News | HISTORY

The St. Francis Dam Collapse: Los Angeles’ Forgotten Disaster

When it opened in 1926, the St. Francis Dam was an engineering marvel. Just two years later, it became an engineering catastrophe.

Why the Gettysburg Address Is One of the Most Famous Speeches in History

Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Gettysburg Address contains fewer than 275 words. How did such a short speech carry such a long‑lasting impact?

Why American Communities Began Adding Fluoride to Water

The benefits of fluoridated water was discovered in the early 1900s, when health officials in a Colorado city noticed residents had stained, but remarkably healthy teeth.

How the ‘Lucy’ Fossil Rewrote the Story of Human Origins

The stunning 1974 discovery offered proof that ancient hominins were walking around on two feet some 3.2 million years ago.

The 18th‑Century Origins of Recess Appointments

When cross‑country travel by horse prevented senators from quickly convening, the Framers decided to allow the president to make temporary appointments.

7 Photos of London’s Underground During WWII Blitz

As Hitler bombed London, its citizens set up makeshift beds in rail cars, on escalators and even in tunnels to get a night’s sleep.

5 Bloody Spectacles at Ancient Rome’s Colosseum

Citizens could enter for free to watch gladiator fights, mock naval battles, animal hunts—and plenty of death.

Meet the First and Last Immigrants Who Passed Through Ellis Island

For much of its early history, a three‑acre spit of sand situated in New York Harbor just south of Manhattan was known for little more than its abundant oyster beds. Dubbed Little Oyster Island, it would eventually be expanded to nine times its original size, take on a new name after its 18th century owner […]

Stories

The St. Francis Dam Collapse: Los Angeles’ Forgotten Disaster

Why the Gettysburg Address Is One of the Most Famous Speeches in History

Why American Communities Began Adding Fluoride to Water

How the ‘Lucy’ Fossil Rewrote the Story of Human Origins

The 18th‑Century Origins of Recess Appointments

7 Photos of London’s Underground During WWII Blitz

5 Bloody Spectacles at Ancient Rome’s Colosseum

Meet the First and Last Immigrants Who Passed Through Ellis Island

7 Withering Droughts That Changed Human History

How the Barcode Was Invented

How World War I Spurred the Invention of Blood Banks

How ‘Nosferatu’ Reinvented the Vampire