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The History of Comic Book Villains: From Lex Luthor to Thanos

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Almost all of us love superheroes, but they would be almost nothing if it weren’t for a foil that tried to hamper their plans of justice and peace. Someone has to be the antagonist in a hero’s story, and for that reason, supervillains are just as important. Even when heroes made their way to the big screen, having a good villain was the difference between a critically-acclaimed film and a panned one.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the history of comic book supervillains and how they came to be what they are today. Some of the fan favorites of today actually came much later than people may have thought, while some of the very first supervillains are completely forgotten about today. 

Humble Beginnings

Superman made his comic book debut with Action Comics #1, but he didn’t have a nemesis for the first dozen issues. In #13, Superman went toe-to-toe with a white gorilla named Ultra-Humanite. Originally, he was supposed to be the main supervillain, but that would change just a few issues later when Alexei Luthor and, of course, Lex Luthor, were introduced. Lex would become the main villain throughout Superman lore.

Ultra-Humanite became the first supervillain overall in June 1939, and the rest of the year saw three more introduced. Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster created Ultra-Humanite while Bob Kane and Bill Finger created the next two: Dr. Death and The Monk. The two were Batman villains, with the latter not sticking around for long while the former was revived multiple times.

Continuing the Golden Age

The start of the 1940s was when things really ramped up for supervillains. Batman had four new adversaries in the first year with Hugo Strange, Catwoman, Clayface, and his archvillain, the Joker. Meanwhile, Marvel finally entered the foray of having supervillains with the introduction of Red Skull in 1941. Throughout the rest of World War II, many signature villains including Scarecrow, Two-Face, Solomon Grundy, and Black Adam were introduced.

Later Golden Age supervillains included Deadshot, Red Hood, Brainiac, Bizarro, and the Riddler. All of these, however, were great DC villains who became staples while Marvel still only had one that would land with readers. It wasn’t until the early 1960s that Marvel switched from Magazine Management to Marvel Comics and introduced Spider-Man who came with a new slew of great villains.

The Silver Age

In 1963, The Chameleon became the first Spider-Man supervillain, but he wouldn’t receive as much fanfare as the ones who followed. The Vulture, Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Electro, Mysterio, Green Goblin, and Kraven the Hunter were all introduced in the following months and formed the Sinister Six. The faction, to this day, remains the key cog to the villain puzzle for the web-slinger.

Dr. Doom was also introduced around this time, giving all of the Marvel universe (and especially the Fantastic Four) a prime villain to take on. Loki, the Rhino, the Mandarin, the Scarlet Witch, and many others were introduced over the next couple of years to give Marvel a fantastic catalog of villains to pick from. The 1940s and 1960s proved to be the two best decades for introducing villains as it became hard to build upon after so many were established.

Taking a Step Back

Just because there was already a plethora of characters to use for DC and Marvel doesn’t mean the two publishers stopped adding to the list in the 1970s and 1980s. However, there were very few that resonated with fans during this time. For every Ra’s al Ghul, Thanos, or Sabretooth, there was an Egg Fu, the Matador, or Big Wheel. The 1980s saw the publishers make fewer attempts at new villains, but there were some winners including Killer Croc and Hobgoblin, with Venom being the best one of the decade.

And a Step Forward

After a couple of decades of blunders, comic book villains got back on the right track in the 1990s. The decade started out with the introduction of Deadpool, Carnage, Bane, and Doomsday. Harley Quinn was introduced to the comics, as well, after spending seven years as a cartoon-only character.

When superhero films started making their way to theaters, many of the classic villains were used up rather quickly. With that, DC and Marvel began using newer characters who were freshly introduced. For instance, Gorr the God Butcher was introduced in comics in 2013 and by 2022 was the main villain in “Thor: Love and Thunder”. Each year, we’ll continue to see new villains, but their impact on comics overall will remain to be seen as they’re becoming less frequent.

The Mars Face: Hoax, Coincidence, Or Sign Of Alien Life?

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Because no human being (at least that we know of) has ever walked on Mars, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding the planet. Because of orbiters that have gone around the planet, however, we have begun to make out what the surface looks like and we’ve discovered some interesting bits and pieces. One time there appeared to be a lifeform but turned out to be a piece of netting from a previous ship’s crash site, formations that look like spikes, and even what appeared to be a doorway on the side of a mountain.

One thing on Mars that has been the topic of conversation for many years, though, is the perceived “face” on the Red Planet. The Face on Mars is perhaps the oldest oddity of the planet, as the Viking 1 and 2 orbiters were the first to spot it all the way back in the mid-1970s. The face was a result of photographs being taken of the Cydonia region.

