- Showing:
- All Topics
History | History
History | History
15 Military Leaders of the American Revolution
The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was intially a rebellion carried out by the Thirteen Colonies of British America against Great Britain, sparked by...
History | History
D-Day: The Great Crusade Was Greater Than You Know
Imagine picking up every man in a medium-sized city, everything they’ll need to eat and drink and rest for a few days, any vehicles they might need, gasoline, of course, plus lots of guns and ammo — did I mention this was a hunting trip? — and then moving all those men and all that stuff in a few short hours a distance of anywhere from 30 to 125 miles or so.
History | History
USS Lexington: How A Legendary U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Was Sunk
During the Pacific War's early months, the USS Lexington played a pivotal role in the Battle of the Coral Sea, marking the first carrier battle in history where opposing ships never saw each other.
History | History
USS Enterprise Just Might Be the Best U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Ever
USS Enterprise is known for far more than being Captain Kirk's spaceship on Star Trek. This real-life aircraft carrier was a warrior during World War II.
History | History
How the Seven Years' War set empires ablaze and set the stage for the American Revolution
The Seven Years' War, spanning from 1756 to 1763, marked the first conflict to be fought on a truly global scale. Engulfing diverse regions from the dense forests of North America to the plains of Europe, the tropical Caribbean, the coasts of West Africa,
History | History
Recently Declassified Soviet Video Shows the Biggest Nuclear Explosion in History
Tsar Bomba—the biggest hydrogen bomb ever—detonated in October 1961, and the Soviet Union caught it on tape.
History | History
Is It Time To Reconsider Ulysses S. Grant?
In the late 19th Century, the three individuals most widely regarded as the nation’s greatest presidents were George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and… Ulysses S. Grant?!
History | History
Independence Day: The Declaration's Civic Anthropology
The Founders displayed the power of man's rational nature, instead of merely asserting it.
History | History
How Were D-Day Beaches Named?
There's a reason there's no Jelly Beach — thanks to Churchill.
History | History
Operation Unthinkable: Churchill’s Postwar Contingency Plan
‘Operation Unthinkable’ was a secret military plan proposed by Winston Churchill and developed by the British Armed Forces and the USA in May...
History | History
P-51 Mustang: The World War II Fighter That Changed Everything - 19FortyFive
During the Second World War, P-51 Mustang pilots shot down a total of 4,950 enemy aircraft while more than 250 pilots achieved “ace” status.
History | History
Meet the F6F Hellcat: One of the Best Fighter Planes of World War II
It was the F6F Hellcat fighter plane that finally gave U.S. Navy aviators the upper hand against Imperial Japan's Zeros.
History | History
Supermarine Spitfire: I Sat in One of the Best World War II Fighters
Of all the fighter planes in the illustrious history of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF), there is little doubt that the WWII-era Supermarine Spitfire is the most famous of the bunch
History | History
The 4 Bloodiest US Civil War Battles
General Grant’s campaign in Virginia included four Civil War battles, which he called, “no advantage gained to compensate for the heavy losses.”
History | History
5 Lesser-Known Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Some were well-known, but many others were not. Who were these other men, and why were they important?
History | History
A detailed account of the restoration of B-26 Marauder ‘Flak-Bait’, the Only US warplane to Survive 200 Bombing Missions
A detailed account of the restoration of B-26 Marauder ‘Flak-Bait’, the Only US warplane to Survive 200 Bombing Missions during World War II
History | History
Japan’s Zero: The Absolute Best Fighter Plane Of WWII?
Today, there are fewer than twenty surviving Zeros in the world and only a handful in factory original condition.
History | History
On this day in history, Dec. 2, 1823, President Monroe touts doctrine defending Western Hemisphere
President James Monroe issue the Monroe Doctrine, a muscular defense of American interests in the Western Hemisphere, on this day in history, Dec. 2, 1823.
History | History
5 Best Aircraft Carriers of World War II
The Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 served to prove that the age of the aircraft carrier had truly arrived, changing everything.
History | History
Eyewitness Stories To The First Thanksgiving From The OG Pilgrims
These accounts of the first Thanksgiving at Plimoth Plantation in 1621 are, according to Pilgrim Hall Museum, the only two available primary sources about the event. Thanks to the “Brief History of Power” podcast for the source material. Listen to last ye
History | History
Remembering the Supermarine Spitfire, An Iconic Fighter Plane of World War II
'Spit' pilots flew their first combat missions over Dunkirk during the Battle of France
History | History
Medieval Sieges: Hollywood vs. Reality (6 Examples)
Here are 6 differences between the reality of medieval sieges and how Hollywood depicts them.
History | History
An Execution And An Exile: What Happened To King Charles I And King Charles II?
The new British monarch bears the name of a predecessor who was executed and another who was exiled.
History | History
These Were the Five Best Battleships of World War II
It is hard to narrow down a list of the best of the dozens of battleships that took part in the war, but the Iowa-class looms large.
History | History
The story behind the iconic 'Eagle's Nest' WWII Easy Company photo
The Easy Company of ‘Band of Brothers’ fame marked the end of World War II by sipping on Hitler’s booze in his mountain villa.
