World History
Should You Trust Nate Silver’s March Madness Bracket?
Everybody's favorite predictor of the future - Nate Silver - has his own analysis of the tournament over at the New York Times
March 20, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Top Ten Most Influential Travel Books
Even before there were armchairs, voracious bookworms traveled the world just by reading
March 20, 2013 |
By Tony Perrottet
The Vengeance of Ivarr the Boneless
Did he, and other Vikings, really use a brutal method of ritual execution called the "blood eagle"?
March 18, 2013 |
By Mike Dash
After Twenty-Three Years, FBI Says It Finally Knows Who’s Responsible for the Largest Unsolved Art Heist Ever
Twenty three years ago today, thieves pulled off one of the greatest art heists in history - and the FBI might have just finally caught them
March 18, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Nixon Prolonged Vietnam War for Political Gain—And Johnson Knew About It, Newly Unclassified Tapes Suggest
Nixon ran on a platform that opposed the Vietnam war, but to win the election, he needed the war to continue
March 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Surfer Kelly Slater Searches for the Perfect Wave in New 3-D Film
Mixing science and surfing, "The Ultimate Wave Tahiti" joins the world champion in the hunt
March 15, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The Town Featured in ‘Erin Brockovich’ Still Has a Bunch of Pollution in Its Water
The chromium pollution is spreading, and Hinkley's residents are at a loss for what to do
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Cannibals of the Past Had Plenty of Reasons to Eat People
For a long time cannibalism was a survival technique, a cultural practice, and a legitimate source of protein
March 14, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Most Audacious Australian Prison Break of 1876
An American whaling ship brought together an oddball crew with a dangerous mission: freeing six Irishmen from a jail in western Australia
March 12, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
A Batarang, A Golden Ticket and a Green Gremlin: Treasures from Warner Bros.
Warner Brothers added to its collection of donated items with more than 30 new items to the American History Museum
March 11, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Did Benjamin Franklin Invent Daylight Savings Time?
The creation of DST is usually credited to George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand artist and amateur bug collector, but 100 years earlier, Benjamin Franklin pondered a similar question.
March 08, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
The Secret Plot to Rescue Napoleon by Submarine
In 1820, one of Britain's most notorious criminals hatched a plan to rescue the emperor from exile on the Atlantic isle of St Helena -- but did he ever try it?
March 08, 2013 |
By Mike Dash
Two-Time Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas Talks Big Dreams, Big Wins and Having Fun
Douglas discusses her recent donation of her leotard and other items from the 2012 London Olympics
March 07, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
How Would Thomas Jefferson Solve the Fiscal Crisis?
Jefferson managed to cut military spending by nearly half, end the whiskey tax and buy a third of North America
March 07, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
Events March 8-10: An Old School Southern Film, an International Women’s Day Celebration and a Classical Concert
This week, watch Bette Davis in the 1938 hit Jezebel, join performance art that honors African women and listen to one of the world's best pianos
March 07, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
Is Cursive Handwriting Going Extinct?
Is cursive handwriting going extinct?
March 06, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
Snowy Day, But Smithsonian D.C. Museums Open, Zoo Closes
Bad weather threatens the metro area, but the Smithsonian museums Will Open, National Zoo is Closed
March 06, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The Gettysburg Cyclorama Is Gone Forever
Richard Neutra's Gettysburg Cyclorama building demolished
March 05, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
Women’s History Month at the Smithsonian
From a Confederate spy to a deepwater researcher, women are everywhere and the Smithsonian is telling their stories
March 05, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
