Armed With Just a Badge, Los Angeles’ First Policewoman Protected the City’s Most Vulnerable in the Early 20th Century
Appointed in 1910, Alice Stebbins Wells patrolled dance halls, skating rinks, penny arcades and movie theaters, keeping these public spaces free of vice and immorality
These Stunning 19th-Century Artworks Reveal the Contradictions of the Modern Woman
A new exhibition spotlights James Tissot, whose paintings and prints reflected women’s ever-evolving roles in Victorian society
How an Extreme Combination of Fog and Air Pollution Brought London to a Standstill and Resulted in Thousands of Fatalities
On this day in 1952, buses stood still, cars were abandoned in the street, and residents couldn’t see even a few feet in front of themselves as the lethal Great Smog descended on the city
The World’s Deadliest Industrial Disaster Exposed 500,000 People to Toxic Gas and Claimed Thousands of Lives
A web of technical failures, human errors and corporate malpractice in Bhopal, India, culminated in an unthinkable tragedy on this day in 1984
How Artists, Writers and Scientists of the Past Documented Climate Change
An exhibition at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens explores how Western intellectuals viewed the climate crisis between 1780 and 1930
Inside the Fight to Save the Indiana Dunes, One of America’s Most Vulnerable National Parks
Caught between steel mills, suburbs and a hard place, the 15,000-acre site is a fantasia of biodiversity—and a case study for hard-fought conservation
Archaeologists Discover Medieval Artifacts Ahead of Bridge Demolition in England
Found during a construction project near the railway station in York, the trove includes pottery and bones
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
Once a Year, This 19th-Century Michigan Ghost Town Comes to Life
Last month, descendants of copper miners and history enthusiasts alike gathered for the 117th annual Central Mine reunion service
Untold Stories of American History
How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers
In 1910, a failed House bill sought to increase the availability of low-cost meat by importing hippopotamuses that would be killed to make “lake cow bacon”
On This Disputed River, Progress May Mean a Return to the Past
Winding through British Columbia and Washington, the Skagit has a history that reflects competing conceptions of advancement
‘Irreplaceable’ Artifacts Stolen From a Museum in Sheffield, England
The 12 items are part of the region’s rich history as a metalworking capital
When Deadly Steamboat Races Enthralled America
In July 1852, the “Henry Clay” caught fire during a contest on the Hudson River, killing an estimated 80 people
Two 100-Year-Old Shipwrecks Found in Lake Superior
Both vessels sank during a storm in November 1914—but a third is still missing
A Brief History of Christmas Markets
Now a global phenomenon, the holiday tradition traces its roots to medieval Europe
Unusual 120-Year-Old Whaleback Shipwreck Discovered in Lake Superior
“Barge 129” was the last undiscovered whaleback wreck in the Great Lakes
Gilded Age Excess Lived on at the 2022 Met Gala
Celebrities paid tribute to the era of extravagance through gold-adorned ensembles, splashy headdresses and more
The Rise and Fall of World’s Fairs
Sixty years after Seattle’s Century 21 Exposition, world’s fairs have largely fallen out of fashion in the U.S.
The True History Behind HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’
Julian Fellowes’ new series dramatizes the late 19th-century clash between New York City’s old and new monied elite
When Humane Societies Threw Christmas Parties for Horses
Held across the U.S. in the early 20th century, the events sought to raise awareness for poor living conditions and offer the animals a holiday respite
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