1

Harriet Tubman secretly worked as a Union spy

Most Americans know Harriet Tubman for her leadership of the Underground Railroad, but during the Civil War, she also became a Union scout and spy in South Carolina. Working with Colonel James Montgomery, Tubman gathered intelligence from enslaved people living behind Confederate lines near the Combahee River .

In June 1863, Tubman helped lead the Combahee River Raid, guiding Union gunboats through Confederate waters filled with hidden mines. The operation freed more than 700 enslaved people and made Tubman the first woman known to lead a major U.S. military mission.

2

Julia Child worked for the U.S. intelligence agency

Before becoming television’s most famous chef, Julia Child joined the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, in 1942 during World War II. The OSS later evolved into the CIA. Too tall to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps, Child instead classified files and overseas communications in Asia.

One of her strangest assignments involved helping researchers develop shark repellent for Navy explosives and emergency rescue kits . The repellent used copper acetate and black dye to create an odor similar to a dead shark.

3

Benjamin Franklin conducted unofficial spy work in Europe

Benjamin Franklin was more than a scientist and Founding Father. During the American Revolution, he quietly acted as an intelligence organizer while serving as ambassador to France beginning in 1776 . Franklin cultivated secret alliances, intercepted information, and used coded correspondence to support the colonies’ fight against Britain.

Operating from Paris, Franklin built relationships with French officials and helped persuade France to support the American cause with money, troops, and naval power. Historians consider his diplomatic intelligence efforts essential to the American victory at Yorktown in 1781 and eventual independence.

4

Louisa May Alcott published thrillers under another name

Louisa May Alcott became a literary icon after publishing Little Women in 1868, but few readers knew that she had already written sensational thrillers under the pen name "A.M. Barnard." These stories featured revenge, hidden identities, forbidden romance, and dramatic crime plots that shocked Victorian audiences.

Alcott used a pseudonym because publishers often expected women writers to produce respectable domestic fiction. Many of her darker stories remained forgotten until scholars rediscovered them in the 1940s. Today, titles like Behind a Mask reveal a far more rebellious side of the beloved author.

5

Maya Angelou worked as San Francisco’s first black female cable car conductor

Long before becoming a celebrated poet and author, Maya Angelou made history in San Francisco during the 1940s. At only 16 years old, she applied repeatedly for a conductor job on the city’s cable cars after seeing an advertisement that excluded Black applicants .

Angelou refused to give up despite repeated rejection. She eventually became San Francisco’s first Black female cable car conductor in 1944. Years later, she described proudly wearing the blue uniform while working long shifts across the city before launching her writing and civil rights careers.

6

Dr. Seuss created classified wartime propaganda films

Before writing Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat , Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, worked on wartime propaganda during World War II. Between 1943 and 1945, he joined director Frank Capra’s Signal Corps unit to produce military training films for American soldiers .

Geisel also drew political cartoons supporting the Allied war effort and criticizing fascism. Some of his films were classified during the war because they contained military training material. His animated work helped explain battlefield strategy and morale issues to thousands of U.S. troops overseas.

7

Babe Ruth once played an entire game with a fever over 102 degrees

In 1925, Babe Ruth became seriously ill during spring training and collapsed while traveling by train . Newspapers nicknamed the incident "the bellyache heard around the world." Reports from the time described Ruth suffering from a fever above 102 degrees while still insisting on returning to baseball activities.

Despite his condition, Ruth’s determination became part of baseball legend. The illness hurt his performance during the 1925 season, when the New York Yankees finished seventh in the American League. Even so, Ruth rebounded quickly and helped lead the Yankees to championships in later years.

8

Harry Houdini worked with police departments

Harry Houdini’s famous escape acts fascinated police departments across America and Europe in the early 1900s. Officers regularly challenged him to escape from handcuffs, prison wagons, and locked jail cells. Houdini often invited local police to inspect restraints before his performances began.

Beyond entertainment, Houdini also worked closely with law enforcement to expose fraudulent mediums and fake spiritualists during the 1920s . Using his knowledge of locks, hidden compartments, and deception, he publicly demonstrated how many supposed supernatural tricks were actually carefully staged illusions.

9

Frank Lloyd Wright hid a private apartment inside one of his buildings

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright secretly maintained a private apartment inside his famous Oak Park Studio near Chicago, Illinois. Built in the 1890s, the studio served as both his workplace and personal retreat while he designed many of his early Prairie-style homes across the Midwest.

The hidden living quarters allowed Wright to work late into the night and host select guests away from public attention. The building itself became one of the most important centers of American architecture, producing groundbreaking residential designs that influenced modern architecture around the world.

10

Muhammad Ali quietly funded humanitarian causes for years

Muhammad Ali’s boxing fame often overshadowed his enormous charitable work. For decades, Ali quietly donated money to hospitals, food programs, children’s charities, and international humanitarian efforts . Friends and family later revealed that many of his contributions were intentionally kept private.

