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American History

Stamped with the date—April 14, 1865—the two tickets correspond with a front-row spot in the dress circle.

What Did These Two Ticket Holders See on the Night of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination?

A rare pair of Ford’s Theatre tickets—for seats across from the president’s box—have sold for $262,500

Performers at the 1963 Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Ron Patterson, a co-founder of the event, appears in orange at the far right.

The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair

The first of these festivals debuted in the early 1960s, serving as a prime example of the United States’ burgeoning counterculture

“Had it not been for the testament given [to] him by Mr. Foster, which received a second bullet, I doubt if you would have ever seen him again,” wrote journalist Benjamin Perley Poore in a letter to Merrill's father.

Untold Stories of American History

The Bible That Stopped a Bullet

In 1863, a New Testament tucked in the pocket of Union soldier Charles W. Merrill prevented a musket ball from mortally wounding him

Inside the recreated kitchen of the Confino family, Greek Jewish immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard Street during the early 20th century

See Inside the Newly Reopened Tenement Museum

The Manhattan museum dedicated to telling the stories of everyday immigrants offers vital lessons for today

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian on December 6, 2000, the day of their arrival in Washington, D.C.

Pandamonium

Revisit 51 Years of Giant Pandas at the National Zoo, From Beloved Babies to Fun in the Snow

The Panda House’s eight occupants have played a key role in conservation efforts over the decades

Visitors enter Historic Fort Snelling. A new exhibition at the site examines the fort's long, complex history.

New Exhibition Examines the Many Converging Histories of Minnesota’s Fort Snelling

The site was the backdrop for critical moments in Native American, African American and Japanese American history

Chairs sit ready for the attendees of the ceremony recognizing 2020 and 2021 Pulitzer Prize winners.

Why the Pulitzer Prizes Are Expanding Eligibility to Non-U.S. Citizens

The prestigious awards will soon be open to permanent residents and those who call the U.S. their “longtime primary home”

On September 18, 1873, an investment bank owned by Jay Cooke, who financed the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway, went bankrupt, sparking a multiyear financial crisis.

Untold Stories of American History

How One Robber Baron’s Gamble on Railroads Brought Down His Bank and Plunged the U.S. Into the First Great Depression

In 1873, greed, speculation and overinvestment in railroads sparked a financial crisis that sank the U.S. into more than five years of misery

Divers from the University of Malta began exploring the sunken plane in 2018.

Divers Recover Remains of WWII Airman, 80 Years After He Crashed in the Mediterranean

Underwater archeologists in Malta worked with the U.S. government to identify the 22-year-old from California

An advertisement for California citrus, circa 1920

When California and Florida Attracted Settlers With Promises of a Perfect Climate

Today, they rank at the top of lists of U.S. states most at risk from climate change

When it comes to historical markers, the hidden truth is this: In any given state, as many as a dozen entities could be putting up signs at the same time.

History of Now

Why Historical Markers Matter

Few realize that the approval process for these outdoor signs varies widely by state and organization, enabling unsanctioned displays to slip through

Researchers study wreckage from Moody's P-39 aircraft, which lies in pieces on the floor of Lake Huron.

Divers Pull Wreckage of Tuskegee Airman’s Plane From the Depths of Lake Huron

During World War II, a young pilot named Frank Moody died while training in Michigan

West Point officials opened the time capsule in a much-hyped livestreamed ceremony.

Cool Finds

A Time Capsule Opened Live on Stage Was Empty. Later, Treasures Emerged From the Silt

Found at West Point, the 200-year-old box concealed six silver coins and a medal

Morris “Moe” Berg in 1933. Dubbed the “brainiest man in baseball” due to his knack for languages and quick wit, the catcher joined the OSS in 1943.

The Baseball Player-Turned-Spy Who Went Undercover to Assassinate the Nazis’ Top Nuclear Scientist

During World War II, the OSS sent Moe Berg to Europe, where he gathered intel on Germany’s efforts to build an atomic bomb

The indomitable Lady Columbia defends the United States with her snazzy patriotic shield, c. 1890.

Before Lady Liberty, There Was Lady Columbia, America’s First National Mascot

The forgotten figure symbolized the hopes—and myths—of the early United States

Archibald J. Motley Jr.'s Black Belt (1934)

The Harlem Renaissance Is Coming to the Met

A new exhibition will be the first survey of the cultural movement in New York City since 1987

Host Bob Barker announces the showcase showdown at the taping of the 35th season premiere of "The Price Is Right" in 2006.

What Made Bob Barker the Perfect Host for ‘The Price Is Right’

The television personality, who died last week at 99, was part of a match that made game show history

Bill Milner was jet skiing along the Neches River when he ran into something that turned out to be a World War I shipwreck.

Cool Finds

Drought in Texas Reveals World War I Shipwreck

A local man happened upon the wreckage while jet skiing earlier this month

A still from the upcoming movie Rustin, which tells the story of Bayard Rustin, a key orchestrator behind the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Watch the Trailer for ‘Rustin,’ Which Spotlights the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington

The new film dramatizes Bayard Rustin’s efforts to pull off an event of unprecedented scale

Stanley Tretick's photos of the March on Washington went unpublished for 50 years.

These Photos of the March on Washington Capture the Urgency and Joy of the Iconic Day

Stanley Tretick documented the demonstration in 1963, but his snapshots were hidden in a trunk, unseen by the public for decades

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