The Untold Past

The Untold Past From hidden photographs to forgotten legends — welcome to The Untold Past. Chicago's BEST tour! Ghosts, Gangsters, Mystery and Mayhem of the Windy City!

This isn’t just another ordinary tour — it’s an urban adventure that makes the past truly come alive!

They built rivers underground — and made the desert bloom.In ancient Persia, one of history’s greatest engineering feats...
06/18/2025

They built rivers underground — and made the desert bloom.
In ancient Persia, one of history’s greatest engineering feats changed the fate of an empire. Imagine dry, barren landscapes suddenly supporting farms, orchards, and entire cities — all thanks to a system invisible from above.
The secret? The qanat. These were underground tunnels that reached deep into mountain aquifers. Using nothing but gravity, they carried fresh water across miles of desert. No pumps. No modern tools. Just precision digging, slope calculation, and generations of knowledge passed down.
Some qanats stretched over 50 kilometers, feeding water to communities that would otherwise never survive. Each tunnel was lined with vertical shafts, like a hidden spine beneath the earth, letting workers build and maintain the channels.
These networks didn’t just support agriculture. They powered the growth of cities like Yazd and Nishapur. They kept Persian society thriving through droughts, invasions, and centuries of change.
And here’s the most astonishing part: many qanats are still in use today — thousands of years after they were built.
The Persian qanat system wasn’t just about water. It was about survival, ingenuity, and building something to last beyond a single lifetime.
Had you heard of the qanats before? Do you think this kind of ancient engineering could inspire modern solutions? Let us know what you think!

Imagine training for years… only to miss the Olympics by almost two weeks. That’s exactly what happened to the Russian t...
06/18/2025

Imagine training for years… only to miss the Olympics by almost two weeks.
That’s exactly what happened to the Russian team at the 1908 London Games — because their country was still using the wrong calendar.
The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar, had served Europe for centuries. But it made one crucial mistake: it added too many leap years. This caused dates to drift out of sync with the solar year — by about one day every 128 years.
By the 1500s, this drift had shifted key dates, like the spring equinox, by about 10 days. This wasn’t just inconvenient — it messed with agriculture, festivals, and religious events. That’s when Pope Gregory XIII stepped in. In 1582, he introduced the Gregorian calendar. The fix? Drop 10 days immediately, and skip 3 leap years every 400 years going forward.
Most Catholic countries adopted it fast. Protestant and Orthodox nations were slower. And by the 20th century, Russia still hadn’t made the switch. That’s why, when their athletes showed up for the 1908 Olympics, they were 12–14 days late. The Games had already begun — the world had moved on, but Russia’s clock hadn’t.
Russia finally adopted the Gregorian calendar after the 1917 revolution — nearly 335 years after Gregory’s reform.
⏳ Had you heard this before? Do you think a single country sticking to its own time today could cause chaos? Let us know!

She didn’t just rule — she fought to save a kingdom. In the 10th century, while Viking raiders terrorized England, one l...
06/18/2025

She didn’t just rule — she fought to save a kingdom.
In the 10th century, while Viking raiders terrorized England, one leader stood out. Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, wasn’t a queen by title — but she was a queen in action.
Born the daughter of Alfred the Great, Æthelflæd was raised in a world at war. When her husband died, she took charge of Mercia — a region at the front line of Viking invasions. Instead of handing power to a man, she led herself.
Æthelflæd turned towns into fortresses. She ordered walls raised, defenses built, and troops trained. Cities like Chester and Tamworth became strongholds that Vikings couldn’t break.
But she didn’t stop at defense. Æthelflæd led campaigns deep into enemy territory. Her forces captured key sites, including the crucial Viking-held city of Derby. It was a major blow to the invaders.
Her efforts laid the foundation for the unification of England. By the time her brother, Edward the Elder, and her nephew, Æthelstan, took power, Æthelflæd had already cleared the path for a united kingdom.
Her name isn’t as famous as theirs. But without Æthelflæd, England’s history might have been very different.
👉 Had you heard of Æthelflæd before? Do you think she deserves to be better known? Let’s hear your thoughts!

She left a famous husband… for a man 24 years older. Then she built a music empire that shaped history.Cosima Liszt, dau...
06/18/2025

She left a famous husband… for a man 24 years older.
Then she built a music empire that shaped history.
Cosima Liszt, daughter of Franz Liszt, was born into genius. Raised in a world of music and ideas, she learned from one of Europe’s greatest composers — her own father.
In 1857, she married the conductor Hans von Bülow. But a decade later, she stunned society by leaving him for Richard Wagner. Wagner wasn’t just older — he was controversial, brilliant, and driven.
Cosima became far more than his wife. She was his muse, manager, and the force behind his success. After Wagner’s death, she turned the Bayreuth Festival into one of Europe’s most important cultural stages — a shrine to his work.
Her dedication to Wagner’s vision helped preserve his legacy for generations. But her strong embrace of his nationalistic ideas made her a figure both admired and criticized. Even in her later years, she remained fiercely loyal to his ideals, no matter how divisive they became.
Cosima’s life was a mix of passion, art, power — and controversy. She shaped the world of classical music like few others in history.
👉 Had you heard of Cosima Liszt before? Do you think her loyalty strengthened or overshadowed her legacy?

