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Your Fridge Is the Most Important Invention in the History of Food
The Royal Society has decided that of all the things we've invented surrounding food, the refrigerator is the most important
September 13, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Unknown Story of "The Black Cyclone," the Cycling Champion Who Broke the Color Barrier
Major Taylor had to brave more than the competition to become one of the most acclaimed cyclists of the world
September 12, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
50 Years Ago, JFK Sent Us to the Moon
President Kennedy bolstered American support for his mission to the Moon with a speech at Rice University 50 years ago today
September 12, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Fashion Week at the Smithsonian
From Franklin to Seinfeld, Monroe to Obama, America's fashionable past lives at the American History Museum
September 12, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
How an Obscure Video Sparked International Protests
Sam Bacile's movie was hardly seen at all in the United States, yet it incited a string of riots and the assassination of an American ambassador
September 12, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
As Global Food Prices Climb, So Does the Probability of Riots
Rising food prices set the stage for riots and instability
September 11, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Paint-on Hosiery During the War Years
A back "seam" drawn with an eyebrow pencil topped off the resourceful fashion effect
September 10, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
100 Years Ago, Henry Ford Would Have Been The Only Driver on Texas’ New 85 MPH Highway
Texas' new highway will have a speed limit of 85 mph
September 07, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Ugliest, Most Contentious Presidential Election Ever
Throughout the 1876 campaign, Tilden’s opposition had called him everything from a briber to a thief to a drunken syphilitic
September 07, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Follow the American History Curators at the Democratic National Convention
We catch up once again with the curatorial dynamic duo of Larry Bird and Harry Rubenstein
September 06, 2012 |
By Brian Wolly
Even More Evidence That Football Causes Brain Injury
A new study found football players were nearly four times more likely to have died from Alzheimer's disease or Lou Gehrig's disease
September 06, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Why Do Students Give Teachers Apples and More from the Fruit’s Juicy Past
The perfect back-to-school treat has a colorful past that once brought the wrath of an axe-wielding reformer
September 05, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Happy 100th Birthday to John Cage, Who Made a Lot of People Angry
Sixty years ago, John Cage put on a performance of a piece called 4'33" or "four minutes, thirty-three seconds." Today would have been his birthday
September 05, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Cold War–Era Science Shows Beer Will Survive a Nuclear Apocalypse
In 1955, scientists dropped nukes on beer and soda to see how they held up
September 05, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Slept Through Physics? Maybe It Doesn’t Matter
Does sleeping through physics - or math class for that matter - really make a difference to your life?
September 05, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Stocking Series, Part 1: Wartime Rationing and Nylon Riots
As hemlines rose, DuPont's wonder fabric was a sensation among women. But during WWII, it was needed for parachutes
September 04, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Crazy Lies Haters Threw at Rachel Carson
Silent Spring turns 50 this month, but Rachel Carson's ecological game-changer was not always the beloved green bible it is today
September 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Events September 4-6: Quilting Guilds, John Cage at 100 and Stitch Sessions
This week, learn from a quilting guild, celebrate composer John Cage's avant-garde legacy and stitch a little
September 04, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Labor Day’s Secret Society Connections
Add Labor Day to the vaulted hall of things concocted by secret societies, alongside Madonna's Superbowl performance and Pancho Villa's stolen skull
September 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Tracking Walmart’s Breakneck Expansion Across the U.S.
From humble beginnings in 1962, today the Walmart empire includes 8,500 stores in 15 countries, with 3,898 proudly hosted on U.S. soil
August 31, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
