HISTORY

Where Did the Term ‘Up to Snuff’ Originate?

Are you not up to snuff when it comes to knowing the origin of ‘up to snuff’? We can help you with that.

Artist’s rendition of Betty and Barney Hill’s alien encounter in the White Mountains.

Close Encounter: When Betty and Barney Hill’s Alien Abduction Story Shocked the World

In 1961, an ordinary New Hampshire couple claimed to have been abducted by aliens. Betty and Barney Hill's tale still reverberates through pop culture today.

The Reason Boston is Called “Beantown”

Among nicknames like “The Athens of America,” “The Cradle of Liberty,” and “The Hub of the Universe,” “Beantown” sounds very out of place.

15 Things You Should Know About ‘Dogs Playing Poker’

C.M. Coolidge has been called “the most famous American artist you’ve never heard of.” But while critics might sniff at his contribution to the art world, the history of his greatest works is rich.

Curtis Chillingworth, the Florida Judge Who Vanished From the Bench

Curtis Chillingworth was the most esteemed judge in Palm Beach County. But someone wanted him dead.

A “vampire” skeleton found in Sozopol, Bulgaria.

8 Historical Methods for Keeping the Dead in their Graves

People tried their best to keep the dead from rising again with scythes, chains, nails, and more.

6 Misconceptions About the Roman Empire

Did Julius Caesar really say “Et tu, Brute?” Did Nero fiddle while Rome burned? What was with the togas? We answer these questions and more.

‘Sound Effects No. 13 – Death & Horror’ is downright spooky.

Death & Horror: How BBC’s Controversial Sound Effects Album Became a Surprise Hit

The campaign to ban “Sound Effects No. 13 – Death & Horror” didn’t stop it from becoming the first sound effects album to break the UK Top 100 charts in the 1970s.

These spots aren't for the faint of heart.

10 Haunting Dark Tourism Destinations From Around the World

From Auschwitz to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, these dark tourism destinations are fascinating—and definitely not for the faint of heart.

How UNICEF Transformed Halloween Trick-or-Treating

UNICEF is as big a part of Halloween as a carved pumpkin. Here's how that relationship began.

Joseph E. Baker, Library of Congress // Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

17 Signs That You'd Qualify as a Witch in 1692

Discover whether you are guilty of maleficium and/or would have been accused of practicing witchcraft according to the laws and evidence used during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.

Golda Rosheuvel stars as Netflix's 'Queen Charlotte.'

The Real-Life Story Behind Queen Charlotte

Netflix takes several, steamy liberties with the historical record, but there was a real Queen Charlotte—and she was just as complicated as the TV version.

Why Is Sneakily Leaving Called an “Irish” Goodbye or Exit?

What is an Irish goodbye—and why is it called that?

When Ernest Hemingway Walked Away From Two Plane Crashes Just Hours Apart

The novelist endured a crash in East Africa. Then his 'rescue' plane went down, too.

These cats went to sea and to space, and inspired artists, writers, and scientists.

17 of History's Coolest Cats

Anyone with a cat will probably argue that their feline is the coolest—but there have been at least a few other candidates through the ages, from Able Seacat Simon to Abraham Lincoln’s kitties to the feline that inspired Nikola Tesla.

The history of pizza is packed with myths and misconceptions—but it sure is delicious.

A Brief History of Pizza

The history of pizza is a large pie—half Margherita and half lies. Let’s take a bite out of pizza’s past, covering styles from Neapolitan and New York to Sicilian and St. Louis and beyond.

The Girl With the Green Ribbon: A Grisly History of ‘Headless Woman’ Stories

Precursors to the story about the girl with the green ribbon were written by Washington Irving, Alexandre Dumas, and more famous authors.

A detail of Édouard Manet's ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe’

15 Facts About Édouard Manet’s ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe’ (‘Luncheon on the Grass’)

Today, ‘Luncheon on the Grass’ (or ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe’) is regarded as 19th century French painter Édouard Manet's greatest triumph.

Why Do We Sometimes Call Aluminum Foil “Tin Foil”?

Tin foil and aluminum foil are not the same thing.

Papel Picado banners in San Antonio, Texas.

7 Facts About Hispanic Heritage Month

For more than 30 years, Americans have celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15 each year. Here’s how this annual celebration came to be—and how you can take part.

Georges Seurat. A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884, 1884/86. The Art Institute of Chicago. Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection.

15 Facts About ‘A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884’

A close look at Georges-Pierre Seurat's 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884' reveals much more than a warm portrait of a sunny day in a lovely park.

Union coal miners on strike, August 1, 1993.

The Reason Why People Who Cross Picket Lines Are Called ‘Scabs’

By the late 1700s, laborers adopted the insult to refer to workers who wouldn’t join a strike, a union, or take part in organized labor and undermined their fellow workers.

Not every woman wanted alcohol to be banned.

Queens of Prohibition: The Wild Story of 8 Women Bootleggers, Moonshiners, and Rum Runners

These daring dames ventured into the underworld of contraband liquor.

Famed nepo baby Charlie Chaplin and his father. / brandstaetter images / Getty / Loeba / Wikimedia Commons

18 Nepo Babies from History

A nepo baby, or nepotism baby, is a famous or notable figure descended from another famous person or affluent family of some kind. In this episode of List Show, host Erin McCarthy lists 18 nepo babies from history, from Charlie Chaplin to Pericles.