HISTORY

8 Facts About David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'

On July 11, 1969—just weeks before the Apollo 11 landing—David Bowie's iconic single 'Space Oddity' was released.

The Saturn V rocket takes off on July 16, 1969.

The Washington Monument Is Transforming Into a Full-Scale Saturn V Rocket for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Find out when and where you can watch the full-scale projection, accompanied by a short film about the 1969 Moon landing.

Mariano Mantel Follow, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

8 Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings Join the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, including Fallingwater and Taliesin West, have been officially recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

Ashley Wilkes’s Mansion From Gone With the Wind Is For Sale

Bidding starts at $1 million for the newly renovated mansion, used for Ashley Wilkes’s family home in 'Gone With the Wind.'

6 Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out to Be True

Humans love conspiracy theories, and always have—there’s even evidence that ancient Romans had a few. But with the advent of the internet, they seem to be everywhere. And some of them are actually true.

NASA/Liaison/Hulton Archives, Getty Images

50 Facts About the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon—and Buzz Aldrin became the first one to pee on it.

Gabe Kapler, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, talks with home plate umpire Ryan Blakney during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Why Do Baseball Managers Wear the Same Uniforms as Their Players?

For many years, a baseball team's “manager” wore a player’s uniform simply because he was also a player.

Roman_Gorielov, iStock/Getty Images Plus

The Reason Why Stop Signs Are Red

The idea of red meaning "stop" dates back to British railroad regulations of the 1840s—but for a while, a dearth of fade-proof red materials meant that many American stop signs were yellow instead.

Andreas Modess, iStock / Getty Images Plus

7 Facts About Sweden's Midsummer Celebration

The big Swedish bash is held every year and is the subject of a new horror film, 'Midsommar.' But the real celebration isn't usually spooky. Usually.

15 Famous Birthdays to Celebrate in July

Have some cake this month on behalf of these important figures in history, art, and pop culture—all of whom were born in July.

Has Tobacco Ever Been Cultivated as a Food Source?

People have been growing tobacco for thousands of years, but never as food. That doesn't mean it can't be used as a protein source in the future.

American singer Woody Guthrie, circa 1960.

This Land Is Your Land: The Story Behind America's Best-Known Protest Song

For decades, "This Land Is Your Land" been a staple of kindergarten classrooms "from California to the New York island," as the lyrics go. But Woody Guthrie didn't intend for the song to be a ringing endorsement of American exceptionalism—he wrote it for

Antony-22, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

Giant Copper Beech Tree Planted By Teddy Roosevelt Has Been Chopped Down

The giant copper beech tree that Theodore Roosevelt planted at Sagamore Hill, his Long Island home, has been removed from the National Park System property.

Courtesy of the National Archives/Newsmakers

A ‘Lost’ Bible Belonging to Abraham Lincoln Is Going on Display for the First Time

A Bible that belonged to the 16th president—which was kept by a Springfield, Illinois family for 150 years—was recently donated to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

13 Surprising Facts About George Orwell

George Orwell is best known for penning the dystopian novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'—regarded as one of the greatest classics of all time—but writing novels was only one small facet of his life and career.

Robert Friend, One of the Last Surviving Tuskegee Airmen, Dies at 99

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Friend, one of the remaining original members of the Tuskegee Airmen—the first group of African-American pilots to serve in the U.S. military—passed away at 99 years old on June 21.

10,000 People Gathered at Stonehenge to Welcome the Summer Solstice

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate the start of summer. Today, people visiting Stonehenge took that celebration to a whole new level.

Paul Hermans, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Tourists Are Picking Apart Britain's Oldest Tree

The Fortingall Yew in the Fortingall churchyard in Perthshire, Scotland is so stressed that it's changing sexes for the first time in millennia.

A self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh is displayed on a screen in Rome in 2016

9 Facts About Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh's paintings of night skies, sunflowers, and Provence are among the world's most recognizable artworks—but his story is a complex one.

A replica of the Great Seal bug at the National Cryptologic Museum

The Time the Soviets Gave the U.S. a Hidden Spy Device—And It Took Seven Years to Discover It

The Great Seal bug took American diplomats unawares back when the Russians were supposed to be our allies.

7 Terrifying Historical Remedies for Migraine Headaches

Today, we have effective drugs and therapies to treat migraine headache symptoms. But centuries ago, people weren't so fortunate.

Internet Archive Book Images via Flickr, Wikimedia Commons

Who Stole My Cheese? Archivists Are Cataloging 200 Years of Criminal Records From the Isle of Ely

And you thought your parents were strict. In 16th century England, people were tried for crimes ranging from witchcraft to cheese theft.

14 Things You Might Not Have Known About James K. Polk

James K. Polk may have served just one term, but he was one of history’s most consequential U.S. presidents. Polish up on Young Hickory, America's 11th Commander in Chief.

An Ice Age Wolf Head Was Found Perfectly Preserved in Siberian Permafrost

Scientists are eager to study the carnivore's severed head—which was found with its teeth, fur, and brain still intact after tens of thousands of years.

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