From those original images, there was a large formation that seemed to clearly resemble a human face. No matter what angle the photo was taken from during this time, all of them made it so that the face was seen clearly by the human eye. It was dismissed at first by NASA, but once it was seen again from different lighting and more than 30 orbits later, people got to talking.

Naturally, as humans who have a keen interest in life away from the Earth, there were plenty of people who theorized that there was life on Mars and that the Face on Mars was actually a monument of some type. Even with the photos all showing a clear “face,” NASA was still convinced that it was nothing more than lighting and a coincidental formation, but that wasn’t enough to quench the alien thirst of the public.

John Grant of the Center for Earth and planetary studies said that there was a misconception about what NASA was looking for on Mars. while many thought that NASA was looking for intelligent life they were actually searching for any simple forms of life. He went on to say that there were also particular formations on Earth that resembled humans but didn’t have nearly as much speculation as the one on Mars 

After the original photos, it had been more than 20 years by the time the Face on Mars was photographed again. This had some people feeling that NASA found more than they were leading on and trying to cover up any alien life. Gerhard Neukum, a scientist who worked on a Mars photography project, said that he received hundreds of emails asking to photograph Cydonia again because they didn’t believe NASA.

In 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor made its way to the Red Planet with the plan to record more imagery from the Cydonia region. Unfortunately for theorists, what they found on the next trip was not what they were hoping for. Instead, higher-resolution images showed that there was no face but the blurriness from the original pictures made it appear that there was.

Even then, there were many people who said that the higher-resolution images didn’t tell the whole story. they claimed that the pictures were taken from the wrong angle and that clouds obscured the vision of the Face on Mars. more images have been taken since then all of which have shown in higher resolution than the face we saw in 1976 is not what we would see with the human eye if we were to get that close to the Cydonia region 

The face on Mars has been photographed from different angles in the years that have passed. NASA has taken these photos from different angles and altitudes to show that the original image was nothing more than a coincidence caused by lighting and low-resolution cameras. Ray tracing has shown that the Face on Mars has a unique shape but does not actually resemble a face. 

Still, there are plenty of other formations on Mars that have interesting shapes that humans want more answers for, including pyramids, a bear’s face, and even formations that resemble characters from Sesame Street. Because we have yet to walk on Mars, there are still a lot of questions but hopefully in the coming decades will be able to answer many of these questions. If humans ever do indeed inhabit Mars, we’ll be able to get firsthand answers, but for now, we’re left wondering what type of life could be on Mars and whether or not they’re capable of carving facial formations.

A Brief History Of Pepsi’s Corporate Strategies

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Pepsi, along with Coca-Cola, is a soft drink giant that has a reach to pretty much every country around the world. From its humble beginnings in the late 20th century to becoming a multi-billion dollar corporation, Pepsi has seen a lot of different corporate strategies over the years. Let’s take a brief look at Pepsi’s history of corporate strategies.

The Start

When it was first introduced in 1893 by Caleb Bradham, Pepsi was called Brad’s Drink and became a local favorite in New Bern, North Carolina where Bradham dispensed the beverage from his drugstore. The pharmacist claimed that there were health benefits for the drink and started marketing it as such, saying that it could cure dyspepsia at a time when it was a common ailment in the United States.

Thus, the first strategy was born and the name changed to Pepsi-Cola as a result of the marketing. Unfortunately for Bradham, he had to sell the company after sugar prices during World War I put him out of business. The company changed hands twice and ended up in the hands of Charles Guth, a candymaker who had become disgruntled with the Coca-Cola company.

Price Points

Pepsi entered the cola wars with Coca-Cola and got a huge leg up during the Great Depression. Both companies were selling the same sized (6.5 ounces) bottle for years until Pepsi decided to nearly double the size to 12 ounces without increasing the price. This helped Pepsi become a more common drink in middle America during a time when Coca-Cola had a stranglehold. With Pepsi now a familiar name across the nation, it was time to change course.

Drink of the Youth

Throughout much of the company’s history, Pepsi has made sure that they’re marketing toward the younger generation at the time. This dates back to the 1930s when Pepsi would use up-and-coming actors in their advertisements and continued over the decades with superstars entering their prime including Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and many more. As a result, Pepsi has laid claim to being the “official” soft drink of each generation, including campaigns titled “The Pepsi Generation” and “Generation Next.”

