Step right up—this week we’re diving into the strange world of sideshows and human curiosities. From P.T. Barnum’s “wonders” to the real people behind the spectacle, we explore both the darker side of exploitation and the stories of empowerment and scientific advancement that emerged from it.

In this chilling installment of An Almanac of Ominous Things, we unravel the strange and unsettling threads that tie Charles Manson to the shadowy world of the CIA. From whispers of MKUltra experiments to suspicious connections in Haight-Ashbury, we explore the coincidences—and possible cover-ups—that suggest Manson’s descent into cult leadership may not have been entirely his own design. Was Manson simply a manipulative drifter who found power in chaos, or was he entangled in a much larger web of government experimentation?

Strange history, twisted crimes, and whisper conspiracies - page by page, we'll read the dark record the world forgot.