HISTORY

How many Americans celebrate the three-day weekend.

8 Facts About Labor Day

Americans celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September—which means Labor Day falls on Monday, September 2, in 2024.

What British mail was like around the time Ewart's postcard was mailed.

Snail Mail: Welsh Postcard Sent in 1903 Arrives 121 Years Later

The recipient has been identified, but it’s still a mystery where the postcard has been all this time.

Madonna’s May 2024 concert at Copacabana Beach was one of the largest in the world.

The 10 Biggest Concerts in History

Rod Stewart, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones had some of the largest concert crowds in history.

Martin Laurello performs his signature trick in the 1920s.

‘The Human Owl’: The Twisted Life of Sideshow Star Martin Laurello

Laurello trained himself to turn his head virtually 180 degrees, a parlor trick that led to a 50-year career.

A three-day weekend makes bidding farewell to summer a little easier.

Why Is Labor Day Always Celebrated on a Monday?

Like Memorial Day and Presidents Day, Labor Day falls on a Monday each year. To understand how the federal holiday came to be, you need a brief history lesson in labor politics.

Was King George IV the real “Georgie Porgie”?

‘Georgie Porgie’: The Royal Origins of the British Nursery Rhyme 

“Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie / Kissed the girls and made them cry.”

10 Books Turning 50 in 2024

Whether they’re iconic horror novels or classic kids’ lit, these books still resonate five decades after they first hit shelves.

Dance marathons and walkathons were all the rage in the 1920s and 1930s.

Death, Desperation, and Dollars: The Walkathon Craze of the 1920s and ’30s

In the 1930s, millions of Americans were glued to the first reality show: walking contests where you didn’t stop until you dropped.

Apple pie is a classic fall treat for Americans.

How Did Apple Pie Become an Iconic American Dessert?

The phrase “American as apple pie“ leaves out the dish’s complicated history as an English dessert made of fruit that originated in Asia.

The underwriting room at Lloyd's of London circa 1960.

Legs, Noses, and the Loch Ness Monster: 8 Bizarre Lloyd’s of London Insurance Policies

The vaunted UK insurance marketplace will cover just about anything. Even a single grain of rice.

It’s easy to recognize these political symbols.

How Did the Donkey and Elephant Become Political Mascots?

Andrew Jackson’s 1828 political campaign kicked it off, and cartoonist Thomas Nast made the political symbols really gain traction.

11 Discontinued Ice Creams

Not all the classic frozen treats you remember from the ’80s and ’90s are still available today

13 Odd and Obsolete Occupations

History is full of jobs that are no longer needed due to technology, cultural advances, and everything in between.

The History—and Value—of the Princess Diana Beanie Baby

Trying to sell your Princess Diana Beanie Baby? She probably isn’t worth as much as you hope—here’s why.

Dodos were more agile than most people think.

Dodos May Have Been Fast and Strong, Contradicting Stereotypes

What you think you know about the dodo bird is probably wrong.

Chalkboards have given way to dry-erase boards and smart boards.

11 Things We No Longer See In Schools

From book straps to dunce caps, these obsolete items may make you feel really young … or really old.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Ronald Reagan

President Ronald Reagan served from 1981-1989 and is remembered for his Reaganomics policies, the war on drugs, and other political endeavors. He also ate a lot of jelly beans.

A portrait of the scientists who found and examined the Piltdown Man skull (accompanied by a picture of Charles Darwin on the wall).

10 Famous Archaeological Hoaxes

From forged artworks to fake mummies and even fraudulent orangutan bones, archaeological hoaxes fool scientists and stir the public’s imagination—until the culprits are forced to come clean.

A Brief History of Leaf-Peeping

From Henry David Thoreau's 'Autumnal Tints' to the origins of the term 'leaf-peeper.'

A tornado south of Cheyenne, Oklahoma, touched down on April 15, 2012.

10 of the Most Terrifying Tornadoes in History

Tornadoes can (and do) happen anywhere. Here are 10 of the most terrible twisters to ever take a turn on Earth.

The Long, Strange History of the Word ‘Weird’

Where did this bizarre word come from, and how has it changed over the centuries?

Asteroid That Wiped Out Dinosaurs Likely Came From the Outer Solar System

Chemical signatures from the Chicxulub asteroid’s impact—which caused a mass extinction on Earth 66 million years ago—match those of carbonaceous meteorites formed beyond Jupiter.

20 Old Words for Ignorant People

Here are a few words for ignorant people you might want to add to your lexicon, from ‘wantwit’ to ‘dorkmunder’ to ‘ninnyhammer.’

A replica of Paleolithic cave drawings of deer, horses, and aurochs, dating to 15,000 BCE, from Lascaux cave in France.

7 Misconceptions About the Stone Age

The Stone Age timeline encompasses a huge chunk of prehistory—and life wasn’t only about hunting and gathering.

Prev Next