You would think this was something out of a Harry Potter movie. But it actually existed‚ as scientists have discovered.  In 2009‚ coal miners and scientists discovered more than 180 fossils of a gargantuan snake in a Colombian region called Cerrejon. The conclusion from the finding was that 60 million years ago after dinosaurs had already gone extinct‚ the Titanboa snake was roaming around the jungle.  It was a 45-foot monster‚ three times bigger than your average crocodile.  Colombian geologist Henry Garcia is credited with being the first to kick off the discovery. He found an unfamiliar fossil and placed it in a company coal case.  Fabiany Herrera‚ a geology student nearby‚ discovered the impression of a fossil leaf on a rock several years after that. In 2003‚ an expedition began by coal miners‚ scientists‚ and paleontologists to study the area more thoroughly.  Their findings not only led them to the Titanboa snake but also other abnormally large species that lived in the region. Rendering of the Titanboa found in Colombia several years ago. (Photo: Smithsonian Institution) A Fossil Treasure Trove Anyone who visits northern Colombia and comes across Cerrejon‚ situated 60 miles off the Caribbean coast‚ will find a whole lot of nothing. It reminds you of the empty deserts in the Western US with a whole lot of dirt and sand.  All you’ll find around here are some coal miners‚ dump trucks‚ and other construction vehicles roaming around the dirt roads. Also situated here is Carbones del Cerrejon Limited‚ a multinational coal corporation responsible for extracting millions of tons of coal per year. Besides coal workers‚ though‚ you will find the area visited by scientists‚ geologists‚ and archaeologists. That’s because Cerrejon is one of the world’s richest fossil deposit regions‚ and the world’s smartest people will come to this place to explore and search for fossils. “Cerrejón is the best‚ and probably the only‚ window on a complete ancient tropical ecosystem anywhere in the world‚” said Carlos Jaramillo‚ a paleontologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “The plants‚ the animals‚ everything. We have it all‚ and you can’t find it anywhere else in the tropics.” Cerrejon wasn’t always an open area of land. In fact‚ it was filled with swampy jungles and hundreds of trees. It was notoriously hotter and wetter than what it exists today.  They received twice as much rain millions of years ago than they do today‚ and that helped create the perfect living environment for some of nature’s most incredible creatures. The climate was so warm and humid that it was perfect for large animals to grow in historic size. It was first the home of dinosaurs more than 60 to 80 million years ago. After they became extinct when a giant asteroid impacted Earth‚ it was replaced with tropical rainforests and jungles that birthed various animals and species.  The jungle during the Paleocene period was the home to turtles twice the size of what exists today. There were three different crocodile species‚ all larger than what we’re used to seeing in lakes.  There was also a snake that measured more than 40 feet long and weighed over 2‚500 pounds. Once the dinosaurs passed on‚ this became the new “King of the Jungle.” The Titanboa The Titanboa snake was in simple terms “a monster.” It can best be compared today to a boa constrictor with the behavior of an anaconda.  But even the largest boas and anacondas today don’t reach anywhere near 40 feet long. The average anaconda is about one-third of that.  Not to mention the Titanboa was so thick that it could reach up to a man’s waist from the ground up. In essence‚ it was the largest snake in the history of the world. Scientists concluded that the large giant turtle shells and crocodile fossils that were found were likely victims of the snake that devoured them. Its brown skin was the perfect camouflage for roaming the jungles and hunting its prey.  With the dinosaurs gone‚ there wasn’t an animal that stood a shot against the serpent. Even King Kong would struggle to fight off the Titanboa. Artwork of a Titanboa‚ (Titanoboa cerrejonensis) by James Gurney. How the Titanboa Was Uncovered Garcia’s finding of an unfamiliar fossil combined with Herrera’s discovery of a fossil leaf got heads thinking that once upon a time‚ this land could have been a breeding ground for a jungle. The question was‚ “What was in that jungle?” Further studies were completed that showed this was one of the first tropical rainforests. As they dug for fossils‚ they found specimens and fossils of giant turtles‚ crocodiles‚ bean plants‚ and even the world’s first bananas.  Then they found a gigantic vertebra of an incredibly large snake. This led to more digging and more evidence of an enormous creature. The goal of the scientists was to find the skull‚ which was the hardest part of the discovery. They uncovered 100 snake vertebrae from 28 different animals as they dug‚ but they only found three skull fragments.   