History | History
American Revolutionary War: 9 Most Important Battles
From the first shots at Lexington and Concord, to the surrender at Yorktown, we explore the most important clashes of the American Revolutionary War (1775–83)
History | History
5 Famous Desks in the U.S. Senate
The historic moments that happened at these desks—and the Senate VIPs who sat behind them—mean that some have taken on lives of their own.
History | History
38 Interesting Facts about D Day You Might Not Know
D Day continues to fascinate people, even more than 50 years after the invasion took place. Here are 38 interesting facts about D day you might not know
History | History
The Riveting True Story Behind Netflix’s Spy Movie ‘Operation Mincemeat’
Major William Martin was a Roman Catholic Welshman who enjoyed the theater and loved his fiancée, Pam. He also didn’t exist—but the Nazis didn’t know that.
History | History
Why Ronald Speirs Was The Most Fearsome Paratrooper In The Real-Life 'Band Of Brothers'
Ronald Speirs was known as a fearsome fighter — who wasn't afraid of killing just to make a point.
History | History
Essex: The Legendary Aircraft Carriers That Transformed the US Navy
The four Essex-class museum ships serve as a reminder of what was arguably the greatest class of aircraft carriers in U.S. Navy history.
History | History
The True Story Of Captain Lewis Nixon And The ‘Band Of Brothers’ He Served With During World War II
Born in New York in 1918, U.S. Army Captain Lewis Nixon III served with the 101st Airborne Division's Easy Company during World War II.
History | History
George Washington: Indispensable Man
George Washington was respected, admired, even revered by his countrymen, and he was the most trusted man of the age. What is more, and different, he was the most trustworthy man. The question of why this is so must be examined if we are to understand Was
History | History
Forget Battleships: Why Didn't the US Navy Build a Fleet of Battlecruisers? - 19FortyFive
Of the seven battlecruisers to enter World War II, only one (HMS Renown) survived the conflict.
History | History
No, Thanksgiving Isn’t About ‘Genocide And Violence’
The Pilgrims didn’t bring ‘genocide’ to America. They barely brought themselves, with half of their company dying that first winter, in 1620-21.
History | History
Sunk: Why Japan Never Recovered from the Battle of Midway
Fortune granted the USA its favor at Midway, as Bismarck might have prophesied. But it was sound doctrine and strategy, entrepreneurship among naval aviators, and shrewd senior leadership that positioned the U.S. Pacific Fleet to harvest the opportunities
History | History
The O.K. Corral: The Gunfight of All Gunfights
This Gunfight at the O.K. Corral lasted just 30 seconds. But its legend has endured for more than a decade. We dissect the battle's myth and lure.
History | History
5 Presidents Who Didn't Attend Their Successor's Inauguration
On the day of the 2021 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, President Donald Trump will join the small group of presidents who skipped their replacement's swearing-in ceremony.
History | History
When Elvis Helped to Conquer Polio
After a deadly mistake sapped public confidence in inoculations, the medical community found an unlikely ally in the King of Rock ’n Roll.
History | History
US battleships fired their guns for the last time 30 years ago. Here's how they dominated the seas for nearly a century.
Aircraft carriers are now the centerpiece of the Navy fleet, but for nearly a century, battleships sailed into combat around the world.
History | History
Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, US Marines took on the Japanese in what became the Alamo of the Pacific
The destruction of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor meant Wake Island was on its own as Japan advanced across the Pacific.
History | History
How the P-47 Thunderbolt Helped Win World War II - InsideHook
The P-47 Thunderbolt was an essential part of the Allied effort in World War II. Its design made it a versataile craft and useful in a number of situations.
History | History
Vice Presidential Debate: Kamala Harris' Dishonesty on Abe Lincoln
Harris claimed at the VP debate that Abraham Lincoln refused to nominate a candidate for Chief Justice in October 1864 because "Honest Abe said, it's not the right thing to do" and wanted the people to vote first. Lincoln, of course, said no such thing.
History | History
Why Chuck Yeager Might Be the Greatest Pilot of All Time
Before Yeager did it, people thought it was impossible to break the sound barrier in flight. So how did he do it? And what other amazing feats did he accomplish?
History | History
The 10 Deadliest Disasters In American History
Before this life-altering pandemic, there have been plenty of other disasters. How did the nation respond? How should you?
History | History
After Backlash From Historians, NYT Forced To Issue Significant Correction To 1619 Project
The New York Times has issued a significant correction to its 1619 Project, a series of articles that has prompted fierce backlash from historians for revising the historical relationship between slavery and the founding of the country. In the August art
History | History
The 1619 Project’s Outrageous, Lying Slander of Abe Lincoln
History and journalism are supposed to ask as many questions as the subject demands. But questions are what the 1619 Project fails to ask about Lincoln.
History | History
British People Explain How They Were Taught About The American Revolution In School
"British people of Reddit, how is the American Revolution taught in your schools?"–– This was today's burning question from Redditor Shamr0ck01, who did not, contrary to what you may believe, open a terrible can of worms and kick off an imperialist chest-
History | History
Operation Downfall Was America's Plan to Invade Japan (And Millions Would Have Died)
World War II would have ended very differently.
History | History
The O.K. Corral: The Gunfight of All Gunfights
This Gunfight at the O.K. Corral lasted just 30 seconds. But its legend has endured for more than a decade. We dissect the battle's myth and lure.