In 1990, Ali traveled to Iraq during tensions leading up to the Gulf War and helped secure the release of 15 American hostages. He also supported global relief organizations and Parkinson’s disease research after his own diagnosis. In 2005, President George W. Bush awarded Ali the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1

Alaska SeaLife Center - Seward, Alaska

Image: David Clode

Alaska truly is the last frontier. Its wildlife is as vast as its land, and its sealife is equally incredible. To get a closer look at many of these creatures, the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward offers an excellent opportunity.

The only public aquarium in the state, the center combines regional exhibits with marine research, education, and wildlife rehabilitation. At this unique facility, visitors can observe regional birds in the aviary, view an undersea kelp forest, or watch seals and Steller sea lions at play in the Rocky Coast exhibit.

2

National Aquarium - Baltimore

Image: naomi tamar

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is home to a wide range of exhibits, from an Amazon River forest to an Atlantic coral reef and more. Visitors can encounter an incredible array of creatures , enjoy interactive experiences , watch 4D films , and even participate in aquarium sleepovers .

Aside from its exhibitions, the National Aquarium's conservation work is geared toward combating climate change, protecting wildlife and their habitats, and reducing plastic pollution. Recent visitors have also raved about the dolphin show.

3

Shedd Aquarium - Chicago

Image: Caroline Hernandez

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago gives visitors an up-close view of a variety of aquatic animals, including jellyfish, seahorses, and giant Pacific octopuses. The aquarium offers animal encounter experiences with beluga whales, sharks, penguins, stingrays, and sea otters.

There are also plenty of exhibits to explore. Pacific white-sided dolphins, belugas, California sea lions, and sea otters can be observed from both underwater and above-water viewing areas. The Polar Play Zone allows children to learn about life at the North and South poles in a kid-sized submarine, feeling the texture of a starfish in the touch pool, and admiring the underwater viewing area.

4

Tennessee Aquarium - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Image: Shane Rounce

The Tennessee Aquarium is divided into two separate buildings for freshwater and ocean exhibits , showcasing thousands of animals, including the macaroni penguin, sand tiger shark, alligator snapping turtle, hellbender, and giant Japanese spider crab.

The River Journey building features the Turtles of the World gallery, an Appalachian cove forest habitat, the River Giants exhibit, and more. In Ocean Journey , visitors will find a butterfly garden, a tropical cove habitat, and the Boneless Beauties exhibit, among other highlights.

5

Seattle Aquarium - Seattle

Image: Craig Lovelidge

Aquatic life in Puget Sound can be witnessed through the Seattle Aquarium's one-of-a-kind, 360-degree Underwater Dome , which displays local fish in a 400,000-gallon habitat . Set on two historic piers, the aquarium educates visitors about Puget Sound and the ocean at large through exhibits, events, conservation and education programs, research activities, and more.

At the Family Activity Center, guests of all ages can participate in hands-on activities to learn about the majestic orcas of the Pacific Northwest. The aquarium's species recovery program works to save animals from extinction through research, field conservation, and more.

6

Aquarium of the Pacific - Long Beach, California

Image: Julien Maculan

The Aquarium of the Pacific, in Long Beach, California, features habitats from the tropical Pacific Ocean, northern Pacific waters, and the Southern California/Baja region. As Southern California's largest aquarium, it houses more than 12,000 animals across 100-plus exhibits highlighting aquatic life in the Pacific Ocean.

The state-of-the-art Pacific Visions wing offers guests an interactive experience through film, art, and technology. Visitors can see what it's like to be an aquatic vet at the Molina Animal Care Center, and then learn about water sources and conservation at the Our Water Future exhibit.

7

New England Aquarium - Boston

Image: David Clode

The New England Aquarium features an open-air exhibit space for seal and sea lion training, the four-story Giant Ocean Tank, an Indo-Pacific coral reef habitat, an exhibit spotlighting Atlantic harbor seals , and the Simons Theatre with its nearly five-story-tall movie screen.

Aside from the indoor and outdoor exhibits, the aquarium's research division conducts ocean exploration and conservation through a plethora of initiatives like saving sea turtles and protecting North Atlantic right whales.

8

Shark Reef Aquarium - Las Vegas

Image: SGR

An aquarium is probably not the first thing that comes to one’s mind when thinking about Las Vegas, but the Shark Reef Aquarium is well worth a visit. With more than 2,000 animals, it features jellyfish, sharks, sea turtles, and even crocodiles.

Guests can feed stingrays, sea turtles, or even a zebra shark, or try out the Undersea Explorer VR Theater for an immersive digital experience.

9

Aquarium of Niagara - Niagara Falls, New York

Image: Shaun Low

Visitors can find more than 120 animal species at the Aquarium of Niagara, including many rescues that are unable to survive in the wild. The Penguin Coast exhibit is home to a colony of 14 Humboldt penguins , and the aquarium showcases over 100 species of fish and invertebrates from both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems , as well as several species of seals and sea lions .

In the summer of 2024, the aquarium unveiled the Great Lakes 360 experience with an interactive sturgeon touch pool and 16 new exhibits highlighting animals from the Great Lakes and Niagara River ecosystems.

10

Georgia Aquarium - Atlanta

Image: David Clode

At the enormous Georgia Aquarium, visitors can get close to rays, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, and sea otters, or even go behind the scenes at a dolphin training session. The aquarium focuses on conservation education and fostering positive connections between humans and animals.

