World War II

New research from the Vatican Archives sheds light on Pope Pius XII's decisions during World War II.

Newly Unsealed Vatican Archives Lay Out Evidence of Pope Pius XII's Knowledge of the Holocaust

The Catholic Church's actions during World War II have long been a matter of historical debate

Rutabagas are a cross between turnips and cabbages first described in 1620

France Is Slowly Bringing Back Its 'Forgotten Vegetables'

Root vegetables like rutabagas and Jerusalem artichokes were ration staples during the Nazi occupation of Paris

An artist's reconstruction of Spinosaurus, showing a paddle-like tail that would have helped it swim.

Groundbreaking Fossil Suggests Spinosaurus Is First Known Swimming Dinosaur

Its paddle-like tail, unearthed in Morocco, suggests the Cretaceous carnivore ventured into the water to hunt

Philip Kahn, pictured on his 100th birthday with his grandson, Warren Zysman, and great-grandson

One Hundred Years After Influenza Killed His Twin Brother, WWII Veteran Dies of COVID-19

In the days before his death, the New York man spoke often of his lost twin and the lessons humanity seemed not to have learned

The Anne Frank House created the series in hopes of reaching “young people who are less likely to pick up a book [but who] … do watch videos on social media.”

Why the Anne Frank House Is Reimagining the Young Diarist as a Vlogger

The controversial series stems from the museum's desire to reach a younger generation by telling history in new ways

This week's selections include The Women With Silver Wings, Tombstone and The Restaurant.

A 2,000-Year History of Restaurants and Other New Books to Read

The fifth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

The loneliness and fear of operating behind enemy lines was a heavy burden. Some agents found they could trust no one except their own reflections. Undated self-portrait.

How a Spy Known as the ‘Limping Lady’ Helped the Allies Win WWII

A new biography explores the remarkable feats of Virginia Hall, a disabled secret agent determined to play her part in the fight against the Nazis

Photogrammetry view of site of Sylt concentration camp in 2017, with memorial plaque installed in 2008 seen at lower left

Archaeologists Reveal the Hidden Horrors of Only Nazi SS Camp on British Soil

New research details the first forensic investigation of the Sylt concentration camp, located on the Channel Island of Alderney, since the end of WWII

The USS Stickleback (left) was accidentally broadsided by the USS Silverstein (right) on May 29, 1958.

Wreck of Cold War-Era Submarine Found Off the Coast of Oahu

After 62 years underwater, the USS "Stickleback"—the casualty of an accidental friendly collision—has finally been found

Cartoonist Albert Uderzo poses with Asterix (R) and Obelix (L) prior to a press conference at the Monnaie de Paris on March 25, 2015.

Albert Uderzo, Co-Creator of 'Asterix and Obelix' Comics, Dies at 92

The pint-sized, mustachioed Gaul immortalized in the French cartoon has spawned films, a theme park and many other spin-offs

Charles Lindbergh, Walter Winchell and Franklin D. Roosevelt (L to R) are among the public figures fictionalized in Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.

The True History Behind 'The Plot Against America'

Philip Roth's classic novel, newly adapted by HBO, envisions a world in which Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election

The underground bunker is about 23 feet long and 10 feet wide.

WWII Bunker Used by Churchill's 'Secret Army' Unearthed in Scotland

British Auxiliary Units were trained to sabotage the enemy in case of German invasion

Éva Székely won a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Éva Székely, Holocaust Survivor and Olympic Champion Swimmer, Dies at 92

In the wake of the war, she did not attempt to hide her identity. "Unequivocally," she said, "I was a Jew"

Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, chief controller of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, is one of six women set to be recognized with "blue plaques."

London Will Install Six New Plaques Commemorating Women's History

The move is part of an ongoing effort to correct gender imbalances in the city's 150-year-old "blue plaque" initiative

A coral-covered propeller of a U.S. SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber stands on the sea floor in Truk Lagoon.

Three U.S. Planes Lost During World War II Found in Pacific Lagoon

Project Recover, a nonprofit dedicated to locating MIA service members, identified the planes' location

Winston Churchill visits bomb-damaged Birmingham, England, during the Blitz.

How Winston Churchill Endured the Blitz—and Taught the People of England to Do the Same

In a new book, best-selling author Erik Larson examines the determination of the ‘British Bulldog’ during England’s darkest hour

Japanese Americans stand in front of a poster with internment orders.

California to Apologize for Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WWII

In new legislation, the state will own up to its role in the years-long detention that began in 1942

Mail was slow and spotty during wartime. But that didn't stop homesick soldiers from penning love letters by the thousands.

New Orleans Museum Spotlights World War II Soldiers' Love Letters

War is often billed as being all about guns and guts. But there's glory in gushiness, too

The wingless Horten Ho 229 V3 on display with other Nazi aircraft.

Why the Experimental Nazi Aircraft Known as the Horten Never Took Off

The unique design of the flyer, held in the collections of the Smithsonian, has infatuated aviation enthusiasts for decades

Churchill painted Lake Scene at Norfolk with bright colors inspired by Impressionists like Monet sometime in the 1930s.

See Winston Churchill's Little-Known Art

Best known for serving as Britain's prime minister during World War II, Churchill was also an amateur painter and avid writer

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