HISTORY

Why Bob Ross Permed His Hair (Even Though He Hated It)

The story of how television personality and painter Bob Ross ended up with a lifelong perm.

How the U.S. Acquired Its Territories That Aren't States

A far-flung maritime empire built on guano, chemical weapons, coal, and just because: these are the stories of the U.S. territories.

Watch a 1954 Chevrolet Film on Road Tripping

In this 1954 commercial-film, a family takes a road trip in their Chevrolet and learns the do's and don’ts of auto travel.

Meet the Woman Who Discovered Bob Ross

The story of how Annette Kowalski and Bob Ross met, founded a worldwide company, and made a surprising star of the mild-mannered painter.

The Grammar Battle That Followed the American Revolution

Terror Attacks on U.S. Capitol, J.P. Morgan

The First World War was an unprecedented catastrophe that shaped our modern world. Erik Sass is covering the events of the war exactly 100 years after they happened. This is the 190th installment in the series.

12 Things You Should Know About the United States Postal Service

From its unconventional delivery methods to its crime-fighting prowess, here are 12 interesting facts about the United States Postal Service.

National Museum of Health and Medicine, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

This Is the Brain of the Man Who Shot James A. Garfield

The failed lawyer, newspaperman, and evangelist—enraged that the president’s advisors had refused him an ambassadorship he believed he deserved—had been stalking Garfield for months, intent on killing him.

8 Ways Childbirth Used to Be Even More Labor Intensive

Childbirth is no picnic. But at least it no longer involves chickens and weasels.

A Victorian mourning brooch made with hair

8 Collections Featuring Hair as Art and Souvenir

Humans have been using hair to create jewelry and artwork for thousands of years. Here's where you can see some of it on display.

See Photos From the Original Kodak Camera

The National Media Museum has a collection of the two-and-a-half-inch photo prints taken using the Kodak No. 1 over a hundred years ago.

Live in Julia Child's Old House

Aspiring chefs and blowtorch enthusiasts, rejoice: You can now make meals (or heat up old leftovers) where celebrity chef Julia Child once cooked.

Vladimir Stepanov // Courtesy Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography

Striking Photos From Soviet History

An exhibition in Moscow documents changes in visual culture through the Soviet Union's dominant photography magazine.

What Does the Librarian of Congress Do?

Presiding over the world's largest library isn't easy.

The Time a King's Head Turned Up in Some Guy's Attic

Frenchman Jacques Bellanger was using his storage space for more than just dusty Christmas decorations.

11 Outlandish Ways Aristocrats Displayed Their Wealth During the Gilded Age

Here are some ludicrous ways the one percent of the turn of the 20th century spent their money—because, well, they could.

Why Does Egyptian Art Look So Flat and Static?

6 World Leaders and Their Pizza Stories

No one is immune to the charms of pizza. (Except maybe the Dalai Lama.)

When They Played Baseball on Ice Skates

How 30 Chicago Streets Got Their Names

There are hundreds upon hundreds of streets vectoring through the Windy City, and we've selected 30 whose etymologies were begging to be explored.

A New Project Is Digitizing 1.5 Million African American History Records From the Civil War

The Freedmen’s Bureau Project will index millions of 19th century family and work records from freed slaves.

The Rivalry of Brooklyn Neighborhoods: Pigtown and Spotless Town

Needless to say, the residents of the rival neighborhoods didn't care for each other very much.

See an Ancient Version of The Odyssey

The papyrus fragment with lines from Homer's 'The Odyssey' is dated ca. 285–250 BCE and is a variation of the standard text we read today.

John Harvey Kellogg had some particular advice for 19th-century girls like this.

12 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice for 19th-Century Girls

Physician (and Corn Flakes inventor) John Harvey Kellogg had a lot of thoughts on how 19th-century girls could be happy and healthy.

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