History | History
10 Things You May Not Know About the Jamestown Colony - HISTORY
In May of 1607, a hearty group of Englishmen arrived on the muddy shores of modern-day Virginia under orders from King James I to establish an English colony.
History | History
The US land forever leased to England
Every May, the US Coast Guard and the Royal Navy hold a ceremony on a sliver of North Carolina land where four English World War Two soldiers are buried.
History | History
The 9 Most Overrated Battles in British History (and One Underrated One) - History Extra
What are the most overrated battles and wars in British history? From Bosworth to the Battle of Britain, Sean Lang examines the most exaggerated clashes…
History | History
The graves of more than 30 Marines and sailors killed in bloody World War II battle have been found
The remains of 30 US Marines and Navy service members lost since a bloody WWII battle in the South Pacific have been found on remote Tarawa Atoll, an organization that recovers lost US service members said.
History | History
'Rare' WWII bomber lifted from sea 75 years after crash - BBC News
The Fairey Barracuda Torpedo Bomber was discovered by electrical engineers surveying the seabed.
History | History
Watch Vintage Newsreel Footage of the D-Day Landings in Normandy | Mental Floss
This 75-year-old archival footage shows Operation Neptune—the code name for the landings on the beaches at Normandy that came to be known as D-Day.
History | History
Dwight Eisenhower Wrote a Letter Accepting Blame for D-Day's Failure, Just in Case | Mental Floss
"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops."
History | History
Americans' Loss Of Interest In the Civil War Is Part Of A Disturbing Trend
In an era of historical ignorance and indifference, is it any wonder that Civil War battlefields are drawing fewer tourists?
History | History
Richard Cole, Last WWII Doolittle Raider, Dies at 103
Richard Cole, Last WWII Doolittle Raider, Dies at 103
History | History
'Wonder, awe, excitement': Apollo 16 astronaut describes walking on the Moon
Charles Duke watched from Mission Control in Houston when his fellow Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic Moon landing on July 20, 1969. Less than three years later he followed in their footsteps as the Apollo 16 lunar modu
History | History
13 Facts About the War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a defining struggle for Canada, the United States, and indigenous peoples across North America.
History | History
George Mendonsa, man identified as kissing sailor in WWII Times Square photo, dies at 95 - CNN
George Mendonsa, who maintained for decades that he was the sailor in an iconic 1945 Times Square photo, dubbed "The Kiss," that came to symbolize the end of World War II, has died, his family says. He was 95.
History | History
Marine recalls fight for Okinawa, last major battle of World War II
Charles Voland, of Independence, was wounded in one invasion and fought in another in Okinawa during World War II.
History | History
American history myths: 7 things people get wrong
From the Salem witches who were burnt at the stake to the Declaration of Independence signed on the ‘Fourth of July’, American history is full of misconceptions and mistakes. Here, author Jem Duducu busts some of the biggest myths and separates fact f
History | History
5 Insane Facts From History Nobody Taught You In School | Cracked.com
It's hard to take your ancestors seriously after you realize how they all smelled.
History | History
Lincoln and Thanksgiving: The Origin of an American Holiday
The very first Thanksgiving happened almost 400 years ago—long before the nation was born. How did it evolve into America’s quintessential national holiday? Credit largely goes to two people—one, a name you know; the other, you’ve probably never h
History | History
10 facts you (probably) didn’t know about the First World War
Who solved the problem of trench warfare? How did the war contribute to Britain's worst rail disaster? And were there really special battalions for short soldiers? Here, Seán Lang reveals 10 lesser known facts about the First World War
History | History
History Comes to Life Through Beautiful Colorized Photographs
"The Paper Time Machine" is a book that pulls together 124 colorized historic photos by Jordan Lloyd of Dynamichrome and Wolfgang Wold of Retronaut.
History | History
Calling Good People "Racist" Isn't New: the Case of Ty Cobb
Ruining someone's name is very easy. So is calling them a "racist." Take the case of Ty Cobb, one of the greatest baseball players ever. Cobb is known as a r...
History | History
Meet the man who might have been the real-life Lone Ranger
With more than 5.7 million articles, Wikipedia is an invaluable resource, whether you’re throwing a term paper together at the last minute, or trying to answer mankind’s eternal question: Who was that masked man? We explore some of Wikipedia’s oddit
History | History
Boy finds WWII plane with pilot's remains in cockpit
The wreck of a German World War II plane with the remains of the pilot in the cockpit has been discovered in northern Jutland, Denmark. The plane is thought to be a Messerschmitt.
History | History
New Discovery Could Finally Solve Creepy Mystery Of America's 'Lost Colony'
It was one of the most profound archeolgical discoveries before it was debunked. But new research may prove the authenticty once and for all.
History | History
The Science of Saving the Declaration of Independence
How science helped—and harmed—efforts to preserve the U.S.'s founding documents.
History | History
The Greatest Generation: Remembering D-Day, June 6, 1944
Historic images of the D-Day landings at Normandy.
History | History
D-Day: How technology helped win the Normandy invasion and World War II - The Washington Post
The brave troops who stormed the beaches in France had a secret weapon: brilliantly designed boats that made the attack possible.
History | History
Busboy who held dying Robert F. Kennedy shares senator's last words
Roughly 50 years after the death of Robert F. Kennedy, the busboy who held the dying senator detailed his last words in a Friday report.
