Historic Events
Wars, important political and economic occasions, catastrophes and social movements of the past
The Tuskegee Airmen Plane's Last Flight
The final voyage of a World War II biplane evokes the exploits of the legendary fighting force
November 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
Remembering Henry Johnson, the Soldier Called “Black Death”
Henry Johnson suffered 21 wounds and rescued a fellow soldier while repelling an enemy raid in the Argonne Forest in 1918 but died 11 years later a forgotten man
October 25, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Mixing Movies and Politics
From Mrs. Miniver to Avatar, how big studio films have influenced public opinion
October 24, 2011 |
By Daniel Eagan
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
To Save and Project: Screening Restored Movies
A film festival at MoMA highlights those titles, either beloved and well-known or obscure yet fascinating, that may never reach the home market
October 14, 2011 |
By Daniel Eagan
Civil War Veterans Come Alive in Audio and Video Recordings
Deep in the collections of the Library of Congress are ghostly images and voices of Union and Confederate soldiers
October 05, 2011 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
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
Scattered Actions: October 1861
While the generals on both sides deliberated, troops in blue and gray fidgeted
October 2011 |
By David Zax
Dahomey’s Women Warriors
For the better part of 200 years, thousands of female soldiers fought and died to expand the borders of their West African kingdom. Even their conquerors, the French, acknowledged their "prodigious bravery."
September 23, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
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
What Paul Robeson Said
After the singer and activist spoke at a Soviet-sponsored peace conference, he was reviled in the United States. But was the most widely reported version of his remarks accurate?
September 13, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Handcrafted "Tiles for America" Project Remembers 9/ll
An art installation that spontaneously appeared after the terrorist attacks returns to New York City
September 10, 2011 |
By Susan Spano
September 1861: Settling in for a Long War
During this month, the civil war expands to Kentucky and West Virginia, and President Lincoln rejects an attempt at emancipation
September 2011 |
By David Zax
What 9/11 Wrought
The former editor of the New York Times considers the effects of the terrorist attacks on the 10th anniversary of the fateful day
September 2011 |
By Joseph Lelyveld
The Struggle Within Islam
Terrorists get the headlines, but most Muslims want to reclaim their religion from extremists
September 2011 |
By Robin Wright
One Man Against Tyranny
A lone German carpenter displays astounding determination, skill and ingenuity—and comes within 8 minutes of assassinating Adolf Hitler at the outset of World War II. So why is Georg Elser's name so nearly forgotten?
August 18, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Minter’s Ring: The Story of One World War II POW
When excavators in Inchon, Korea discovered a U.S. naval officer's ring, they had no knowledge of the pain and suffering associated with its former owner, Minter Dial
August 02, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Wernher von Braun's V-2 Rocket
Although the Nazi "vengeance weapon" was a wartime failure, it ushered in the space age
August 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
The Battle of Bull Run: The End of Illusions
Both North and South expected victory to be glorious and quick, but the first major battle signaled the long and deadly war to come
August 2011 |
By Ernest B. Furgurson
Fort Monroe’s Lasting Place in History
Famous for accepting escaped slaves during the Civil War, the Virginia base also has a history that heralds back to Jamestown
July 05, 2011 |
By Andrew Lawler
