Law
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The Battle of Broken Hill
While Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire were fighting World War I, two Afghans opened up a second front in an Australian outback mining town 12,000 miles away
October 20, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Anger and Anarchy on Wall Street
In the early 20th century, resentment at the concentration of wealth took a violent turn
October 04, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Long Live the King
A single gunshot rang out in the king of Siam's bedroom in June 1946, ending one reign and beginning another. Uncertainty over how it happened has persisted ever since
September 28, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Gavrilo Princip’s Sandwich
Was it really a lunch-hour coincidence that led to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914—and, by extension, to the great global catastrophes of the 20th century?
September 15, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
The Life and Crimes of “Old Mother” Mandelbaum
She had the eyes of a sparrow, the neck of a bear and enough business acumen to build an empire as the "Queen of Fences."
September 06, 2011 |
By Karen Abbott
The Knife in Ty Cobb’s Back
Did the baseball great really confess to murder on his deathbed?
August 30, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Paradise Lost’s Joe Berlinger on the Roots of his West Memphis Three Films
The director of the award-winning documentary reflects on what it was like to film a "real-life Salem Witch Trial"
August 24, 2011 |
By Daniel Eagan
“Mrs. Sherlock Holmes” Takes on the NYPD
When an 18-year-old girl went missing, the police seemed content to let the case grow cold. But Grace Humiston, a soft-spoken private investigator, wouldn't let it lie
August 23, 2011 |
By Karen Abbott
The Body on Somerton Beach
Name: unknown. Cause of death: unknown. Occupation: unknown. Possessions: a scrap of paper with two words in Persian, torn from a rare first edition book. Welcome to the world's most perplexing cold case.
August 12, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
If There’s a Man Among Ye: The Tale of Pirate Queens Anne Bonny and Mary Read
Renowned for their ruthlessness, these two female pirates challenged the sailors’ adage that a woman’s presence on shipboard invites bad luck
August 09, 2011 |
By Karen Abbott
Leaks and the Law: The Story of Thomas Drake
The former NSA official reached a plea deal with the government, but the case still raises questions about the public’s right to know
August 2011 |
By David Wise
Ten Famous Intellectual Property Disputes
From Barbie to cereal to a tattoo, a copyright lawsuit can get contentious; some have even reached the Supreme Court
June 22, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Stolen: How the Mona Lisa Became the World’s Most Famous Painting
One hundred years ago, a heist by a worker at the Louvre secured Leonardo’s painting as an art world icon
June 16, 2011 |
By James Zug
Did Archaeologists Uncover Blackbeard's Treasure?
Cannons. Gold dust. Turtle bones. For archaeologists researching the notorious pirate's flagship, every clue is priceless
March 2011 |
By Abigail Tucker
A Murder in Salem
In 1830, a brutal crime in Massachusetts riveted the nation—and inspired the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne
November 2010 |
By E.J. Wagner
In Sicily, Defying the Mafia
Fed up with extortion and violent crime, ordinary citizens are rising up against organized crime
October 2010 |
By Joshua Hammer
Reinventing Rio
The dazzling but tarnished Brazilian city gets a makeover as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games
September 2010 |
By Alan Riding
Ten Infamous Islands of Exile
Established to banish dissidents and criminals, these islands are known for their one-time prisoners, from Napoleon to Nelson Mandela
July 23, 2010 |
By Karen Larkins
The Great British Tea Heist
Botanist Robert Fortune traveled to China and stole trade secrets of the tea industry, discovering a fraud in the process
March 09, 2010 |
By Sarah Rose
Abraham Lincoln, True Crime Writer
While practicing law in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln defended a man in a highly unusual case and later recounted the mystery as a short story
February 10, 2010 |
By Laura Helmuth
