HISTORY

For at least 500 years—and maybe more—pigeon fanciers have bred wonderfully bizarre-looking pigeons.

It was once socially acceptable for an unhappily married wife to stone her husband to death while he hid in a hole.

The world is heating up, and things are often on fire—literally. As we do what we can to squelch the flames, check out some old and obscure words people of the past used when they wanted to talk about all things fire.

A vast vocabulary of words have been invented, borrowed, and accumulated over the centuries to describe almost every color and shade imaginable.

Try your hand at the 1913 diamond grid that kicked off the crossword puzzle craze.

Though she died of cancer in 1951, Henrietta Lacks's immortal cells became the foundation for countless medical advancements.

From animal glands to radioactive water, these odd anti-aging cures involved more scheme than science.

A number of noteworthy historical figures were born in the month of August. We couldn’t possibly name them all, so here are just a handful of lives we’ll be celebrating.

Emmett Till’s murder—and his mother's fight for justice—will be recognized across three sites in two states.

The buzzing mattresses used to be a staple of seedy motels everywhere. Then they disappeared.

Thanks to a law passed in 1976, our nation's first president—who died more than 200 years ago—is still the military's highest-ranking official.

Back slang is kind of like a lexical puzzle that everyone from costermongers and criminals of the Victorian era to today’s Wordle fans can appreciate.