History | History
Apollo 12 Astronaut Alan Bean Dead at Age 86, Now Only 4 Moonwalkers Left Alive
'Anyone who had the opportunity to know Alan was a better person for it, and we were better astronauts by following his example.'
History | History
10 Pivotal Facts About the French and Indian War | Mental Floss
Test your knowledge with amazing and interesting facts, trivia, quizzes, and brain teaser games on MentalFloss.com.
History | History
How Soviet troops taunted the Nazis during their final drive to Berlin in World War II
Amid the chaos and destruction in Germany during the final days of World War II, Soviet forces found other, nonmilitary ways to torment their foes.
History | History
6 nations that had no problems invading Russia in the winter
If there’s one generally accepted rule of warfare, it’s that you should never invade Russia during the winter.
History | History
John W. Jones: The Runaway Slave Who Buried Nearly 3000 Confederate Soldiers
He saved lives on the Underground Railroad—then cared for the Confederate dead.
History | History
Dec. 14, 1799: The excruciating final hours of President George Washington | PBS NewsHour
It was a house call no physician would relish. On Dec. 14, 1799, three doctors were summoned to Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia to attend to a critically ill, 67-year-old man who happened to be known as “the father of our country.”
History | History
Why Did the U.S. Sink Captured Japanese Subs After WWII? | Smithsonian
WWII had come to a close, and the U.S. was the first to seize a new class of giant Japanese submarines. The next step was to analyze them quickly and then sink them, before the Russians could learn their secrets.
History | History
THE SHOT THAT ECHOES STILL
Fifty years after one lone prophet who didn’t make it to forty gave up the ghost on a bland balcony in Memphis, this essay is proof that King’s legacy, and Baldwin’s words, remain vital.
History | History
New Documentary Reveals the Surprising Place the Queen's Crown Jewels Were Hidden During WWII
Queen Elizabeth herself was kept in the dark for years.
History | History
WWI Centennial: An Overview
Catch up with the major turning points of World War I as the final climactic year gets underway.
History | History
The Secret World War II History Hidden in London's Fences
London's housing developments often feature a unique form of fencing: stretchers reused after World War II.
History | History
Researchers share never-before-seen images of US ship that fired 1st shots at Pearl Harbor
Never-before-seen images of US ship that fired 1st shots at Pearl Harbor released
History | History
JFK's assassination aided by his bad back, records show - CNN
President Kennedy's lifelong struggle with back pain may have kept him from recoiling from Lee Harvey Oswald's first bullet, setting him up for the kill shot.
History | History
Battle of Tarawa in WWII 'the toughest battle in Marine Corps history' - Business Insider
The commander of the task force attacking Tarawa called Betio "a little Gibraltar" and said that "only the Marines could have made such a landing."
History | History
First World War composite photos bring past to life | The Week UK
Then-and-now images put snapshots of the Great War in a 21st century setting
History | History
5 Groundbreaking Firsts That Your History Books Lied About
It turns out that a whole lot of famous firsts are credited to the wrong people, due to politics, bad luck, or outright lies.
History | History
This woman’s portraits of wartime Greyhound passengers reveal faces of fatigue and resolve
World War II must have been exhausting, even on the home front. Beside the stress of waiting for loved ones to return from overseas, training for new jobs, or being forcibly detained, Americans were…
History | History
The New Amelia Earhart Theory Was Disproven By A History Blogger In A Matter Of Minutes
It wasn't what everyone thought.
History | History
BREAKING: Cornwallis surrenders in Yorktown; End of war may be in sight
YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA (OCTOBER 19, 1781) …
History | History
Why Colorizing Old Photos Requires a Ton of Research
Artists go out of their way to make the recreations authentic.
History | History
JFK’s last birthday: Gifts, champagne and wandering hands on the presidential yacht
The party aboard the Sequoia included dinner, dancing and the president's pursuit of a legendary Washington journalist's wife.
History | History
10 Facts About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
On Veterans Day, 1921, President Warren G. Harding presided over an interment ceremony at Arlington National Memorial. Since then, three more soldiers have been buried there—and one has been disinterred.
History | History
Look Inside the Sketchbook of a World War II Soldier
After serving in the Army, Victor Lundy went on to become a successful architect.
History | History
10 Relics From the Horse-Powered City Hiding in Plain Sight
You can still find reminders of the days when horse-drawn transportation reigned.
History | History
A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found — in England
The only other parchment copy of the document that proclaimed the independence of America's 13 colonies is at the National Archives in Washington.
History | History
These Rare Color Photos From the Second World War Are Incredible
A new book published by the Imperial War Museum features a rare collection of color photos from World War II, some of which haven’t been seen in over 70 years. From P-51D Mustangs and Flying Fortresses through to anti-aircraft spotters and flame hurling
History | History
Last Doolittle Raider, 101, recalls attack 75 years later
CINCINNATI (AP) — At age 101, retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole says his memories are vivid of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders mission that helped change the course of World War II.
History | History
Teacher traces dad's World War II past, finds 75-year-old plane wreckage
The story started to come together when Ken Elder Bledsoe organized the letters his father had written to his mother in 1942.
