HISTORY

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10 Things You No Longer See in Hotels

RIP vibrating beds and key cubbies.

25 Things You Should Know About New Orleans

Learn more about the home of jazz, poker, and … dental floss?

Who Invented the Sidewalk?

Life without them would be dangerous, harried, and slimy.

8 Terrifying—and Unconventional—Ancient Weapons

Limestone, chicken feathers, and flaming pigs have all been deployed to gruesome ends.

13 Sage Facts About the Hagia Sophia

Once the largest cathedrals in the world, this 1,500-year-old landmark has had quite the history.

19th century London. Image Credit: Christie’s via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

5 Predictions for 20th Century London From 1857

No more fog!

25 Things You Should Know About Stockholm

12. Don't be offended if a local invites you to join him or her for "fika."

Garrett Morgan, the Prolific Inventor Behind the 3-Phase Traffic Signal

Even if you’ve never heard his name, you’ve likely benefited from Morgan's most famous invention.

The King of Scotland’s Peculiar Language Experiment

Of all the king’s intellectual interests, however, his love of language was perhaps the most significant—and he may have once sent two infants to live on an island with a deaf-mute woman just to see what would happen.

33 Crass and Creative Norse Nicknames

Vikings had some really descriptive epithets.

John Bottega, Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

9 Pieces of Advice from the Iconic Helen Gurley Brown

The longtime Cosmo editor had plenty of pearls of wisdom.

24 Things You Should Know About Las Vegas (and the Nearby Strip)

1. Most of what you think of when you hear the term "Las Vegas" isn't in Vegas at all.

25 Unusual Facts About Utah

2. It's famous for having "The Greatest Snow on Earth."

The First-Ever Election Controversy

We’ve experienced some extremely close elections (and caucuses) in recent years, but controversy over candidates who are elected by the skin of their teeth is nothing new.

25 Intriguing Facts About Ohio

You can thank intrepid residents of the Buckeye State for Life Savers, professional baseball, and Superman.

Morals, Mammaries, and the Invention of the Stethoscope

In 1816, French physician Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec had a young woman on his exam table, and no idea what to do with her. The examination up to that point suggested a diseased heart, but Laennec wasn’t sure how he would confirm that.

Alanbritom via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

War for Scarce Resources Didn't Kill Off Easter Islanders, Study Says

Analysis of the “spear points” scattered across the island shows they may actually have been household tools.

J.R.R. Tolkien Poems Discovered in 1936 College Magazine

Tolkien scholar Wayne Hammond has tracked down two of the writer’s previously unseen poems.

The 7 Biggest Political Blunders of All Time

Presented by 'Join or Die with Craig Ferguson' on HISTORY.

Who Was the "Gerry" of Gerrymandering?

Elbridge Gerry might have gone down in history as the “Father of the Bill of Rights.” Instead, he’s remembered first and foremost for another, less admirable claim to fame.

25 Spirited Facts About Massachusetts

14. If one Shrewsbury resident has his way, the state will soon be home to Busta Rhymes Island.

15 of the Most Brazen Ponzi Schemes in Business History

Remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

On Its Anniversary, a Valentine For Voyager 1’s Pale Blue Dot

The image would never have happened if it weren't for Carl Sagan.

The Time Singapore Turned Away Led Zeppelin Because of Their Long Hair

Singapore officials: "NO STAIRWAY."

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