GOVERNMENT

Organized comic book burnings were a thing in the late '40s.

‘Let Us Commit Them to the Flames’: The Comic Book Burnings of the 1940s

Comics were thought to cause juvenile delinquency. So people took the reasonable step of setting them on fire.

William McKinley (first row, center) and his wife, Ida (to his left), meet with the Flower Delegation.

The Presidential Candidate Who Campaigned From His Porch

Unwilling to leave his ill wife's side during a presidential campaign, William McKinley decided to run for president from his front porch.

‘Finish Him!’: When ‘Mortal Kombat’ Caused a Moral Panic

The hyper-violent arcade smash of 1992 was too bloody even for Congress.

In his House Divided speech, Lincoln feared the outcome of the Missouri Compromise would be civil war.

“A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand”: Deciphering Lincoln’s Warning About Civil War

In his famous 1858 speech, Abraham Lincoln warned that only civil war would resolve the issue of slavery in the U.S. He wasn’t wrong.

Memorial Day at Los Angeles National Cemetery.

Why Memorial Day Is Always on a Monday

About a century after Americans started celebrating Memorial Day, Congress shifted the holiday to a Monday—here’s why.

4 Misconceptions About Congress

Do members of Congress get free health insurance? And do they all live in Washington, D.C.? We’re tackling those questions and more in the latest episode of Misconceptions.

Spies use slang to keep a lid on things.

Spy Slang: 24 Top Secret Terms You Should Know

Going undercover? Don’t forget your pocket litter, otherwise you might be targeted for some wet work.

This fox is obviously not actually radioactive.

When the U.S. Tried to Win World War II with Radioactive Foxes

Allied officials came up with some strange strategies to win World War II. Operation Fantasia planned to use glow-in-the-dark foxes to spook Japanese forces into defeat.

Joseph Welch (left), with Sen. Joe McCarthy (right), at the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations' McCarthy-Army hearings, June 9, 1954.

“Have You No Sense of Decency?”: The Question That Took Down Senator Joe McCarthy

Joseph N. Welch is credited with bringing down the fearmongering Sen. Joseph McCarthy during a congressional hearing in 1954. But his famous plea has since taken on a life of its own.

5 Wild Ideas Rejected by the Constitutional Convention

In researching his latest book, ‘The Year of Living Constitutionally,’ author A.J. Jacobs came across some bizarre suggestions floated by members of the Constitutional Convention for the new United States government.

Detainees at California's Manzanar War Relocation Center.

Researchers Have Published a List Honoring the More Than 125,000 Japanese Americans Incarcerated During WWII

The Irei Project and Ancestry have teamed up to publish the most comprehensive list ever assembled of the more than 125,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated on American soil during WWII.

In the winter of 1861, former president Franklin Pierce found himself accused of treason.

The Bizarre Story Behind How Franklin Pierce Was Accused of Treason

An anonymous letter supposedly from a member of a secret society claimed that Franklin Pierce was involved in treasonous activities against the American government—an accusation that infuriated the former president.

Missouri Lawmaker Aims to Bring Back Dueling

The history of political dueling in the U.S. doesn’t end with Hamilton and Burr.

'Organic' doesn't necessarily mean 'healthy.'

What Does 'Organic' Mean?

To be certified as organic, farmers can’t use prohibited synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormones for three full years before applying. Further, any animals they have must be raised on organic foods.

Smokey Bear with Girl Scouts in front of the U.S. Capitol.

How Smokey Bear Helped Win World War II

Smokey Bear’s first ad slogan wasn’t quite as catchy as “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”

15 Facts About the IRS to File Away

There's more scandal involved than you'd think.

People have doubted the 1969 moon landing for decades.

11 of the Wildest Pre-Internet Rumors in American History

People have spread incorrect information long before the invention of the internet.

The Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building

How Big Is the Library of Congress?

The ”world’s largest public library,” the Library of Congress holds more than 160 million items.

Clockwise from right: Peter Capaldi, Rebecca Front, Joanna Scanlan, Chris Addison, and James Smith star in 'The Thick of It.'

15 Surprising Facts About ‘The Thick of It’

Armando Iannucci’s iconic BBC comedy is one of television’s finest, and sweariest, sitcoms

The connection between Area 51 and UFOs started with a top-secret aircraft.

The Conspiracy Theory That Made Area 51 Synonymous With Aliens

Conspiracy theorists were right to think the government was hiding something.

Women's History Month is a time to celebrate the trailblazers who fought for equality and forever changed the world for the better.

13 Facts About Women’s History Month

Find out everything you need to know about the origins of Women's History Month, including how it went from a daylong celebration born from a socialist idea to a monthlong institution in the United States.

12 Historical Conspiracy Theories

From doubt over Shakespeare’s existence to Lincoln’s assassination, conspiracy theories have been around for centuries.

9 Misconceptions About the FBI

Can FBI agents really take over crime scenes? Do they hunt serial killers? Find out in this list of common FBI misconceptions.

You've probably been within spitting distance of a nuclear warhead without even realizing it.

See How the U.S. Government Transports Its Nuclear Weapons

The U.S. government is constantly moving its nuclear weapons from one facility to another, which means you may have passed one on the highway without even realizing it.

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