Still‚ what they found was enough to piece together a 45-foot giant‚ and given how many pieces were in other animals‚ they concluded that this was a beast that dominated this jungle. It was like the Tyrannosaurus Rex‚ ruling over the rainforest. A model of Titanoboa is on view at the Natural History museum starting tomorrow. Photo by James Di Loreto/Smithsonian Institution In 2012‚ the Smithsonian set up an exhibit in Grand Central Station depicting the Titanboa based on the fossil discoveries. Mock-ups were drawn up‚ including a promotional video showing the Titanboa facing off against the Tyrannosaurus.  Some scientists have clashed with those who concluded the snake was as large as it was. However‚ they do admit it was an incredibly large specimen.  As for what killed the Titanboa‚ the theory is a massive mudslide destroyed everything in the rainforest‚ including the snake. This mudslide caused all the fossils to be buried deep under the earth. References Gugliotta‚ Guy. “How Titanboa‚ the 40-foot Snake‚ Was Found.” SmithsonianMag.com. April 2012. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-titanoboa-the-40-foot-long-snake-was-found-115791429/.  DeLong‚ William. “Meet Titanboa‚ the Prehistoric Snake of our Nightmares.” AllThatsInteresting.com. 15 Oct 2022. https://allthatsinteresting.com/titanoboa-snake.  The post The Titanboa: The Biggest Snake That Ever Lived first appeared on History Defined.

Few criminals have as long a list of crimes as Carl Panzram. His criminal streak lasted for nearly four decades‚ spanned multiple continents‚ and included thousands of examples of robbery‚ sexual assault‚ and arson.  Even in his final hours‚ he expressed no remorse for his actions. He believed that he had been repaying the violence he experienced upon the rest of the world.  Panzram was a prime example of a psychopath who was made‚ not born‚ and a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.  Mugshot of serial killer Carl Panzram taken in Washington‚ DC‚ September 2‚ 1928. Early Years: A Troubled Beginning Carl Panzram was born on June 28‚ 1891‚ in East Grand Forks‚ Minnesota to East Prussian immigrants. He was one of seven total children.  As with many psychopaths‚ he encountered a difficult early life. Within a burgeoning industrial society that was constantly evolving‚ he still grew up on a rural family farm. Panzram’s parents forced him to work long hours every day on the farm to support the family.  Education was becoming more common and truancy laws were put in place. Therefore‚ the family experienced new tensions as Panzram and his siblings were forced to go to school.  Instead of relieving him of his farming duty‚ though‚ the family’s strict father forced them to continue the same amount of work overnight. Panzram would regularly only get a few hours of sleep a night‚ which had a disturbing effect on his childhood and adolescent development.  Long work hours were only the beginning of the torturous abuses the children were exposed to. Their father‚ Johann‚ would beat them‚ chain them up‚ and starve them as punishment alongside the children’s long work hours.  By the time Panzram was seven‚ his father abandoned the family. Eventually‚ three of his five brothers would also leave the family‚ while a fourth would drown. This left his mother‚ Mathilda‚ to handle the entire family herself which was a Herculean task under normal circumstances.  But raising Carl Panzram was not normal circumstances. By age 8 he was already demonstrating the behaviors that would make him infamous later in his life.  As an 8-year-old in 1899‚ Panzram was arrested for being drunk and disorderly‚ and once again was arrested for drunken behavior at age 11. As there was no federal drinking age dictated at the time‚ there were no long-term consequences for his actions‚ just the stress it brought upon his family.  The final straw of his criminal behavior for his mother‚ though‚ came when Panzram broke into a neighbor’s home and stole whatever he could. This included a cake‚ apples‚ and their revolver.  She sent Panzram to the Minnesota State Training School. It was advertised as a reform school for wayward children.  Panzram Burns Down his School The school was far from the image promised though. Panzram later recounted that he was endlessly tortured and raped in what the kids called “the paint shop.” It was named this due to their experiences leaving the room “painted” in blood and bruises that they got during their unfortunate time there.  The painful experience fueled Panzram’s anger‚ pushing him over the edge into the first of many arson. He later burned down the building that housed the paint shop without being caught.  Minnesota State Training School. Photo from Criminal Code Like many sociopaths‚ Panzram then learned to lie his way through others’ expectations. By the start of 1906‚ he was able to convince the staff of the school that he was reformed and was paroled from the school‚ deemed fit to return to society.  It was a short-lived relief‚ however‚ as he found living with his family again unbearable. He was forced to reflect on his abused childhood and take care of his sick mother. He quickly fled to lead a life on the run.  He began traveling the country in train cars where he experienced further sexual assault at the hands of transient homeless men. This inspired a deep hatred for others and would later be the incident he pointed to when discussing why he committed his long list of heinous crimes.  