HISTORY

Harriet Tubman photographed by Benjamin Powelson in the late 1860s.

The White House Is Reinstating Plans to Replace Andrew Jackson With Harriet Tubman on $20 Bills

The plan to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill with Harriet Tubman was announced in 2016, but it’s been delayed for a while.

How to Read a Book, According to Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf’s books didn’t follow writing conventions, and her rules for reading are just as flexible.

John Phelan, Wikipedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

This Vanderbilt Mansion in the Berkshires Spans Two Towns—and Can Be Yours for $12.5 Million

Built for Emily Vanderbilt with grounds designed by the man behind Central Park, Elm Court Estate is an American landmark. Now, it can be yours for $12.5 million.

The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, circa 1562.

Quinto Tiberio Angelerio, the 16th-Century Doctor Who Mandated 6-Foot Social Distancing

COVID-19 restrictions are difficult, but at least we don’t have to carry 6-foot canes to make sure we’re properly social distancing.

The Concorde is seen rolling off an assembly line in 1968.

Watch: The Concorde and Supersonic Flight Take Off in 1976

The Concorde shot through skies at 1495 mph—virtually the speed of a bullet—and could get people from San Francisco to Tokyo in six hours.

Maya Angelou Is the Latest Addition to Barbie's 'Inspiring Women' Line

‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ author Maya Angelou has landed a well-earned a spot in Mattel’s most prestigious Barbie collection.

Abraham Lincoln once penned a true crime tale.

When Abraham Lincoln Tried His Hand at Being a True Crime Writer

In another era, Abraham Lincoln could have made for a great 'Dateline NBC' producer. The future president once penned a true crime tale based on a murder case he worked on as a lawyer.

Richard Nixon's presidency was marred by scandal, including a bird massacre.

The Pigeon Massacre That Cast a Pall Over Richard Nixon’s 1973 Inauguration

When entering his second term, Richard Nixon was worried a surplus of pigeon poop would ruin his inauguration. But even in death, these pigeons would have their day.

The National Hotel Epidemic: The Mysterious Disease That Nearly Sidelined James Buchanan on His Inauguration Day

In the weeks leading up to his inauguration on March 4, 1857, James Buchanan was recovering from a disease that got hundreds of people sick in Washington, D.C.

Egg coffee at Café Giang in Hanoi, Vietnam.

A Brief History of Vietnamese Egg Coffee

The proprietary egg coffee recipe contains one secret ingredient and several surprising ones—including cheese.

Miranda is an important character in Shakespeare's The Tempest, but she's not the titular role.

Titular vs. Eponymous: What’s the Difference?

The definition of ‘eponymous’ has changed over time, and ‘titular’ has more than one. Here’s how to use each word correctly.

The Quest for the North Pole, Episode 1: Why Go to the North Pole?

In the premiere episode of our podcast 'The Quest for the North Pole,' we learn what made explorers go north in the first place.

The Quest for the North Pole: A Historical Timeline of Arctic Exploration

From Leif Eriksson’s chance continental landing to Ralph Plaisted’s trailblazing snowmobile adventure, here’s how Arctic exploration unfolded.

The Lizzie Borden Ax Murder House Has Hit the Market

The house where Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother were discovered bludgeoned with an ax is in need of a new owner.

People turned to unusual remedies to avoid catching the plague.

9 Weird Historical Ways to Ward Off a Plague

From fart jars to drinking urine, here are strange, gross, or downright dangerous historical methods people used to prevent catching a plague.

Along with Mr. Zip, The Swingin’ Six made ZIP codes mainstream.

How The Swingin’ Six Helped Introduce ZIP Codes to the American Public

With upbeat songs and catchy lyrics, the 1960s band The Swingin’ Six helped usher in a new era for the United States Postal Service.

Martin Luther King photographed in 1964.

How Martin Luther King Jr. Kept Star Trek Flying High

Civil rights activist and stealth Trekker Martin Luther King Jr. had an intense conversation with one of the show's main cast members in order to keep the series intact.

The U.S. Capitol Crypt in all its splendor.

The Empty Crypt Beneath the U.S. Capitol Rotunda

Beneath the ornate Capitol Rotunda is a drafty crypt with 40 Doric columns, a dozen statues, and zero human remains.

The official campaign portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

11 Presidential Facts About Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Most people know that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the only U.S. President who served more than two terms. Here are some other FDR facts you may not have learned in your history classes.

Rowland Scherman, Wikimedia Commons // CC0

What's Open and What's Closed on Martin Luther King Day 2021

From banks to National Parks, here's how businesses and institutions will be impacted by Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 18, 2021.

The Alfred Wegener Institute research ship Polarstern reached the North Pole on August 19, 2020, during the year-long MOSAiC expedition to study climate change in the Arctic.

11 Frosty Facts About the North Pole

For most of history, the North Pole was the stuff of legends and wild theories. Now people run a marathon there every April. Here are more unexpected facts about the top of the world.

Bird-Watcher in England Discovers a Hoard of 1st-Century Celtic Coins

Last September, an unnamed bird-watcher found a trove of 1300 Celtic gold coins dating back to the 1st century CE.

President John F. Kennedy urged Americans that going to the moon was within reach.

When John F. Kennedy Told the World Why 'We Choose to Go to the Moon'

John F. Kennedy's stirring speech on September 12, 1962, sparked a passion for space exploration that eventually led us right to the moon.

When public trust in the polio vaccine needed to be restored, officials turned to Elvis.

Jab Me Tender: How Elvis Presley Eased People's Minds About the Polio Vaccine

In 1956, the singer agreed to be photographed taking the vaccine in order to drum up public support.

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