History

🔗 Musicmap is an extraordinary web project that charts the full evolution of modern popular music. Part encyclopedia, part timeline, part interactive network – it invites you to explore over a century of sonic development through structure, style, and cultural influence. The project is the work of Kwinten Crauwels, a Belgian engineer who spent over ten years meticulously researching and building this map. It’s not backed by any major label or academic institution – instead, it’s a deeply personal yet public open-access knowledge system. ...

Futility Closet is a delightful trove of curious historical episodes, logical puzzles, and forgotten oddities. Run by Greg Ross, the blog has for years served as a destination for the intellectually curious. Its posts are short, precise, and often unexpectedly profound – covering strange inventions, brilliant hoaxes, language trivia, and puzzling paradoxes. The site also includes an extensive archive of podcast episodes, in which Greg and his wife Shelley explore remarkable real-life stories. A must-visit for lovers of logic, weird history, and brainy entertainment. ...

Damn Interesting is a long-running publication dedicated to sharing strange-but-true tales from history, science, and technology. Founded by Alan Bellows in 2005, it features meticulously researched stories that dive into forgotten disasters, ingenious inventions, covert operations, and astonishing real-life twists. More than a blog, it’s a library of compelling nonfiction that feels like reading a novel. The site also offers a podcast that brings some of the most compelling stories to audio format. A must-read for lovers of obscure knowledge and expertly told narratives. ...