History | History
Memo to Donald Trump: Thomas Jefferson invented hating the media - The Washington Post
Jefferson is celebrated as a champion of a free press. But he also wrote that “nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper."
History | History
Young man on a mission to honor World War II vets before it's too late
Calif. teen films veterans' stories so he can capture their experiences and honor their sacrifices
History | History
History classes are our best hope for teaching Americans to question fake news and Donald Trump
An education in history teaches students to question the stories that are handed to us.
History | History
George Washington’s Tent: 5 fascinating facts you didn’t know - Curbed Philly
A team has been working for years to conserve George Washington’s tent used during the American Revolutionary War. It will be on display at the Museum of the American Revolution.
History | History
Ship found in Arctic 168 years after doomed Northwest Passage attempt | World news | The Guardian
Exclusive: Perfectly preserved HMS Terror vessel sank during disastrous expedition led by British explorer Sir John Franklin
History | History
How the Great Fire of London unfolded: Official blunders, mass hysteria, and racist violence which threatened to tear the city apart
It is now 350 years since the Great Fire of London razed the city's medieval heart to the ground.
History | History
US Marines admit one of the men identified in Iwo Jima photo was the wrong man - as details emerge of real hero who took
The US Marines have resolved a longstanding question mark over the identities of the men in an iconic photograph from Iwo Jima, revealing the story of a Midwestern Private who went to his grave without ever claiming his role.
History | History
Photos combine images of Germany from WWII with today - Business Insider
The photographs artfully contrast the broad sweeps of Nazi propaganda and the devastation of the war in Berlin with the vibrancy of the city today.
History | History
Exactly the right words, exactly the right way: Reagan’s amazing Challenger disaster speech - The Washington Post
How the Great Communicator teamed with Peggy Noonan to soothe a shocked and grieving nation.
History | History
One of six seaplanes lost during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor - StarTribune.com
HONOLULU – New images of a large U.S. Navy seaplane that sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor show a coral-encrusted engine and reef fish swimming in and out of a hull.
History | History
After 74 years, sailors from ship sunk at Pearl Harbor, may finally come home - StarTribune.com
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – Inside an old aircraft factory here, behind the glass windows of a pristine laboratory, the lost crew of the USS Oklahoma rests on special tables covered in black foam.
History | History
10 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Second World War
1) France had more tanks, guns and men than Germany in 1940 It is always assumed that during the Second World War the Germans bludgeoned their way to victory with a highly modern and mechanised army and Air Force that was superior to anything the Allies c
History | History
We Toured Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda at the University of Virginia. Here’s What We Learned About Its Secrets Discove
Brian Hogg, senior historic preservation planner at the University of Virginia, thought they had discovered almost everything there was to know about the rotunda on campus, which was originally built by Thomas Jefferson who founded the university in 1819
History | History
A 103-year-old cracker from the Titanic just sold for $23,000
Someone just turned what could be the world's oldest cracker into the world's most expensive cracker.
History | History
Is this proof Alcatraz escapees are alive?
IN JUNE 1962, three inmates shimmied through a hole they’d chiselled into the walls of Alcatraz prison and climbed up to the roof.
History | History
CIA confirmed Oswald contacted Cubans, Soviets before assassination, memo shows - Washington Times
Three days after John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, U.S. intelligence officials told President Lyndon B. Johnson that they had confirmed that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had recently traveled to Mexico City to visit both the Cuban and Soviet em
History | History
College Board gives in and adds 'American exceptionalism' to AP U.S. history
College Board has implemented a reworking of the AP U.S. History course curriculum to include "American exceptionalism."
History | History
The Apollo mission space patches were out of this world (sorry)
Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova wore the very first spacesuit patch in 1963 for the Vostok 6 mission. Fun fact: Her orange coverall hid the patch from public view. NASA continued the tradition in 1965 when Gordon Cooper, the command pilot on Gemini 5, designed one for the mission.
History | History
Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather ‘Macaroni’?
Yankee Doodle went to town...Mm-hm, yeah.
Riding on a pony...Ok.
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni...Wait. What?
History | History
Spectacular photos of the US Navy's most powerful battleship ever
This is the USS Iowa, the first of the largest, most powerful battleship class ever in the United States Navy, equipped with nine 16-inch (406mm) guns that could fire nuclear shells—the only American ship in history with this capability. This photo seri
History | History
Betsy Ross Probably Didn't Sew the First Flag | Mental Floss
In honor of Flag Day, we thought it was time you knew the truth: Everything you know about how the stars and stripes came to be crafted may be a lie.
History | History
Amazing Color Photos of France After D-Day | Mental Floss
In stunning color, here's a look at life in France in the summer of 1944.
History | History
10 Already Obsolete Things Included in the 5000-Year Westinghouse Time Capsule | Mental Floss
The site of the 1939 World’s Fair is home to a time capsule that was put in the ground in 1938 and is due to be unearthed and opened in the year 6939. The “Immortal Well” that houses the capsule is located in the Westinghouse Pavilion of the fairgrounds in Queens, New York, and remains untouched to this day.
History | History
When Arthur Conan Doyle Tried Solving a Real Mystery | Mental Floss
Doyle, who was born 156 years ago today, had found himself embroiled in a case that captured worldwide media attention for the fact that he, and not his famous sleuth, was trying to solve it. In 1906, a man named George Edalji was freed from prison after being sentenced for the crime of animal cruelty.
