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John is a freelance writer based in the suburbs of Atlanta. A longtime sports scribe with too much time covering college sports, the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball, he now writes on science, health, history, current events and whatever other weird non-sports stories that he and the editors at HowStuffWorks dream up. He has a journalism degree from Arizona State, a wife, a son, a dog that sheds too much and a bad case of eyestrain.
Recent Contributions
Fight for Equal Rights Amendment Enters a New Era
The ERA just got a big boost from the state of Virginia. Is now finally the time that the ERA will become the 28th Amendment?
The Story of Eric Rudolph, the Real 1996 Olympic Park Bomber
Eric Robert Rudolph evaded the FBI and police from 1996 until 2003, after a series of bombings in Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama. But what drove him to kill?
Why Libertarians Have a Love-hate Relationship With the 10th Amendment
The 10th Amendment says any power not delegated to the U.S. by the Constitution is reserved to the states. But the Constitution is never that simple ... and that's why Libertarians are so at odds with it.
9 Little-known Nuggets About Honest Abe
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and is known for many accomplishments, including ending the Civil War and slavery, and his famous speech at Gettysburg.
Deaf, Blind and Determined: How Helen Keller Learned to Communicate
Deaf and blind from a fever as a baby, Helen Keller overcame her limitations to lead a life of inspiration and courage. How was she able to learn to communicate?
How the Boston Massacre Fanned the Flames of a Revolution
The Boston Massacre didn't start the American Revolution. But the events that unfolded on March 5, 1770, helped cement the idea that the relationship between England and its colonies was permanently broken.
Money, Drugs and Madness: The Life and Death of Pablo Escobar
The brutal Colombian drug lord was a millionaire in his 20s but died in a hail of gunfire the day after his 44th birthday.
20 Memorable Moments of the 21st Century So Far
The world has come a long way since we were prepping for Y2K to potentially crash computers and the economy as we know it. We've witnessed some major moments since then. Here are 20 of the biggest.
How Manifest Destiny Stretched the U.S. From Sea to Shining Sea
The early American philosophy known as Manifest Destiny was a doctrine that espoused that God wanted Americans to take over the continent.
What We Learned From the Deadliest Nightclub Fire in U.S. History
Hundreds were killed in the infamous 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston. But from the tragedy came advancements in everything from building codes and medical treatments that are still in place today worldwide.
The Newton Boys Were the Baddest Bank Robbers You've Never Heard Of
This band of brothers wreaked havoc on banks and trains throughout the Midwest. One heist netted them $3 million in cash and remains the largest train robbery in U.S. history.
What Are Santa Ana Winds?
These annual winds blow during Southern California's dangerous dry season, whipping up wildfires that can ravage thousands of acres.
How Close Are We to Creating a Universal Blood Type?
Blood transfusions are required in the U.S. every two seconds. That's why the research from the Withers Lab, which converted Type A blood to universal donor blood using bacteria, is so groundbreaking.
How Wild Bill Hickok Became an American Legend
Wild Bill Hickok personified the archetype of the gentleman gunfighter in the history of the American West.
How Jim Crow Shaped America
Jim Crow was about much more than laws enacted to suppress blacks. It was about a system involving politics, economics, social and cultural practices. And while the laws may be dead, Jim Crow is not.
The O.K. Corral: The Gunfight of All Gunfights
This infamous gun battle in Tombstone, Arizona lasted just 30 seconds. But its legend, and America's obsession, has endured for more than a decade.
Who Were the Mighty Fighting Buffalo Soldiers?
The African American servicemen known as "Buffalo Soldiers" are the subjects of both history and legend, but what is truth and what is lore?
The Bizarre, Brazen Life of Cultist Aleister Crowley
The late Aleister Crowley liked being known as the "wickedest man in the world." But today he's most remembered as a brash cultist who was the father of a strange religion.
How Young Is Too Young to Be Arrested?
There's a huge police presence in the U.S. school systems today. But has that presence allowed educators to push off their management of school misconduct to the cops?
How (and Why) Hurricanes Get Their Names
You probably recognize these right off the bat: Andrew, Katrina, Sandy and now Dorian. But when and why did we start giving hurricanes names?
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