Island Of The Dolls, Mexico. Located Is A Canal In Mexico City, The Island Is Filled With Hundreds Of

Today is June 6th. On this day, in 1944, 156,000 allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in Nazi occupied France. 10,000 of these soldiers were counted as casualties by the end of the fighting. The troops consisted of American, British, and Canadian forces. The soldiers attacked at 5 beaches: Utah and Omaha by the Americans, and Gold, Juno, and Sword by the British and Canadians. All five beaches were linked by the 12th. By then, the liberation of France and all of Europe had begun.

Halloween: A Holiday Rooted in Tradition

Halloween is by far one of the most popular holidays celebrated in the United States. It's marked by dressing in costumes, trick-or-treating, haunted attractions, pumpkin carving, many other fun activities that range from scary to whimsical. But what is Halloween? Where did it originate? Why do we celebrate it the way we do? The origins of Halloween date back many thousands of years.

The celebration of Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, dates back thousands of years to the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in). The Celtic people, who inhabited the Isle of Ireland, Great Britain, and Northern France, celebrated the new year on November 1, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on this day, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinnest, which allowed spirits to cross over into our world and allowed divination to become easier. To commemorate the event, the Celtic people would build large bonfires, and the bones of animals kept for slaughter were thrown into the flames as a sacrifice. People would wear costumes or carve masks out of gourds, such as turnips, in order to trick the spirits into believing that they were ghosts as well.

The practice of carving vegetables also originated in Ireland. According to Gaelic mythology, there was a man named Stingy Jack, who had a reputation for being a drunkard and a cheat. One night while drinking at a pub, he encountered the devil himself and Jack offered to share a drink with him. Afterwards, Jack admitted he had no money and convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin in order to pay. The devil did so, and Jack placed the coin into his pocket along with a silver crucifix, which prevented the devil from changing forms. Jack promised to let him go so long as the Devil left Jack alone for one year. Once one year was up, Jack tricked the Devil again by asking him to climb a tree from a piece of fruit and carved a cross into the bark, so the Devil couldn't climb down. Jack let him go on the condition that he wouldn't claim Jacks soul once he died. Jack eventually died and he wasn't allowed into Heaven and, keeping to his word, the Devil wouldn't let him enter Hell. So, Jack was cursed to wonder the Earth for eternity, with nothing but a lit coal inside a hollowed-out Turnip to light his way. He was called 'Jack of the Lantern' or Jack O'Lantern. The Ancient Irish would carve out turnips and other vegetables with scary faces to frighten away wandering, evil spirits. Irish immigrants arriving in North America began to use pumpkins because they were easier to carve.

By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire conquered the vast majority of Celtic territory, where they would rule for over 400 years. The Romans introduced two holidays of Roman origin and combined them with Celtic celebrations. The first was Feralia, which was a day in late October meant to celebrate the dead. The second was a festival that honored Pomona, the Goddess of trees and fruit, which occurred in November. The symbol of Pomona is the apple. Some believe that this is where the tradition of apple bobbing came from.

On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon of Rome in honor of all Christian Martyrs, establishing the feast of All Martyrs Day. It's believed the church sought to supplant the Roman festival of Lemuria, a festival in which malevolent spirits were exercise from homes, with a Christian holiday. Pope Gregory III expanded this festival to include all Saints as well and moved the celebration to November 1, as the Church sought to replace the Celtic traditions of Samhain with a church sanctioned holiday. The day was called All-hollowmas (from Middle English 'Alholowmesse' meaning 'All Saints' Day') and thus the day before began to be called All Hollow's Eve. In 1000 A.D., the Church established November 2 as All Soul's Day, a day to remember the dead. All three became the festival of AllHollowtide.

During the celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, poor people in England and Ireland would go from door to door of the wealthy and ask for small cakes called Soul Cakes in exchange for a prayer for the givers deceased family members. Children soon took up this practice. They would sing songs or perform small acts in exchange for small gifts of food, ale, or money.

