Erin Blakemore
Joined: Jul 30, 2014
Erin Blakemore is a library school drop-out, historian, freelance writer, and author of the award-winning The Heroine’s Bookshelf (Harper). She dishes about books, history, and channeling your inner heroine at erinblakemore.com.
A Brief History of the Conversation Heart
When Abraham Lincoln Turned Down the Chance to Fill America With Elephants
"Neither Snow Nor Rain ..." Is Not the United States Postal Service's Motto (or Policy)
This Is What Anne Frank's Arrest Looked Like
Anne Frank was captured by the Nazis on this date in 1944.
5 Ways the Little House on the Prairie Books Stretched the Truth
Here’s a reminder that truth and fiction don’t always coincide.
How 25 London Neighborhoods Got Their Names
Clues to London's history still survive in the names of many of its most famous areas.
How a London Tragedy Led to the Creation of 911
Connecting to emergency services used to be much less efficient—until a 1935 disaster.
As Bombs Fell on Paris, Marie Curie Went to War
First, Marie Curie tried to donate her Nobel Prize medals. When bank officials refused to melt them down, she donated her prize money to purchase war bonds instead.
How 8 Twin Cities Neighborhoods Got Their Names
Both crime and amphibians may play a role.
The Doctor Who Modernized Royal Births—in the 1970s
Thanks to George Pinker, royal babies are born in the hospital, not the palace.
The Long, Strange Journey of Buffalo Bill's Corpse
Wyoming and Colorado have been fighting over the body for years.
A Brief History of School Lunch
Eventually, school lunch became seen as a way to “eat democracy."
How Austin's Neighborhoods Got Their Names
Jollyville got its name from a person, not a state of mind.
Her Other Forte: Comedian Phyllis Diller Was Also a Concert Pianist
She was 53 and one of America's most famous comedians—then she started tickling the ivories in addition to funny bones.
Why Ice Cream Parlors Were Once Considered Evil
A den of corruption, prostitution, and sin.