A sewer worker once walked straight into the Bank of England’s gold vault — without stealing a single coin.In 1836, duri...
06/18/2025

A sewer worker once walked straight into the Bank of England’s gold vault — without stealing a single coin.
In 1836, during routine work underground, a sewer technician discovered an old drain that led directly beneath the bank’s treasure room. No locks. No guards. Just an open path to a fortune.
But instead of helping himself, he chose honesty. He contacted the bank’s directors, asking them to name a time when he could prove the security flaw.
At the agreed hour, the directors waited inside the vault. To their shock, the worker calmly emerged from a hole in the floor — showing them how vulnerable their gold truly was.
The bank rewarded him for his integrity. They immediately sealed the passage, ensuring no one could repeat his journey.
This strange episode became one of the most unusual near-heists in banking history — where a man could have taken everything, but chose to take nothing.
Had you heard this story before? What would you have done in his place?

In 1140, a group of women outwitted a king — and saved their people.When King Konrad III captured a rival castle during ...
06/18/2025

In 1140, a group of women outwitted a king — and saved their people.
When King Konrad III captured a rival castle during a bloody conflict, he offered the women inside safe passage.
They could leave freely, carrying whatever they could manage on their backs.
It sounded like mercy. But it was actually a test.
The women didn’t waste time gathering gold or treasures. Instead, they each lifted a man onto their shoulders — fathers, husbands, brothers.
The sight must have stunned the soldiers. But Konrad kept his word.
He allowed the women to walk out with the men, sparing their lives.
What could have ended in destruction became a story of cleverness and honor.
This moment became legend — proof that quick thinking can change the course of history.
It’s still told today as a rare example of strategy winning over brute force.
Had you heard this story before? Would you have honored the promise like Konrad did?

He was born enslaved in South Carolina around 1845. By the end of his life, he was a respected rancher, horseman, and pi...
06/18/2025

He was born enslaved in South Carolina around 1845.
By the end of his life, he was a respected rancher, horseman, and pioneer of the Canadian West.
His early years were marked by hardship. On the plantation where he was born, he learned the skills that would shape his future — riding and working with horses. These talents would one day help him rise above the limits placed on him.
After gaining his freedom, he headed west. The American frontier was tough, but his horsemanship made him stand out. He earned respect in a world where few expected a formerly enslaved man to succeed.
In 1891, he bought a ranch near Millarville, Alberta. It was more than land — it was a new beginning. The next year, he married Mildred Lewis. Together they raised six children, building a home and a life on the harsh Canadian prairies.
As more settlers arrived near Millarville, the family moved again. This time they chose land along the Red Deer River, near today’s Dinosaur Provincial Park. Here they built a legacy, turning their ranch into a symbol of perseverance and strength.
Their journey from slavery to freedom, and from survival to success, remains one of the great untold stories of the North American frontier.
Had you heard of this family’s incredible journey before? How do you think their story shaped the history o

In 1911, the Mona Lisa vanished — stolen by a handyman hiding inside the Louvre. The empty space where it once hung drew...
06/18/2025

In 1911, the Mona Lisa vanished — stolen by a handyman hiding inside the Louvre.
The empty space where it once hung drew bigger crowds than the painting ever had.
The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, believed the masterpiece belonged in Italy.
Wearing a white smock, he hid overnight in the museum.
At dawn, he took the Mona Lisa and simply walked out.
The Louvre shut down for a week.
The world was stunned.
But visitors kept coming — just to stare at the bare wall.
The theft turned the painting into a global mystery.
For two years, the Mona Lisa was lost.
Then Peruggia tried to sell it in Florence — and was caught.
The masterpiece came home.
And the legend was sealed forever.
Do you think the Mona Lisa would be so famous today if it hadn’t been stolen?

On June 6, 1944, one man’s bravery changed everything.Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis didn’t wait for orders. He c...
06/18/2025

On June 6, 1944, one man’s bravery changed everything.
Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis didn’t wait for orders. He charged German machine gun nests — alone.
That morning, Hollis landed on Gold Beach with the 6th Battalion, Green Howards.
His unit advanced inland, bypassing two active pillboxes.
Hollis saw the danger. He stormed the first, fired his Sten gun, threw a gr***de, and cleared it.
Then he turned to the second — forcing 26 German soldiers to surrender.
But Hollis wasn’t done.
Later that day, near Crépon, he tried to neutralize a German field gun.
His first shot missed. Enemy machine guns opened fire.
When two comrades were pinned down, Hollis grabbed a Bren gun. He advanced alone, drawing fire so they could escape.
And still, he kept fighting.
He cleared another strongpoint, taking on machine guns and a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun with gr***des and automatic fire.
Throughout the day, Hollis led from the front — directing men, clearing obstacles, and driving the assault forward.
For his actions on June 6, 1944, Stanley Hollis received the only Victoria Cross awarded that day. One man. One day. Countless lives saved.
👉 Had you heard of Hollis’s story before?
Do you think heroism like this could happen today?

