WAR

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.

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.

A digital model of the World War II bunker found in Scotland.

A Secret World War II Bunker Was Just Discovered in Scotland

The underground bunker housed Britain’s last line of defense, a unit known as “Churchill’s secret army.”

An illustration of Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address from 1905.

8 Momentous Facts About Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

Much longer than four score and seven years ago, Abraham Lincoln delivered the most famous two-minute speech in history.

Cannons used in the Civil War are on display at Fort Sumter.

10 Facts About Fort Sumter

The 1861 Battle of Fort Sumter sparked the American Civil War. From the garrison's 19th-century beginnings to its current use as a National Historical Park, here are 10 fascinating facts about Fort Sumter.

Art Historian Says 10 Works in the Louvre’s Collection Were Looted by Nazis

The artworks were seized by the Nazis after a Jewish lawyer fled his Parisian home in the early 1940s.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Sam Mendes's 1917 (2019).

The 25 Greatest War Movies of All Time

It makes sense that master filmmakers keep returning to old wars to tell new stories, as war movies have all the elements needed for a compelling tale. From medieval epics to modern thrillers, here are 25 of the best of them.

When Theodore Roosevelt's Antique Gun Was Stolen From Sagamore Hill

Theodore Roosevelt used a Colt revolver given to him by his brother-in-law during the Battle of San Juan Heights, firing a fatal shot. Nearly 100 years later, the gun disappeared without a trace.

The Ingenious Reason Medieval Castle Staircases Were Built Clockwise

It was a pretty clever defense strategy in the Middle Ages—that is, as long as you weren’t left-handed.

Genghis Khan

Learn more about the life and legacy of Genghis Khan, one of the most feared warlords in world history.

Dennis Rogers, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

POW/MIA Military Flag Will Now Fly Permanently at Key Federal Sites Across the Country

Legislation passed this week requires the flag to be flown at the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, and more.

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