History | History
The original Mad Men were just as dapper, but not as drunk
The real Mad Men of the '50s dressed just as dapper, and drank just as much as the show suggested. But no more than everyone else...
History | History
How early 20th century America played and worked, in color
These Autochromes - the first commercially available color photographic process - were taken by National Geographic Society photographers. The Society eventually moved on to other slightly more advanced photographic processes and finally to Kodachrome by 1938, but not before amassing a collection of more than 12,000 Autochromes.
History | History
This Is the Nixon Speech Don Draper Was Watching on 'Mad Men'
Few things can place a fictional story on a real-world timeline better than a Presidential speech can. In the case of the Sunday night mid-season premiere of Mad Men, the background appearance of a speech by Richard Nixon dates one scene precisely, at April 30, 1970, around 9 p.m. Eastern, when Nixon addressed the nation.
History | History
WWI graffiti discovered deep underground. ‘All these guys wanted to be remembered.’ - The Washington Post
The century-old etchings, discovered in a chalk quarry in France, include the names of hundreds of soldiers, including some Americans.
History | History
English gardener unearths WWII bunker in back yard
"My wife came out and I'd unearthed this air raid shelter. She couldn't believe it, she thinks I'm crazy," said frustrated gardener Jim Clark.
History | History
New genetic map of the UK shows which invasions created Britain's DNA
Britain has a long history of invasions: over the past two millennia, various armies from the Romans to the Anglo-Saxons conquered the bulk of the British Isles. A new genetic analysis of the...
History | History
15 Last Survivors of Famous Events | Mental Floss
Here are 15 people who not only made history, but got to tell the tale for decades. No matter how many people are involved in an important event, one of them has to be the last to leave this earth. Here are 15 people who not only made history, but got to tell the tale for decades to come.
History | History
All 43 Presidents, Ranked by How Hard They Partied
You want to know who the "Gentleman Boss" president was. Trust us.
History | History
USS Arizona's oldest survivor dies at 100
Joe Langdell was working as a junior accountant in Boston when he got the idea that he should join the Navy and go to sea. It was 1940 and America edged closer every day to joining the war that raged in Europe.
History | History
Creepy Medical Supplies Found Amid Wreckage Of Pirate Blackbeard's Ship
Ahoy! Archaeologists excavating pirate Blackbeard's sunken ship, named Queen Anne's Revenge, recently unearthed from the wreckage various medical devices--and some of them look pretty darn terrifying. Among the grisly finds were a urethral syringe...
History | History
Divers begin recovery of Civil War ironclad before deepening of channel - CNN.com
The deepening of the shipping channel in Savannah, Georgia, won't be dredging up just mud and sand. It will be raising up an ironclad from the Civil War.
History | History
31 Rolls of Undeveloped Film from a Soldier in WWII Discovered and Processed
Photographer Levi Bettweiser is the man behind the Rescued Film Project, an effort to find and rescue old and undeveloped rolls of film from the far corner
History | History
10 Unsolved Mysteries From World War II - Listverse
In a global conflict on the scale of World War II, there are a lot of things that slip through the cracks. Whether it's something that we refuse to admit or simply something so foreign and bizarre...
History | History
Revolutionary war-era time capsule found in Massachusetts state house | US news | The Guardian
Researchers to use x-rays to determine contents of box historians believe Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and others placed in 1795
History | History
The Final Days of King Charles II - Neatorama
The following article is republished from Uncle John's Ahh-Inspiring Bathroom Reader.Next time you feel yourself coming down with a cold, thank your lucky stars for 21st-century medicine.MONDAYOn the morning of February 2, 1685, King Charles II of England
History | History
In 2014, countries are still paying off debt from World War One
It has been 100 years since the start of the First World War, which was fought for four years and claimed the lives of more than 6000 soldiers a day. Countries in Europe began marking the centenary earlier this year and the Tower of London, pictured abo
History | History
The Forgotten History of Russia’s California Colony | Mental Floss
From Sacramento to Los Angeles, Spain’s colonial fingerprints are plain to see throughout present-day California. But did you know that in the 18th century, Tsarist Russia carved out her own slice of this future state?
History | History
Newly-Declassified CIA Document Says Ben Franklin Was A Security Risk
Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents—but safeguarding state secrets was not among them. According to a recently released article by a CIA analyst, when Franklin was on a diplomatic mission in France, he allowed his offices to be penetrated by Bri
History | History
White House fence has evolved, from a wrought-iron decoration to a line of defense - The Washington Post
As security features proliferate near iconic mansion, 1965 barrier remains a symbol of cautious openness.
History | History
Did Pirates Really Make People Walk the Plank? | Mental Floss
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, mateys! Abstain from this nautical celebration and you’ll likely be told to “Go walk the plank” by some eye patch-wearing devotees.
History | History
Why Did People Wear Powdered Wigs? | Mental Floss
For nearly two centuries, powdered wigs—called perukes—were all the rage. The chic hairpiece would have never become popular, however, if it weren’t for a venereal disease, a pair of self-conscious kings, and poor hair hygiene.
