Memphis Removes Two Confederate Statues
One was dedicated to Jefferson Davis, the other to Nathan Bedford Forrest
President Lincoln’s Last Christmas
The character of American Christmas changed as a result of the Civil War
Zora Neale Hurston’s Study of the Last Known U.S. Slave to Be Published in 2018
Cudjo Lewis was captured and transported to the U.S. in 1860. After regaining his freedom five years later, he went on to help establish African Town
The Most Notorious Poet in 18th Century America Was An Enslaved Teenager You’ve Never Heard Of
Phyllis Wheatley was a prodigy, but her ultimate fate reflects the gross racial disparities of 1700s America
Marshmallow-Topped Hot Chocolate Will Keep You Warm This Long Solstice Night
Marshmallows and hot chocolate each have a long history, but their union only dates back about a century
How Industrial Espionage Started America’s Cotton Revolution
To the British, Samuel Slater was ‘Slater the traitor,’ but to the Americans, he was the father of the American industrial revolution
The Weird Story of the FBI and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
The film supposedly had Communistic tendencies
‘120 Days of Sodom’, Marquis de Sade’s Depraved Opus, Declared a French National Treasure
Officials sought to prevent the manuscript from being sold at an upcoming auction
How Swimsuits Became Fashion Items
Rose Marie Reid’s vision for beachwear helped shape the modern swimsuit
Researchers Whack Fake Skulls to Learn About Neolithic Weapons
Was the ‘Thames Beater’ used to kill? Four crushed model skulls say yes
How Mark Twain’s Hatred of Suspenders Drove Him to Invent
Under his given name, Samuel Clemens, Twain held several patents
How 1950s America Shaped ‘The Nutcracker’
It took the marketing insight of a Russian choreographer to make it all happen
12 Facts About ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’
Amaze and astound your loved ones with these pieces of carol trivia
The FDA Used to Have People Whose Job Was to Taste Tea
Literally, that was it
These Places Are Actually The Middle of Nowhere
These “poles of inaccessibility” are among the world’s most remote places
Here’s Why Pearls No Longer Cost a Fortune
Coming up with ways to lower the price of pearls—either through culturing or by out-right fakery—took centuries
George Washington’s Hard Death Shows the Limits of Medicine in His Time
He’s one of the United States’s most revered figures, but his last hours were plagued by excruciating illness
How One Mycologist Saved France’s Wine (Among Other Things)
Bordeaux mixture saved many crops besides grapes from fungus
In Luxor, Two Tombs Dating Back 3,500 Years Unveil Their Secrets
They include hundreds of statues and one of the best-preserved wall paintings found in the area
Charles Darwin’s Grandfather Was Famous for His Poems About Plant Sex
Erasmus Darwin’s poetics influenced his grandson’s vision of nature
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