Catherine the Great’s mother was even more cunning than her daughter—until the day all her scheming backfired on her in the worst possible way.

Duchess Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp had no chance of rising to power herself. Instead, she schemed to become the mother of a great emperor. Ironically, she wouldn’t live to see her daughter, Catherine the Great of Russia, fulfill her dreams.

The Zipper Took Decades To Become Useful Enough For People To Trust It
Thrilling Facts About Zazel, The First Human Cannonball
Abraham Zapruder almost left his camera at home—then he captured the most famous home movie in history.
Zany Facts about Gilbert Gottfried, America’s Favorite Creepy Uncle
Yukio Mishima: The Novelist Who Tried To Overthrow The Japanese Government
If you're scrolling on social media and see a tiny orange dot appear, it signals something important behind the scenes: your microphone is in use.

Catherine the Great’s mother was even more cunning than her daughter—until the day all her scheming backfired on her in the worst possible way.

The Zipper Took Decades To Become Useful Enough For People To Trust It

Thrilling Facts About Zazel, The First Human Cannonball

Abraham Zapruder almost left his camera at home—then he captured the most famous home movie in history.

Zany Facts about Gilbert Gottfried, America’s Favorite Creepy Uncle

Yukio Mishima: The Novelist Who Tried To Overthrow The Japanese Government

If you're scrolling on social media and see a tiny orange dot appear, it signals something important behind the scenes: your microphone is in use.