The Food Side

During the 1950s, Pepsi saw a massive expansion and decided to go further than simply selling just a couple of soft drinks. In 1965, Pepsi and Frito-Lay merged, making sure that a massive chunk of the snacks and soft drinks in the United States were under one roof. This is why in most commercials for Frito-Lay brand chips, there’s a Pepsi product somewhere on the screen, and vice-versa.

In the following decade, under its new name PepsiCo, decided to start acquiring restaurants where Pepsi products would be dispensed from the soda fountains instead of Coca-Cola. Some of these restaurants included Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, and the nearly-defunct Hot ‘n Now (which still has one location in Sturgis, Michigan).

The Health Movement

Of course, when a company is founded on creating high-calorie snacks and soft drinks that are often packed with sugar and carbohydrates, there are going to be a lot of critics. After obesity and diabetes rates increased dramatically over the 20th century, many people pointed the finger at companies like PepsiCo. Because of this, Pepsi has changed much of its corporate strategy in the 21st century to promote healthier foods.

The 2010s especially saw a big movement for Pepsi as the company acquired several businesses that focused on healthier snacks. This includes Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods (yogurt, juice, milk), Bare Foods, SodaStream, and more. Zero-calorie energy drinks have also been a key focus for Pepsi, acquiring brands like Rockstar and Celsius.

After Michelle Obama started a campaign against childhood obesity during her time as the First Lady of the United States, Pepsi pledged to cut 1.5 trillion calories from their products across the nation. The company also removed advertising toward anyone under the age of 12 while increasing the promotion of its low and zero-calorie drinks.

Merging and Emerging

We already mentioned that Pepsi has had a big focus on acquiring companies who can help to expand the catalog of products, and that remains a major key to Pepsi’s corporate strategy. Pepsi will focus on the companies that are coming up into the market, making sure to acquire them before they can become competitors or cost the company too much. In the company’s official corporate strategy report, it says there are five C’s that they want to promote heavily: Commercial, Capabilities, Costs, Collaboration, and Capital. Because of Pepsi’s history, there’s no doubt that it’s capable of achieving success.

From Superheroes to Celebrities: The Top Fortnite Skin Crossovers

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Battle royale games have been all the rage for years now, and much of that can be attributed to the success of PUBG and DayZ. However, it was Fortnite that helped to boost the battle royale style into the mainstream, and it has brought out some of the biggest celebrities in the process. 

As a result, Fortnite publisher Epic Games has collaborated with several A-list stars throughout the game’s run. Here are our picks for our favorite crossovers that have allowed players to take the form of their favorite celebs.

Marshmello

While it wasn’t the first collab that Fortnite has had with more mainstream pop culture figures, Marshmello was the first one to really tap into Generation Z. Epic Games teamed up with DJ Marshmello, releasing a skin of his on-stage persona’s likeness in the store for Season 7. Naturally, the skin also came with Marshmello’s music that allowed players to dance along with the beats.

John Wick

While older people on the internet love to hate on Fortnite, one thing that every generation on the internet can agree on is a love for Keanu Reeves. In 2019, Reeves became part of the Fortnite universe when his movie character John Wick became a playable character in the game. Many people flocked to the store to play as the lethal hitman, taking on the challenges that unlocked some of his accessories in the process.

Travis Scott

Chapter 2 of Fortnite marked a big change for the game, including a massive concert event for players to join online. The first concert was put on by rapper Travis Scott, who also became a playable character in the game. The 2020 concert took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with 45 million players in attendance. “Just being able to get some of my ideas off in a game, and for people to play at the crib (has been amazing),” Scott said.

Marvel

Marvel is one of the biggest franchises in entertainment today thanks to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which kicked off with 2008’s “Iron Man”. After three seasons with no collaborations, Fortnite teamed up with Marvel to create the game’s first-ever collab. The Infinity Gauntlet with Thanos made its way to the map, allowing players to take the form of the Mad Titan when finding the gauntlet. Marvel has continued to work with Fortnite ever since, with some of the playable characters including Deadpool, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and many more.

LeBron James

Upon the release of the second “Space Jam” film, Warner Bros collaborated with Fortnite to get NBA icon and “Space Jam: Legacy” star LeBron James into the game. James could be played in his signature streetwear or his Tune Squad uniform. While his pickaxe didn’t make much sense as a lion, it was an overall cool look with LeBron having his unique on-court celebration as an emote.

Mr. Beast

Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is one of the biggest names on the internet thanks to his viral YouTube videos that are typically centered around philanthropy. If you haven’t seen one of his videos or heard his name, there’s a good chance that you’ve been living under a rock. In 2022, MrBeast collaborated with Fortnite to give away a $1 million prize while also giving certain players a unique umbrella while his likeness became a playable character in the game. 

