HISTORY

First they made history, then they vanished from it. 

When Catholic cardinals meet to pick a new pope in a papal conclave, they have signaled their progress by sending colored smoke up the chapel chimney.

Odd cartographic creations like ‘Fool’s Cap Map of the World,’ ‘Leo Belgicus,’ and ‘The Porcineograph’ make the classic Mercator Projection look outright dull.

Henry de la Poer Beresford, the 3rd Marquis of Waterford, had a little something to do with it. Or did he?

Though the origins of the garter toss tradition are strongly debated, there’s one thing most folks can agree with: it might be time for this controversial wedding ritual to get the heave-ho.

The deeply unpopular war led to the biggest and most consequential protest movement in U.S. history. Here are the key events and reactions.

The cause of death in these mysterious cases has, at one time or another, been reported as spontaneous human combustion—but there was often a more realistic explanation.

The belated sequel drew scorn from 'Wind' purists, who bellowed that 'Tomorrow is here, and it's just plain awful."

From Vietcong diplomats to American anti-war activists, these women made their mark on one of the 20th century’s most controversial conflicts. 

Diallo Riddle (‘Sherman’s Showcase,’ ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’) travels with Arturo to the 1970s, where they unveil an escape of historic proportions by the American revolutionary Assata Shakur.

Clever, gifted, and fearless, Nellie Bly—who was born on May 5, 1864—inspired both journalistic and social change in the late 19th century.

In a mission code-named Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. military unleashed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant during the Vietnam War—and some descendants of Vietnam veterans say they’re still paying the price.