WAR

The National Archives is calling upon citizens to make World War I photographs searchable online.

You Can Help the National Archives Keep a Photographic Record of World War I

The National Archives needs citizens to help make its collection of WWI photographs and historical documents searchable.

"Lucky" Luciano (third from left) during his trial in August 1936.

Operation Underworld: When the U.S. Government Teamed Up With the Mafia to Fight Fascists During World War II

“Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky took New York’s underworld undercover during World War II—and Luciano did it all from prison.

Egg coffee at Café Giang in Hanoi, Vietnam.

A Brief History of Vietnamese Egg Coffee

The proprietary egg coffee recipe contains one secret ingredient and several surprising ones—including cheese.

Pooli the cat modeling her uniform on her 15th birthday.

6 Heroic Military Cats

Dogs and horses may rightfully claim their share of battlefield glory, but cats have proven themselves just as brave, cunning, and loyal.

Thanksgiving Day menu from November 1917 at Fort D. A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

5 World War I-Era Tips for Celebrating Thanksgiving in Strange Times

Thanksgiving may look different in 2020, but history provides some surprising insights on how to approach the menu, traditions, and celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All Military Veterans and Gold Star Families Can Now Visit National Parks for Free

Anybody can visit a national park for free on Veterans Day—now military veterans and their families can go for free whenever they want.

President Woodrow Wilson photographed in good health.

When Woodrow Wilson Caught the 1918 Flu During a Pandemic, But Hid It From the Public

Woodrow Wilson never publicly acknowledged the 1918 influenza pandemic—not even after he caught the virus himself.

Frieda Belinfante (left) and Henriëtte Hilda Bosmans, her then-partner.

When Europe's First Female Orchestra Conductor Foiled the Nazis While Defying Gender Expectations

Frieda Belinfante realized she wasn’t destined to be a part of the orchestra—she was meant to lead it. But the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands during World War II put her career on hold.

Jeremy Strong and Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020).

10 Fascinating Facts About the Chicago Seven

The 1968 Democratic National Convention was marred by protests and five days and nights of violent confrontations between police and protestors. Though many people were arrested, none were as infamous as the Chicago Seven.

Navy planes creating smoke screens during the 1920s.

This Video From 1923 Shows a U.S. Biplane Creating a Smoke Screen to Conceal Itself in Open Waters

World War I generated lots of new technology, including smoke screens that looked as large and solid as the Wall from ‘Game of Thrones.’

Can you tell that this is real bear fur?

The Queen’s Guard May Have to Give Up Their Iconic Bearskin Hats

The 1.5-foot hats famously worn by the Buckingham Palace guards date back to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

An 1864 illustration by William Waud of Union soldiers voting in Pennsylvania.

The Civil War Beginnings of America’s Absentee Ballots

Abraham Lincoln was up for reelection in 1864, and Republicans thought soldiers’ absentee ballots could help.

The 1851 Christiana Riot put the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 on trial.

The 1851 Christiana Resistance: The Forgotten First Shots of the Civil War

On September 11, 1851, a small farming in Pennsylvania united against slavery and fought what many consider the first battle of the Civil War.

Recently Declassified Soviet Video Shows the Biggest Nuclear Explosion in History

Tsar Bomba—the biggest hydrogen bomb ever—detonated in October 1961, and the Soviet Union caught it on tape.

The cover of the English edition of the book.

Zabiba and the King: The 2000 Romance Novel ... Written by Saddam Hussein

It’s literally about a mighty king’s love affair with a commoner, but it’s figuratively about Operation Desert Storm.

How 'Rumor Clinics' Fought Fake News 80 Years Ago

As the United States plunged into the second World War, newspapers fought fake news amid fears of Nazi propaganda efforts.

American servicemen and women in Paris celebrate on V-J Day, marking the end of World War II.

12 Facts About the End of World War II

Savage battles, atomic detonations, and shark attacks were just some of the events leading up to the end of World War II in August 1945. Here's a look back on the 75th anniversary of V-J Day.

"Bat bombs" were just one of the unusual weapons developed during the Second World War.

10 Strange Weapons Invented During World War II

Bat bombs, exploding rats, wind cannons, and a smelly spray were just some of the bizarre weapons invented during World War II.

Born In the U.S.A.: How Bruce Springsteen's Anti-Vietnam Anthem Got Lost In Translation

“Born in the U.S.A.,” the title track off Bruce Springsteen’s blockbuster 1984 album, isn’t the patriotic singalong many people thought it was.

President George Bush consults with senior staff in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

A Brief History of the White House Bunker

Pearl Harbor prompted the White House to build a bomb shelter, and 9/11 might have prompted the construction of another.

"You, there! Have you been vaccinated?" George Washington looks to be saying in this portrait.

One Vaccination, Under God: When George Washington Kept a Smallpox Epidemic From Costing Him the American Revolution

Smallpox vaccination was banned in America during the Revolutionary War, but George Washington was determined to protect his army no matter what.

Ken Burns, namesake of iMovie's "Ken Burns effect," during a press tour in 2014.

PBS Is Making Several Ken Burns Documentaries Available for Free to Teachers and Students

The selection includes some of Ken Burns’s best documentaries, from ‘The Civil War’ to ‘The Roosevelts.’

To Avoid Grocery Shopping, Quarantined Americans Are Reviving Wartime-Era Victory Gardens

Victory gardens were originally a way to supplement food supplies during World Wars I and II. Now, Americans are bringing them back in response to COVID-19 concerns.

Mulan faces off against a menacing Hun during the climax of Disney's Mulan (1998).

11 Memorable Facts About Disney’s Mulan

Gear up for Disney’s live-action ‘Mulan’ with entertaining tidbits about the 1998 animated classic and the story that inspired it.

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