European History

Case Solved on Jack the Ripper? Not So Fast

An author and a scientist claim to have proven the identity of the notorious 19th century killer, but others say the evidence is lacking

Neanderthal Carvings in a Gibraltar Cave Reveal Some of Europe's Oldest Known Artwork

Some argue, however, that Homo sapiens are responsible for the etchings

Annecy is known as the Venice of Savoie, a region in France.

10 Historic Canal Towns to Visit That Aren't Venice

Venice might be the most famous town to feature picturesque waterways, but beautiful canals can be found all over the globe

If there had been Academy Awards in the mid-1920s, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s The Big Parade produced by Irving Thalberg, directed by King Vidor, and starring John Gilbert and Renée Adorée, would have swept the prizes.

The Blockbuster World War I Film that Brought Home the Traumatic Impact of War

The blockbuster silent film <em>The Big Parade</em> is among the first to explore the psychological trauma of war

A typical 15th century banquet.

Before He Died, Richard III Lived Large

Bone chemistry sheds light on the monarch's shifting diet throughout his brief life

The bottle recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Poland

200-Year-Old Alcohol Found in Shipwreck Is Still Drinkable

Researchers found the liquid, originally thought to be mineral water, was actually over-aged booze

A European eel (not the world's oldest, however).

RIP, World’s Oldest Eel

The eel, 155, passed away in a Swedish well late last week

French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel with some of his works in Hong Kong, May 2014. The sculptures he is designing for Versailles have a similar pearl-strand shape.

For the First Time in 300 Years, a New Permanent Sculpture Will Grace Versailles

A fountain sculpture being installed on the grounds is intended to be the first permanent addition to the collection in centuries

A Royal Naval Air Service Bristol Scout D during a reconnaissance mission over the Western Front, February 1916. One of the first British single-seat fighter aircraft, the Bristol D was developed primarily for scouting. It was fast and maneuverable. The aircraft above was based on the HMS Vindex, a Royal Navy seaplane carrier operating in the North Sea.

World War I Special Report

Remembering the Great War and how we're still living through its legacy today

Teamwork Builds Ships, ca. 1918, William Dodge Stevens

The Posters That Sold World War I to the American Public

A vehemently isolationist nation needed enticement to join the European war effort. These advertisements were part of the campaign to do just that

A cyclist rides his bicycle on the former border patrol road between East and West Germany.

Cycle Through History on the Iron Curtain Trail

The trail stretches 4,225 miles from the Barents to the Black Sea

Parisian taxis assemble before being dispatched to the front.

A Fleet of Taxis Did Not Really Save Paris From the Germans During World War I

The myth of the Battle of the Marne has persisted, but what exactly happened in the first major conflict of the war?

Children’s Skulls Encircled Some Bronze Age Lake Villages

The bones may have been thought to ward off flooding in lakeside villages

Soviet propaganda, circa 1920

Thousands of Secret KGB Espionage Documents Are Now Available to the Public

The papers contain names of spies, descriptions of secret weapons and detailed plots against the West

British soldiers enter Baghdad in 1919.

The Disintegration of the Iraqi State Has Its Roots in World War I

Created by European powers, the nation of Iraq may be buckling under the pressure of trying to unite three distinct ethnic groups

Human towers for democracy at the anniversary of Castellers in Barcelona.

What Does a 36-Foot-Tall Human Tower Have to Do With Catalan Independence?

An eye-catching protest across Europe is steeped in cultural heritage says Smithsonian curator Michael Atwood Mason

Europe Was Probably Colonized By Island Hoppers

New genetic research shows that people and agriculture likely spread across the Mediterranean by going from island to island

Here’s What Actually Happens During an Execution by Molten Gold

It's probably not the gold itself that kills you, but rather the steam

You Could Smell Like A Viking

York has come up with a new tourism stunt: smell like a Viking

Europe Has Its Own Bison Species That Came Back From the Brink of Extinction

Bison were just reintroduced into a stretch of Romania where they haven't been found for two centuries

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