She crossed the Himalayas disguised as a pilgrim. At 56, Alexandra David-Néel became the first Western woman to reach fo...
06/18/2025

She crossed the Himalayas disguised as a pilgrim.
At 56, Alexandra David-Néel became the first Western woman to reach forbidden Lhasa.
Born in 1868 in Paris, David-Néel was never one to follow rules. She ran away from home as a teenager. She became an opera singer, journalist, and Buddhist scholar. But her greatest passion was exploration.
In 1924, after years of studying Tibetan culture, she embarked on her boldest journey. She and her companion, Lama Yongden, crossed 14,000-foot passes. They slept in caves, dodged bandits, and survived on roasted barley flour.
Blizzards, hunger, and exhaustion couldn’t stop them. To endure the bitter cold, David-Néel learned tummo meditation — a technique that uses breath control to generate inner heat. She spent months in a freezing cave mastering it.
David-Néel lived to 100 and wrote over 30 books about her adventures. She proved that age, gender, or borders can’t stop a determined mind.
Had you heard of Alexandra David-Néel before? Could you have survived a journey like hers?

Fewer than 7% of Nobel Prize winners have been women. Out of more than 900 laureates since 1901, only 60 were female.Tha...
06/18/2025

Fewer than 7% of Nobel Prize winners have been women.
Out of more than 900 laureates since 1901, only 60 were female.
That’s right — despite making up half the world’s population, women have rarely been recognized on science’s biggest stage.
Marie Curie made history as the first woman to win a Nobel Prize — and remains the only person to win in two different sciences.
In 2020, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna earned Chemistry’s highest honor for their CRISPR gene-editing breakthrough.
But in fields like physics, economics, and math, female laureates are still painfully rare.
This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about generations of exclusion, bias, and systemic barriers that kept (and still keep) women from getting equal opportunities.
Yet with each prize, women prove their brilliance belongs at the top — reshaping what the world sees as possible.
Had you heard these numbers before?
Do you think we’ll see this gap close in our lifetime?

In 1884, someone pointed a camera at a tornado — and made history.On April 26, 1884, in Anderson County, Kansas, the fir...
06/18/2025

In 1884, someone pointed a camera at a tornado — and made history.
On April 26, 1884, in Anderson County, Kansas, the first-ever photograph of a tornado was captured. At a time when photography was still a slow, delicate process, freezing an image of something as fast and violent as a tornado seemed almost impossible. Yet, that’s exactly what happened.
The photo showed a dark funnel cloud twisting across the Kansas plains. This wasn’t just any storm — it was a force of nature that would leave a permanent mark on both the land and the world of science. The image became a crucial piece of evidence for early meteorologists trying to understand these deadly storms.
Imagine the scene: heavy winds tearing across fields, dust and debris flying, and someone steadying their bulky camera, hoping to catch the moment before the storm devoured everything. There was no fast shutter, no digital sensor. Just glass plates and courage.
That single photograph helped change how people thought about storms. It wasn’t just a blurry shape on the horizon anymore. It was real, it was documented, and it showed the terrifying power of tornadoes in a way words never could.
Today, storm chasers use drones, radar, and satellite imaging. But it all started with one bold photo, taken 138 years ago on a stormy day in Kansas.
Had you heard of this image before? Do you think you’d have had the nerve to take that shot

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Untold Past posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Untold Past:

Shortcuts

Share

Weird Chicago Tours

THE BEST TOUR IN CHICAGO! Join Weird Chicago for the best tour in the city! We take you to both famous and little-known spots and behind the scenes of the greatest events in Chicago’s rich and wonderfully weird history. From haunted places to gangster hangouts, vanished history and crime scenes, we take you where no one else can. This isn’t just another ordinary tour — it’s an urban adventure that makes the past truly come alive! Come expecting the unexpected!

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A WEIRD CHICAGO TOUR? We’re not like any other tour in the Windy City — we’re the tour that other companies come to when they’re looking for ideas. Why don’t we offer an itinerary of our stops? Because we always want to want to keep you guessing! Plus, our tour often changes so that we can keep offering you a unique and exciting experience! We've been voted the "best tour in Chicago" for a reason, so see the schedule at http://weirdchicago.com and join us soon!