Authorities raided the Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants and seized $200,000 in cash and its stash of pot and psilocybin.Oakland Hyphae/InstagramPolice seized $200,000 and a stash of pot and magic mushrooms from the Zide Door Church in Oakland. Where else would you think to find a “cannabis church” in the U.S. other than in California? The Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants in Oakland has been operating as a haven for followers to congregate and ride the high of the Lord’s gospel — and the effects of cannabis.

It was given the scientific species name vladi, after Romanian prince Vlad Dracula, the inspiration for many vampire stories.Barden et al./Systematic EntomologyLinguamyrmex vladi When we find a well-preserved creature from an ancient era, one would hope it would be a benevolent animal, not the nightmarish horror that is the “Hell Ant.” A research team at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark recently discovered specimens of the ancient Linguamyrmex vladi ant species preserved in 98-million-year-old amber deposits in Myanmar.

Sherri Finkbine's story is an apt reminder of the hurdles that women have had to cross in order to assert control over their own bodies.Arizona Central An Arizona woman learns that she may give birth to an infant with fatal defects because of a medication she had taken before she knew she was pregnant. The woman’s doctor advises her to have an abortion. She then talks to the media, on the condition of anonymity, in an attempt to raise awareness about the dangers posed by the drug.

4. The Riot Over Straw Hats Image Source: Wikimedia Commons In 1922, fashion rules were taken a little more seriously than they are today. Somewhere along the line it had become a fashion faux-pas to wear straw hats (known as boaters) after September 15th. Much like the no-white after Labor Day rule, it was no joking matter at the rule’s inception. Young delinquents would enforce this unwritten code by knocking the straw hats from the heads of men who wore them past the stated date, and would proceed to stomp the hats flat in the road afterward.

The Tommy gun was intended to be a military weapon, but as organized crime skyrocketed during Prohibition and the Great Depression, it soon became the firearm of choice for gangsters like Al Capone.Wikimedia CommonsJohn Thompson poses with his invention. It’s been heavily featured in Hollywood’s classic gangster movies, but the Tommy gun isn’t just a pop culture artifact from a time gone by. Originally developed by a United States Army brigadier general, it’s been used in international conflicts and gangland wars.

When Edward IV died, his son Edward, Prince of Wales was set to take over the throne – until he and his brother Richard mysteriously vanished. Wikimedia CommonsThomas More claimed Richard III ordered his nephews to be smothered in their sleep. The two royals who would become known as the mysterious “Princes in the Tower” were Edward, Prince of Wales and his younger brother Richard, the Duke of York. The prince and the duke were 12 and 9 respectively when their father, King Edward IV, died suddenly in 1483, leaving his young son to become Edward V of England.

The bufo toad secretes a highly poisonous milky substance when handled or threatened, which can kill cats and dogs and burn people's eyes.Wikimedia CommonsThe bufo toad, which secretes a toxic substance from the glands on its head. The Mirabella neighborhood in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida has been overrun by thousands of poisonous bufo toads. These encroaching amphibians have already clogged people’s pools, taken over their patios, and taken to the streets.

How Annie Jones attained fame as P.T. Barnum's "Bearded Lady," yet still died little more than a circus "freak" in the eyes of the business that chewed her up.Wikimedia CommonsAnnie Jones, the “Bearded Lady.” Bearded women have been a sideshow staple since time immemorial, often billed at the top of any list of circus “freaks.” And Annie Jones, the “Bearded Lady” of P.T. Barnum’s “Greatest Show on Earth,” was one of the most successful bearded ladies of all time.

From Oskar Schindler to Mahatma Gandhi, a look at the greatest humanitarians that have defined human history by standing up for change.The Greatest Humanitarians In History: Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman was an African-American who overcame slavery to save others from a similar fate. Born in 1822 in Maryland, Tubman was born into slavery and was frequently beaten by her master before escaping in 1849 to Philadelphia. However, she quickly returned to Maryland and other slave states to help others (including her family) escape through the Underground Railroad.

Lady Jane Grey became queen upon the death of King Edward VI in July 1553, but quickly lost her throne to Mary I, the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, nine days later.Public DomainLady Jane Grey, the so-called Nine Days’ Queen. Most know the story of Queen Mary I of England and of her half-sister Queen Elizabeth I of England. But fewer know about the queen who preceded them, Lady Jane Grey.