American History
Redskins Hall of Famers Say Team Name is Probably Offensive, But Shouldn’t Change
Many Native Americans have called for the team to change their name out of respect for their culture and history
Here’s What Nagasaki Would Have Looked Like If the Tsar Bomba Had Replaced ‘Fat Man’
A Google Earth add-on helps you understand the strength of the world's nuclear arsenal
The Ten Most Controversial Articles on Wikipedia Might Surprise You
One researcher has quantified the most controversial Wikipedia entires of all time in ten different languages
Helen Thomas, Trailblazing Female Journalist, Dies at 92
Many credit Thomas with breaking the glass ceiling for women in journalism
Take a Ride on the New York Subway Circa 1905
Pioneering cinematographer Gottfried Wilhelm “Billy” Bitzer shot this silent film about a year after the subway's first line opened.
How Other Cities Avoided Detroit’s Fate
Many places manage to avoid actually filing for bankruptcy, despite being in dire straits
This Town Has Spent 11 Years Planning a 60 Foot Lava Lamp
Everybody loves lava lamps. But perhaps nobody loves lava lamps quite as much as the town of Soap Lake, Washington
Hurry In! These Smithsonian Exhibitions Won’t Be Here Much Longer
Spend your remaining summer days at the museums, and don't miss out on the Smithsonian's soon-to-be-closed exhibits
The CIA May Have Taken Cues From 1960s-Era James Bond
CIA director Allen Dulles admired James Bond creator Ian Fleming, and the two struck up a mutually beneficial relationship
It’s a Good Thing We Have Smokey: These 1940s Fire Prevention Ads Are Something Else
Replacing racially charged and aggressive World War II imagery, Smokey the Bear is an iconic character
Tragic Duel + 209 Years = Comedy Gold
In the centuries since Burr shot Hamilton, the duel has inspired some truly funny pop culture references
Legislators Want to Put a National Park on the Moon
A bill in the House of Representatives wants to protect the Apollo landing sites. But can it?
This Town Wants to Put Its Deer on Birth Control
In Westchester County, hunting with firearms is prohibited and deer have no predators
How Do You Freshen Up an Alexander Calder? Bolt by Precious Bolt
Alexander Calder's 40-foot black steel sculpture is getting a makeover and then returning to its original location near the American History Museum
Document Deep Dive: The Day the Confederates Attacked Washington
This map painstakingly created by a Union cartographer presents a snapshot of the nation’s capital during the war
Celebrate Nikola Tesla’s Birthday with an Excerpt from a New Biography of the Inventor
Scholar W. Bernard Carlson explores Tesla's experiments with automatons and radio controlled boats in this excerpt from his new book
You’re Not Supposed to Mine the Grand Canyon, So Why Are These Miners Digging Up Uranium?
There are four mines still turning out ore near the Grand Canyon
Today in 1948, the U.S. Air Force Accepted Its First Female Member
The first recruit to the Women in the Air Force (known as WAF) was Esther Blake who enlisted on the first day it was even possible for women to do so
2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 Was Originally a Female
Who knows, perhaps if HAL had been a lady, we'd all be scared of disembodied female voices and Siri would be a man's voice
This July 4th, Celebrate Two Million Years of Grilling
The advent of open fire cooking began with Homo erectus
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