Topic

History

A collection of 463 issues

The Day the Sun Nearly Started World War III

In 1967, a solar flare jammed US nuclear warning radars, leading commanders to prepare for war with the Soviets. The world was saved not by diplomats, but by a handful of scientists who realized the sun, not an enemy, was the aggressor.

History Military Technology & Strategy Space & Astronomy

The Operating System That Forgot About Files

Decades before modern apps, a radical 1960s operating system was built not around files, but around a database at its very core. This is the story of the Pick system, a forgotten pioneer whose data-centric vision was years ahead of its time.

Technology & Innovation History Inventions & Discoveries

Before & After: How World War I Forged the Modern Face

Born from the unprecedented facial disfigurements of the Great War, modern plastic surgery was pioneered by innovators like Sir Harold Gillies. His groundbreaking techniques, designed to rebuild soldiers' faces, unexpectedly laid the foundation for cosmetic surgery.

Medicine, Psychology & Health History Wars, Conflict & Heroes

The Colossal Log Cabin That Vanished in a Night of Fire

For nearly 60 years, Portland's Forestry Building stood as the world's largest log cabin, a temple built from colossal old-growth trees. But the very material that made it magnificent also made it vulnerable, leading to its destruction in one spectacular night.

History Geography & Places Oddities & Curiosities

The Vinyl Gold Rush: How a Teflon Salesman Built a Music Empire on TV

Before Spotify, one company used hypnotic late-night TV ads to sell millions of compilation albums. By licensing hit songs and bypassing retailers, K-Tel perfected a direct-to-consumer model that turned radio hits into a vinyl empire built on pure nostalgia.

Business & Economics Music History

Iceland's Immortal Burger: The Meal That Outlived an Era

On the day McDonald's left Iceland in 2009, one man bought the last cheeseburger as a historical artifact. More than a decade later, the eerily preserved meal is a national icon, streaming its unending existence to a curious global audience from a hostel.

Oddities & Curiosities Food & Lifestyle History

The Secret Harmony: How Heart's Ann Wilson Became an Unlikely Voice for Alice in Chains

In a moment that bridged two generations of Seattle rock, Heart's legendary vocalist Ann Wilson lent her voice to Alice in Chains' 1992 acoustic EP, Sap. This unlikely collaboration was born from the city's tight-knit music scene, creating a haunting harmony that endures.

Music History Biography & Personal Stories

Hitting the Wrong Note: The Musical Protest That Made Baseball History

When a minor league organist grew tired of an umpire's bad calls in 1985, he turned to his sheet music for protest. The three notes he played earned him a permanent, and hilarious, place in baseball's book of unwritten rules.

History Sports & Games Music

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