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The new exhibition “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions” aims to shine a light on the controversial period when the United States intervened in Cuba, Guam, Hawaiʻi, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. (above: President William McKinley, Francisco Oller, 1898, detail).

The Overlooked Histories Behind America’s Rise as a World Power

The National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition addresses the War of 1898, a pivotal but often forgotten period in history

Representative Robert F. Broussard believed hippos imported from Africa would rid Louisiana and Florida of the water hyacinths smothering their waterways.

Untold Stories of American History

How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers

In 1910, a failed House bill sought to increase the availability of low-cost meat by importing hippopotamuses that would be killed to make “lake cow bacon”

Humans have been fascinated with mermaids since antiquity, writes columnist Jackie Mansky. The 1914 silent film Neptune's Daughter, featuring champion swimmer and actress Annette Kellerman (above), captured the public imagination.

The Return of Mermaidcore

For a century, a collective love of tails and fins has helped women transgress on land and sea

By recording activity of specific neurons in the brain, researchers aim to pick up signals of intended speech.

The Brain-Computer Interfaces That Could Give Locked-In Patients a Voice

Implanted devices record the brain waves associated with speech and then use computer algorithms to translate the intended messages

View of the Skagit River, with the Diablo Dam (completed in 1930) visible

On This Disputed River, Progress May Mean a Return to the Past

Winding through British Columbia and Washington, the Skagit has a history that reflects competing conceptions of advancement

A mural of Bob Dylan by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra is on display in downtown Minneapolis.

Follow Bob Dylan’s Footsteps Through Minnesota and New York

To mark the musician’s 82nd birthday, consider a romp through these 11 sites that hold meaning to him

At the time it was signed, the Montreal Protocol was seen as a good thing for the planet. A new study shows it was even better than anyone first realized.

By Fighting the Ozone Hole, We Helped Curb Climate Change

With the Montreal Protocol, life on Earth dodged a bullet we didn’t even know was headed our way

Range anxiety is still a major hurdle for prospective EV buyers.

What Will It Take to Charge Electric Vehicles Faster?

To get more EVs on the road, these scientists are working to charge a car in the same time that it takes to fuel up at a gas station

In an open woodland, Morotopithecus bishopi climbs a tree with an infant on its back and a juvenile below.

Early Apes Lived on Savannas, Not in Forests

Two new studies suggest that 21 million years ago African primates frequented edge habitat and fed on leaves

In January 1923, a dollar cost 17,000 marks. In December, the exchange rate topped out at 4.2 trillion marks to the dollar.

How Hyperinflation Heralded the Fall of German Democracy

In 1923, the collapse of the Weimar Republic’s economy impoverished millions and gave Adolf Hitler his first chance at seizing power

To allay any suspicions, an English colonist took a drink from one container, then surreptitiously offered another filled with poisoned wine to the Powhatans. 

Untold Stories of American History

Was the 1623 Poisoning of 200 Native Americans One of the Continent’s First War Crimes?

English colonists claimed they wanted to make peace with the Powhatans, then offered them tainted wine

Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio star in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.

A Brief History of Long Movies

At the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, “Killers of the Flower Moon” will become the latest movie to ask just how much time we ought to give it

In 1860, Lieutenant John M. Brooke wrote, “I am satisfied that [Manjiro] has had more to do with the opening of Japan than any other man living.” 

The Shipwrecked Teenager Who Helped End Japan’s Isolationist Era

Rescued by an American sea captain, Manjiro spent time abroad before returning home, where he was valued for his expertise but never fully trusted

A Babylonian clay model dated to 1800 B.C.E. shows a nude couple on a couch engaged in sex and kissing.

Humanity’s First Recorded Kiss Was Earlier Than We Thought

Ancient texts suggest romantic smooching, and likely the diseases it transmitted, were widespread in Mesopotamia

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Readers Respond to the April/May 2023 Issue

Your feedback on wildfire prevention, Westminster Abbey and more

Did lions once live in ancient Greece?

Did Lions Live in Ancient Greece? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Barbie’s first swimsuit, in 1959, was a stylish, zebra-striped one-piece.

A Cultural History of Barbie

Loved and loathed, the toy stirs fresh controversy at age 64

An abbot at Dongchan Temple in Fuzhou, China, supervised the creation of The Scripture of the Great Flower Ornament of the Buddha, now on view at the Huntington Library.

Nearly 1,000 Years Old, This Text Shows the Ingenuity of Chinese Woodblock Printing

An 11th-century collection of aphorisms is a part of a new exhibition in California

Examples of classical influences include Heracles' assimilation with Vajrapani, one of the Buddha's most faithful attendants, and illuminated manuscripts created in the Byzantine style by Christian monks in Ethiopia.

The Myth of the ‘Dark Ages’ Ignores How Classical Traditions Flourished Around the World

The author of a sweeping re-examination of Western history reveals the global reach of Greek and Roman antiquity

Designer Nudie Cohn sits in his Pontiac convertible.

How a Rhinestone Cowboy From Ukraine Left His Mark on the Music World

Making his famous “Nudie suits,” tailor to the stars Nudie Cohn lived and breathed the bedazzled American dream

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