In the 19th century, millions of Irish immigrated to the United States. They brought with them, the Catholic faith and the celebrations of Halloween. These celebrations were limited, as the United States was a majority Protestant country. However, the immigrants celebrated however they could, and a popular way was pulling pranks or 'tricks'. This usually amounted to nothing more than pulling the wheels off wagons, placing livestock on barn roofs, uprooting vegetables from gardens, and tipping over outhouses. However, these 'pranks' got more violent round the 1930's, with acts of violence becoming commonplace. In theory, tricks could be prevented by giving small treats to the neighborhood children.

By the mid-20th century, Halloween became a community centered holiday with haunted attractions, ghost stories, parties, and trick-or-treating becoming immensely popular. This leads us to the classic Halloween celebrations we know today. Today, Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in United States.

An original Jack O Lantern made from a turnip.

Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, is said to have been influenced by ancient Christian, pagan, and Irish traditions. In Christianity, Halloween in the first day of AllHallowTide, a festival consisting of All Hallow’s Eve, All Hallow’s Day, and All Soul’s day. The celebration was meant to remember the dead. In pagan tradition, the holiday was influenced by the ancient gealic festival of Samhain, which marks the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. During the festival, large bonfires were lit and the bones of animals kept for slaughter were thrown in as a sacrifice. According to gaelic mythology, during this time, the boundary between the living world and the spirit world is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to cross into our world. According to legend, the spirit of a man named stingy Jack was cursed to wonder the earth for an eternity after his death, with nothing but a hollowed out turnip containing a lit coal to guide his way. He was dubbed Jack of the Lantern or Jack O’ Lantern. The Irish people would carve out gourds, such as turnips, to ward off malicious spirits. Irish immigrants in North America began to use pumpkins because they were easier to carve. The children of the poor would wear costumes and go from door to door of the wealthy receiving small gifts of special cakes called soul cakes in exchange for a song or a prayer for the dead. Eventually children took up this practice by going from door to door asking for small gifts of food or money. Eventually All these traditions evolved into the Halloween that we all know and love.

Aokigahara Forest, Japan. Aokigahara is forest located in Yamanashi Prefecture on the island of Honshu, Japan. It is on the Northwestern flank of Mount Fuji. It’s also known as the “Sea of Trees”. Although it’s a popular destination for tourists, the forest is historically associated as a popular destination for suicides, earning it the nickname “Suicide Forest”. Every year, dozens of people venture into the forest with the intention of taking their own lives. Some claim it’s between 30 to 100 each year. It’s gotten to the point where the government had stopped publishing the statistics in order to prevent further deaths. Signs have been posted along the trails encouraging those considering ending their own lives to think of their families and call a suicide prevention association. Every year, teams are assembled to comb the forest for bodies.

Japan has a long tradition of suicide as an honorable practice. For example, Samurai practiced seppuku - a ritualistic suicide method by plunging a blade into their abdomen and disemboweling themselves, followed by decapitation as an act of mercy. Samurai performed this to prevent themselves being taken prisoner or restore lost honor. According to folklore, the forest was also used in the practice of Ubasute. This was practice of taking an elderly relative into the wilderness during times of hardship or famine and abandon them to the elements, where they would die of exposure or starvation. There is, however, no evidence that this ritual was actually practiced. Suicide rates in Japan spiked during the financial crisis in 2008, and have risen again in recent years. The most common method used in the forest is hanging. According to legend, Aokigahara is also haunted. It’s said that the forest is inhabited by yūrei - vengeful and evil spirits of the dead who lure travelers off of the path and lead them to get lost and disoriented, or encourage them to take their own lives. They are said to be the ghosts of suicide or ubasute victims. According to myth, Yūrei are created if a person dies a sudden or violent death, dies with strong negative feelings like rage or depression, or is not buried properly.

Adding to tense atmosphere, is the condition of the forest itself. It’s very easy to get lost in the forest. The trees are incredibly dense in some places, and the ground consists of porous lava rock that absorbs sound, making it both very quiet and difficult for sound to travel. It gives this place a very isolated feeling. The soil has a high iron content that interferes with GPS and cell phone signals. There are some who claim that compasses have malfunctioned and only spun in circles. This, however, is regarded as false. The dense foliage can block light from reaching the forest floor, hiding rocks and roots from view.