History | History
10 (More) Gorgeous Colorized Photos That Put History In A New Light
For the history buffs of the world, we imagine there are few experiences as fulfilling as poring over volume after volume of black-and-white photographs, hunting for that rare shot of a notable figure or iconic location. As for the rest of us, we...
History | History
Richard III Cause Of Death: Two Blows To The Head
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists in Britain have given blow-by-blow details of King Richard III's death at the Battle of Bosworth more than 500 years ago and say two of many blows to his bare head could have killed him very...
History | History
We Are All Americans: The World's Response to 9/11 | Mental Floss
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, people all over the world stood shoulder-to-shoulder in mourning, solidarity, sympathy and friendship with the people of the United States. Here are a few of those international reactions, both organized and spontaneo
History | History
60 of History’s Strangest Royal Epithets | Mental Floss
For every William the Conqueror there’s a Vlad the Impaler. And for every Richard the Lionheart there’s an Albert the Peculiar. Sixty of the most bizarre—and in some cases the most unflattering—epithets from history are listed here.
History | History
200 Years Ago Today: The Burning of Washington, D.C.
(Mural by Allyn Cox, U.S. Department of State)Two hundred years ago, the United States was locked in a bitter struggle against the British Empire known as the War of 1812. For the new republic, the stakes were profoundly high. This became especially clear
History | History
Missing POW’s Remains Returned to His Widow 63 Years After His Death | KTLA
Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Gantt told his wife to remarry if he didn’t come back from the war. She told him no. He had a hard enough time getting her to say yes. He was it.
History | History
The 40th Anniversary of Richard Nixon's Resignation in Pictures. - NationalJourn
From the Watergate break-in to Nixon's departure from the White House lawn and eventual pardon.
History | History
Theodore Van Kirk, 93, Enola Gay Navigator, Dies
Mr. Van Kirk, a navigator, guided a flight that, six-and-a-half hours after takeoff, reached Hiroshima with its atomic bomb just seconds behind schedule.
History | History
The hallowed ground of World War I, then and now.
Today marks 100 years since the start of WW I. Here are some of the places that endured through the war and what they look like now.
History | History
15 Twitter Accounts for History Buffs
We’ve covered word nerds; now, follow a few twitter accounts that will satisfy your historical curiosity.
History | History
Historic Reenactments: The Oldest Form Of Storytelling?
One of the oldest forms of storytelling is that of re-enactment, donning the costumes of the story's subjects, miming their actions, performing a narrative before a live audience
History | History
‘Brawny and Buoyant’: A Portrait of West Coast Youth of the 1950s | LIFE | TIME.com
Color photos from a 1951 LIFE magazine feature on 'splendidly healthy West Coast youth' from Southern California to Puget Sound.
History | History
What Did Aaron Burr Do After Shooting Alexander Hamilton?
This week marks the 210th anniversary of the Burr-Hamilton duel. SPOILER ALERT: Burr won.
History | History
ISIS Is About to Destroy Biblical History in Iraq
Iraqi antiquities officials are calling on the Obama administration to save Nineveh and other sites around jihadist-occupied Mosul. But are drone strikes really the answer?
History | History
Preserving America's military legacy is Job One for historian
The excitement Rodney Hilton Brown felt as a young boy searching for rusty Revolutionary War relics in forgotten Philadelphia attics has only deepened in his obsessive quest for iconic artifacts that tell the story of America’s bravery and cou
History | History
Louis Zamperini, inspiration for 'Unbroken,' dead at 97
Louis Zamperini , who was a World War II prisoner of war survivor as well as former Olympic distance runner, has died. He was the subject of Lauren Hillenbrand's book, “Unbroken,” which was adapted into a film by the Coen brothers, and
History | History
Report points to photo as possible new clue to Amelia Earhart's fate
A recently surfaced photo of Amelia Earhart’s plane, captured by the Miami Herald in 1937, could offer crucial evidence regarding the famous aviator’s disappearance.
History | History
The War to End All Wars? Hardly. But It Did Change Them Forever.
World War I destroyed kings, kaisers, czars and sultans; it demolished empires; it introduced chemical weapons; it brought millions of women into the work force.
History | History
Why History Can’t Get Custer Right
Love or hate General George Armstrong Custer, there’s one thing Americans haven’t been able to do: ignore him. 138 years after his death during the June 25-26 Battle of Little Bighorn — his pass
History | History
Abandoned Checkpoints Awaken the Ghosts of a Pre-EU Europe - Architizer
The incredibly intricate political battles that followed the 20th century's world wars are often overlooked in Europe's current era of porous borders. But merely decades ago, fortifications and roadblocks proliferated across the continent to delin
History | History
How the inventor of strobe photography gave D-Day the go-ahead (Wired UK)
Harold Edgerton was an artist, creating iconic photographic works that hand in galleries around the globe today. He was also an MIT professor called in when World War 2 began, specifically to create a new technique that would see Normandy photographed und
History | History
70 years later, D-Day vet Jim 'Pee Wee' Martin jumps again"
Normandy, France (CNN) -- Jim "Pee Wee" Martin acted like he'd been here before, like jumping from a plane is as easy as falling off a log. Maybe that's because he had -- 70 years ago
History | History
Are Colorized Photos Rewriting History?
