History

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Kon Artist?

Though evidence against his theory grew, Kon-Tiki sailor Thor Heyerdahl never steered from his course

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Old House, New Home

For 200 years in Ipswich, it sheltered all manner of Americans; now it informs and delights them

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LBJ Goes for Broke

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Comet's Tale

A half century ago, the first jet airliner delighted passengers with swift, smooth flights until a fatal structural flaw doomed its glory

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Hell's Bells

The 19th-century trolley bell may have ding-ding-dinged, but the factory bell clanged the workday

Archaeology at Largo di Torre Argentina, Rome

Downtown Digs

One step ahead of bulldozers, Urban archaeologists pull historic treasures from America's cityscapes

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We've Got Mail

As the fabric-covered plane came to a halt, frenzied sou-venir hunters tore at it, putting French officials on guard. Hailed in his home state of Minnesota, the 25-year-old pilot hated the nickname Lucky, bestowed on him after the flight. After sleeping in splendor at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, he awoke to a life, he said, "that could hardly have been more amazing if I had landed on another planet." On an old postcard kept by the Richards family, Tudor Richards has written, "We saw him land!"

We Saw Him Land!

In a long-lost letter an American woman describes Lindbergh's tumultuous touchdown in Paris—75 years ago this month

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Torpedoed!

Historian Diana Preston presents findings about the Lusitania and draws on recently discovered interviews to bring the drama to life

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Changing Spots

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Wittgenstein's Ghost

When two philosophers nearly came to blows, they defined a debate that rages a half century later

A Model Son

Chesapeake Bay's maritime history comes alive in miniature wood carvings by a Maryland craftsman

The Smithsonian's Wurlitzer (its console above, with the Star-Spangled Banner) likely played the national anthem before movies.

It's a Wurlitzer

The giant of the musical instrument collection makes tunes— rootin '—tootin' or romantic

Cartwheels at 50

It's not such a hot idea to send us slides and other meltables through the mail.

Mail Call

You may have written to us. We may have even received it

President Abraham Lincoln delivering his second inauguration speech.

Absence of Malice

In a new book, Historian Ronald C. White, Jr., explains why Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, given just weeks before he died, was his greatest speech

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Rising Sun

Opening this month on Alexandria's Mediterranean waterfront, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina reflects the spirit of its ancient forebear

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Ping-Pong Diplomacy

Blending statecraft and sport, table tennis matches between American and Chinese athletes set the stage for Nixon's breakthrough with the People's Republic

The legendary Moai statues have fascinated modern civilization since their discovery.

The Secrets of Easter Island

The more we learn about the remote island from archaeologists and researchers, the more intriguing it becomes

Enthusiasm for genealogy brings researchers to wait before dawn for the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to open.

New Routes to Old Roots

Twenty-five years after Alex Haley's best-seller topped the charts, millions of Americans are using high-tech tools to find their ancestors

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