Warfare

How a Downed U.S. Plane Almost Caused a Nuclear War

When the Cubans accidentally shoot down a U.S. U-2 aircraft, the threat of nuclear war becomes a serious possibility

Multi-generational fighting over borders between the Calvert family that founded the colony of Maryland (pictured: Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore) and the Penn family that founded Pennsylvania (pictured: Thomas Penn, proprietor of Pennsylvania) led to the creation of the Mason-Dixon line.

This Long, Violent Border Dispute Between Colonial Maryland and Pennsylvania is Why We Have the Mason-Dixon Line

Cresap's War was a conflict that didn't get fully settled for almost 50 years

U-2 Dragon Lady Gives a Helping Hand to U.S. Troops

When a U.S. convoy in Afghanistan has vehicle problems and is forced to stop for repairs, a U-2 aircraft spots a Taliban ambush coming their way

Footage of a Tense Aerial Battle During the Falklands War

It's 10 weeks into the Falklands War, and two British Harriers find themselves protecting a damaged ship, the HMS Hermes

Often called "military mascots," animals played pivotal roles during WWI. Pictured here is John Bull of the 77th Aero Force (sic). [165-WW-472A-49]

The Animals That Helped Win World War I

Newly digitized photos tell the story of animals that fought as soldiers during the Great War

The National Portrait Gallery commissioned a poem from the Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa for the museum's new exhibition, "The Face of Battle."

A New Poem is Commissioned to Honor the Soldiers Who Fight America’s Wars

Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa writes “After the Burn Pits” for the National Portrait Gallery

A spotter with binoculars at an anti-aircraft command post.

Check Out These Rare Color Images of World War II

The photos are part of a new book from the Imperial War Museums which includes many images published for the first time

Researchers can remotely detect buried land mines using a bacterial sensor and a laser-based scanning system.

How Glowing Soil Can Help Find Land Mines

Using genetically engineered bacteria and lasers, Israeli scientists have devised a unique way to detect buried explosives

Four Paws coordinated the rescue mission to bring Simba and Lula to safety.

Last Surviving Animals of Mosul Zoo Transported to Safety

Lula the bear and Simba the lion have been evacuated to a wildlife shelter in Jordan

Matabele ant carries a wounded comrade home

This Ant Species Rescues Wounded Comrades on the Battlefield

Though it may be counterintuitive, a new study suggests saving the injured benefits the colony more than leaving them for dead

Part of the seized "Supergun," now at a museum in England.

The Bizarre Story of Saddam Hussein’s Failed “Supergun”

It was called “Big Babylon” and it was originally supposed to fire satellites into orbit

How 1950s Las Vegas Sold Atomic Bomb Tests as Tourism

Between 1950 and 1960, the population of Las Vegas grew by 161%--partly due to the burgeoning casino industry

Intense Footage of Fake Towns Used for 1950s Nuclear Tests

To test the impact of an atomic blast on populated areas, technicians built entire fake towns, with houses, shops, and even mannequin families

A woman marks a bombardier enclosure for a B-24 Liberator bomber at the Ford Willow Run plant.

How Detroit Went from Motor City to the Arsenal of Democracy

Detroit already had car manufacturing capability: that turned into war production capability in the early 1940s

The Complex Maneuvering of WWI's Biggest Naval Battle

On May 31, 1916, a small skirmish between British and German warships would pave the way for the biggest naval confrontation of WWI

ISIS destroyed the Temple of Baalshamin in Syria in 2015.

New Fund Pledges to Protect Cultural Heritage from War and Terror

Nations and philanthropists join together to safeguard one another’s priceless treasures

This Virginia Winery Once Housed One of WWII's Most Important Spy Stations

Speakeasies are so 2012—this place has actual secrets

Allied Troops Used These Massive Pipe Bombs at Omaha Beach

World War II veteran John Raaen Jr. was there the day Allied troops stormed Omaha Beach at Normandy

A Roman amphitheater in Bosra, Syria. Bosra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been damaged by civil war.

Scientists Shoot Stones to Study War's Impact on Heritage Sites

The bullets caused hidden networks of fractures beneath the stones' surfaces

Two unidentified Australian officers examining a tree trunk which was used as an observation post at German House. The opening to the post is located at the base of the trunk. The color patches indicate the officers are members of the 3rd Division Army Services Corps. Note behind the post a dugout (center, right) and trenches.

These Fake Trees Were Used as Spy Posts on the Front Lines of World War I

On the Western Front, meticulously crafted iron trees were used by both sides to conceal enemy forces

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