WAR

WWI Centennial: Lenin is Shot; Bolsheviks Unleash Red Terror

The attempted assassination of the Bolshevik leader set off a campaign of extreme violence.

20 Militant Murals in Northern Ireland

Take a tour of Belfast's eeriest works of public art.

Photo illustration: Mental Floss. Images: iStock.

How Scotland's 35-Year Kilt Ban Backfired in Spectacular Fashion

In 1746, tartan kilts were outlawed in Scotland. That ban would help the garment become world-famous.

12 Things to Know About Crazy Horse

He was called the fiercest warrior in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

10 Things You Might Not Know About The Battle Of The Bulge

A reporter coined the name.

Pvt. J.M. Liles, U.S. Army, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: Germany Must End War, Generals Admit

Even German children knew the end of the war was near.

David McLellan, Imperial War Museum, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: “The Black Day of the German Army”

The final German offensive finally peters out.

Conrad Wise Chapman, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Where Did the Ex-Confederate Leaders Go After the Confederacy Was Defeated by the Union?

Some went to prison. Others went into business.

This Is What Anne Frank's Arrest Looked Like

Anne Frank was captured by the Nazis on this date in 1944.

H.D. Girdwood, Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: The French and Americans Advance On a Broad Front

Erik Sass is covering the events of the war exactly 100 years after they happened.

John Warwick Brooke, Imperial War Museum, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: The Tide Turns; the Romanovs are Executed

By splitting the French and British near Amiens and pushing the latter into the sea, there was still a chance Germany could win the war

WWI Centennial: July 4 in France

French civilians celebrated July 4 almost as enthusiastically as the American troops.

Georges Scott, Collier's New Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: Americans Victorious at Belleau Wood

Allies take control of the strategic forest northeast of Paris.

Vivian Abagiu, University of Texas at Austin

This LEGO Box Could Be Key to Detecting Deadly Nerve Gas

Scientists at UT Austin have developed an inexpensive, portable way to detect nerve agents in the field, and it starts with toy bricks.

Iceland Named Safest Country in the World for the 11th Year in a Row

The U.S. doesn’t even crack the top 100.

Italian Army Historic Photogalleries, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.5

WWI Centennial: Austria-Hungary’s Last Gasp

Dennis Oulds, Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

When John Lennon and Yoko Ono Mailed Acorns to World Leaders

As the saying goes, "Great oaks from little acorns grow."

U.S. Marine Corps, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: America’s Fighting Debut

U.S. troops began to turn the tide of war as soon as they arrived in Europe.

National Photo Company, Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons // No known copyright restrictions

WWI Centennial: The 1918 Flu Emerges

Like other flu epidemics, the 1918 H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, was a zoonosis—a disease that spreads from animals to humans.

Matthew Horsky, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

WWI Centennial: Czech Legion Revolts, Sedition Act Passed

The Czech Legion developed a remarkable phase of railroad-based warfare.

Imperial War Museum, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: “With Our Backs To The Wall”

The second blow of the final German offensive on the Western Front was designed to conquer the British before American reinforcements arrived.

Sergeant Stubby: The Drool Sergeant of World War I

Any dog can fight. But only one could help win the Great War.

The Typo That Helped End World War II

One missing letter led to the Ministry of Defence accidentally hiring a seaweed expert instead of a codebreaker. Turns out that's just what they needed.

WWI Centennial: Operation Mars Fails

Erik Sass is covering the events of the war exactly 100 years after they happened. This is the 305th installment in the series.

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