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In the early 20th century, the rise of Germany and the decline of the Ottoman Empire disturbed the long-standing balance of power in Europe, at the same time that unresolved territorial disputes and shifting alliances created rivalries and an arms race between the great powers. Growing tensions reached a breaking point on June 28, 1914, when the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by an young Bosnian Serb revolutionary, who intended to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austro-Hungarian rule. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia, as the assassination team was helped by a Serbian secret nationalist group, and declared war in the following month. Russia immediately mobilised its troops in Serbia's defense, prompting Germany, who had an alliance with Austria-Hungary, to declare war on both Russia and its ally, France. The United Kingdom subsequently marched against Germany, leading to a widespread conflict.   Although the United States was a major supplier of war...

In the pantheon of fictional monsters, the zombie has been around for almost a hundred years. The first popular reference to these resurrected corpses dates back to the book The Magic Island , published by William Seabrook in 1929. Seabrook was an American occultist (and an alcoholic) who found success travelling to various parts of the world and publishing exaggerated accounts of witchcraft and satanism. Written after a trip to the Caribbean island of Haiti, The Magic Island supposedly details Seabrook's real-life encounters with the walking dead. The section dealing with zombies is titled «Black Sorcery» and it colourfully narrates a story a local told to Seabrook about voodoo rites used to revive the dead as soulless slaves to work in the sugar cane fields.   Now in the Public Domain, The Magic Island was praised by critics at the time of its original release for its characterization of the Haitian people and culture, as well as its exploration of voodoo. Although Seabrook...

Clara Bow in a publicity photo circa 1928. Rita Hayworth and Pinky Tomlin at a Halloween party for Jackie Coogan, circa 1936.   Ann Miller in a publicity photo circa 1955.   Lillian Roth, Marion Schilling and Rosita Moreno in a publicity photo circa 1930.     Natalie Wood and Robert Vaughn at a Halloween party in Los Angeles, on October 27, 1956.   Pier Angeli in a promotional photo circa 1960.   Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield at a Halloween party in Los Angeles, on October 27, 1956.   Ida Lupino in a publicity photo circa 1934.   Elvis Presley and Joan Bradshaw at a Halloween party in Hollywood on October 31, 1957.   Linda Darnell in a publicity photo circa 1945.  

Carole Lombard is undoubtedly one the greatest comediennes in cinema history. Born Jane Alice Peters to a wealthy Indiana family on October 6, 1908, Lombard began her acting career at the age of 12, when director Allan Dwan cast her as Monta Blue's sister in A Perfect Crime (1921). Although the film was not widely distributed and paid only $50, the experience spurred Lombard's mother to enroll her in drama school. In 1924, just as she turned 16, she was screentested by Fox Film Corporation, which led to a co-starring role opposite Edmund Lowe in Marriage in Transit (1925). Both movies are now considered lost.   Unlike many other actors, Lombard made an easy transition to sound, signing a five-year contract with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Four years later, she was loaned out to Columbia to work on Twentieth Century (1934), a film that not only made her a major star, but also became the prototype of screwball comedies.   LEFT: Carole Lombard and Monta Blue in A Perfect Crim...

The 1970s were a decade of change in world history. As the social progressive values that emerged in the 1960s continued to grow, the golden age of capitalism came to an end. U.S. President Richard Nixon resigned from office following the Watergate scandal, Margaret Thatcher became the first female British Prime Minister, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty as a result of the Yom Kippur War, a military coup d'état restored democracy in Portugal after 48 years of dictatorship, and the Fall of Saigon finally brought an end to the Vietnam War.   (from left to right) Richard Nixon delivers his farewell speech to cabinet and to White House staff following his resignation (August 9, 1974); Margaret Thatcher arriving at Conservative Party headquarters the day after being elected Prime Minister (May 4, 1979); soldiers during the «Carnation Revolution» in Portugal (April 25, 1974); North Vietnamese troops enter Saigon on tanks and trucks, ending the Vietnam War (April 30, 1...