If you, or anyone you know, is considering suicide, please know that you are not alone out there. There are people who can help you. If you’re considering taking your own life please contact a suicide prevention helpline. Numbers for various crisis hotlines can be found below. Help is out there.

United States: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988; Trans Lifeline, 1-877-565-8860; The Trevor Project, 1-866-488-7386; Veterans Crisis Line, 988 press 1

United Kingdom & Ireland: Samaritans, 116 123

Canada: Talk Suicide, 1-833-456-4566; Trans Lifeline, 1-877-330-6366

Australia: Lifeline, 13 11 14

New Zealand: Samaritans, 0800 72 66 66

Japan: TELL Japan, 03-5774-0992; Childline Japan, 0102-99-7777

As the United States 2022 Midterm Elections come to a close, both Democratic and Republican parties have celebrated a number of historic victories in the past few weeks. These victories have resulted in a very diverse field of elected candidates.

Alabama

The first woman to be elected to the Senate from Alabama: Katie Britt

Two women, Dixie Bibb Graves and Maryon Pittman Allen, have previously been appointed to the office to fill vacancies.

Arizona

First Latino Republican elected to Congress from Arizona: Juan Ciscomani

Arkansas

First woman to serve as Governor of Arkansas: Sarah Huckabee Sanders (a position previously held by her father Mike Huckabee from 1996 to 2007)

First woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor: Leslie Rutledge

With the election of Sanders and Rutledge, Arkansas will be one of two states with women serving concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor, the other being Massachusetts.

California

First Latino elected to the Senate from California: Alex Padilla (he was previously appointed to the position to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris when she became Vice President)

First elected Black Secretary of State of California: Shirley Weber (Weber was appointed last year to replace Alex Padilla)

First elected Filipino Attorney General: Rob Bonta (Bonta was appointed last year to replace Xavier Becerra who left to become Secretary of Health and Human Services)

First openly LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress: Robert Garcia

First woman and first black woman elected Mayor of Los Angeles: Karen Bass

Colorado

First Latina elected to Congress from Colorado: Yadira Caraveo

Connecticut

First Black woman to serve as Secretary of State of Connecticut: Stephanie Thomas

Florida

First member of Generation Z elected to Congress: Maxwell Frost

Georgia

First Muslim women elected to the Georgia State Legislature: Nabilah Islam and Ruwa Romman

Illinois

First Latina elected to Congress from Illinois: Delia Ramirez

First openly gay person elected to Congress from Illinois: Eric Sorenson

First Muslim elected to the Illinois State House: Abdelnasser Rashid

Iowa

First Arab American to serve in the Iowa State Legislature: Sami Scheetz

Maryland

First Black governor of Maryland: Wes Moore

First Asian American Lieutenant governor: Aruna Miller (her family is from India)

First Black Attorney General of Maryland: Anthony Brown

Massachusetts

One of two of the first openly Lesbian governor is US history and first woman governor of Massachusetts: Maura Haley (the other being Tina Kotek)

With the election of Haley and her running mate Kim Driscoll, Massachusetts will join Arkansas as one of two states with women serving concurrently as both governor and lieutenant governor.

First Black woman to serve as Attorney General of Massachusetts: Andrea Campbell

Michigan

First Black Republican elected to Congress from Michigan: John James

First Indian American elected to Congress from Michigan: Shri Thanedar

Minnesota

First ever Transgender person elected to the Minnesota State Legislature: Leigh Finke

Montana

First ever Transgender person elected to the Montana State Legislature: Zooey Zephyer

First openly nonbinary person elected to the State Legislature: SJ Howell

Nevada

First Latino to serve as Secretary of State of Nevada: Cisco Aguilar

New Hampshire

First ever Transgender man elected to a state legislature in the US: James Roesener

New York

First woman to be elected governor of New York: Kathy Hochul (she assumed the position last year after her successor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, resigned in disgrace)

First candidate elected from a House of Representatives race between two openly gay candidates: George Santos

Ohio

Longest serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives: Marcy Katpur (began serving in 1982)

Oklahoma

First Native American elected to the Senate from Oklahoma in over a century: Markwayne Mullin (Member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)

Robert Owen, also Cherokee, served in the position from 1907 to 1925.

