HISTORY

10 Revealing Scans of Historical Artifacts

Technology has made non-invasive examination possible in such detail that using your eyeballs pales in comparison.

The World's Oldest Library in Morocco Reopens Its Doors to the Public

al-Qarawiyyin University's historic book repository in Fez, Morocco, has a fresh new look.

Rome's Colosseum Is Getting a Massive (and Much-Needed) Makeover

After nearly 2000 years of visitors, pollution, and quick repairs, the ancient structure needed a lot of TLC.

6 American Wars You Didn't Learn About in School

Opus Clavicembalisticum: The Longest Piece of Piano Music Ever Performed

In 1930, Kaikhosru Sorabji's piano composition was thought to be the longest and most difficult piece of solo music ever conceived. Not much has changed.

10 Quirky Families That Still Rule the World

You’d never confuse them for the Rockefellers. But you also wouldn’t have curling without ’em. Or Kikkoman soy sauce.

8 Surprising Places That Were Once U.S. Capitals

The Founding Fathers spent a lot of time moving to safer locations.

This Country Hosts the Biggest Fourth of July Celebration Outside the U.S.

Glad Fjerde Juli!

When Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford Considered a Co-Presidency in 1980

One of the most fascinating "What if?" scenarios in U.S. political history occurred during the 1980 presidential election, when Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford considered a co-presidency.

Canada's Trippy History of LSD Therapy

In the 1950s, Saskatchewan was home to a group of doctors who had an answer for alcoholism: tons of acid.

The Great Farini, Canada's Most Fascinating Man

For William Leonard Hunt, life was a high wire act.

Black Mike Winage, the Most Determined Prospector in the Klondike

He managed to strike a bonanza six decades after the Gold Rush ended.

A California Dream

California’s third-largest city by area is an urban-planning disaster, a sprawl of empty grids that aspired to become a megacity—and failed. But as the desert works to reclaim the land, it’s become a mecca of another kind.

Artist Unknown via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Opera Star’s Skeleton Shows Evidence of Castration, Singing Career

Researchers say the childhood castration and subsequent opera career of 19th-century singer Gaspare Pacchierotti left permanent marks on his skeleton.

Dutch National Archives via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

Was Canada's Longest-Serving PM Also Its Strangest?

William Lyon Mackenzie King may have gotten some of his best advice from dead people, his dogs, and …. shaving cream.

The World's Oldest Photo Studio Shutters For Good

The closure marks the end not only of a historic shop, but of the longest continuously running photography studio in the world.

The Man Who Tightroped Niagara Falls on Stilts

On another momentous occasion, he crossed carrying an iron stove.

Watch a Man Eat Civil War Rations From 1863

One YouTube user eats an actual piece of hardtack made for Union soldiers over a century and a half ago.

How the Rescued Film Project Preserves America’s Lost and Forgotten Photos

The Rescued Film Project's mission is simple: To leave no roll of film undeveloped.

You Can Now Visit the Bedroom Where Charles Darwin Died

Historical curators restored the room to its original late-1850s appearance.

How an Apollo Astronaut Almost Lost His Wedding Ring in Space

The recovery was unbelievably lucky.

When U.S. President Grover Cleveland Served As an Executioner

“Big Steve,” as he was known back then, took the lives of two criminals when he was the Erie County Sheriff.

Helen Keller (left) and her interpreter, Anne Sullivan Macy

11 Things You Might Not Know About Helen Keller

Helen Keller is history’s most famous deaf-blind person, but she was also a vaudeville performer who was investigated by the FBI.

New York American on June 26th, 1906. // Wikimedia Commons

10 Facts About the Original 'Trial of the Century'

A murder case that became the media sensation of its day (it even had a film adaptation—commissioned by Thomas Edison).

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