Napoleon's Last Days: How The Exiled French Emperor Spent His Death
Military History | August 8, 2020
(Agence photographique de la Réunion des musées nationaux/Wikimedia Commons) As a military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte was unmatched, and as a ruler, ...
This Is Why 675,000 AT&T Employees Went On Strike In 1983
1980s | August 7, 2020
(Kenneth Han/Wikimedia Commons) On August 7, 1983, phone service across the country was interrupted when 675,000 workers at AT&T went on strike following a bre...
1965: Voting Rights Act Is Signed By Lyndon B. Johnson
1960s | August 6, 2020
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson hands a pen to Civil Rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. during the signing of the Voting Rights Act as officials look o...
Marilyn Monroe's Death: Conspiracy Theories And What Allegedly Really Happened
1960s | August 5, 2020
By the time of Marilyn Monroe's death in 1962, she was one of the most sought-after and successful actresses of the era, but success didn...
Lizzie Borden: 1892's Unsolved Axe Murder Mystery Case
1800s | August 4, 2020
We probably all remember the morbid schoolyard ditty about Lizzie Borden, in which we learned that she gave her parents 40–41 whacks with an ax. Officially, howe...
Warren G. Harding's Death: Conspiracy Or Heart Attack? Did His Wife Poison Him?
1920s | August 3, 2020
In the history of the United States, eight presidents have died while in office. Four of them (Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, James ...
Lenny Bruce: True Stories, Trivia, And Facts You Didn't Know
1950s | August 2, 2020
Although he never achieved the massive success of acolytes like Richard Pryor and George Carlin, Lenny Bruce is considered the father of modern comedy. He ...
How Woodrow Wilson Planned To Hack His Own Election For The Good Of The American People
1910s | August 1, 2020
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson was pretty sure that he was on his way out of the White House, and although he ran for reelect...
A Treasure Trove Of Nazi Artifacts Recently Discovered In Argentina
Recent History | July 31, 2020
World War II ended in 1945, but the Nazi story didn't end there. With the German defeat inevitable, many top-ranking Nazi officials fled Europe and ...
This Is What Ancient Mesoamerican Ritual Human Sacrifice Was Really Like
Ancient History | July 30, 2020
(Unknown artist/Wikimedia Commons) Hundreds of thousands of people a year were sacrificed by the Aztecs around 1000 B.C., usually via the remova...
The Mariana Trench: Mysteries, The Monster, And The New Sound We Found
Recent History | July 29, 2020
Scientists are fond of telling us we know more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the depths of our own planet's oceans. This is part...
The Black NRA: How The NAAGA Is Changing The Gun Conversation In America
Recent History | July 28, 2020
The National Rifle Association has traditionally been associated with a certain type of person: rural, male, and definitely white. The National...
Bugs Bunny: Yes, There Are Facts/Stories You Didn't Know About Him
1940s | July 27, 2020
Happy 80th birthday, you wascally wabbit! Bugs Bunny made his official debut on July 27, 1940, and he's been chomping on carrots and thwarting hunter...
Automats: Fast Food Before We Had Fast Food Restaurants
1900s | July 26, 2020
(Berenice Abbott/Wikimedia Commons) Say what you will about the fast food experience, but whatever it may lack in fresh ingredients and customer service, it more...
Tignon Laws Forced Black Women To Cover Their Hair
historical landmarks | July 25, 2020
Black women often face discrimination and hardship on account of their "distracting" hair, and it turns out it's been happening since their earliest days in the U.S....
Pancho Villa: Mexico's Real-Life Robin Hood
Military History | July 24, 2020
(Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons) The name Pancho Villa resonates with Americans like a distant echo of history. We know he's an important Mexican revolutionary figure...
What Was Life Like In Russian Gulags? The Horrors, Explained
Historical Facts | July 23, 2020
Beginning under the leadership of dictator Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union established a forced labor camp system that soon earned a reputation for brutal...
John Dillinger: Escape Plans, Bank Robberies, And Everything You Didn't Know About The Famous Crook
1930s | July 22, 2020
During the Great Depression, there were no superheroes, but there was a very real Robin Hood. John Dillinger was a b...
Maurice Tillet: The Inspiration For Shrek Had A Condition Called Acromegaly
1930s | July 21, 2020
Voiced by Mike Myers, Shrek is the reluctant hero of the 2001 fairy tale comedy of the same name, which was based on a children's book by Wi...
George Washington Carver And Henry Ford Worked On Experimental Projects Together
1940s | July 20, 2020
George Washington Carver, a renowned botanist, educator, and agriculturalist, was nearing the end of his life on July 19, 1942 when he ...
64 A.D.: The Great Fire Of Rome Starts Burning Under Emperor Nero
Ancient History | July 19, 2020
(Carl Theodor von Piloty/Wikimedia Commons) On July 18, 64 A.D., the Great Fire of Rome burned nearly two-thirds of the city to the ground. This was no...
Nelson Mandela: Facts And Stories You Didn't Know About The Beloved Revolutionary
1900s | July 18, 2020
Nelson Mandela waves to the crowd after speaking at the Colonial Stadium for the World Reconciliation Day Concert, September 8, 2000 in M...
Disneyland Opens For The First Time To The Public In 1955
1950s | July 17, 2020
On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney brought to life characters that children had only seen on the silver screen. With Disneyland, Uncle Walt didn't just create a sp...
1439: Kissing Is Banned In England In Response To The Black Plague
Medieval History | July 16, 2020
(National Gallery/Wikimedia Commons) Here ye, here ye: No more smoochies! That's what Henry VI proclaimed on July 16, 1439, not because he was a roman...
The Reign Of King George III And How It Led to America
British History | July 15, 2020
(Allan Ramsay/Wikimedia Commons) In the story of America's birth, King George III is painted as the enemy, an antagonistic monarch who attempted to keep a strangl...
Bastille Day: Storm The Prison, Revolutionize The Country
Historical Facts | July 14, 2020
(Bibliothèque nationale de France/Wikimedia Commons) On July 14, 1789, A.K.A. Bastille Day, a crowd of Parisians stormed the Bastille and demolished the former...
Disco Demolition Night: Racist And Homophobic Or Just Rock Fans Having Fun?
1970s | July 13, 2020
Many lovers of music will tell you that disco died on July 12, 1979. It was murdered by an overzealous shock jock, a brilliant promoter, and...
'Blowing Smoke Up Your Ass': The Literal Meaning/Medical Practice Behind The Idiom
Medical History | July 12, 2020
To "blow smoke" has had a few definitions over the years, and the end of the phrase (as well as its meaning) varies. You can "blow sm...
Disturbing Things People Did At Carnivals In The Early 20th Century
1900s | July 11, 2020
At the onset of the 20th century, traveling carnivals grew out of the World's Fair and became a beloved pastime for families seeking a fun night out...
Assata Shakur: Black Panther, Black Liberation Army Member, Bank Robber, Badass
1970s | July 10, 2020
Tupac Shakur, the king of '90s West Coast hip-hop, had a reputation for skirting the law. Perhaps he got his rebel attitude from his god...
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