HISTORY

The 15 States That Produce the Most Christmas Trees

There are Christmas tree farms scattered throughout the United States. Here’s which states produce the most of the holiday-favorite evergreen.

10 Adorable Facts About Cabbage Patch Kids

The holiday toy craze of 1983 inspired a line of counterfeit Kids that were stuffed with flammable rags.

The Caduceus: The Mistaken Meaning of the Medical Symbol

This ancient symbol, also called the Staff of Hermes, depicts two snakes intertwining around a stick that is capped by wings. It’s used as a medical logo, but for almost all its roughly 5000-year history, the caduceus had nothing to do with medicine.

All of these Dubliners are judging your accent.

People in the Northern UK and Ireland Can Flag Your Fake Accent

A new study finds that residents of Dublin, Belfast, and Glasgow were better at detecting fake accents than their counterparts in southern areas of England—possibly as a result of long-ago conflicts.

The online database covers nearly all the fossils discovered in New Zealand.

New Zealand Is the First Country to Open Its Fossil Database to the Public

New Zealand’s open-access fossil database makes it easier for scientists to collaborate.

The Pilgrims give thanks with no turkey or mashed potatoes in sight.

11 Thanksgiving Dishes the Pilgrims Didn't Eat

When the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag shared the first Thanksgiving in 1621, sweet potatoes, apple pie, and turkey were missing from the table.

12 Protests That Changed the World

The act of protesting has a long and productive history.

A group of 18th-century anatomists dissect a body.

Hidden Bodies: How a Harvard Chapel Renovation Unearthed Human Remains

What began as a routine renovation revealed Harvard's history of body snatching.

Members of Robert Falcon Scott's 1910-1913 expedition to reach the South Pole.

Frostbite vs. Hypothermia: What’s the Difference?

Here's how to tell frostbite symptoms from hypothermia symptoms.

The “Evil” Album Prince Withdrew Days Before Its Release

It wasn’t just the cover of the Purple One’s shelved 1987 LP ‘The Black Album’ where things got dark.

This scene depicts several Christmas traditions with long histories.

The Origins of 12 Christmas Traditions

From expecting Santa to fill socks with gifts to eating cake that looks like tree bark, some holiday traditions are downright odd. But we can explain!

11 Chilling Facts About the 1972 Andes Plane Crash

Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed in a remote location in Chile’s Andes Mountains on October 13, 1972—and those who made it through the crash would need to resort to desperate measures to survive.

Why Your Traditional Thanksgiving Should Include Oysters

The first Thanksgiving may not have even had turkey, but it almost certainly had oysters.

’Tis the season to learn about your favorite Christmas songs.

The Origins of 10 Popular Christmas Songs

You’ve sung them while clutching cups of hot cocoa. You’ve heard them played in shopping malls. But do you know how some of the world’s best-known Christmas carols were created?

Learn Amazing Facts About the U.S. Constitution With A.J. Jacobs

Author A.J. Jacobs spent a year living like a Founding Father to better understand the U.S. Constitution. Here’s what he learned.

Horns Aplenty: The Ancient Greek Origins of the Cornucopia

Here's how the cornucopia went from ancient gods to American dinner tables.

A dish of homemade cranberry deliciousness.

Why Do We Eat Cranberry Sauce on Thanksgiving?

Your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce—be it homemade or Ocean Spray’s canned classic—is all part of America’s history.

Just your average stroll with a baby carriage and knight's helmet.

Iron Man: The Weird Wager of Harry Bensley, Who Walked 2400 Miles in a Helmet

In 1908, a playboy made a bet he could walk around the world without being identified. Then things got weird.

A vintage 1950s postcard with a bounty of Thanksgiving dishes.

10 Olde-Timey Thanksgiving Recipes We Should Bring Back

These historical recipes, featuring old-fashioned takes on some of the Thanksgiving dishes that we know and love, are ripe for a comeback.

11 Fascinating Facts About The Velvet Underground

To rock snobs, art-school students, and dads everywhere, the Velvet Underground are the cornerstone of rock and roll. Here are 11 facts on their background and influence.

The Reason Why Thanksgiving Is on the Fourth Thursday in November

It used to be a little harder to keep track of, and not just because you couldn’t Google “When is Thanksgiving?”

A Neanderthal skull against a backdrop of the German valley where the first specimens of the human ancestor were found.

‘Thal Order: 11 Things You Might Not Know About Neanderthals

Often dismissed as “primitive,” our extinct relatives were surprisingly thoughtful. Some were also cannibals.

If you want to visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome, you should probably wait until maintenance is done.

Visitors in Rome Settle for Makeshift Pool as Trevi Fountain Undergoes Maintenance

People won’t get to throw coins in the Italian city’s biggest fountain for a while.

For a time, people couldn’t make up their minds.

The Debate Behind How to Number a President

Grover Cleveland caused quite the conundrum when he was elected for the second time in 1892 after a four-year break from the Oval Office.