Ariana Grande

You might not take Ariana Grande as a big Fortnite player, but that didn’t stop Epic Games from collaborating with the superstar singer for season seven of chapter two. In fact, Grande was in the process of kicking off her massive Rift Tour, and it all started with an in-game show on Fortnite. “Working with Epic and the Fortnite team to bring my music to life inside the game has been so fun and such an honor,” Grande said.

John Cena

World Wrestling Entertainment seems like a perfect candidate to collaborate with Fortnite thanks to all the unique characters in the sport and the opportunity for wackiness. However, it took until the third season of chapter three that there was a WWE-Fornite collaboration. Naturally, the first wrestler to enter the Fortnite universe was John Cena, who went on to say that he was looking for more ways to be involved with the game.

NFL

Sports leagues have wanted to become part of Fortnite since the game became popular in the mainstream. The NFL was one of the first to collaborate, releasing exclusive cosmetic items. Finally, in season three, one of the best players in the league became playable as gamers could use Kansas City Cheifs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in between his Super Bowl wins.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Kari Lake

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Kari Lake has become one of the most controversial and polarizing politicians in the United States, with many people outside of Arizona not knowing much about her besides her far-right campaign on Twitter and election fraud allegations. Here are five things that you might not have known about Lake, who ran for Arizona Governor in 2022 but lost to Katie Hobbs.

She Has Flipped Political Sides

Prior to 2006, Kari Lake had been a registered member of the Republican Party. However, she switched to becoming an independent in 2006 and then became a Democrat following Barack Obama winning the Iowa caucus. After four years as a Democrat, Lake flipped once again, returning to the Republican Party. Lake blamed the wars in the middle east for leaving the Republican Party, saying that she returned because of the likes of Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan.

Lake has never really gone in-depth as to what prompted her specifically to leave the party in 2012 other than that she was “disappointed” in Obama. Regarding her interest in politics, though, Lake has said that “The status quo isn’t working,” and that “I’m focused on delivering the transformative leadership we need to tackle those challenges head-on.”

She Has Also Flipped Religions

One of the biggest reasons why people have been critical of Kari Lake and saying that her political career has simply been a “stunt for attention” is because of her religious history, as well. Those who were close to lake prior to her run for the governor spot have said that Lake was a hardcore Democrat while also being a Buddhist.

Stephanie Angelo, a fellow news anchor in Arizona, was friends with Lake throughout much of their careers. “Her saying that abortion should be illegal – absolutely not,” she said. “The Kari I knew would never have said that, and she wouldn’t have believed it either.” Angelo went on to say that Lake was a practicing Buddhist who disliked guns, but Lake said she converted to Evangelism when Trump was running for President.

She Had No Political Experience

Heading into the 2022 Gubernatorial election in Arizona, many began looking up Kari Lake’s political experience only to find out that she didn’t have any. Lake had exclusively been a member of the media, starting her career in her home state of Iowa. Lake then moved to Illinois as a weathercaster before heading to Arizona, then New York, and once again to Arizona, but this time returning as an anchor.

Lake was immediately suspected of simply wanting to advance her career, especially when she started to go against the grain on a wide range of topics to warrant attention. This included Lake being heard on a microphone promoting her social media pages. Lake worked with KSAZ almost all the way up until her gubernatorial campaign. At the time, all of her experience had been in broadcast journalism.

She Once Opposed a Teacher Strike

From February 2018 to June 2019, teachers around the United States went on strike in hopes of receiving higher salaries and more benefits while increasing the budget for public schools. Arizona was one of the states that saw the biggest strikes, with teachers state-wide hoping to have their demands met. 20,000 teachers in Arizona went on strike for a week, leading to a 20 percent salary increase over three years and an immediate nine percent increase.

One of the biggest opponents of the #RedForEd movement was Kari Lake. Lake said that it was nothing more than “a big push to legalize pot and make it more savory by tossing teachers a bone with a substantial raise.” Lake went on to delete that Tweet and apologized on air, saying that “I’m concerned that some are trying to use the teachers’ fight for higher pay to move forward with their own separate agendas.”

She Wants to be Vice President

While Lake might not be a big fit for the Presidential spot in the United States, she’s certainly interested in being the Vice President of the United States. Lake has tied herself to Donald Trump vehemently, with many saying that it’s in hopes of getting the VP spot if Trump were to become President again.

“I really believe his policies are the ones that can help save this country, truly,” Lake said. “And so I’m going to do whatever I can. If he wants me to help him in any way, shape, or form, I will do that. I will campaign for him. I’ll do whatever I need to.” She added that she’s not actively running for VP, but would accept.

