Historic Events
Wars, important political and economic occasions, catastrophes and social movements of the past
This Is Every Bomb Dropped on London During the Blitz
See all 100 tones of explosives the Germans dropped on London in one map
December 07, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Here’s How to Make a Scorpion Bomb
Want to keep your enemies at bay? How about throwing a jar of scorpions at them?
December 06, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Day Henry Clay Refused to Compromise
The Great Pacificator was adept at getting congressmen to reach agreements over slavery. But he was less accommodating when one of his own slaves sued him
December 06, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
World’s Greatest Extinction May Have Actually Been Two Extinctions in One
The Permian-Triassic extinction nearly wiped out life on Earth
December 04, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Looking at the Battle of Gettysburg Through Robert E. Lee’s Eyes
Anne Kelly Knowles, the winner of Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards, uses GIS technology to change our view of history
December 2012 |
By Tony Horwitz
Watch All of 2012′s Hurricanes in One Video
Today marks the end of hurricane season. Here's the run down on the year, and every storm on one animation
November 30, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The U.S. Is About To Drop $10 Billion Retrofitting Its Nukes
The military wants to upgrade its 1960s-era nuclear workhorse
November 29, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Getting the Prosthetic Is Easy, Compared to Getting It To Do What You Want
Prosthetic technology is getting better, and many of these amputees are learning to live with new arms and legs. But while getting the prosthetic might be costly, it's learning how to use it that's the real struggle
November 27, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
How Seriously Might Climate Negotiators Be Dooming The Rest of Us This Week?
The COP18 climate change conference is going on in Doha, Qatar until December 7th
November 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
World War II Code Writers Were So Good We Still Don’t Know What They Were Saying
Earlier this month, a pigeon with a secret code was found in a chimney in Surrey but no one has been able to crack the code
November 23, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
You Can’t Blow Somebody’s Brain Up With Sound
The sounds of nails on a chalkboard, the sound of someone vomiting, the sound of a baby screaming - all pretty unpleasant sounds. But not so unpleasant that you might, say, die
November 21, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The History of Pardoning Turkeys Began With Tad Lincoln
The rambunctious boy had free rein of the White House, and used it to divert a holiday bird from the butcher's block
November 21, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Here’s the Reality We’re Signing Up For By Letting Climate Change Happen
Say goodbye to winter, New Orleans, olive oil, rivers and world peace if climate change plays out as predicted
November 21, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Different Wars Have Different Sounds
Changing weapons and technologies bring new sounds to the battlefield
November 20, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
These Communities Decided Not To Rebuild After Disaster
It seems that despite always asking the question, the answer is always the same: rebuild. Except in these cases - when entire communities just pick up and leave
November 19, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Early History of Faking War on Film
Early filmmakers faced a dilemma: how to capture the drama of war without getting themselves killed in the process. Their solution: fake the footage
November 19, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
Israel and Gaza Are Now at War Both Online and in Reality
On the ground and online, the battle between Israel and Gaza are escalating quickly
November 16, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Is Your Syndrome Named After a Nazi?
Many are probably unaware that their condition has a Nazi's name attached to it
November 16, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
As BP Set to Plead Guilty for 2010 Spill, Some Good News From Gulf Wildlife
BP may be about to pay the largest criminal fine in U.S. history
November 15, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Climate Change May Obliterate Pandas
Panda bears are climate change's latest potential victims, which threatens to destroy their bamboo forests
November 13, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
