American History
Happy Birthday to the First Woman in Space
She spent almost three days in space on her first flight
How Albert Einstein Used His Fame to Denounce American Racism
The world-renowned physicist was never one to just stick to the science
The Horrors of the 'Great Slave Auction'
The largest sale of enslaved people ever to take place in the U.S. tore families apart
For More Than 150 Years, Texas Has Had the Power to Secede…From Itself
A quirk of a 19th-century Congressional resolution could allow Texas to split up into five states
The Political Cartoon That Explains the Battle Over Reconstruction
Take a deep dive into this drawing by famed illustrator Thomas Nast
Dr. Seuss Had an Imaginary Daughter Named Chrysanthemum-Pearl
Theodor Seuss Geisel created the character with his first wife, Helen Palmer Geisel
Bad News, Pet Lovers: Teacup Pigs Are a Hoax
It’s a descriptor, not the term for a breed of pig, and it’s hurting animals
Why Is This 25-Year-Old Pinball Machine Still the Most Popular?
You can even play a video-game version of this table
As “Dord” Shows, Being in the Dictionary Doesn’t Always Mean Something’s a Word
Even dictionaries can make mistakes, although Merriam-Webster maintains this is their only one
Tattooing Was Illegal in New York City Until 1997
The New-York Historical Society's newest exhibit delves into the history of the city's once-turbulent ink scene
The Illustrator of Alice in Wonderland Also Drew Abraham Lincoln. A Lot
John Tenniel was a well-known editorial cartoonist as well as the man who gave Lewis Carroll’s books their visual charm
This Supreme Court Justice Was a KKK Member
Even after the story came out in 1937, Hugo Black went on to serve as a member of the Supreme Court into the 1970s
You Can Still Buy Pig-Hair Toothbrushes
There's an argument for it, given all the environmental destruction causes by plastic ones
The Oscars Are Held in a Mall
It takes two weeks to dress the venue (which is in a mall, remember) for the occasion each year
The Historic Innovation of Land Mines—And Why We've Struggled to Get Rid of Them
A number of researchers are developing tools to defuse or detonate land mines without harming civilians
That Time the U.S. Government Won an Oscar
Today, the award is kept on permanent display in the National Archives
A Graduate Student Just Discovered a Lost Work of Fiction by Walt Whitman
The serialized novella was first published anonymously in 1852
Why Abraham Lincoln Was Revered in Mexico
As a young Congressman and later as the nation’s leader, the first Republican president proved to be a true friend to America’s neighbor to the south
Tootsie Rolls Were WWII Energy Bars
The candies were included in rations because they stayed fresh for a long time
The Everlasting, Awe-Inspiring Power of Alaska
For 150 years, Alaska has been a part of the United States, and it's never ceased to amaze
Page 98 of 178