Why Plague Doctors Wore Strange Masks

It’s the beak that lends the attire of the medieval plague doctor its surreal quality, but it wasn’t there just to scare (03:05)

History

Preview thumbnail for Five Unexpected Facts About George Washington

Five Unexpected Facts About George Washington (02:53)

Preview thumbnail for What Really Happened in the Election of 1800?

What Really Happened in the Election of 1800? (03:23)

Preview thumbnail for How One Photographer Recreated 19th-Century Portraits With the Descendants of Civil War Heroes

How One Photographer Recreated 19th-Century Portraits With the Descendants of Civil War Heroes (01:57)

Preview thumbnail for Five Surprising Facts About Pompeii

Five Surprising Facts About Pompeii (02:46)

Preview thumbnail for Five Surprising Facts About Rosa Parks

Five Surprising Facts About Rosa Parks (02:09)

Preview thumbnail for The Shocking History and Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials

The Shocking History and Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials (02:59)

Preview thumbnail for From Love to Tragedy: The Stories of Henry VIII's Six Wives

From Love to Tragedy: The Stories of Henry VIII's Six Wives (02:37)

Preview thumbnail for The Last Ship to Bring Enslaved Africans to America Arrived in 1860

The Last Ship to Bring Enslaved Africans to America Arrived in 1860 (04:51)

Preview thumbnail for Cat Mummies Were a Big Thing in Ancient Egypt

Cat Mummies Were a Big Thing in Ancient Egypt (03:54)

Preview thumbnail for The Manubalista Was Rome’s Secret Weapon in Ancient Britain

The Manubalista Was Rome’s Secret Weapon in Ancient Britain (02:39)

Preview thumbnail for How the Meaning of Thanksgiving Has Changed

How the Meaning of Thanksgiving Has Changed (02:31)