History

The Latest

Politics and power sometimes take a backseat to family drama.

Jefferson’s tale of an encounter with a stranger sparked a saying that became pretty popular in the 19th century.

A colossal volcanic eruption covered an ancient Mediterranean city in ash and preserved its remains until the present day—and no, we’re not talking about Pompeii.

This riddle comes from a book published in 1868—can you figure out the answer?

Government and Politics

From tragic factory fires to toxic food scandals, some safety laws we may take for granted today actually have some pretty unsettling backstories.

The WPA helped everyone from Jackson Pollock to Louise Nevelson.

These odd architectural features are remnants of a time when people had to pay if they wanted to look outside.

The CIA's encrypted art sculpture has puzzled cryptographers for decades. The man with the answers is finally ready to clue them in.

Fears of nuclear war led to a fleeting craze for fallout shelters stocked with crackers, body bags, and guns.

Tens of thousands of fallout shelter signs, with three yellow triangles in a black circle, are visible on building façades today. They serve as grim reminders of the hottest flashes of the Cold War. So why are they still around?

You never want to butt-dial the cops by mistake. But if you do, here’s what happens next.

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. Let’s break down the history and future of D.C. statehood.

Presidents

This quiz challenges you to name all the U.S. presidents as fast as possible.

You’ll be happy these folks aren’t your relatives.

Can you tell the difference between quotes by the 26th president of the United States and quotes by characters on the hit HBO show?

War

The exact number is hotly debated—but there are dozens.

Mystery

In 1981, 58-year-old Polly Melton went for a hike in a well-traveled national park. She never returned.

In summer 1993, hundreds of people claimed to have found hypodermic needles inside cans of Pepsi. Was it a hoax, a disgruntled employee, or something worse?

A deep dive into the origins and meaning of the classic nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet.”

What caused some of these ominous events still remains a total mystery.

Misconceptions

The idea that older people need less sleep is just one common misconception.

If you’ve ever caught yourself sympathizing with ChatGPT, you may have fallen for one of these common misconceptions about AI.

Both the Arctic and Antarctica are cold and icy, but that’s basically where the similarities end.

Hearing NFTs explained as “non-fungible tokens” only makes sense if you already know what ‘fungible’ means.

Should you be worried about animal attacks when you’re menstruating?

Royalty

Royals from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana have left their mark on the world of fashion.

It all began in 1952 when then-Princess Elizabeth was caught without a black outfit when the circumstances called for one.

Over the past 900-plus years, more than 30 monarchs have called Windsor Castle home. It has also been the site of several royal weddings—including Prince Harry's 2018 nuptials to Meghan Markle.