The Ocean Voyager exhibit features a 100-foot-long underwater walk-through tunnel that displays more than 50 species.

1

Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List

In Steven Spielberg’s historical masterpiece Schindler’s List (1993), Liam Neeson delivers a masterful performance as Oskar Schindler, the enigmatic German industrialist who saved more than 1,100 Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

Neeson expertly maps Schindler’s evolution from an opportunistic war profiteer into a compassionate savior who risks his fortune and life to protect his workers. Schindler’s List dominated the 66th Academy Awards with seven Oscar wins out of 12 nominations; while he didn’t win, Neeson earned a Best Actor nod for giving heart and soul to one of cinema’s most incredible biopics.

2

Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator

Playing a Hollywood legend must be intimidating, but playing Katharine Hepburn—an actress who won four Academy Awards herself—is a monumental challenge. In Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004), Cate Blanchett embodies Hepburn during her tempestuous romance with eccentric aviation mogul Howard Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio).

Blanchett mastered Hepburn’s Mid-Atlantic accent, body language, and charm. Her magnetic work earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first person in history to win an Academy Award for playing a former Oscar-winning actor.

3

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk

In Gus Van Sant’s biopic Milk (2008), Sean Penn took on the role of Harvey Milk, the activist who became California’s first openly gay elected official. The film captures Milk’s grassroots movement in San Francisco during the late 1970s, culminating in his tragic assassination. Penn’s deeply empathetic performance earned him his second Best Actor Academy Award, both an acknowledgement of his artistic achievement and a tribute to an LGBTQ+ pioneer.

4

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster

In one of the most shocking physical transformations in screen history, Charlize Theron portrayed sex worker turned serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ Monster (2003).

To capture Wuornos’s tormented reality, Theron gained 30 pounds, wore prosthetic teeth, and adopted a rigid, defensive posture. Moreover, behind the physical transformation lay a raw emotional vulnerability that refused to demonize Wuornos. Critics considered it a landmark achievement in acting, and Theron took the awards season by storm, bringing in the Oscar for Best Actress.

5

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln

Few actors have the talent for transformation like Daniel Day-Lewis. His portrayal of America’s 16th president remains one of the gold standards of modern cinema.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Lincoln (2012) focuses on the intense political schemes during the final moments of the Civil War as Abraham Lincoln sought to pass the 13th Amendment and abolish slavery. Day-Lewis famously spent months immersing himself in the role, adopting Lincoln’s voice, gait, and quiet wisdom. His dedication to the role earned him a record-breaking third Academy Award for Best Actor.

6

Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours

In Stephen Daldry’s drama The Hours (2002), Nicole Kidman delivered a haunting performance as literary icon Virginia Woolf. The film explores Woolf’s life during the 1920s in suburban England as she struggles with crippling mental illness while writing her masterpiece Mrs. Dalloway .

Beyond wearing a prosthetic nose that made her almost unrecognizable, Kidman immersed herself in the role by learning to write right-handed in Woolf’s exact style. Kidman managed to capture Woolf’s intellect, despair, and creative genius with enormous grace, earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

7

Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray

To embody the pioneer of soul music, Jamie Foxx had to capture not only Ray Charles’s singular voice and piano virtuosity, but also his complex inner world.

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Ray (2004) chronicles Charles’s rise from a blind child in the Jim Crow South to an international superstar, alongside his battles with addiction. Foxx wore prosthetic eye covers during filming and played all the piano sequences himself. Critics praised his physical precision and emotional range, earning Foxx the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.

8

Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl

Making your feature film debut in the role that made you a Broadway superstar is a rare opportunity, and Barbra Streisand achieved it brilliantly in Funny Girl (1968). Playing early 20th-century comedy pioneer Fanny Brice, Streisand showcased her vocal range, comedic timing, and dramatic depth.

The film chronicles Brice’s rise to fame as well as her stormy relationship with gambler Nick Arnstein. Streisand’s astonishing performance made Oscar history when she tied with Katharine Hepburn for the Best Actress statuette at the 41st Academy Awards.

9

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in Capote

When Philip Seymour Hoffman took on the task of portraying eccentric author Truman Capote, he faced a difficult challenge: avoiding becoming a caricature and honoring a famous personality.

Bennett Miller’s Capote (2005) focuses on the period when the writer researched his groundbreaking true-crime novel In Cold Blood . Hoffman effortlessly captured Capote’s distinctive cadence, flamboyant mannerisms, and sharp intellect while digging deep into the ethical compromises that eroded his spirit. Hoffman’s heartbreaking performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

10

Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich (2000) tells the inspiring true story of an unemployed single mother who uncovered widespread groundwater contamination caused by energy giant PG&E in Hinkley, California.

Julia Roberts delivered a pivotal performance as Brockovich, enriching the role with fiery grit and humor, as well as showing empathy for affected families. Roberts’ magnetic star power carried the legal drama to box-office success and critical acclaim, culminating in an excellent awards season and her first Best Actress Oscar.