MILITARY

Space has a starting point, but where it begins is still a topic of debate for experts.

Where Does Space Begin?

Some experts believe the Kármán Line is the deciding factor, but others aren't in agreement about where the frontier of space really begins.

This fox is obviously not actually radioactive.

When the U.S. Tried to Win World War II with Radioactive Foxes

Allied officials came up with some strange strategies to win World War II. Operation Fantasia planned to use glow-in-the-dark foxes to spook Japanese forces into defeat.

British Navy landing crafts carry U.S. troops to a ship in Southern England in preparation for D-Day.

The Meteorologists Who Helped Plan D-Day

“Meteorologically, D-Day was bound to be a gamble against the odds.”

An American flying fortress enacts a maneuver against Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands during World War II.

15 Unexpected Military Operation Codenames

Though there’s rarely a (public) explanation of why these weird codenames were assigned, that doesn’t make them any less amusing.

Dwight Eisenhower Wrote a Letter Accepting Blame for D-Day's Failure, Just in Case

D-Day occurred on June 6, 1944, and kicked off the Battle of Normandy. Though it was a success, General Eisenhower was preparing for the worst.

George Washington went by a code name during the Revolutionary War. (And technically, he should be saying, “Hello, my 411 is 711”—411 was the code for “name.”)

12 Historical Code Words and Phrases

Asking a police officer “do you drink?” in the 1970s had nothing to do with grabbing a beer at a nearby bar.

‘Don’t Fire Until Your See the Whites of Their Eyes’ may (or may not) have been uttered at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

‘Don’t Fire Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes’: The Obscure Origin of the Military Command

Legend has it that a heroic American commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill implored his men to hold their fire until their enemies were under their noses. But did the event actually happen?

Detainees at California's Manzanar War Relocation Center.

Researchers Have Published a List Honoring the More Than 125,000 Japanese Americans Incarcerated During WWII

The Irei Project and Ancestry have teamed up to publish the most comprehensive list ever assembled of the more than 125,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated on American soil during WWII.

D-Day: The scene of the Allied invasion on the Normandy beaches in June 1944.

13 Memorable Facts About D-Day

The Allied forces’ Normandy landings on June 6, 1944—an event better known as D-Day—became a pivotal moment in World War II .

Military Slang Terms: 11 Examples, Explained

The close quarters of those serving together in war is a perfect Petri dish for slang. From ‘FUBAR’ to ‘fobbit,’ here are some military slang terms you should know (plus, why the military uses so many acronyms, anyway).

Four American soldiers stationed in Northern Ireland in 1942.

Who Is the Roger of ‘Roger That’?

Here's how 'Roger' came to mean "received" (and how 'wilco' fits in).

What Do A.M. and P.M. Stand For?

The abbreviations are widely understood as “morning” and “afternoon,” but what do the Latin translations actually mean?

Illustrations from 1997’s ‘Get Fit! ... How To Get in Shape To Meet the President’s Challenge and Earn the Presidential Fitness Award’

The Origins of the Presidential Fitness Test

Almost as soon as it was introduced—and for generations after—the Presidential Fitness Test was absolutely traumatizing to students who had to endure it. Here’s how the program started—and ended.

The connection between Area 51 and UFOs started with a top-secret aircraft.

The Conspiracy Theory That Made Area 51 Synonymous With Aliens

Conspiracy theorists were right to think the government was hiding something.

Veni, Vidi, Vici: The True Origin of Julius Caesar’s Famous Proclamation

With his catchphrase ‘veni, vidi, vici,’ Julius Caesar was saying much more than simply “I came, I saw, I conquered."

12 Historical Conspiracy Theories

From doubt over Shakespeare’s existence to Lincoln’s assassination, conspiracy theories have been around for centuries.

A section of Hadrian’s Wall showing the remains of a Roman fort.

10 Facts About Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman Empire’s Northern Frontier

Uncover the story of Hadrian’s Wall and take a fascinating dive into life at the Roman Empire’s northern frontier.

What Does ‘Military Grade’ Really Mean?

Is calling something ‘military grade’ legit? Find out the truth behind this marketing strategy and how it's applied to products.

Veterans Day honors those who served in the past and active military members.

11 Things to Remember This Veterans Day

The date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the end of World War I, which occurred at the 11th hour of 11th day of the 11th month.

President Eisenhower making Veterans Day the holiday’s official name.

The Kansas Shoe Repairman Responsible for Veterans Day

Alvin King—a shoe repairman from Emporia, Kansas—probably isn’t in many history books, but he deserves at least a paragraph.

11 Facts About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Find out more about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, from the first soldier ever interred in it to the rigorous process of guarding it.

The U.S. government recruited a (phony) vampire-esque creature.

False Fang: When the CIA Staged a Vampire Attack

In the 1950s, American counterinsurgents decided to play into Philippine folklore by orchestrating a deadly 'vampire' attack.

General George Washington has the look of a man with more stars than anybody else.

Why George Washington Is History's Only Six-Star General

Thanks to a law passed in 1976, our nation's first president—who died more than 200 years ago—is still the military's highest-ranking official.

Scientists who worked on the Chicago Pile-1, a component of the Manhattan Project. Leo Szilard is pictured in the middle row in the trench coat.

“I Will Have Nothing to Do with a Bomb!”: The Scientists Who Opposed the Manhattan Project

Before J. Robert Oppenheimer had a change of heart, some of his fellow scientists opposed the U.S. government’s plan to make and deploy an atomic bomb.

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