5 Surprising Celebrities Who Might Literally Be Geniuses

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Acting isn’t a profession that comes with a lot of necessary educational experience. As long as you can act in front of a camera and have the charisma that audiences want to see, then you can land an acting job. However, there have been plenty of instances in which actors were overqualified for their on-screen gigs, earning several degrees off the set and exuding an IQ well above the average. Here are five celebrities who you might be surprised to find out actually have genius-level IQs.

Rowan Atkinson

When we think of Rowan Atkinson, the first thing that most of us think about is his Mr. Bean character. The character is almost entirely silent, so most people outside of the United Kingdom have never had the chance to even hear Atkinson talk (unless they’ve seen films including “Johnny English”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” or “Keeping Mum”).

Atkinson is incredibly well-spoken and highly educated, though. Atkinson was a top student during primary school and was accepted into Newcastle University’s electrical engineering program. He continued his education at Oxford before getting more invested into comedy and acting. Part of being Mr. Bean came from his real-life experience as an engineering student. “He was just the person I naturally became when I was denied words to express myself,” he said.

Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren is the ultimate imposing figure in an action movie who doesn’t speak very much. However, when Lundgren does speak, he often has something incredibly smart to say. The Swedish actor has starred in films such as “Rocky IV”, “Masters of the Universe”, and “The Expendables” all while continuing his education.

With an estimated IQ of 160, Lundgren has attended some of the most prestigious universities in the world. At the beginning of his career, Lundgren earned his degree in chemical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. He then went on to earn his master’s in the same field from the University of Sydney, moving to Boston afterward thanks to a full scholarship to MIT. 

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver has been a massive star since the late 1970s when she played the lead role in the film “Alien”, launching an entire franchise in the process. Weaver also went on to star in blockbuster films including “Ghostbusters”, “Avatar”, and many more. Weaver has been nominated for multiple Oscars while also winning a Grammy Award in her illustrious career.

Weaver is one of the many actors who you would expect to have a degree in theater or acting, and she got hers in the form of a master’s from the prestigious Yale University. However, that’s not the only degree that Weaver holds. Weaver was originally a student at Stanford University and focused on English, avoiding the “stuffy” theater department. She received her bachelor’s in English and transferred to Yale thereafter.

James Franco

James Franco has been a versatile actor throughout much of his career, with a large focus on comedy. Franco got his start on the television series “Freaks and Geeks”, parlaying that into a film career that includes roles in the “Spider-Man” trilogy, “Pineapple Express” and “The Disaster Artist” among others.

Franco comes from a family that had found success in the academic world. His mother wrote children’s books while his father ran his own business. Franco studied hard and, though he ran into some legal problems that teens often do, he had a focus on wanting to be a marine zoologist. After beginning his education at UCLA, Franco attended Columbia where he obtained a master’s degree. He earned another master’s at New York University and then Warren Wilson College before getting his Ph.D. in English at Yale.

Dexter Holland

When you hear the name Dexter Holland, you might wonder who that is. If we simply said “the lead singer of The Offspring,” you’d know right away. The Offspring enjoyed a bulk of its success throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s thanks to hits like “Pretty Fly For a White Guy”, “The Kids Aren’t Alright”, and “Come Out and Play”. Holland has been the lead singer throughout the group’s history, all while balancing an academic career.

Holland attended the University of Southern California, first earning his bachelor’s degree in biology. He then went on to obtain his master’s degree in molecular biology while adding a Ph.D. to his resume in 2017. He was even able to put his Ph.D. on hold for a while to get back into music, returning to academia to create a doctoral thesis to earn his degree.

5 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Adopted

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It’s estimated that in the United States, two to four percent of people are adopted in some way. With the percentage being that low, you probably don’t expect many celebrities to be adopted, but the number is higher than you might think. Here are some famous celebrities that you didn’t know were adopted, and how they felt about the process.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop in Terrell, Texas in 1967. His mother was Louise Annette Talley Dixon and his father was a stockbroker named Darrell Bishop. The two split up shortly after his birth, leaving Bishop in limbo. Thankfully, the couple who adopted his mother years prior also adopted him. Eventually, he changed his name to Jamie Foxx and says that his adoptive grandmother had the biggest impact on his life while also having little-to-no contact with his birth parents.

“You know what’s amazing? I was adopted at seven months and I’m going to tell you what that means,” Foxx said while hosting his hit game show “Beat Shazam”. “My grandmother? That’s not actually my biological grandmother. That’s somebody who said, ‘I see something in that little boy that’s very special.’ And she made sure I had every tool that I needed to grow and expand.” Foxx went on to star in films including “Django Unchained”, “Soul”, and “Ray” just to name a few.

