HISTORY

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.

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.

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