Top Stories
Stories in FYI that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Harold Lowe, the unsung hero of the Titanic disaster
I just finished Titanic Valour: The Life of Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, the biography of the 28-year-old Titanic officer who is best known as "the guy with the gun." Most people remember the shooting scene from the movie. It's a turning point scene; it's when Cal tells his servant that things are "starting to fall apart" and this is more serious than they thought. But that's pretty much all you see of Harold Lowe. Lowe was such a minor character that few people realize the "guy with the gun" is also the guy who returns to the wreck to pick up survivors. (In the movie, he finds Rose floating on a door; in real life, it was a Chinese guy they found atop a door - a scene that James Cameron cut from the movie.) No one even calls him by his full name. In fact, the only time Lowe's name is ever mentioned in the movie is when Officer Lightoller says, "Mr. Lowe, man this boat," and hands him his revolver. This is right after Lightoller tells a group of unruly men he'll "shoot them all like dogs," while Lowe comes across as Lightoller's polite, level-headed junior officer.
By Ashley Herzog4 years ago in FYI
Here lies poor Fred
Here lies poor FRED, who was alive and is dead Had it been his Father I had much rather, Had it been his Sister nobody would have miss’d Her, Had it been his Brother, still better than another, Had it been the whole Generation, so much better for the Nation, But since it is FRED who was alive and is dead, There is no more to be said!
By Dawn Nelson4 years ago in FYI
The Vicious British Queen who Inspired the Bloody Mary Legend
According to legend, if you stand in a darkened room before a mirror and say the phrase 'Bloody Mary' three times, a ghost will appear through the mirror. What happens next varies, depending on who is telling the story. Some say the spirit scratches your eyes out; others say that it drinks your blood or that she chases you from the room with horrific screams.
By Sam H Arnold4 years ago in FYI
Tiny but Mighty: The Choker
I grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s. I scrunched my hair and straightened my bangs. I accessorized with bouncy butterfly clips, white eyeshadow, and flavored lip-gloss. I wore scrunchies on my wrist. I wrapped flannel shirts around my waist and danced in frayed wide leg jeans to Brittney. I begged my mom to let me bedazzle my bellybutton with stick-on rhinestones like Christina. (Looking back, thank God she said no.) It was grungy, it was tacky, and it was wonderful. As the fads of the 90’s and early 2000’s come trickling back into present day trends, the nostalgia washes over me and wraps me into the warm hug of childhood memories. As I happily embrace the comeback of bellbottoms and flannel, there has been one thing that just gets me giddy: the choker. Easily my favorite item from the time, wearing a choker always made me feel like the coolest kid in the room. They made me feel pretty, and there was something about them that felt so mature, like wearing one made me older and edgier than I was. As an adult, wearing a choker evokes the same kind of confidence; I feel sexy, spunky, and there’s something about them that now feels so sophisticated. It’s such a tiny accessory, and yet it stirs up so much emotion and so quickly bumps my self-esteem up a few notches. Looking back through the choker’s history, it turns out that I am not the only one that the piece has this type of effect on. It’s been a look for thousands of years and has held power in many ways over the centuries.
By Chelsea Adler4 years ago in FYI
A Passport Fit For a Pharaoh
Ramses II is known for many things — he was a master builder, a mighty warrior, and one of the greatest Pharaohs. For 66 years, Ramses II ruled Egypt, and he left his stamp all over the country. His legends are larger than life, as are the monuments he created in his image.
By Sandi Parsons4 years ago in FYI
Curious Graphs That Will Change How You See The World
There is a common misconception that data is boring. We imagine long, hard-to-read excel spreadsheets with rows and rows of data and start yawning immediately. Yes, data can be boring, but it's only boring if you can't relate to it. Looking at the random company's expenses for the past 15 years is a tedious task; looking at all your articles to figure out which one got the most views is not.
By Valeriia Muradian4 years ago in FYI
Upside-down Rhinos, Men with Beards and Cockroaches on Submarines: These Are the 2021 Ig Nobel Prizes.
In case you haven’t heard of them before — and if you haven’t, shame on you! — the Ig Nobel Prize is a part parody, partly satirical prize handed out yearly since 1991 in recognition of 10 achievements in scientific research from the past year. The research is real, conducted by real academics and real technicians at real research labs, except when it isn’t.
By Hamish Alexander4 years ago in FYI
Pumpkin Spice Lattes = Labor day
To me, Labor Day was always linked to my birthday- granted it only happens once every seven years, but it feels like my own special day. Unlike my mother, who always gets to share her birthday with Veterans Day! For the last 21 years, it was a free day off of work for me- an extended birthday weekend with pay. It is also the undeclared official start of school, Pumpkin Spice Latte's, NFL games, and the end of hot dogs and wearing white. I am not great at celebrating holidays, but as I am now at a pivotal birthday, I think I should get to know why we celebrate certain holidays. And, of course- I found the memes to make this so much more fun.
By Rose Loren Geer-Robbins4 years ago in FYI