Keegan-Michael Key

A Detroit native, Keegan-Michael Key was born in 1971 to a father named Leroy McDuffie and a mother named Carrie Herr. Key was placed for adoption at a young age, and two social workers made sure he stayed in the Motor City by adopting him. His adoptive parents are Michael Key and Patricia Walsh, which is where he gets his last name rather. Key says that much of his comedy styling comes from being adopted.

“I have a people-pleasing issue,” Key said. “I do think it comes from being adopted. I think people who are adopted have this kind of situation where you go, ‘I’m going to do everything everybody else tells me because I don’t want to get abandoned again.’ I think that happens to people.” Key got his start in sketch comedy, then went on to star in “Key & Peele” as well as “Keanu”, “Don’t Think Twice”, and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”.

Skrillex

California DJ Skrillex was born Sonny John Moore in Los Angeles and was adopted instantly, but didn’t find out about it until he was a teenager. Moore grew up between LA and San Francisco, attending several different schools in the process. Not too long after finding out he was adopted, Skrillex dropped out of a private Scientology-based school and headed back to LA where he began his music career.

Skrillex would help usher in the dubstep era of music, releasing hit songs including “Bangarang”, “Where Are U Now”, and “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”. Skrillex said that his birth parents were still around during his upbringing, but were introduced as family friends. “My entire life is effectively a shallow sham perpetrated upon me by those I loved the most,” Skrillex said, distancing himself from his family after finding fame.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

When we think of Nicole Polizzi, we think of the petite Italian-American nicknamed Snooki causing havoc on the Jersey Shore as part of MTV’s most popular foray into reality television. However, Polizzi was born far, far away from both Italy and New Jersey. Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile in 1987 and was adopted at six months old by Italian-Americans Helen and Andy Polizzi.

While most people would have the urge to meet their birth parents after finding out that information, Polizzi is happy with where she’s at. “I was so secure with my parents,” she said. So why was she given up for adoption? “I actually found out and I had like 10 other brothers and sisters,” she said. “I guess they couldn’t afford me.”

Nicole Richie

We’re all familiar with Nicole Richie and the fact that she’s the daughter of megastar singer Lionel Richie. However, many don’t realize that she’s actually an adopted daughter and not his birth daughter. She was born Nicole Escovedo in Berkeley, California in 1981 to Karen Moss and Peter Michael Escovedo. Her father was a musician and both parents were friends with Lionel Richie.

They left Nicole with Lionel and Brenda Richie after feeling that she would be in better hands with the couple. “Nicole was actually a godsend,” Lionel Richie said. “She was a little girl who needed a shot…she was used to people coming and going. She looked at me and I’d say, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’”

KFC Behind The Scenes: 5 Surprising Facts

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You may be a big fan of KFC because of the chicken and sides that you can get from the fast food titan, but how much do you truly know about the company outside of being founded by the late Harland “Colonel” Sanders? Today, we’ll pull back the curtain and take a look at some of the more surprising behind-the-scenes facts about KFC.

Colonel Sanders Was Involved In A Shootout

When people hear the name Colonel Sanders, they must assume that the KFC founder was a high-ranking member of the US Military. However, Sanders only served in the United States Army. He was a private and served for three months before being discharged, and forged his documentation to enlist at 16 years old. The only combat that Sanders ended up seeing was actually in Kentucky.

In the town of North Corbin, Sanders had a competitor named Matt Stewart. Stewart was found to be repainting the traffic signs in the town so that more people would drive by his restaurant. Sanders was with a Shell employee at the time as Sanders was working with the company, and a shootout between Sanders and Stewart took place. The Shell employee, unfortunately, lost his life in the shootout and Stewart was convicted of murder. The “Colonel” ranking was an honorary one bestowed upon Sanders by the Kentucky Governor.

The Original Recipe is Actually Still Secret

Colonel Sanders had been in the chicken business for years by the time the KFC Original Recipe was created in 1940. Sanders had concocted a blend of 11 herbs and spices, saying that it was a total secret. The company has paid good money to keep it a secret, as well, with the written recipe kept inside a vault at KFC’s headquarters.

So how does the recipe remain secret while still having so many restaurants make the chicken? KFC gives one-half of the recipe to McCormick & Company and the other half to Griffith Laboratories. Once they receive the two finished products, they blend them together to create the KFC Original Recipe. While many recreations of the recipe have been made, it somehow never tastes exactly like Sanders’ blend from all those years ago.

