Being shot directly in the stomach isn’t generally conducive to living- a fact that makes the story of Alexis St. Martin all the more impressive because he not only walked off being shot in said organ at the age of 20 on June 6, 1822 at a range of less than a meter, but went right ahead and lived for another half century despite the wound going full Weathertop on him and never completely healing, giving scientists an almost literal window into how the body digests food.

In the first two years of World War II the Allies were stunned by the speed, coordination and efficacy of German’s armoured divisions, seemingly unstoppable. It was the success of the Blitzkrieg tactics, the ‘lightning war’. This success was attributed to the leadership and military genius of today’s protagonist. Even before the war, his published works had brought him to the attention of military leaders worldwide. He became known as ‘The Father of Blitzkrieg’. His loyalty to Germany was undisputed, but his support of Hitler and Nazi leadership was not so clear cut. He was in fact one of the very few Generals who dared shouting back at the Fuhrer and even disobey his orders.

His career was not without controversy, though. He had to face almost six hundred lawsuits in his lifetime. Was he truly the inventor of the telephone or just someone who stole ideas and had better lawyers? Was he a champion of deaf people or did his efforts do more harm than good? Neither question can honestly be answered with certainty so those might be decisions that you'll have to make for yourself after you have finished watching this video.

Archimedes was the ancient Greek inventor and mathematician who is remembered for being one of the greatest minds in all of human history. His theorems became laws of physics, and his equations became essential for future generations of scientists and engineers. While his great passion in life was the study geometry, Archimedes also used his mind to invent weapons of war that successfully defended the city of Syracuse from Roman invaders. On today’s Biographic, we tell the story of a man whose legacy has lasted thousands of years.

During the late 19th century, a German man named Otto Lilienthal achieved some of the first successful, repeated flights using gliders. Regrettably, he suffered a crash on August 9, 1896, and died the next day. Reportedly, his last words were "Sacrifices must be made!"

Nearly everyone has grown up hearing the stories of the masked vigilante named Zorro. He was dressed all in black, and fought with a sword to defeat his enemies. Instead of superpowers, he used his wits and strength to take down the bad guys. He took from the rich to give to the poor, just like Robin Hood. This is a fictional character, of course, but Zorro was inspired by the real Mexican-American man named Joaquin Murrieta. On today’s Biographics, we are going to uncover the life and the legend of this bandit who became a hero.

"Mad Jack" was born John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill on September 16, 1906, in Surrey, England. His father, Alec Fleming Churchill, worked as an engineer and, later, Director of Public Works, which meant that he moved the family around a lot for his job. Churchill first grew up in the former British colony of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, and then Hong Kong before relocating again to England. Jack had two younger brothers who would also go on to have distinguished careers in the military, although not nearly as colorful.

It’s the 1st of October, 1938. Heston airport, just outside London. A man steps out of a propeller airplane to address a crowd of journalists, officials and onlookers. He waves in triumph a piece of paper carrying two signatures, his and the one for a certain Mr A. Hitler. The man is hailed as a hero, as he announces that he has truly achieved “peace for our times”.

Three centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, most of Western Europe was divided into small Kingdoms frequently at war with each other. They were threatened by the Umayyad Caliphate from the South, subject to the influence of the Byzantine Empire from the East and prone to the interference of the papacy. Cultural and economic development languished, marred by a lack of strategic vision and the loss of centuries’ worth of classical knowledge.

A peaceful, unnamed town is taken over by an unnamed Army. The invaders arrive by surprise, aided by the treason of an insider: the scheming shop keeper Corell. The traitor seeks recognition from the new Masters, an appointment as new Mayor, but he is despised and put to the side both by the occupiers and the townsfolk.