GOVERNMENT

Why Are Elections Held on Tuesdays?

There are a few reasons—including a little something to do with the horse and buggy. Find out more about the history of Election Day.

If the Polls Close While You’re Still in Line to Vote, Don’t Leave

What do you do if you’re stuck at the back of the line when your polling place closes? You stay right where you are.

NASA Prepares For Space Shuttle Discovery's Launch

NASA Launches Official Inquiry Into UFO Sightings

NASA is organizing a task force that will determine how the agency studies UFOs in the future.

The gender binary looms large in this sphere.

The Sexist History of Naming Hurricanes After Women Only—And How 1970s Feminists Fought to End It

“I’m sick and tired of hearing that ‘Cheryl was no lady as she devastated such and such a town,’” Roxcy Bolton said. She wasn't alone in her exasperation.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Calvin Coolidge

Our 30th president, born on the Fourth of July in 1872, once pardoned a raccoon.

10 Mysterious Facts About Area 51

Area 51 has been strongly associated with alien sightings and secret government studies for decades. Here are a few facts you might not know about it.

Hanford, Washington, became the site of nuclear experiments.

Green Run: When the U.S. Government Released Radiation in the Pacific Northwest

In the 1940s, residents near Hanford, Washington, were getting dosed with the radioactive equivalent of Three Mile Island every day.

The U.S. Senate chamber and its rows of desks.

5 Famous Desks in the U.S. Senate

The historic moments that happened at these desks—and the Senate VIPs who sat behind them—mean that some have taken on lives of their own.

Four UFOs appeared in the sky at 9:35 a.m. on July 15, 1952 over a parking lot in Salem, Massachusetts.

Think You Spotted a UFO? See What the 1952 Questionnaire for Reporting Sightings Looked Like

Project Blue Book's questionnaire had sections for describing UFOs and even sketching pictures.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Hart-Celler Act.

9 Facts About the Hart-Celler Act

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 irrevocably changed the face of the United States.

A Third Round of Free At-Home COVID Test Kits Is Now Available

The previous rounds of free at-home COVID test kits maxed out at four. This time, the USPS will ship eight to each household.

The Supreme Court isn't above making a typo.

Error in Judgment: The 100-Year-Old Supreme Court Typo That May Have Altered Judicial Decisions

The typo in a 1928 opinion may have inadvertently influenced an unknown number of decisions to follow.

8 of History's Strangest Taxes

History is full of kings and governments who have tried to earn money by taxing anything from beards to bachelors.

Scotland Apologizes to the Victims of Its Witch Hunts After 300 Years

After Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued an apology to victims of the country's witch trials, an official pardon could be on the way.

15 Things You Didn't Know About Madeleine Albright

Albright's impressive credentials included professor, ambassador, New York Times best-selling author, and 'Gilmore Girls' guest star.

Lawmakers have been trying to make the Equal Rights Amendment happen for almost a century.

9 Facts You Should Know About the Equal Rights Amendment

Almost 100 years have passed since the Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed. Here are the facts you should know.

Next year's spring forward could be our last ever.

The Senate Just Passed a Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

The Senate has unanimously decided that the Daylight Saving Time system of falling back and springing forward just isn’t worth it.

Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke Of Edinburgh on their coronation day.

A Rundown on English and British Royal Eras

Since 1485 English (and later British) cultural periods have been named after the monarch or group of monarchs who occupied the throne.

What Happens to Undeliverable Mail With No Return Address?

If you forgot to put a return address on a piece of mail that never made it to its destination, you can still get it back.

Chernobyl's nuclear power plant is in crisis.

Chernobyl Has Lost Power in Ukraine, Raising Concerns Over Escaping Radiation

It’s a development that could potentially have serious repercussions for Europe.

23 Far-Out Facts About UFOs, From Weird Sightings to Government Investigations

What *really* happened at Roswell? And what did Project Blue Book actually uncover? All that and more on this episode of The List Show.

Why Is Ukraine’s Capital City Now Called ‘Kyiv,’ Not ‘Kiev’?

‘Kyiv’ is not a new name for the capital of Ukraine—and the Kyiv-or-Kiev discussion isn’t new, either.

Elmo went before Congress to make a case for music education.

Mr. Monster Goes to Washington: When Elmo Testified in Front of Congress

The beloved 'Sesame Street' star went to Capitol Hill 20 years ago and became the first non-human to ever testify in front of Congress.

‘FDA Cleared’ vs. ‘FDA Approved’: What’s the Difference?

FDA approval and FDA clearance aren’t used for the same products—but they’re both valid messages to see on packaging.

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