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History

The original Ishtar Gate (left, a 1980s replica) was moved to Berlin in 1903. It was built in 572 B.C.; both Nebuchadnezzar II and the prophet Daniel would have walked through it.

Saving Iraq’s Treasures

As archaeologists worldwide help recover looted artifacts, they worry for the safety of the great sites of early civilization

The "Rainbow Portrait" of Queen Elizabeth I, painted in the early 17th century.

Reign On!

Four centuries after her death, Good Queen Bess still draws crowds. A regal rash of exhibitions and books examines her life anew

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Iraq’s Unruly Century

Ever since Britain carved the nation out of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the land long known as Mesopotamia has been wracked by instability

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Torn Asunder

Enslaved Africans endured the largest forced migration in history

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YES DISASTROUS TIMES

Our unusually far-flung correspondents report

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Winter of Discontent

Even as he endured the hardships of Valley Forge, George Washington faced another challenge: critics who questioned his fitness to lead

Vancouver firemen turning out for a fire alarm

April Anniversaries

Momentous or merely memorable

Sculptor Alexander Calder's hand-drawn map to his home looks like one of his mobiles.

Particulars of Context

There’s art in the history at the Archives of American Art

Autographed baseballs National Museum of American History

Power Balls

Out of the park: signed balls soar into the stratosphere

The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of the United States and the cost of about four cents an acre was a breathtaking bargain.

How the Louisiana Purchase Changed the World

When Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, he altered the shape of a nation and the course of history

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Mr. Lincoln’s Washington

The house where the conspirators hatched their heinous plot now serves sushi, and the yard where they were hanged is a tennis court

Day after day, the brothers (Wilbur, left, and Orville at the controls) put their new and improved glider through its paces. Assistant Dan Tate lent a hand.

To Fly!

A new book traces the Wright brothers’ triumph 100 years ago to an innovative design and meticulous attention to detail

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Sweet Sorrow

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Whose Rock Is It Anyway?

An Indian tribe wins the first round in a long fight with rock climbers

Daniel Libeskind

Daniel Libeskind: Architect at Ground Zero

From his Jewish Museum in Berlin to his proposal for the World Trade Center site, Daniel Libeskind designs buildings that reach out to history and humanity

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Where the Wild Things Are

President Theodore Roosevelt started what would become the world’s most successful experiment in conservation

Slave hire badges. National Museum of American History

Copper Neck Tags Evoke the Experience of American Slaves Hired Out as Part-Time Laborers

From the mid-18th century to the end of the Civil War, owners marketed the labor and skills of their slaves

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The Calm Before Desert Storm

Two months before the Gulf War began in 1991, President George H. W. Bush greeted U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia

The Bonus Army camp burns within sight of the U.S. Capitol.

World War I: 100 Years Later

Marching on History

When a “Bonus Army” of World War I veterans converged on Washington, MacArthur, Eisenhower and Patton were there to meet them

On the morning of July 11, 1804, a shot rang out. Aaron Burr's bullet struck Hamilton in the right side, tearing through his liver.

Hamilton Takes Command

In 1775, the 20-year-old Alexander Hamilton took up arms to fight the British

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