HISTORY

How the Mona Lisa Escaped Destruction During World War II

The rescue required a dedicated team, some crafty moves, and an ambulance with a stretcher.

Fizzled Out: The New Coke Protests of 1985

Everyone was mad about Coke Classic's disappearance, but only one man spent $100,000 doing something about it.

A lithograph of "ruby amphitheater," as it was printed in The Sun.

Beavers and Bat People: The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

In the summer of 1835, New York's 'The Sun' newspaper confirmed there was life on the lunar surface—including bat-people—and readers believed it.

That George Washington Portrait Saved by Dolley Madison Was Just a Copy

If you’re envisioning Dolley tearing the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait down as the Red Coats closed in and the curtains burned, well, that’s not quite what happened.

Irish Teeth Reveal the Chemical Signature of the Great Famine

Researchers analyzed 20 sets of human remains from one of the many workhouses where entire families were institutionalized—and made to work long hours—as a "remedy" to poverty.

Viking Burials Included Board Games

A researcher says the games’ inclusion aboard burial boats shows their importance “at home, on board ship, and in the hall of the gods.”

Did You Know There Was a Wright Sister?

A third (largely unheralded) person played a vital role in the creation of the airplane: Katharine Wright.

Inside Los Angeles's 12th Annual Art Deco Festival

In 2016, some people still celebrate like it's the Roaring Twenties

A Deer Tooth Amulet From Germany

A 19th century fad for deer tooth jewelry was imported into England by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.

11 Misconceptions About Ancient Rome, Debunked

5. Most gladiator fights were not to the death.

The 1907 Version of Ben-Hur That Changed the Movie Business Forever

The 1907 short had little impact on movies as an art form, but the lawsuit it inspired changed the business forever.

Three Retirees Discover a Shipwreck From 1803 in Lake Ontario

The wreck is the second oldest ever found in the Great Lakes.

We Might Have a Thai Princess to Thank For Water Tubing

When you think about it, of course a royal came up with this.

8 Famous Shipwrecks on Lake Michigan

Out of an estimated 6000 maritime disasters on the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan played host to 1500 shipwrecks.

Chmee2 via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

The Hunt Has Resumed for a Fabled Nazi Treasure Train

It may never have existed, but that hasn't stopped wannabe explorers from looking.

Two swordsmen participating in the fencing semifinals during the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London.

The Etymology of 15 Weird and Wonderful Olympic Words

Wow your friends during your Olympic watch party with these winning, weird, and wonderful Olympic words and their origins.

8 Odd Beauty Standards in Turn-of-the-Century Photographs

Cheekbones on women used to be considered "too masculine."

Alice Guy-Blaché, Forgotten Film Pioneer

She made hundreds of movies and owned and operated her own studio. So why has she been all but ignored?

5 Sparkling Facts About Sequins

The fashion staple has ties to King Tut, Leonardo da Vinci, and World War II.

The Time a U.S. Army Helicopter Dropped Snacks on Woodstock

It’s hard to say exactly how many concert-goers attended Woodstock, but some low counts estimate at least 400,000 were there—which is great when it comes to peace and love, but a little less so when it comes to adequate food and drink for the masses.

15 Lofty Facts About the Sistine Chapel

When Pope Sixtus IV consecrated this chapel on August 15, 1483, Michelangelo's ceiling was still decades away.

'BunaB,' a Brilliantly Useless Product Line

The line, started in 1951, included the "Improved #7 BunaB," "The Man's Between Shave Lotion," and more.

Show & Tell: Seven Sutherland Sisters’ Hair Grower

Between them the seven sisters had some 37 feet of tresses, which helped advertise their best-selling hair tonic (and Broadway act).

The Long, Haunted History of New York's Shanley Hotel

The 121-year-old building is said to be home to more than a few ghosts, who cause all manner of paranormal activity.

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