HISTORY

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 2: The Spy of Pimlico

Ed Helms (‘The Hangover,’ ‘The Office’) helps Arturo unfurl a daring escape from one of the Cold War’s most eccentric double agents: Oleg Gordievsky.

Valentina Tereshkova in a Russian poster.

Valentina Tereshkova, the First Woman in Space

The factory worker-turned-cosmonaut dealt with plenty of sexism while trying to keep her spacecraft on track.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 1: El Chapo’s First Escape

Diane Guerrero (‘Encanto,’ ‘Doom Patrol’) joins Arturo as he recounts the first grand escape by one of the most infamous crime lords of the 21st century: El Chapo.

The ACLU regularly argues cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

9 Fundamental Facts About the ACLU

The group was founded during World War I to defend Americans’ First Amendment freedoms. Over the years, that mission has taken some unexpected turns.

The court of Kublai Khan, a rival to Kaidu.

The Mongolian Princess Who Challenged Her Suitors to a Wrestling Match—and Always Won

Delve into the history of Khutulun, the 13th-century Mongolian princess—and descendant of Genghis Khan—who challenged marriage suitors to wrestling matches.

King Henry with Cardinal Wolsey, circa 1528.

A 16th-Century Guide to Pooping at King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace

Discover how King Henry VIII and other members of the Tudor nobility handled going to the bathroom in the mid-1500s. (Spoiler: There was velvet involved, but it still wasn’t pretty.)

At least one critic panned Dustin Hoffman’s performance in ‘The Graduate.’

10 Pop Culture Classics That Originally Got Bad Reviews

There’s no accounting for taste when it comes to critics’ misguided impressions of cultural classics, from mini-skirts to ‘Moby-Dick.’

10 Times Animals Changed History

History is teeming with unlikely heroes—these ones just happen to have feathers and fur.

Would you spend a few bucks on some gently used homing pigeons?

5 of the Most Bizarre Auctions in History

Almost anything can be put up for auction. Bidding on collectibles is one thing, but these five auctions offered items you won’t find on eBay.

The Sad, Strange History of Turnspit Dogs

Turnspit dogs had a terrible job. And once their work was made obsolete, the breed went extinct.

12 Weird Things That Have Washed Ashore

From a bag of human hands to LEGO bricks and rubber duckies, some very weird things have washed up on the world's beaches.

Not a place you would expect to see members of a clergy playing a game.

5 Old-Timey Easter Traditions We Don’t See Anymore

From "scrabbling games" to hunting hares, these old Easter traditions have fallen out of fashion.

Sergeant Marshall/Department of Defense, NARA // Public Domain

Would You Be Able to Pass a World War I Military Literacy Test?

Potential recruits had to answer questions like ‘Is genuine happiness a priceless treasure?,’ ‘Are avenues usually paved with oxygen?,’ and ‘Do you cordially recommend forgery?’

The typo in question concerned property rights.

Error in Judgment: The 100-Year-Old Supreme Court Typo That May Have Altered Judicial Decisions

The typo in a 1928 opinion may have inadvertently influenced an unknown number of decisions to follow.

“Snow White” doesn’t always feature a poisoned apple.

5 Fascinating Interpretations of “Snow White”

Scholars believe the tale—which has versions around the world—represents everything from the pain of motherhood to childhood jealousy (and some even think it might be based on real history).

Can You Tell Food Fact From Food Fiction?

See if you can figure out which of these food product facts are about real people—and which are mere invention.

14 Haunting Facts About the Winchester Mystery House

Dig into the bizarre history surrounding California's Winchester Mystery House, one of the most notorious haunted houses in the U.S.

Parts of Harriet Tubman’s and Ben Ross‘s lives are shown in a new virtual museum.

New Virtual Museum Lets You Explore Harriet Tubman’s Teenage Home

Peer into Harriet Tubman‘s father’s home via the Maryland Department of Transportation‘s new virtual museum.

Everybody gets to be Irish after they smooch this stone.

Where Does the Phrase ‘Gift of Gab’ Come From?

This St. Patrick’s Day, discover the origins of this old Irish idiom and how it all ties back to the Blarney Stone in Ireland.

The Phony Disease That Helped Researchers Identify Bach’s (Purported) Body

Johann Sebastian Bach was buried in an unmarked grave in 1750. Nearly two centuries later, a doctor identified the composer’s bones from skeletal evidence of “organist’s disease.”

The ‘school fossil boulder’ originating from Dunn Creek Mining Area, Callide, Queensland.

66 Dinosaur Footprints Discovered on Rock Gifted to an Australian High School Decades Ago

A rock slab displayed at Biloela State High School contains some of the most densely packed dinosaur footprints ever discovered in Australia.

Why Does Easter’s Date Change Every Year?

Easter always happens sometime in March or April—but the date is never the same each year.

Why Female Dogs Are Called “B*tches”—And How the Word Became an Insult to Women

How did the word for a female dog become a derogatory word for women? We explain.

A mass of shipping containers at the port of Shenzen, China.

How Do Tariffs Work?

Tariffs are a means for one country to wrangle better trade terms with another country and to protect domestic manufacturing. Unfortunately, they don’t always deliver.