In 1976, people in Circleville, Ohio, began receiving anonymous letters written in block capitals. Many went to Mary Gillispie, a school bus driver, and accused her of an affair with a school official. The writer claimed to be watching her house. In August 1977, her husband Ron Gillispie left home after a phone call, apparently to confront the letter writer. His truck ran off the road and hit a tree. His gun had been fired once. His death was ruled an accident. The letters continued and spread to hundreds of residents, officials and businesses across the county. In 1983, Mary stopped at a roadside sign that insulted her daughter. Behind it was a pistol rigged to fire at anyone who pulled the sign down. The gun was traced to Paul Freshour, her former brother-in-law. Freshour was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to seven to twenty-five years. A handwriting expert testified that he had written the letters. The letters did not stop. They kept arriving while he was locked up, including one sent to Freshour himself in prison. He was paroled in 1994, and the letters tapered off around the same time. He denied any involvement until his death in 2012. The writer has never been identified. The creepiest photos ever taken:

Since 1976, Southeastern Legal Foundation has been fighting to protect the political miracle that is America, the creation of a government of laws and not men. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we’re looking back at the milestones that shaped five decades of defending liberty and the Constitution. 🇺🇸

In 1976, three children were killed in a shooting incident in Belfast. Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan – two ordinary women who were touched by the tragedy – launched an appeal against the use of violence in Northern Ireland by founding the Community of Peace People.

FLASHBACK: 🇬🇧 In 1976, Britain was so broke it took the biggest bailout in IMF history at the time. Fifty years later, the pound has lost nearly 90% of its purchasing power since that year, with £100 then buying what £934 buys today, per ONS data. The 2% inflation target most central banks defend still halves your money every 35 years.

During a 1976 chess tournament in Amsterdam, Soviet grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi quietly asked an English competitor how to spell the phrase “political asylum.” Moments later, he walked into a police station and announced that he wanted to defect from the Soviet Union. By the mid-1970s, Viktor Korchnoi was one of the world’s strongest chess players, but life in the Soviet Union had become increasingly restrictive. While the USSR celebrated its chess champions as symbols of national prestige, they were also expected to remain politically loyal. Korchnoi openly criticized the Soviet chess establishment and repeatedly clashed with officials over limits on his travel and career. In 1976, he decided to leave for good. His defection in the Netherlands sent shockwaves through the chess world. Leaving the Soviet Union meant far more than changing countries. Korchnoi was branded a traitor, stripped of official support, and separated from much of his family, who remained in the USSR for years. Despite the personal cost, he settled in Switzerland, competed under the Swiss flag, and remained one of the world’s elite players for decades. The drama reached its peak at the 1978 World Chess Championship against Anatoly Karpov. The match became one of the Cold War’s most politically charged sporting events, featuring accusations of psychological warfare, claims of coded messages hidden in yogurt deliveries, disputes over mirrored sunglasses, alleged hypnotists in the audience, and constant protests from both camps. It became as much a symbolic contest between East and West as a battle over the chessboard. Although Korchnoi never won the world championship, his resilience and extraordinary longevity made him a chess legend. Decades after defecting, he was still defeating grandmasters less than half his age. In 2006, at 75 years old, he became the oldest player ever to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, a remarkable achievement that remains one of the greatest examples of longevity in elite chess.

from 1974 to 1976, gold lost about half its value. from its 2025 peak to today, bitcoin has also fallen by about half. from 1976 to 1980, gold rose about 7.5x. bitcoin moves through time faster than any other asset. it never closes. it never takes a holiday. people always hope history will give them an answer. history usually says nothing. every now and then, it simply leaves behind two scenes that look strangely alike.