The Military and the Spark of Hatred The next few years were marked by more crime‚ incarceration‚ and another reform school. It was there that he assaulted a guard and met a criminal partner whom he later shared a crime spree with.  One night‚ when he was 16‚ Panzram heard a U.S. Army recruiter give a speech in a bar while he was drinking and decided to enlist. His skill at performing to expectations did not assist him there‚ however. By nature and lived experience‚ he was insubordinate and disdainful as best towards authority. These traits do not meld with the military lifestyle.  After stealing equipment from the quartermaster’s office‚ he was found guilty of larceny which landed him a prison sentence at Fort Leavenworth. He was badly beaten and abused by the guards there.  He later reflected that his time there squashed the last of his humanity from him and enabled the fierce violence to come.  His mugshot from Leavenworth‚ 1929 Criminal Escalation: A Pattern of Violence Following his dishonorable discharge from the army‚ Panzram’s criminal exploits escalated. He engaged in a series of burglaries‚ thefts‚ acts of arson‚ and several other crimes across the United States and abroad He was incarcerated in over a dozen high-profile prisons. Each time he was in prison his insubordination made him a target of prison guard violence. Panzram was forced to bulk up to defend himself against guards and fellow inmates. This later allowed him to leverage his physique against his victims‚ in prison and beyond.  Panzram targeted vulnerable individuals‚ often preying on boys and young men as he traveled across the United States and Africa on different ships.  While many of his crimes were random‚ sometimes he committed acts of vengeance. Once‚ he broke into one of former President William Howard Taft’s homes and robbed him.  Taft had been Secretary of War during Panzram’s brief enlistment and had personally signed off on Panzram’s sentence. Therefore‚ Panzram stole from Taft to fund his transient lifestyle.  He bought a yacht‚ which he used to attract victims before killing them and disposing of their bodies in the Atlantic. After his ship sank‚ he hopped on another bound for Africa‚ where he spent a few years killing and raping Angolan natives before returning to the United States.  He exhibited a complete lack of empathy or remorse for his actions. He viewed his victims as worthy of the same anger and violence he had been subjected to his whole life. He left a wake of bodies and ruined lives across multiple continents. Mugshot of serial killer Carl Panzram‚ under the alias Jefferson Davis‚ at Montana State Prison‚ circa 1913. The Capture and Imprisonment Panzram’s criminal spree eventually caught up with him. In 1928‚ after being arrested for burglary‚ he confessed to a litany of crimes‚ including multiple murders.  Police were only able to affirm some of his crimes. But that was enough to earn him a 25-to-life sentence and he was sent to Fort Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas.  As he entered the prison he warned the warden that he would kill the first person that bothered him. This warning‚ along with his extensive list of crimes‚ led the prison to place him in the laundry room to work.  The foreman of the laundry room decided to still antagonize Panzram though. Despite his many warnings to leave him alone‚ Panzram beat him to death with an iron bar.  This act of violence and defiance cemented Panzram’s fate. He was sentenced to death.  While on death row‚ a guard named Henry Phillip Lesser showed Panzram kindness for the first time in his life‚ and the two became friendly. With the writing materials that Lesser provided to him‚ Panzram wrote an autobiography and a list of his extensive crimes.  He documented that he killed over twenty people and sodomized over 1000 men‚ along with countless robberies and arson. On September 5‚ 1930‚ Panzram was finally executed.  As the executioner went to put the hood on him‚ Panzram spit in his face and told him to hurry up‚ insisting he could kill a dozen men in the time the executioner was taking.  After Panzram’s death‚ Lesser kept his autobiographical papers after his death. He spent nearly half a century trying to get them published.  He finally gave them to the Malcolm A. Love Library at San Diego State University. There‚ they have been used as a source for various books and documentaries about the killer.  Serial killers and psychopaths continue to capture the imagination of the general public‚ as people attempt to grasp what could cause human beings to commit such atrocious acts.  Panzram is a peak example of both familial and institutional failures producing a person filled with such contempt and anger that they are capable of anything. Hopefully‚ his story prevents future psychopaths from being created the same way.  References Arnold‚ Sam H. “The Tragic Story of a Boy who was Abused and Became a Monster.” Medium‚ July 27‚ 2021. https://medium.com/crimebeat/the-tragic-story-of-a-boy-who-was-abused-and-became-a-monster-1b66b8a83ac9.  Underwood‚ Tammy. “The Tragic Life of Serial Killer Carl Panzram.” The Crime Wire‚ October 19‚ 2023. https://thecrimewire.com/true-crime/carlpanzram. The post Carl Panzram’s Unbelievable and Cruel Criminal Life first appeared on History Defined.

