HISTORY

Claude Monet

Learn about Claude Monet, the Impressionist painter of 'Water Lilies' and 'Impression, Sunrise.'

The Maestro: 10 Facts About Ennio Morricone

When famed composer Ennio Morricone passed away on July 6, 2020, he left behind a body of work that eclipses the idea of “productivity” itself. In addition to composing thousands of hours of music for hundreds of movies, he created several indelible momen

10 Fierce Facts About Bella Abzug

“Larger than life” sums up Bella Abzug. The New York-based Democratic congresswoman gained 1970s notoriety with her big hats and bold feminist voice.

The Santa Cruz town elders probably would've been alarmed by the audience's enthusiasm for Big Jay McNeely in 1953.

The Racist Origins of Santa Cruz, California's Rock ‘n’ Roll Ban of 1956

Police officers were horrified when they saw teenagers exhibiting “highly suggestive, stimulating, and tantalizing motions” at a rock ‘n’ roll concert. But how much of a role did race play in their outrage?

Princess Anne's aversion to handshakes isn't personal—it's logical.

The Reason Princess Anne Doesn’t Shake Hands With the Public

It’s technically a tradition, but many royal family members have dropped the practice (including Queen Elizabeth II).

This man had too many dry martinis at a business lunch.

How the Scientist Who Invented Ibuprofen Accidentally Discovered It Was Great for Hangovers

It all started when Dr. Stewart Adams took too many vodka shots the night before speaking at a Moscow conference.

See What the First Costco Looked Like in 1983

When the first Costco location opened in Seattle in 1983, a membership only cost $20 for the whole year.

The Show Must Not Go On: 14 Times Broadway Went Dark

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway shows will be closed through 2021. The Great White Way has closed before, but shutdowns are usually short-lived and prompted by strikes or inclement weather.

35 Offbeat Holidays You Can Celebrate in July

Get ready to celebrate a month full of quirky holidays—not just Independence Day—in classic summer style.

History Vs. Bonus Episode: The Statue

In this special episode, we’re taking a look at the statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History: Its history, what the artists intended, and why it’s controversial today. Plus, we’ll revisit Roosevelt’s thinking on race and

Gloria Steinem is the face of feminism and the reason it's cool to put your glasses on over your hair.

15 Trailblazing Facts About Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is so much more than the world’s most famous feminist—she’s also Christian Bale’s stepmother.

NASA Names Washington, D.C., Headquarters After ‘Hidden Figure’ Mary Jackson

Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first Black female engineer, was an unsung hero of the Space Race in the 1960s.

Louisa May Alcott in 1870, when she was nearly Aunt Nellie's age.

'Aunt Nellie’s Diary,' An Unfinished Story by Louisa May Alcott, Is Being Published for the First Time

‘Little Women’ author Louisa May Alcott penned the long-lost story when she was just 17 years old, but we’ll never know how it ends.

George Michael, Bob Geldof, Bono, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, and Howard Jones gather together for the Live Aid finale at London's Wembley Stadium.

Live Aid: The Complicated History of the World's Biggest Charity Concert

The 1980s were a busy time for do-gooder musicians like Bob Geldof, who wanted to use his voice to make the world a better place with events like Live Aid. But the concert's legacy is a bit more complicated.

Eugene Debs ran for President of the United States five times from 1900 through 1920.

Eugene V. Debs, the Five-Time Socialist Candidate for President Who Once Campaigned From Prison

Eugene Debs was a union leader, a Socialist, and a presidential candidate who ran for office from behind bars.

A Massive Volcanic Eruption in Alaska May Have Doomed the Roman Republic

Research shows that a volcanic eruption in Alaska triggered a two-year cooling period in the Mediterranean—possibly destabilizing an already volatile Roman Republic.

Joseph Lee: The 19th-Century Black Baking Pioneer Whose Bread-Crumbing Machine Revolutionized Hotel Kitchens

Joseph Lee was sick of seeing slightly stale bread get tossed in the trash, so he found a way to give it a second life.

There's no law requiring you to spend every other holiday with your in-laws.

Why Do We Call Our Spouse's Relatives 'In-Laws'?

It all started as a reminder about which relatives the Catholic Church prohibited you from marrying.

Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison devoted his life to opposing slavery.

The Boston Public Library Needs Help Transcribing Anti-Slavery Letters

The letters shed light on how leading abolitionists were protesting slavery during the Civil War era.

Oregon came up with a combustible solution for their dead whale problem.

The 1970 Blubber Boom: Reliving the Disastrous Tale of Oregon's Exploding Whale

On November 12, 1970, a dead beached whale in Oregon needed to be disposed of. Experts determined the best method would be to blow it up using dynamite. It did not go as planned.

School book fairs can help create readers for life.

Browsing Through the History of School Book Fairs

The temporary school bookstores stuffed with metal shelves full of paperbacks and sticker books often felt like a kid's only chance to score a deal on 'Encyclopedia Brown' mysteries.

5 Facts About the Tulsa Race Massacre

During an 18-hour period between May 31 and June 1, 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the setting of one of the most devastating racial massacres to happen on U.S. soil.

When People Held 'Plague Weddings' in Cemeteries to Try to Ward Off Disease

One obscure ritual for fighting pandemics before coronavirus involved holding massive weddings in graveyards.

Fabbriche di Careggine peeking over the surface of the lake in Tuscany, Italy.

The Medieval Italian Village of Fabbriche di Careggine Has Been Underwater For Decades, But Could Be Ready to Resurface

Fabbriche di Careggine became an underwater city to make room for a new dam in the 1940s, but it does make an occasional reappearance.

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