HISTORY

World's Oldest Flower Likely Lived Among the Dinosaurs

Earth's possible "first flower" doesn't have roots or petals, but it might be able to tell us a myriad of things about our own evolution and the future of pollination.

This Royal Murder Mystery May Soon Be Solved

This historian thinks she can solve one of Britain's most infamous murder cases.

Trains were once considered hazardous to one's health.

Early Trains Were Thought to Make Women’s Uteruses Fly Out

Hold on to your uterus: Early modes of transportation had some fretting that their bodies would be forever changed.

Smithsonian Institution, Wikimedia Commons // No restrictions

Meet the Woman Who Discovered the Composition of the Stars

When she first finished her revolutionary thesis, Payne was told that the results were "clearly impossible."

5 Things You Should Know About Robert Todd Lincoln

While he didn't make quite the mark on history that his father did, Robert Lincoln had a pretty interesting life.

Plazak via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

When Work Drives You Mad: Tales From the Deadly "Loony Gas" Building

Work driving you crazy? Try telling that to workers at Standard Oil Refinery's TEL facility.

Patti Lyle Collins, Super-Sleuth of the Dead Letter Office

Today the lost and found department of the United States Postal Service is called the Mail Recovery Center, which isn’t a very evocative name. But it used to be called the Dead Letter Office, and at the turn of the last century, a widow named Patti Lyle C

A portrait of the writer Mark Twain—author of several unfinished manuscripts—circa 1900.

10 Famous Authors and Their Unfinished Manuscripts

When an author dies with their work unfinished, do we let it molder in vaults, stash it away in archives, or publish it for all the world to see—even if that’s not what the writer wanted?

Two Men Claim to Have Found a Missing Nazi Train Full of Treasure

But they're not revealing its location until the Polish government agrees to hand over a finder's fee.

A Brief History of the Magic 8 Ball

Think you can predict the origin story of the classic fortune-telling toy? Don’t count on it.

10 Crazy PR Stunts Throughout History

A few poorly phrased tweets don't seem nearly as bad when you see what these people did for press.

Mulad via WikimediaCommons // Public Domain

8 State Capitol Buildings With Unique Domes

These 8 state capitol buildings stand out for their somewhat unusual decorative toppers.

10 Fun Facts About Saber-Toothed Cats

Why did these terrifying beasts evolve their nasty canines? Were they loners or pride hunters? And could primitive humans have been on the menu? Let’s explore the world of saber-tooth studies.

How Women in the 18th Century Got Those Sky-High Hairdos

Who needs hairspray (or a wig, for that matter) when you've got powder and animal fat?

Theodore Roosevelt in a car, circa 1910.

Theodore Roosevelt and the First Presidential Car Ride

Because Teddy Roosevelt was a man of adventure who loved to experience new things, he experienced a lot of presidential “firsts”—in fact, he was the first sitting president to take a car ride. And he was not impressed.

6 of History’s Nastiest Jobs

Somebody had to do them, and we're just glad it wasn't us.

How Tea Parties Got Their Start—and How to Hold One Like a Victorian

Everyone knows to never use red cloth at any party unless royalty is present. Right?

Wikimedia Commons (Trotsky) / iStock (Background)

The Gruesome Assassination of Leon Trotsky

How a one-time Soviet hero ended up buried in his backyard in Mexico.

7 Bygone Practices That Made Going Back to School Even Scarier

Modern detention is nothing compared to kneeling on peas.

Uranus Used To Be Called the Schoolyard-Friendly Name George

Planet George wouldn't be the butt of nearly as many jokes as Uranus.

How One Inventor Tried to Save America—With Roller Coasters

With a max speed of 6 miles per hour, the first roller coaster in America was the ultimate (wholesome) thrill.

The Origins of 9 Royal Nicknames

19 Facts About the 19th Amendment

One hundred years ago today, the 19th Amendment—extending the right to vote to women—was passed by the Senate and sent to the states for ratification. On August 18, 1920, American women finally secured that right. Calling the victory hard-won would be a t

"Sea Monster" Raised From the Bottom of the Baltic

It has the ears of a lion and the mouth of a crocodile.

Prev Next