Great Depression
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
Heirs of Jewish Art Dealers Move Forward With Yearslong Restitution Battle
For over a decade, they've argued that their ancestors were forced to sell valuable artifacts. Now, they're back in court with a new legal strategy
Untold Stories of American History
The Little-Known Story of the First Washington Monument
A stone tower in western Maryland, the structure predates the obelisk on the National Mall by more than two decades
Untold Stories of American History
The History of California's Inmate Firefighter Program
The initiative, which finds prisoners working as first responders and rescuers, dates back to the 1940s
The True History Behind Showtime's 'The First Lady'
The new series dramatizes the White House years of Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama
The Evolution of Betty Boop
Film censorship sparked the beloved cartoon character's mid-1930s makeover
Chronicling the Triumphs—and Tragedies—of Life in the Deep South
A new book and traveling exhibition highlight the work of Mississippi photographer O.N. Pruitt
What 'It's a Wonderful Life' Teaches Us About American History
The Christmas classic, released 75 years ago, conveys many messages beyond having faith in one another
Five of America's Most Invincible Hotels
From Miami to San Francisco, these luxury establishments survived their share of crises before the Covid-19 pandemic
The Enduring Nostalgia of American Girl Dolls
The beloved line of fictional characters taught children about American history and encouraged them to realize their potential
What a Vintage Guidebook Taught Me About Oregon's Past and Present
Our writer takes a quirky trip through Oregon, from a wilderness lodge to a Gilded Age saloon to a town hidden underground
How Mrs. Edge Saved the Birds
Meet a forgotten hero of our natural world whose brave campaign to protect birds charted a new course for the environmental movement
The 1950s TV Show That Set the Stage for Today's Distance Learning
"Sunrise Semester" gave a generation of women a second chance at higher education
The Last Surviving Widow of a Civil War Veteran Dies at 101
Helen Viola Jackson married James Bolin in 1936, when she was 17 and he was 93
Explore Dorothea Lange's Iconic Photos With These Online Exhibitions
Digital hubs from the Oakland Museum of California and the Museum of Modern Art showcase the American photographer's oeuvre
Why John Dillinger’s Relatives Want to Exhume His Body
They suspect that the man killed by federal agents in 1934 was not, in fact, the outlaw, but a Dillinger expert dismisses the theory as 'total nonsense'
Here's What Al Capone’s Philadelphia Prison Cell Really Looked Like
The mob boss spent nine months imprisoned at Eastern State Penitentiary, and a new exhibition shows his stay was less glamorous than it was portrayed
New Analysis of Depression-Era Fossil Hunt Shows Texas Coast Was Once a 'Serengeti'
Over 11 million years ago, the area was full of animals
Notebook of Poetry Penned by Bonnie and Clyde Set to Go on Auction
The volume features poems written by the outlaw duo during their Depression-era crime spree
The Screenwriting Mystic Who Wanted to Be the American Führer
William Dudley Pelley and his Silver Shirts were just one of many Nazi-sympathizers operating in the United States in the 1930s