There's been an explosion in the number of colorized photos lately. People find old black-and-white photos online, and meticulously add color to give us a new perspective on history. But recently one colorized image caught my eye after it was tweeted
History | History
How Mad Men-Era Americans Imagined the World Would Look In 1970
The AMC show Mad Men is in its final season, with its mid-season finale (yeah, I don't know what that means exactly either) airing this past Sunday. The show started with 1960 as its backdrop, and we now see characters in the world of 1969. A lot chan
History | History
Rest in Peace: Wartime Relics Reclaimed by the Land and Sea - NBC News
German photographer Dietmar Eckell traveled to 14 countries, photographing abandoned and decaying military installations and equipment.
History | History
Memorial Day 2014: WWII vet remembers one that was left behind
More than six decades after he left military service at the end of World War II, Bill Howland still tears up at one particularly bad memory among many bad memories. An Army medic, he removed the leg...
History | History
Exclusive: Found after 500 years, the wreck of Christopher Columbus’s flagship the Santa Maria
More than five centuries after Christopher Columbus’s flagship, the Santa Maria, was wrecked in the Caribbean, archaeological investigators think they may have discovered the vessel’s long-lost remains – lying at the bottom of the sea off the north
History | History
The Day the Royal Navy Ended its Daily Rum Ration
Rum isn't just the preferred drink of pirates: For more than 300 years, the booze was also part of the daily rations of sailors in Britain's Royal Navy.
History | History
Photos: Faces of World’s Fair Enthusiasts - Metropolis - WSJ
For the first time in 27 years, the general public was allowed inside the New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows Corona Park Tuesday in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1964 World’s Fair...These portraits by photographer Mark Abramson show off the mix of people who attended the event, some of whom went as children to the World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965.
History | History
Amazing Photos Celebrate The 50th Anniversary of the New York World's Fair
In 1964, the New York World's Fair opened with radical technologies and dazzling futuristic displays.
Fifty-one million visitors descended on Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y. over two six-month seasons in 1964 and '65 to experience innovations like "picturephones," lunar crawlers and Belgian waffles. The Ford Times called it "a lively and lavish concoction of spectacular entertainment."
History | History
10 inventions that owe their success to World War One
The zip, the sanitary towel and the veggie sausage are just three of the products invented or popularised in the war of 1914-1918.
History | History
Houston, We've Got an Auction: Apollo 13 Astronaut's Mementos to be Sold
Apollo 13 memorabilia belonging to the late astronaut Jack Swigert is auction-bound, 44 years after a last-minute change landed him aboard the ill-fated flight. The mementos are being put up for sale by Swigert's family.
History | History
Rare photographs document the Wright brothers' pioneering early aircrafts - Telegraph
Photographs document the Wright brothers' advances in early flight.
History | History
Historic black and white photos of New York City - Lost At E Minor: For creative people
The Atlantic, which has to be the finest magazine in America, have compiled a remarkable collection of photos from the newly released database of the New Y
History | History
Fantastic 120-Year-Old Color Pictures of Ireland
Vivid vintage pictures of Ireland taken between 1890 and 1900, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
History | History
'Band Of Brothers' Vet William Guarnere Dies At 90
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, one of the World War II veterans whose exploits were dramatized in the TV miniseries "Band of Brothers," has died. He was 90.
History | History
Teddy Roosevelt: 90-pound Weakling?
This Presidents Day article is from the book Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into the Presidency.Legendary for his tremendous energy and physical activity as president, Teddy Roosevelt might have been the original 90-pound weakling who spent his yout
History | History
5 Other Americans Who Were Kinda, Sorta President
Students might not have to memorize these names when they're learning all the presidents, but these people were closer than a heartbeat away.
History | History
State of Union address has a long history of unusual, continuing changes
The viewership numbers for the State of the Union address on Tuesday night will hardly competes against an NFL championship game or most other major competitions in sport-obsessed American.
History | History
Today in History
Today is Monday, Jan. 27, the 27th day of 2014. There are 338 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 27, 1944, during World War II, the Soviet Union announced the complete end of the deadly German siege of Leningrad, which had lasted
History | History
100-Year-Old Color Photos of Pre-Revolution Russia
If you've ever wondered what Russia looked like shortly before the revolution but aren't satisfied with black and white photos, you owe Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii a debt of thanks.
History | History
There Are Only 22 Countries in the World That the British Haven’t Invaded
Of the almost 200 current member states (and one observer state) of the United Nations, the British have, at some point in history, invaded and established a military presence in 171 of them.This is what British historian Stuart Laycock learned after hi
History | History
How The Ruins Of Europe Built A Major Road In America
To say Europe was in ruins after World War II would be using understatement. Cities were destroyed. Villages were obliterated. Societies themselves would take decades of rebuilding. Out of all that rubble, though, emerged one road in New York that's o
History | History
World War II era Japanese submarine found off Hawaii coast
Scientists have discovered a torpedoed World War II era Japanese sub off the coast of Hawaii — and scientists say it is
History | History
What If JFK Had Lived? : DNews
An alternate history of Vietnam, the civil rights movement and the president's affairs are explored.
History | History
Tough campaign? Much worse in 1800 - CBS News
60 Minutes on CBS News: Tough campaign? Much worse in 1800 - On the eve of the elections, popular author and historian David McCullough guides Morley Safer on an American historical journey
