HISTORY

Blame Leap Year on Mismatched Solar, Lunar, and Seasonal Cycles

Over the centuries, different civilizations tried every possible trick to try to reconcile these incongruent cycles.

10 Facts About Whoopee Cushions

If elaborate pranks aren’t your style, you can’t go wrong with a good old-fashioned whoopee cushion. Before planting one, sit down (on a perfectly harmless chair) and enjoy these breezy tidbits.

8 Times Historical Leaders Threw Their Opponents Out Windows

What do Charles Barkley and King James II have in common? They've both tossed someone out a window.

Here Are the Books Ernest Shackleton Brought on His Final Antarctic Expedition

Digital photo enhancement has made his book collection visible for the first time.

25 Things You Should Know About Monaco

10. Before her wedding to Prince Rainier III, Grace Kelly's family had to pony up a whopping $2 million dowry to the royal family.

How the Inventor of Liquid Paper, Bette Nesmith Graham, Helped Launch MTV

The modern music video might not be here if it weren't for one secretary's mistakes in the 1950s, and her genius invention.

Drink Beer Inspired by an Ancient Recipe at Chicago's Field Museum

If you like history, archaeology, and craft brew, then you'll love Wari Ale.

How the Tower Ladder Helped Make History

It’s not the material or the craftsmanship that earned this ladder a spot on National Historical Register. It’s the location.

7 Duels Between Women

Some of these clashes were nothing short of epic.

9 Things We Learned at London's Crime Museum Uncovered Exhibit

Objects from the so-called Black Museum are on display to the public for the first time.

15 Icy Cool Facts About Refrigeration

The first refrigerators cooled booze, naturally.

13 Tips for Landing a Wife (in the 19th Century)

Everything you need to know to score yourself a large-handed wife.

25 Things You Should Know About Washington, D.C.

Congressional bathtubs! Secret subway systems! Read on for more about the hidden side of the capital city.

Amelia Earhart's Lost Plane Spotted in a 1936 Film

Nearly 80 years after the disappearance, the plane was discovered in an unexpected place.

The Story Behind Atari's Infamous E.T. Video Game

When Atari released their video game adaptation of 'E.T. The Extraterrestrial' in 1982, they thought it would buoy their brand and help them compete with the growing home computer market.

25 Evergreen Facts About Washington

Blanketed in lush forests and sprawling farmlands, the Evergreen State is one of America’s greatest producers of fresh produce, rock & roll music, and tech start-ups.

CHLOE EFFRON // WIKIMEDIA COMMONS (SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE), ISTOCK (AIRPORT)

10 Travel Tips From Medieval Explorers

3. Don't urinate near a crocodile.

5 Towns That Had to Change Their Names

Whether because of scandal or celebrity-associated shame, these towns decided they needed to present a fresh identity to the world.

A painting by an unknown artist from 1786, appropriately titled The Dying Patient.

25 Terrifying 18th Century Remedies for What Ails You

Could you imagine rubbing poisonous lead on someone to cure their rectal cancer? Welcome to just one of the remedies in 'The Book of Phisick,' a remarkably legible, handwritten recipe book of natural remedies.

Research Finds Ancient Egyptian Priest Updated His Coffin Throughout Life

While conducting research on a collection of Egyptian coffins acquired in 1822, scholars at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge discovered that the Egyptian priest Nes-Amun had repeatedly updated the information written on his coffin.

A Non-Royal Woman Will Appear on Scottish Currency for the First Time

Astronomer Mary Somerville beat out James Clerk Maxwell and Thomas Telford for the spot.

25 Things You Should Know About Bridgeport, Connecticut

Learn more about the home of Subway, P.T. Barnum, and … a population of monk parakeets?

13 Riotous Facts About V For Vendetta

Hugo Weaving wasn't a last-second replacement to play the role of V in 'V for Vendetta'—he came in three weeks into filming.

9 Ways People From the 1910s Thought Movies Were Ruining Civilization

"It will rob us not only of our souls, but also of our daily bread.”

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