Topic

History

A collection of 340 issues

The Great Manhattan Giveaway: Why the Dutch Traded New York for a Sugar Colony

In 1674, the Dutch formally traded New Amsterdam (Manhattan) to England for Suriname. While this seems like a colossal blunder today, the immensely profitable sugar plantations of Suriname made it the far more valuable asset in the 17th century—a calculated economic power move.

The Unspeakable Tragedy: How the 2004 Tsunami Shattered Richard Attenborough's Family

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami brought unimaginable grief to beloved actor Richard Attenborough. While on holiday in Thailand, the disaster tragically claimed the lives of his eldest daughter, Jane Holland, her daughter Lucy, and her mother-in-law, a personal story within a global catastrophe.

The Last Great Scoop: How a Runner Delivered News of the Everest Conquest

The 1953 Everest conquest was a global sensation delivered not by wire, but by foot. A journalist's coded message was carried by a runner through the Himalayas to the nearest telegraph, reaching London just in time for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in a final hurrah for old-world reporting.

Beyond Conquest: The Surprising Bilingual First Book Printed in the New World

The first book printed in the Americas (1539) wasn't just in Spanish. "Breve y...doctrina Christiana" was a bilingual catechism in Spanish and Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, revealing a complex story of cultural interaction, not just simple conquest, at the dawn of New World printing.

From a Breakup to a Breakthrough: The Wild Transformation of The Doors' 'The End'

The Doors' 12-minute epic 'The End' is famed for its dark, Oedipal themes. But it began as a simple, sad song Jim Morrison wrote about a breakup with his girlfriend, Mary Werbelow, before live improvisation on the Sunset Strip transformed it into a mythological masterpiece.

How a 260-Ton Turkey Mistake Led to the Iconic TV Dinner

In 1953, a massive overestimation left Swanson with 260 tons of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Salesman Gerry Thomas's innovative idea to package a full meal in an aluminum tray, marketed as the 'TV Dinner,' not only solved the problem but created an American cultural icon.

The Friendly Wolf That Swam to its Doom: A Tragic Tale of Trust and Extinction

The Falkland Islands wolf, or warrah, was the islands' only native land mammal. Its remarkable tameness towards humans, often swimming out to greet ships, made it an easy target for settlers who hunted it to extinction in 1876, a tragic end for a unique creature.

Decoding Beethoven's Birthday: The 24-Hour Mystery Behind a Musical Genius

Ludwig van Beethoven's birth date is unknown. We celebrate it on December 16th based on his baptism record from December 17, 1770. Catholic custom at the time dictated infants be baptized within 24 hours of birth due to high mortality rates, making the 16th our best historical guess.

The Shocking Secret of Panko: How a WWII Military Invention Created Japan's Crispiest Crumb

Panko, the famously crispy Japanese breadcrumb, has a shocking origin. It's made from special crustless bread baked by passing electricity directly through the dough—a technique invented by the Japanese army during WWII to covertly bake bread for soldiers in the field using tank batteries.