People around the globe know Michael Jordan‚ LeBron James‚ and Stephen Curry. Many who revered Kobe Bryant were saddened when he passed away in 2020.  However‚ interestingly enough‚ basketball doesn’t even make it to the list of the world’s most popular sports in terms of its number of fans. According to the World Atlas‚ the top five most popular sports in the world are:  Soccer/football – 3.5 billion fans Cricket – 2.5 billion fans Hockey – 2 billion fans Tennis – 1 billion fans Volleyball – 900 million fans Basketball ranked seventh with 800 million fans. However‚ aside from soccer or international football and tennis‚ there are no cricket‚ hockey‚ and volleyball stars that are as popular as Jordan‚ James‚ and Curry.  So‚ who invented basketball? The answer is James Naismith‚ a Canadian-born physical educator who worked in the United States. Let’s get to know him a little better. James Naismith (6 November 1861 – 28 November 1939)‚ the inventor of basketball. James Naismith’s Early Life Naismith was born on November 6‚ 1861‚ in what is now part of Ontario’s Mississippi Mills. His parents were Scottish but died early which left him an orphan. Growing up‚ he lived with his aunt and uncle.  He spent a lot of time playing a game called Duck on a Rock‚ which later played a big role when he invented basketball. Duck on a Rock is a combination of tag and throwing.  The rules‚ according to the Naismith Basketball Foundation‚ were: “Players formed a line from a distance of 15-20 feet from the base stone. Each player used a fist-sized stone. The object was to dislodge the ‘guards’ stone from the top of the base stone‚ by throwing and taking turns. The guard would be positioned in a neutral area away from the thrower. If one succeeded‚ they would go to the back of the line. If you missed the guards’ stone‚ the ‘chase’ would be on and if tagged before the stone was recovered‚ the players would trade places.” Naismith learned there was a trick to throwing. A straight hard throw‚ or throwing the rock as you do in baseball‚ wasn’t as effective as soft lobbing a shot. His throwing style offered greater control and accuracy while being less likely to bounce away.  The basketball inventor enjoyed sports. He enrolled in McGill University in Montreal where he played American football‚ rugby‚ soccer‚ gymnastics‚ and lacrosse.  He would later earn a degree in physical education. He also became the first director of athletics at McGill University. However‚ he left school to pursue further studies in the United States.  In the U.S.‚ Naismith studied and played football at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) International Training School in Springfield‚ Massachusetts.  1905 image of Dr. James Naismith from page 31 of Spalding’s official collegiate basket ball guide The Invention of Basketball While at McGill‚ Naismith already wanted to invent indoor sports that could be played during winter. His resolve was strengthened when he completed his physical director training program at the YMCA. He was hired as a faculty member in 1891.  At the time‚ Naismith was struggling with a rowdy class who didn’t have a way to release their pent-up energy during winter. He played indoor games with the class but it just wasn’t enough.  It was Luther Gulick‚ one of the people who shaped physical culture in the U.S.‚ who ordered Naismith to come up with an indoor game that would offer YMCA students and athletes a form of physical distraction. Gulick integrated a sport and fitness component into the YMCA when it was founded in 1844.  Naismith only had 14 days to come up with a fun and physically satisfying indoor game. His criteria included: A game that would not take up much room A game that would ensure athletes stay in shape A game that is fair and not too rough After being challenged by Gulick‚ Naismith remembered those games of Duck in a Row.  How Did He Come Up With the Game? Naismith began by considering the most popular games at the time: baseball‚ football‚ hockey‚ lacrosse‚ rugby‚ and soccer. Except for hockey‚ he noted that all these games used a ball. Naismith knew that a ball must be the focal point of the game.  Naismith then considered safety. Out of all the sports he studied‚ the use of a larger circular ball seemed to be safest as it entailed less physical contact.  He also realized that physical contact generally happened when players would run with the ball. Naismith thought that passing the ball could lessen that.  Finally‚ he remembered how a soft lobbing shot was the key to winning Duck in Row so Naismith incorporated it into his invention.  