World History

Why This 1969 Royal Family Documentary Was Pulled Off Air

In total, the Queen Mother was a widow for 50 years of her life. During that time, she became known for two things: extravagance and an unpaid tab

Victoria and Abdul: The Friendship that Scandalized England

Near the end of her reign, Queen Victoria developed a friendship with an Indian servant, elevating him to trusted advisor and infuriating her court

Salih reports that ISIS “looted all movable objects” from this tunnel at ancient Nineveh.

The Salvation of Mosul

An Iraqi archaeologist braved ISIS snipers and booby-trapped ruins to rescue cultural treasures in the city and nearby legendary Nineveh and Nimrud

A late 19th century photograph from Antwerp, Belgium shows a typical milk cart pulled by dogs.

Four Weird Ways Dogs Have Earned Their Keep

From pulling milk carts to herding reindeer, dogs have had some odd jobs

A Young Princess Elizabeth's First Radio Broadcast

In 1940, Princess Elizabeth was tasked with an important job by prime minister Winston Churchill: to give a morale-boosting radio speech to her subjects

The Tulip Folly

There Never Was a Real Tulip Fever

A new movie sets its doomed entrepreneurs amidst 17th-century “tulipmania”—but historians of the phenomenon have their own bubble to burst

How This Prankster Crashed Prince William's 21st Birthday

The Prince of Wales' 21st birthday party was held in the royal venue of Windsor Castle. Despite the security measures, an uninvited man was able to get in

The Devastating Fire That Left Windsor Castle in Shambles

Windsor Castle, the scene of a disastrous fire in 1992, was badly in need of restoration. One problem: The bill was likely to be in the millions

A reproduction 5th century Corinthian helmet given by a visiting Greek Army officer. It's become the logo for "The Art of War – Gifts of Peace" initiative.

At an Army Base in Kansas, There's a Secret Collection of Incredible Finds

Are these priceless artifacts or worthless trinkets? No one knows for sure, but a local art gallery is pitching in to find out

How Agriculture Came to Be a Political Weapon—And What That Means for Farmers

In his new book, Ted Genoways follows a family farm and the ways they’re impacted by geopolitics

Did Nazis Hide Loot Beneath This Giant Polish Castle?

Ksiaz Castle in southern Poland sits atop a remarkable complex of underground tunnels built by the Nazis in 1944

Here's How You Can Fly One of Peter Jackson's WWI Planes

Director Peter Jackson has a fantastic collection of 70 WWI planes. But host Phil Keoghan isn't just interested in seeing them--he wants to fly one

Jane Austen on the new £10 note.

The Jane Austen £10 Note Extends the "Ladylike" History of British Money

The beloved novelist is the latest icon in the Bank of England's long—and fraught—tradition of gendering finance

The Titan Who Founded L'Oréal Prospered Under the Nazis

How the head of the world’s top cosmetic firm fell in with the Nazi-sympathizers of German-occupied France and emerged from the war as successful as ever

Construction of the royal pyre in Sanam Luang for King Bhumibol Adulyadej's cremation continues in preparation for the funeral in late 2017.

An Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Funeral Fit for a King

For the first time in more than 70 years, Thailand is saying farewell to its monarch

Statue at the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, a museum of the Korean War located in Pyongyang. Exhibits include a 360-degree diorama of the Battle of Daejon. In addition to the many statues, murals and artifacts contained in the museum is the USS Pueblo, a U.S. Navy ship that was captured by North Korean forces when it allegedly entered North Korean territorial waters in 1968.

History of Now

The View From Pyongyang: An Exclusive Look at the World's Most Secretive Nation

One photographer journeyed into North Korea to catch a unique glimpse of a country under a dictatorship

Hitler Youth members burn books. Photograph dated 1938.

A Brief History of Book Burning, From the Printing Press to Internet Archives

As long as there have been books, people have burned them—but over the years, the motivation has changed

To the naked eye, the Albireo star system looks like a single, brilliant star. In reality, this binary system consists of two stars, similar to the ones witnessed by Korean astronomers nearly 600 years ago.

New Research

The Secret Lives of Cannibal Stars Revealed, Thanks to 15th Century Korean Astronomers

For the first time ever, astrophysicists observe the entire life cycle of a binary star system

The Koh-i-Noor diamond set at the front of the crown made for the Queen Mother Elizabeth, set on her coffin in April 2002.

The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond—and Why the British Won't Give It Back

A star of London’s Crown Jewels, the Indian gem has a bloody history of colonial conquest

This Man Betrayed Nazis by Stealing Looted Jewish Valuables

In April 1944, the Nazis began to systematically terrorize the Jews living in Hungary. Shortly afterwards, they forced them to hand over their valuables

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