Topic

History

A collection of 463 issues

Canada's Forgotten Tsunami and the Deep-Sea Mystery It Solved

A 1929 earthquake off Newfoundland triggered Canada's deadliest tsunami, devastating a remote coastline. The disaster also accidentally solved a major scientific mystery when the force of the underwater landslide snapped transatlantic cables, proving a new theory of oceanography.

History Science & Nature Geography & Places

The Engineer Who Taught Computers to Save Astronauts From Themselves

Margaret Hamilton developed the Apollo software so robustly it could avert disaster, a necessity she fought for after her superiors insisted astronauts would never make a critical error—a mistake one promptly made on the very next mission.

Technology & Innovation History Space & Astronomy

Forging the Past: The Thirty-Year Experiment to Build a Medieval Castle by Hand

In a French forest, a team of artisans is building a 13th-century castle using only medieval tools. This audacious experiment has unearthed forgotten skills and revealed surprising truths, including why a single stained-glass window could cost a small fortune.

History Inventions & Discoveries Work & Labor

An Edible Contract: The Surprisingly Strict Legal Life of Bologna

The humble slice of bologna is a masterpiece of federal regulation, bound by a strict "standard of identity" that legally defines its ingredients, water content, and fat percentage more precisely than many other foods in the grocery store.

Food & Lifestyle Law, Crime & Justice History

Drugged and Watched: The Secret History of the CIA's Sex Experiments

In a paranoid Cold War gambit, the CIA established secret brothels to drug unsuspecting American men with LSD. Behind one-way mirrors, agents watched the effects, creating one of the most disturbing chapters in the history of domestic espionage.

History Politics & Power Law, Crime & Justice

The Accidental Icon: How a Simple Theft Made the Mona Lisa Priceless

Before 1911, the Mona Lisa was just another masterpiece. Its global celebrity was born not from da Vinci's brush, but from a brazen heist when a handyman simply walked out of the Louvre with it, sparking a media frenzy that transformed art into an icon.

Art, Culture & Design History Law, Crime & Justice

The Reluctant Scoundrel: Harrison Ford's Unintentional Audition for Star Wars

Hired as a simple line-reader for Star Wars auditions, a cynical Harrison Ford had no intention of being cast. But his world-weary delivery, born from his own frustrations with acting, inadvertently became the perfect, unintentional audition for Han Solo.

Entertainment & Media Biography & Personal Stories History

The Great Number Mix-Up: Why Our 'Arabic' Numerals Aren't What You Think

The numbers we use (1, 2, 3) are called 'Arabic,' yet they look nothing like the numerals used across the Arab world (١, ٢, ٣). This historical oddity reveals a single Indian invention that split into two paths, one traveling to Europe and the other across the Middle East.

History Inventions & Discoveries Linguistics & Communication

An Unbreakable Code or an Antiques Dealer's Prank? The Enduring Mystery of the Rohonc Codex.

A 448-page manuscript written in an unknown alphabet has stumped experts for nearly 200 years. Scientific analysis proves its paper is from the 1530s, but scholars can't decide if it’s a priceless historical text or an incredibly elaborate hoax.

Mysteries & Unsolved Cases History Linguistics & Communication

The City Under the Floorboards: How a Home Renovation Uncovered an Ancient Metropolis

A simple home renovation in 1963 led to the discovery of Derinkuyu, a sprawling ancient city hidden 18 levels underground. Carved from volcanic rock, this subterranean marvel was a self-sufficient refuge for 20,000 people fleeing persecution for centuries.

History Geography & Places Oddities & Curiosities

Loading more posts...