With all the principles of the game in place‚ Naismith asked a janitor to bring him a couple of boxes that were installed on top of poles. But instead of boxes‚ the janitor brought two peach baskets. And that’s how “basket ball” was born.  13 Basic Rules of Basketball Naismith created 13 basic rules of basketball. Most of the basic rules still apply today‚ particularly‚ the first three rules: Players can throw the ball in any direction using one or both hands. The ball can also be batted in any direction using a single hand or both hands. Players cannot run while they have the ball. Naismith made minor changes by adding more rules. For example‚ the fourth rule describes how the ball should be held. According to his guidelines‚ the ball can be grasped in or between the hands without assistance from the player’s arms or any part of the body.  This guideline is no longer followed. Today‚ players can hold the ball with their arms and body. Many athletes often hold the ball between their arms and upper bodies while waiting for their teammates to reach their positions.  Naismith’s rule for second fouls was more stringent. The fifth rule dictates that holding‚ shouldering‚ striking‚ tripping‚ or pushing the opponent in any way is prohibited. If players break this rule‚ it counts as a foul. A second foul from the same player will merit a disqualification. They will be out of the game and will not be replaced until a goal is scored or a shot is made.  Again‚ this no longer applies since participants can have as many as five fouls during a 40-minute game or six fouls while playing a 48-minute game.  Players will only be disqualified after surpassing these limits. However‚ they can be replaced during the game without waiting for the next shot.  First Basketball Game The first basketball game was played on December 21‚ 1891. Eighteen YMCA students joined the first match.  They were divided into two teams of nine. Their goal was to shoot a soccer ball into a peach basket.  In a radio interview in 1939‚ Naismith shared: “I called the boys to the gym‚ divided them up into teams of nine‚ and gave them a little soccer ball. I showed them two peach baskets I’d nailed up at each end of the gym‚ and I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the opposing team’s peach basket. I blew the whistle‚ and the first game of basketball began.” At that time‚ a jump ball was called every time a basket was made.  By 1892‚ basketball had become very popular at the YMCA. Many wanted to call it Naismith Ball‚ but the humble physical educator refused.  Between 1893 and 1894‚ Naismith worked with Spalding to create the first basketball. The brand eventually became the official ball of many basketball associations.  Naismith brought basketball with him when he joined the University of Kansas as a faculty member in 1898. He had completed his medical degree and became the first coach of the Kansas Jayhawks Men’s Basketball Team.  It was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I team that participated in the Big 12 Conference. Ironically‚ Naismith wasn’t a great coach with a 55-60 win-loss record.  James Naismith with a ball and a basket. Pre-1939 Naismith’s Basketball Becomes Part of the Olympics The National Basketball Association‚ the premier basketball organization in the world‚ was founded on June 6‚ 1946. Naismith died on November 28‚ 1939‚ at the age of 78.  Sadly‚ he never saw basketball become one of the most popular sports in the world. However‚ he did witness the birth of the NCAA March Madness‚ or the Division I men’s basketball tournament eight months before his death. Despite his invention‚ Naismith never experienced wealth.  In 1935‚ the National Association of Basketball Coaches had to contribute and collect money so Naismith could see the official entry of basketball into the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin‚ Germany.  It must have been a great yet bittersweet experience for Naismith to see the inaugural Olympic basketball championship between the USA and Canada‚ his home and birth countries. The Americans won 19-8.  Naismith was awarded the Olympic medals throughout the competition.  Basketball Today Around 20 million Americans play basketball every year. Many play in public courts while others play in garages. It has spread around the world‚ with some saying that there are over 70‚000 basketball leagues globally.  The sport is popular in the following countries: United States Philippines Australia Canada Iraq Naismith has been honored in his home and birth countries for inventing basketball. In 1976‚ he was named a National Historic Person in Canada.  During the 100th founding anniversary of basketball in 1991‚ Canada also produced commemorative stamps which included one with Naismith’s name on it.  He didn’t want his name attached to the invention. But basketball enthusiasts will always remember the person who invented the game: James Naismith. The post Who Invented the Popular Game of Basketball?  first appeared on History Defined.

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