From The Archive

How to Win a Duel

So you’ve been challenged to a duel? Don’t worry—you’re in good company. Anybody who’s anybody has dueled once or twice, from presidents like Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln to artists like Edouard Manet and Miguel Cervantes.

Before They Were Stars: 7 Early Films Featuring Hollywood Royalty

11 Controversial SNL Moments

Most Saturday Night Live skits just make people laugh. But these 11 segments made people angry.

11 Things You Might Not Know About Missouri

It seems like only yesterday—well, actually, 192 years ago—that Missouri became the 24th state in the Union. Let's celebrate with 11 facts about the Show Me State.

The Very First Issues of 19 Famous Magazines

These magazines have come a long way since Volume 1, Issue 1. Here's what they looked like way back in the beginning.

How to Sharpen a Knife

A sharp knife is undoubtedly the handiest tool you can slip into your pocket, but a dull one is a disaster waiting to happen.

5 Computers From the Days Before Computers

Everyone knows what a computer is, right? It's electronic, high-tech and digital. It's only existed for the last 50 or 60 years. It has defined the word "modern" in “modern world.” And it’s given hackers a useful role to play in big-budget action movies.

Where Do You Go to the Bathroom During a Riot?

13 Medical Conditions Named After People

Who are the scientists and doctors behind some of our most famous diseases and conditions? Here are a few of the physicians and their eponymous ailments.

The Story Behind Saving Mr. Banks

When Walt Disney’s daughters were young, they loved a little book about a magical (and slightly sadistic) nanny named Mary Poppins. He promised them that he would someday make a movie out of the series, and 20 years later, he delivered. But it was no easy

8 People Who Were Banned from Baseball

Plenty of other stars have gotten the permanent heave-ho from the big leagues.

11 Things You Might Not Know About Colorado

It's August 1, and you know what that means. Your rent is due. Also, Colorado was admitted to the Union 137 years ago today!

12 Onomatopoeias from Around the World

Other languages have their own ways of representing sounds in the world, too.

How to Walk Across Hot Coals

A bed of embers can exceed 1000°F, and the world’s hottest firewalk in 1997 actually topped 1750°F—the same temperature used for cremations. But with the right preparation, experts prance across them with barely a blister.

11 Harry Potter Facts for His 33rd Birthday

In the Harry Potter universe, the famous boy wizard was born on July 31, 1980, which would make him a man wizard in his early thirties. (J.K. Rowling's birthday is also today.) To celebrate his 32nd birthday and her 47th, here are some Potter-related fact

Film of San Francisco After the 1906 Earthquake

On April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco. Its epicenter was a few miles from the city, but at an estimated magnitude of 7.9, it was a severe blow to what was the largest west coast city of its time.

Learning English Through Awkward Aerobics in 1992

In 1992 in Japan, Fernandez Verde combined English language instruction with awkward aerobic movements to create the early morning TV show Eikaiwa taisō Zuiikin' English.

How to Build Your Own Canoe

A canoe trip can be a fascinating way to get back in touch with nature. If you want to really tap back into your natural roots, what better way than by making your own boat?