The Company Was Owned By Pepsi

Most people assume that KFC was under Colonel Sanders’s control until his death in 1980, but he had sold the company long before that in 1964. Sanders sold the company to John Y. Brown Jr. and was actually critical of the food after the expansion. He said the gravy in particular was downright bad and that the chicken didn’t have nearly the same taste as his original recipe despite the company’s success.

KFC went up for sale once again in the mid-1980s, but this time the company would be taken over by another titan of the food and beverage industry: PepsiCo. Pepsi held onto KFC along with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut as part of their new fast food division, but would ultimately be sold once again in the 1990s. Now, KFC is operated by Yum! Brands and the sports arena in Louisville is even named the KFC Yum! Center.

Buffets Used To Be Common

Those who are in the younger generations will probably never know the beauty of a KFC buffet. Many locations around the United States offered an all-you-can-eat buffet that was packed with delicious chicken and sides, but those days were wrapping up long before COVID-19 shut down many buffets. The best part of these buffets back then? They were much cheaper than you probably think.

In the 1990s, a family of four could eat for about $20-25 depending on the location. There are still a handful around the world that are still operating, but finding one of them is akin to finding a pot of gold. The same can be said for sister company Pizza Hut, which saw buffets as a staple during the 1980s and into the 1990s.

KFC is On Another Level in Japan

While it’s difficult to find a KFC that has a buffet in the United States, you probably won’t be too hard-pressed to find one in Japan. KFC began operations in the country back in 1970 and has become the go-to fast food location. KFC Japan is majority-owned by Mitsubishi and is thought to be more luxurious and of higher quality than the American franchises.

There is a stringent test that you have to pass to make KFC chicken in Japan, and it takes three months just to get certified. KFC around Christmastime has also become a tradition for the country, much like American Thanksgiving. On Christmas Eve, KFC Japan makes a massive amount of money that totals 5 percent of yearly revenue.

Best NCAA Basketball Coaches of the 2000s

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The 2000s were a much different time for college basketball. Shortly after LeBron James went to the professional ranks straight out of high school, a rule was put into place that required players to attend college for at least one year. This caused the later part of the decade to have some elite talent that was NBA-ready.

Coaches of the time had to know how to utilize these players so that they could be part of a team after being the only piece of the puzzle while in high school. As a result, some coaches had a ton of success throughout the 2000s, with these five coaches being the best of the decade.

Jim Boeheim

Jim Boeheim began his head coaching career at Syracuse back in 1976, but heading into the new millennium had never won an NCAA championship. The closest that his Orangemen had gotten was runner-up, losing the 1987 title game to Indiana. After a rocky start to the 2000s, Boeheim landed star recruit Carmelo Anthony, propelling Syracuse to the championship in 2003.

Outside of that, the ‘Cuse had five more appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including reaching the Sweet 16 twice. Boeheim’s teams never lost more than 14 games in a season during the 2000s, and during their championship campaign lost just five times. While he may have been inconsistent, the highs were definitely worth the lows.

Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo had the unenviable task of taking over a Michigan State team in 1995 that had been coached by Jud Heathcote for nearly 20 years. In the first two years, Izzo’s Spartans failed to make the tournament, but he capped off the 1990s with an appearance in the Final Four. Izzo then started the 2000s by winning the NCAA Championship, and the success didn’t stop throughout the rest of the decade.

Izzo led his team to the NCAA Tournament in each season of the decade, including another two trips to the Final Four. Izzo never had more than 13 losses in a season, and never finished lower than seventh in the Big Ten standings. He had a trio of Big Ten championships during the regular season, as well.

Mike Krzyzewski

Coach K was already one of the best coaches in college basketball by the time the 1990s started, and that didn’t change at the start of the 2000s. After nearly winning the NCAA Championship in 1999, Krzyzewski began the 2000s with a 15-1 ACC record and a trip to the Sweet 16. The following year, Coach K led his team to a championship, his third with the program.

There was only one season in which Coach K finished with more than seven losses, and his team still made the NCAA Tournament. There were two trips total to the Final Four during the decade, as well as a quartet of Sweet 16 appearances. During that run, Coach K won the ACC four times.

Roy Williams

Kansas needed a replacement for Larry Brown after winning the NCAA Championship in 1988, and they found the right man in the form of Roy Williams. Williams had a great run with the Jayhawks, which included two trips to the Final Four at the start of the 2000s. After nearly winning the 2003 championship, Williams departed for North Carolina and quickly found success.

