as her accusers insisted that her supposed heavenly guidance was both fraudulent and dangerous.

The trial was highly politicized. Joan’s captors aimed to weaken French morale by discrediting a figure believed by many to be acting on God’s will to liberate France. She was subjected to lengthy interrogations—often without legal counsel—where she consistently maintained her innocence and reaffirmed the authenticity of her spiritual experiences. Despite the cruel punishments and demanding questions she was appointed to, Joan never claimed to have been lying about her visions.

Ultimately, Joan was found guilty of heresy and condemned to death. She was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. Her faith and refusal to recant sealed her fate in the eyes of the court. In the decades that followed, Joan’s case was re-examined, and in 1456, a posthumous retrial declared her innocent. Today, Joan of Arc is remembered as a martyr and a patron saint of France, a symbol of faith, courage, and national unity.

On January 9, 1493, while sailing near the coast of Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic), Christopher Columbus recorded in his journal a curious sighting that he described as "mermaids." Having heard legends of these mythical sea creatures from sailors’ tales and classical folklore, Columbus initially expected graceful, enchanting creatures. However, he was quite disappointed when he finally saw them — writing in his journal “not as beautiful as they are painted.” Historians now widely agree that these “mermaids” were most likely manatees, large marine mammals known to inhabit the warm waters of the Caribbean.

Despite Columbus’s reaction, this alleged mermaid encounter sparked fascination back in Europe. His finding fed into the era’s deep-seated curiosity about the New World and the many wonders it might harbor. Early European explorers often came across strange animals never before seen at home, and the line between observation and interpretation could be blurry—especially when the allure of myth obscured the reality of things.

Today, Columbus’s mermaid sighting offers a glimpse into the mindset of explorers who are set out to discover the unknown. What would happen if we were to set out at sea and discover an island we had no idea about? Would we find creatures from the ancient myths—or are they all just misinterpretations of ordinary animals? Either way, it’s fun to think about.

Napoleon Was Attacked by Rabbits
Napoleon Bonaparte once organized a rabbit hunt for himself and his men. However, the hunt turned into chaos when the rabbits charged at him and his party. It turned out his staff had accidentally gathered tame rabbits instead of wild ones!

38 Minute War
The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought on August 27, 1896, between the British Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, is considerded the shortest war in history.

Albert Einstein For President
In 1952, Albert Einstein was offered the ceremonial role of President of Israel. He declined, stating he lacked the experience to deal with people.

Female Gladiators in Ancient Rome
Although rare, there were women gladiators called gladiatrices. They fought in smaller arenas and were often depicted in art.