Oregon

One of the two first openly Lesbian governors in US history: Tina Kotek (the other being Maura Haley)

First Latinos elected to Congress from Oregon: Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Andrea Salinas

Pennsylvania

First Black lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania: Austin Davis

First Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania: Summer Lee

Vermont

First woman and first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Vermont: Becca Balint

With the election of Balint, Vermont loses its distinction of being the only state to never send a woman to Congress

First woman to be elected Attorney General of Vermont: Charity Clark

Washington

First Latino Democrat elected to Congress from Washington: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (her predecessor, Jaime Herrera Butler, was the first Hispanic member of Congress from Washington)

Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic. This chapel in the Sedlec suburb of the city of Kutna Hora, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic is one of the most unique in the world: the interior is decorated entirely with human bones.

In the mid-12th century, a Catholic monastery was established in Kunta Hora by the Order of Cistercian Monks. It was the first Cistercian abbey in Bohemia and remained in operation until it was dissolved in 1783. In 1278, Henry - the Abbott of the Monastery - was sent to the Holy Land by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. There he collected soil from the area outside Jerusalem where Jesus was supposedly crucified. When he returned home, he scattered this holy soil in the Abby cemetery. Word of this pious act soon spread, making the cemetery a desirable place to be buried for people throughout Central Europe. This, in addition to the Black Death in the 14th century and the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, led to many thousands being buried in the cemetery, leading it to be vastly expanded. Around 1400, a new gothic cathedral was built on the cemetery grounds. The basement of this chapel was used as an ossuary - a vessel or site used for the storing of human remains. Over 40,000 bodies were exhumed to make room in the cemetery and their bones were placed in unorganized heaps within the ossuary.

In 1870, the Schwarzenberg family - a noble family that were patrons of the church - hired local woodcarver Frantisek Rint to organize the bones into a much more aesthetically pleasing arrangement. The results of his work are absolutely astounding. The decorations and furnishings of the chapel are made completely out of human bones. These decorations include four massive bell-shaped mounds, chandelier, an altar, a coat of arms of the House of Schwarzenberg, and a signature of Rint by the front entrance. The chapel has a earned the name "The Chruch of Bones" and receives as many as 200,000 visitors annually.