In his second season with the Tarheels, Williams finished 33-4 during the regular season en route to his first NCAA championship. He would win another title to cap off the decade and added trips to the Final Four and Elite Eight in between. Overall, Williams won six conference titles during the 2000s between the Big 12 and ACC.

Billy Donovan

During the early 1990s, Billy Donovan was an assistant coach at Kentucky before becoming the head coach at Marshall for two seasons. During that time, Donovan had a 35-20 record and was hired to be the head coach of the Florida Gators in 1996. Donovan had a losing record in each of his first two seasons but turned things around with a Sweet 16 trip in 1999.

In his fourth season, Donovan’s Gators reached the NCAA Championship Game but came up short against the Michigan State Spartans. Donovan would become a mainstay of the tournament throughout the entire decade, and in 2006 he finally led his team to a championship. Donovan didn’t stop there, either, as the Gators won back-to-back titles.

Best NBA Basketball Coaches of the 2000s

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A lot of people look back at the 2000s era of the NBA as one where defenses could still win championships while a new era of superstars was ushered in after the retirement of Michael Jordan. During this time, there was a big shift in how the game was played, and only the best coaches who were able to adapt came out on top.

Out of the many coaches who led NBA teams from the 1999-2000 season to the 2008-09 season, which ones were the best? Here are our picks for the top five coaches of the decade, all but one of whom won an NBA title. Coaches who just missed the cut include Flip Saunders, Doc Rivers, Hubie Brown, and Avery Johnson.

5. Rick Adelman

The only coach on the list who didn’t win an NBA title but was still able to lead his teams to solid seasons is Rick Adelman. The Sacramento Kings don’t have a history of success, but the Adelman era was a great one for the franchise. He took over as head coach in 1998 after coaching the Golden State Warriors, and throughout the 2000s he reached the playoffs in every season.

Adelman never made the NBA Finals during that time, but that’s because the number one coach on the list was constantly in his way. Adelman reached the Western Conference Finals in 2002, losing in controversial fashion. The Kings finished with a 395-229 record under Adelman, good for a .633 winning percentage.

4. Pat Riley

Pat Riley was already one of the most successful coaches in basketball history by the time the 2000s rolled around. He had spent the 1980s coaching the Showtime Lakers and then much of the 1990s with the New York Knicks. In 1995, he was hired as the head coach of the Miami Heat and had a successful end of the decade.

Riley had some ups and downs during his time with the Heat, but there’s no doubt that the high moments were worth it. Riley had two seasons in which he didn’t make the playoffs during the 2000s, but he did have a season in which he won the NBA Championship. With Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal leading the way, Riley won his 5th NBA title in 2006.

3. Larry Brown

Larry Brown is one of those rare coaches who has found success in both college and the NBA. In fact, Brown is the only coach to win an NCAA Tournament and an NBA Finals. Brown won the 1988 NCAA Championship with the Kansas Jayhawks, then turned to the NBA to coach the San Antonio Spurs. He then jumped to the Clippers, Pacers, and 76ers throughout the 1990s.

Brown was still the coach of the 76ers when he reached the NBA Finals to start the 2000s, and had three straight playoff appearances before he left after the 2002-03 season. Brown then coached the Detroit Pistons for two years, and both finished with 54-28 records. Brown reached the NBA Finals on both occasions, winning the 2004 title against the lakers. He then wrapped up the 2000s with stints in New York and Charlotte.

2. Gregg Popovich

After being hired as the San Antonio Spurs coach in 1996, Gregg Popovich got off to a rocky start with a 17-47 record as the team missed the playoffs. However, the Spurs won a title before the 1990s wrapped up, and Popovich extended his great fortune throughout the 2000s. In each season, Popovich’s Spurs made the playoffs, and he won three titles during the decade.

There’s a big jump between the top two and the rest of the field, but Popovich is firmly in the second position. His worst season during the 2000s still saw his Spurs win 53 games and he never finished worse than second in his division. Unfortunately for Pop, three titles still isn’t the record for the decade.

1. Phil Jackson

Ant that’s because Phil Jackson won more champions than any other coach not only in the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls but also in the 2000s with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson took over the Lakers head coaching gig in 1999 and he reached the NBA Playoffs in each of his seasons as a coach. Throughout the decade, Jackson won four titles, including the first three of the 2000s.

Jackson’s fourth title came in the 2008-09 season, and he added a fifth just outside of the decade as he won the 2010 championship. Jackson never had a losing record with the Lakers, and he won the Western Conference six times. He’s had two Hall of Fame-worthy careers if you count his runs with the Bulls and Lakers.