HISTORY

Why Does ‘Boilerplate’ Mean “Standard”?

Here's a crash course on the meaning and origins of boilerplate content.

The Scandalous History of Oscar Wilde’s Memorial Tomb

The author’s tomb was erected in 1912—and its anatomical correctness was a problem.

8 Things Women Used to Be Banned From Doing

Women were once exempt from serving on juries for fear they might take it too easy on defendants.

A person holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony on the ship ‘Wavertree’ in New York City. The 20 candidates were from 17 countries and 5 of the candidates were current or former members of the U.S. military.

Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?

Could you pass the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship test? Applicants must answer six of 10 questions correctly—and it’s harder than it sounds.

The Jhelum River Bridge, part of the ancient Grand Trunk Road passing through Punjab, Pakistan.

8 Incredible Ancient Roads

Some of the world’s oldest roadways are only memories now—but many have been preserved as historic monuments or improved to handle today’s traffic.

In space, it isn’t just number one and done.

To Boldly Go: The Science Behind Pooping in Space

Coming up with a practical way of replicating the earthbound poop experience took many years, many engineers, and a whole lot of ingenuity.

The spelling is a bit peculiar at times, too.

21 Things You May Not Know About the U.S. Constitution

How well do you really know the U.S. Constitution? Discover things you might not have realized about this influential document, like its dictator-friendly loophole.

6 Facts About International Women’s Day

What has come to be known as International Women’s Day has been celebrated for more than 100 years.

An illustration accompanying "The Haunted Cellar," published by Thomas Crofton Croker.

Meet the Clurichaun, the Leprechaun’s Lesser-Known (But Equally Impish) Cousin

Here’s a crash course in these infamously impish creatures, from how to tell one from a leprechaun to which clurichaun stories are worth reading.

The Story Behind the Giant Inflatable Union Rat

If you're from a town with a strong union presence, you know that if new commercial construction happens without union labor, protests often follow.

Newlyweds have been saving their wedding cakes for hundreds of years.

Why Do People Freeze Wedding Cake?

Freezing a portion of a wedding cake is a centuries-old tradition. If you’re going to freeze the top layer of your wedding cake, make sure you do it right.

Here’s Why Some People Wear Orange—Not Green—On St. Patrick’s Day

You might be used to people wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, but some sport orange instead. Here’s why.

Some of these mistakes were pretty costly.

11 of the Most Expensive Typos in History

From the NASA mistake that made an interplanetary rocket explode to the bible with a very naughty misprint, these typos are an ode to proofreaders.

Baltimore, Maryland had a brief stint as capital.

9 Places That Have Served as the Capital of the United States

Washington, D.C., hasn't always been the political center of the United States.

Flags on planes need to adhere to specific standards.

Why Are Some Flags Painted Backwards on Airplanes?

Depicting the mirror image of a flag on aircraft is done for a very specific (and very patriotic) reason.

Where Did the Expression ‘Gung Ho’ Come From?

We get this byword for enthusiasm from an officer in the Marines named Evans Fordyce Carlson.

The border between these two countries is a little odd in places.

Over the Borderline: The Little Bit of Minnesota That Could Have Gone Canadian

An old map error led to some strange—and at times contentious—geography.

Clockwise from top left: Shirley Chisholm, Clara Barton, Ellen Ochoa, Nellie Bly, Josephine Baker, Mary Pickford, Maya Angelou, Amelia Earhart, Kalpana Chawla, and Kamala Harris.

130 Amazing Women Who Changed the World

From singers to scientists and athletes to activists, here are 130 amazing women who have changed the world for the better.

Forged in the Heat of Battle: The Origin of the Boy Scouts

Those iconic khaki uniforms are usually associated with childhood adventure, but scouting was actually forged in the heat of battle by a desperate British military officer.

Rosa Parks is fingerprinted by a Montgomery, Alabama, police officer after being arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.

11 Peaceful Protests and Their Historic Results

Civil disobedience and nonviolent protests have moved mountains. Here are just a few examples of when people took back power.

American officials exchanged Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for the American U-2 spyplane pilot Francis Gary Powers in the 1962 “Bridge of Spies” transfer.

How a Nickel and a Paperboy Brought Down a Cold War Spy

Soviet spy Rudolf Abel might have never been caught were it not for a Russian turncoat and a newspaper delivery boy who thought he’d been stiffed.

10 Hoax Definitions, Paper Towns, and Other Things That Don’t Exist

Facts become very easy to copyright when they aren’t true. Here are people, places, and things that exist only on paper, solely to thwart would-be info burglars.

You must be a lucky one of you find a four-leaf clover.

Why Are Four-Leaf Clovers Considered Lucky?

While the shamrock mainly has religious ties, the four-leaf clover—often mistaken for the same plant—is often associated with luck. We explain why.

March’s weather is notoriously volatile.

Why Do We Say March ‘Comes In Like a Lion, Goes Out Like a Lamb’?

It’s one of the most common weather idioms. But what do lions and lambs even have to do with the month of March?