On the night of January 26, 2005, comedian Mike Birbiglia experienced one of the most frightening episodes of his life. He was staying at a hotel in Walla Walla, Washington, when he fell asleep while watching the news. What happened…
The Day Queen Elizabeth Arrived in Norwich In August 1578, Norwich, England, was preparing for one of the biggest events the city had seen in years. Queen Elizabeth I was visiting the city. People filled the streets, hoping to catch…
On June 4, 1960, four teenagers traveled to Lake Bodom in Espoo, Finland, for what was supposed to be a simple camping trip. They were young, excited, and looking forward to spending the night beside the lake. By the next…
n the summer of 1994, 11-year-old Mark arrived at a summer camp in rural New Jersey expecting the usual weeks of swimming, games, and time with friends. Instead, he and three other boys ended up swimming to a remote dock…
In July 2013, 49-year-old Matt Dyer joined a two-week wilderness expedition to Canada’s remote Torngat Mountains. He knew the trip would be difficult. The region had no roads, cell service, campsites, or nearby medical facilities. But Matt did not expect…
In 1953, 11-year-old Jerry Monkman disappeared during a Boy Scout camping trip in the Rocky Mountains. Jerry was small, thin, and suffered from severe asthma. Physical activity was difficult for him, yet he loved hiking and spending time outdoors. On…
Kevin O’Keefe went to Alaska in 1985 looking for peace, solitude, and a few weeks in the wilderness. He chose one of the most remote places he could find: Glacier Bay National Park. He prepared for the trip by taking…
On July 4, 2006, Pascal Norris sat down for another session at his regular drumming class in Scotland. For Pascal, drumming had become much more than a hobby. After surviving leukemia and chemotherapy, music gave him a new sense of…
On January 16, 2004, Jodie Lane left her apartment in New York City’s East Village for a routine evening walk with her two dogs. It was cold, and snow still covered parts of the streets. But Jodie regularly walked her…
One night in November 2009, a man named Mikhail was sitting at his computer in Cambrai, France, playing Counter-Strike. Like millions of other players, he enjoyed the game as a way to escape everyday life. After work, bills, family problems,…