HISTORY

Stills from the Lumière Brother's La Sortie de l'usine Lumière à Lyon (1895-1896).

Watch 120 Years of Movies in 120 Seconds

December 28 marks the birth of modern moviegoing as we know it, as it was on this day in 1895 that Auguste and Louis Lumière mounted the world’s first commercial movie screening at Paris’s Grand Café.

From Goat Dung to Face Cream: The History of Morocco’s Argan Oil

Argan oil’s rise from local resource to world-wide sensation didn’t happen overnight.

The Strange Story of Gef The Talking Mongoose

In the 1930s, the Irving family claimed they were being haunted by a peculiar being: a bawdy talking mongoose called Gef.

25 Flashy Facts About Nevada

A few fascinating facts about the Silver State—on the house.

10 Surprising Early Versions of Santa Claus

Whether he's skinny, smoking, or sexy, see how Santa looked before he became the jolly, rotund elf we know today.

11 Booze-Soaked Facts about Alcohol’s Role in America’s History

Some of these will make your head spin.

25 Neat Facts About Nebraska

2. Remember that little yellow-and-black booklet that got you through 'Julius Caesar'? You can thank a Nebraskan for the Cliff's Notes version.

10 Festive Facts About Holiday Greeting Cards

Yes, Virginia, Hallmark had a lot to do with it.

41 Eerie Photos of Abandoned Soviet Buildings

Rebecca Bathory explores the remains of the crumbled Soviet Union and satellite states.

25 Things You Should Know About Des Moines

There's a lot more to this Midwestern town than corn fields.

Getty Images // Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Why a Maryland Cemetery Initially Rejected F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Corpse

The famed writer died 75 years ago today, but at the time of his death, the Catholic church that housed his family's burial plots wouldn't allow Fitzgerald to be buried there.

In the '80s, Yelling 'Pow!' At Your TV Screen Could Win You a Happy Meal

'TV Powww!' was the '80s TV show that mixed video games, prizes, and live television.

25 Things You Should Know About Phoenix

Learn more about the Valley of the Sun's impressive history.

The Dark Past of Japan's 'Battleship Island'

Take a brief trip to the place they once called "Hell Island."

Miguel Hermoso Cuesta via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

Occultist, Charlatan, Adventurer—Who Was Count Cagliostro?

He was one of the most talked-about men in Europe of the 18th century, but he's still hard to pin down.

Show & Tell: 17th-Century Falcon's Hood

An ornate—but very necessary—item for a sport enmeshed in Britain's social hierarchy.

Archaeologist 3D Scans the 'World's Oldest Ham' for Science

… Because the last thing he wanted to do was eat it.

How All 50 State Capitals Got Their Names

St. Paul was almost named "Pig's Eye," Phoenix was nearly "Pumpkinville," and Topeka is likely the Shawnee word for "wild potato."

Ghostbusters and Top Gun Among the National Film Registry's 2015 Inductees

These 25 films have been added to the Library of Congress's list of important works.

The Victorian Father-Son Duo Who Ate Their Way Through the Animal Kingdom

Among other items on the menu: panther, elephant trunk, blue bottle fly, and rhinoceros.

The History of Leopard Print

A print originally designed to help predators blend in has gone from high-fashion to low-class, then back again.

Colonial Reenactors Will Dump Tea Into Boston Harbor Tonight

This marks the first time the beverage has been thrown into the harbor since 1773.

Roald Dahl's first wife, Patricia Neal, seen here wearing an eyepatch in the aftermath of a stroke, was the inspiration behind the language in The BFG.

How Roald Dahl Came Up With the Nonsense Words in The BFG

Author Roald Dahl was famous for the nonsensically whimsical language he created in his books, but the origin of those words has its roots in tragedy.

The Fruitcake That Has Lasted Since the Hayes Administration

More than 100 years after it was baked, this holiday dessert is still being passed from family member to family member.

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