The Dyatlov Pass incident, Soviet Union, 1959. In January of 1959, a skiing expedition was organized by a group of 10 people from the Ural Ploytechnic Institute led by student Igor Dyatlov. All group members were experienced hikers and skiiers and all except one were students at the institute. The expedition was planned to last three weeks and take the group to the top of Gora Oterton, a mountain in Russia. The group traveled by train to the town of Ivdel and then by truck to the village of Vizhai, the last inhabited settlement before the mountains. The group stayed the night in Vizhai before starting the trek the next day. On January 27th, the group began their expedition. On the 28th, group member Yuri Yudin turned back because of joint pain. That was the last time anyone saw the 9 other group members alive. Cameras and diaries found at the camp detailed the events leading up to the incident. On January 31st, the group stored surplus food and supplies in a wooded valley for their return trip. The next day the group began through the pass. However, due to bad weather conditions, the group got lost and strayed from their route, and instead of turning around they set up camp at the base of Kholat Syakhl (literally ‘Dead Mountain’ in the Mansi language). The group planned to send a telegram to their sports club when they had returned to Vizhai on February 12th. However, Dyatlov expected the trek to take longer, so the 12th came and went with no contact from the group with little alarm. By February 20th, relatives of the hikers demanded a search and rescue operation. The institute sent out volunteer groups consisting of students and teachers which were eventually joined by members of the military. On February 26th, searchers found the groups campsite. The tent had been torn open from the inside and all the groups shoes and personal belongings were still in the tent. Nine sets of footprints showed that the hikers fled the tent wearing only socks, a single shoe, or simply barefoot. Two bodies were discovered along the edge of some woods under a Siberian pine along with the remains of a small fire. The bodies were dressed only in underwear and evidence shows that one of them attempted to climb the tree. Three more bodies were discovered between the woods and camp apparently attempting to return to the tent. Two months later, on May 4th, the remaining bodies were found under 13 feet of snow at the bottom of a 247 foot ravine. Signs show that clothing belonging to the deceased were removed for use by the others. Examination of the bodies posed even more mysteries. While six died of hypothermia, one had a major skull fracture and two had fatal chest fractures. The force needed for these injuries would need be the equivalent of a car wreck. One hiker was missing her eyes, tongue, and part of her lips, one was missing his eyes, and a third was missing his eyebrows. Clothing on some of the bodies tested positive for trace amounts of radiation. Soviet authorities declared that a “compelling natural force” was responsible for the deaths. Numerous theories have been put out including aliens, avalanche, wild animal attacks, attacks by Mansi natives, infrasound panic, and military involvement. In 2019 the case was reopened by Russian authorities who claimed that an avalanche had caused the deaths. These claims have been disputed.

The Somerton Man, Australia, 1948. At 6:30 AM, on December 1, 1948, police were called after the body of an unknown man was discovered on Somerton Park Beach in Glenelg, South Australia, about 7 mi (11 km) southwest of Adelaide. He was found laying against the sea wall across from the crippled children’s home. He had an unlit cigarette in the collar of his coat. A search of his pockets revealed an unused second-class rail ticket from Adelaide to Henley Beach, a bus ticket from the city, an aluminum comb made in the US, a half full packet of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, a quarter full box of Bryant & May matches, and an Army Club cigarette package that oddly contained seven cigarettes from the brand Kensitas Club. He had no wallet, cash, or ID of any kind. Witnesses came forward saying that they had seen a man on the beach the previous evening at 7pm and 7:30 to 8pm respectively. Two stated they saw him extend his right arm and then drop it back down and another indicated he had not moved while in view. They didn’t investigate because they thought he was asleep or drunk. One witness indicated that they had seen another man looking down at him from the steps that led to the beach. In 1959, another witness came forward and claimed that he saw a well dressed man carrying another man on his shoulders along the beach that night. Further investigation revealed that all the labels in his clothes had been removed and his dental records couldn’t be matched with any known person. An autopsy showed signs that the man had been poisoned, although the type of poison could not be determined. Other then that, the coroner couldn’t determine the cause of death nor the mans identity. On January 14, 1949, staff at the Adelaide Railway Station discovered a suitcase with its labels removed that was checked in at 11AM on November 30th: the day before the body was found. Inside was a dressing gown, slippers, underwear, a pair of trousers, pajamas, ties, handkerchiefs, shirts, toiletry items, undershirts, a pair of scissors, a screwdriver, a knife, a square of zinc, a stenciling brush, and a book of orange thread - the same thread used to repair the pocket lining of the trousers the man was wearing. All clothing labels had been removed, but the name “Keane” was found on three items, along with three dry cleaning marks on one of the shirts. Not long after an inquest of launched into the mans death, a piece of paper was found in a fob pocket of the mans trousers. The paper had the phrase “Tamam Shud” written on it, meaning “ended” or “finished” in Persian. The phrase came from the book Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, an English translation of a collection of poems by 12th-century Persian polymath Omar Khayyám written in 1859 by Edward Fitzgerald. Following a public appeal by police, the book the paper came from was allegedly located in a car parked on Jetty Road in Glenelg. The book was missing “Tamam Shud” from the last page. Within the book there was also a group of five lines of text that was believed to be a kind of encrypted code. Attempts at deciphering the code have been so far fruitless. A telephone number was also found in the book belonging to a nurse named Jessica Ellen Thomson, who lived 1,300 ft (400 meters) north of where the body was found. When Thomson was interviewed by police, she claimed she had no idea who the man was or why he had her phone number. However, detectives and Thomson’s daughter Kate, claimed she was being evasive and was “taken aback” when showed a plaster bust of the man. Thomson gave a copy of Rubáiyat to Australian Army Lieutenant Alf Boxall while working in Sydney during World War II. However, Boxall was found living in Sydney in 1949 with his copy of the book intact. There was no evidence of any correspondence between Thomson and Boxall since 1945. In 1949, the man was interred at West Terrace Cemetery marked only as the “Somerton Man”.

