The Most Incredible Women In History That You’ve Never Heard Of →

Whether you knew it or not, women have been pushing the limits and shaping the world...pretty much since humanity became a thing. And you don't have to resort to fictional stories to get your fill of dashing heroines. They've been with us in the pages of history all along!

Most people are familiar with true stories starring rulers and warriors, philosophers and scientists. But how many of those are about women? In reality, plenty of history's rulers, scientists, and everything in between have been women; we just don't hear about them.

They deserve to be celebrated in the mainstream. Because really, I don't want Pirates of the Caribbean 10; I want The Life and Times of Ching Shih. Eager for another gritty WWII movie to add to the pile? Great; let's do Irina Sendler's List. And who doesn't enjoy pop culture's lovable rogues? But it doesn't have to be Indiana Jones, featuring even more close calls because he's 76 now. We could just make a movie about Julie d'Aubigny, a real person with a double life as both opera star and cross-dressing duelist.

Countless amazing women have changed the course of history, but very few get the credit. It's about time we shine a light on history's most awe-inspiring heroines.

[Read the full story on 22 Words]

Things Millennials Are Buying, Because Owning Homes and Cars Are So Last Decade →

Millennials: depending on who you ask, we’re either living our best lives or rapidly killing capitalism itself.

Obviously, learning financial responsibility is an important lesson for anyone. However, just because millennials spend money on different things than previous generations, doesn’t mean we’re doing it all wrong. By-and-large, we simply place value on different things, and priorities have evolved over time.

Since millennials don’t seem to be buying houses and cars and living the old-fashioned American Dream, let’s explore where millennials’ money actually goes when it leaves their wallets.

[Read the full story on 22 Words]

30 Terrifying Facts About the Most Dangerous Places on Earth →

What constitutes a dangerous place? There are plenty of factors; risk of natural disaster, crime rates, coping responses, and proximity to dangerous flora and fauna are among them. We always hear about the best places to visit and the most beautiful places on earth. How about the opposite?

In this list, we explore the most perilous places on earth. Not to mention the spots that are both: as gorgeous as they are deadly. Our planet never fails to surprise us, with incredible sights—and dangers—on every continent.

Exploding lakes, volcanic deserts, and an ever-burning crater are only the beginning. Read up on these 30 insane and dangerous places in the world, and prepare yourself to be amazed!

[Read the full story on 22 Words]

Production Chief of Marvel Says the World Is Ready for a Gay Superhero in the Marvel Universe →

The cinematic world of superheroes might be getting a little more diverse. Captain Marvel, the first female protagonist to arrive within Marvel's Cinematic Universe, is currently taking the world by storm. And last year, Black Panther did the same with Marvel's first leading black superhero.

Now, a Marvel executive is throwing out the idea of a gay superhero. And if this is a thing actually happening, it's about time. Some more old-fashioned fans may argue that this increase in diversity is just pandering to complaints. After all, we've got so many straight white male protagonists in the MCU that it's getting really tough to name them all. But here's the thing: the world is a diverse place. So really, the presence of more than one female or black superhero lead is way overdue.

Why stop at one LGBT superhero, or female protagonist, or person of color in a starring role? Marvel might just be thinking of balancing those scales a little more!

[Read the full story on 22 Words]

The Dark History of Our Greediest Holiday: Black Friday →

It's almost here: the shopaholic's favorite day. Arguably the craziest day of the commercial year. The day we get a whole lot of Christmas shopping done...and navigate stampedes along the way. We're talking, of course, about Black Friday.

It's the one holiday that, today, is purely based around shopping. Many people claim that Black Friday is all about commercialism and materialism, and they've definitely got a point.

But did you know about the history behind it? There are multiple supposed origins of the holiday and a steady evolution in the years since. The Black Friday we know isn't the Black Friday that existed even ten years ago.

[Read the full story on 22Words]