HISTORY

When a Failed Balloon Lift-Off Led to an All-Out Riot in 1864

Aeronaut Henry Coxwell thought the people of Leicester would be happy to see him take flight in a balloon. Instead, they ripped it to shreds.

The Thatcher Estate // Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

10 Fascinating Facts About Margaret Thatcher

Some people remember former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the quick-witted "Iron Lady" who resolutely lead the U.K. through the end of the Cold War. Others recall her as a heartless conservative hardliner who tore down labor unions while str

A painting of Gouverneur Morris by Pierre Henri, 1798.

When a Founding Father Performed His Own Penis Surgery (And Then Died)

There are many weird ways to die. But Gouverneur Morris’s DIY whale-bone catheter might take the cake.

8 Facts You Should Know About Kwanzaa

More than 50 years after its inception in 1966, Kwanzaa is still being observed the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day by people around the world.

The Unappetizing Origins of 'The Proof Is in the Pudding'

It started centuries ago, when puddings contained spices, cereal, and potentially putrid minced meat.

The Curious Case of Thomas Lambert, the Child Who Seemingly Died Before He Was Born

According to his tombstone, Thomas Lambert was born in in May 1683 and died in February of the same year. It wasn't a mistake, but instead a quirk in the calendar.

Pancho Claus greets Houston residents during a holiday parade in 2009.

In Texas, Pancho Claus Is the One Coming to Town

The character of Pancho Claus, which originated in Texas in the 1970s, trades a zoot suit for a red jacket and a lowrider in place of a sleigh.

If you love to watch the clouds, consider joining the Cloud Appreciation Society.

20 Unusual Clubs That Actually Exist

Did you know there's a club for people who have been ejected out of a plane, and an organization for people who are just ... happy? Read on to find out about those clubs and more.

A portion of the skull wall at Huei Tzompantli.

Archaeologists Uncover a Wall Made of 119 Skulls at Mexico City’s Huei Tzompantli

Aztec peoples considered human sacrifice an integral, life-sustaining ritual, and the sacrificial skulls were prominently displayed.

Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Unique History Behind 5 Rules Every U.S. Senator Needs to Follow

Senators get free water, but they need to buy their own milk. And they can have flowers on the Senate floor, but only under very specific circumstances.

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Why Isn't Washington, D.C., a State?

Residents of Washington, D.C., have no governor, no voting representation in Congress, and only limited local authority. The reason is simple: D.C. isn't a state.

A stained-glass image of John Newton, the man who wrote "Amazing Grace."

From Stormy Seas to Civil Rights: The Surprising History of 'Amazing Grace'

Though strongly associated with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, the popular hymn was born off the shores of Buncrana, Ireland.

A glamour shot of the mummy at the Argonne National Laboratory.

Researchers Used Advanced X-Rays to Reveal Secrets of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy—Without Unwrapping It

It’s far from the first time an ancient mummy has been scanned, but this technology isn’t any old X-ray.

How the Polio Epidemic of 1950 Gave Wytheville, Virginia, a 'Summer Without Children'

Seventy years ago, a polio epidemic swept through Wytheville, Virginia—and the town went on lockdown.

Pooli the cat modeling her uniform on her 15th birthday.

6 Heroic Military Cats

Dogs and horses may rightfully claim their share of battlefield glory, but cats have proven themselves just as brave, cunning, and loyal.

Eerie events plagued Warminster, a town located just 15 miles from Stonehenge.

When the Warminster 'Thing' Terrorized a Small English Town

Though more than 50 years have passed since the strange events and UFO sightings began, there is still no theory to explain the origin of the Warminster “Thing.”

What Are Sugar Plums?

Sugar plums didn't originally contain plums, and their name once doubled as a not-so-sweet euphemism.

Rosa Parks being fingerprinted on February 22, 1956, by Deputy Sheriff D.H. Lackey as one of the people indicted as leaders of the Montgomery bus boycott.

65 Years Later: 10 Fascinating Facts About the Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery bus boycott of 1955 is remembered as the earliest mass civil rights protest in American history.

25 Facts About Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s Wedding

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Wednesday July 29, 1981. The ceremony was one of the decade’s biggest events—for good reason.

A pasta vendor in Naples during the late 19th or early 20th century.

Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

Futurist leaders considered pasta an “absurd Italian gastronomic religion” that went against the grain of fascism (literally).

Theodore Roosevelt would want you to transcribe these letters.

The Library of Congress Needs Help Transcribing More Than 20,000 Letters Written to Teddy Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was constantly writing letters, so it’s no surprise that he received plenty, too.

You Can Make the Royal Family's Traditional Christmas Pudding At Home

This Christmas, add some class to your dinner table by making the royal family's traditional figgy pudding recipe.

“It’s a food that kept ancestors alive. It’s a survival food, but it’s also one of colonization and subjugation.”

The Complicated History of Fry Bread

Fry bread contains only four ingredients—flour, baking powder, salt, and water—but behind this extraordinarily simple recipe is a complex, and tragic, history.

Why Do Hospital Doctors Wear White Coats?

Doctors’ white coats became common in the late 19th century, but they’ve recently given rise to “white coat syndrome.”

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