The case is considered one of Australia’s most “profound mysteries”. There have been numerous theories put forward about the identity of the man and the cause of death. A popular theory states that the man was a spy due to the political tensions at the time, the apparent use of a secret code, the apparent use of an undetectable poison, and the inability by the authorities to identify the man: even investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States and New Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom turned up nothing. In 2022, Adelaide University professor Derek Abbott and Genealogist Colleen M. Fitzpatrick believe they have identified the man as Carl Webb, an electrical instrument maker from South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne. The South Australia Police have not verified this information and have remained “cautiously optimistic” about it.

The Hook Island Sea Monster. This photo supposedly captured a large, Unidentified creature in the water off the coast of Hook Island, Australia.

Death of Elisa Lam, 2013. In 2013, 21-year-old Canadian university student Elisa Lam was staying at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, California. On January 31, she was reported missing by her family after they received no word from her on the day she was meant to check out. Hotel staff who had seen her that day reported that she was alone. The LAPD and her family searched the hotel and put up flyers around the neighborhood. On February 15, police released surveillance footage from one the hotels elevators. The two and a half minute video is the last known sighting of Lam. The footage shows her behaving strangely, making erratic hand gestures, talking to someone who isn’t there, pressing all the buttons on the elevator, and leaving the elevator while doors are open before coming back and seemingly hiding in the corner. She leaves for a second time and doesn’t return. The doors close soon after. Many who viewed the video found it unsettling. Theories explaining her behavior include being under the influence of ecstasy, attempting to evade someone pursuing her, or psychotic episode after it was made known she suffered from Bipolar Disorder. Some claimed the video was tampered with. During the search, hotel guests began complaining about low water pressure, and some complained about the taste and color of the water, saying it was black and tasted strange. On February 19, hotel maintenance worker Santiago Lopez discovered the body of Elisa Lam floating in one of the four of the buildings 1,000 gallon water tanks. She was found naked with her clothes and personal belongings floating near her. The tank was drained and taken apart to get her body out. The Coroners report found no evidence of physical trauma, sexual assault, or suicide. Toxicology tests found traces of the prescription medication she had among her personal effects, though there was evidence she was either under medicating or had stopped medicating all together recently. There was also a very small quantity of alcohol in her system. The authorities ruled the death an accidental drowning with Bipolar Disorder as a major factor. Many questioned how she got onto the roof and into the tank in the first place. All roof access doors were locked and only staff members had the keys. Any attempts to force the doors open would trigger an alarm. Though the fire escape would allow someone to bypass these security measures, her scent trail was lost near a window connected to the fire escape. How she got into the tank was another mystery. The tank was a 4 by 8 feet cylinder and supported by cinder blocks with no fixed access. Staff use ladders to get inside. The lids are heavy and difficult to move, although Lopez said the lid was open. Police dogs who searched the roof found no trace of her. Some argue that the autopsy information is incomplete. For example, the report does not state if the rape kit was processed. It also records blood pooling in the anal area, which some claim is a sign of sexual abuse. Since her death, Lams tumblr blog has been updated, presumably through the sites queue option. Her phone was never found so it is unknown if it’s the option, hacking, or facilitating by the stolen phone causing these updates. Numerous theories have been put out, including paranormal involvement as the Cecil Hotel is famous for its history of murders and deaths that have taken place in the building.