European History

January 2015 marks 50 years since the death of Winston Churchill, shown here in 1943, known for his writing and speeches.

The Illustrious History of Misquoting Winston Churchill

Saying exactly what Churchill said isn’t easy—or cheap

Making Dead People's Pulses Beat Again

A new device can transform 150-year-old printed representations of heart beats into actual sound

The Library for Magicians Is Taking Appointments

The Conjuring Arts Research Center in New York City houses some of the world's rarest books on the art of deception

Europeans Thought Coffee Was Satanic

Until the Pope tried it out and became a fan

A Soldier’s Room Has Remained Virtually Untouched Since WWI

The home's current owner, however, says he feels little connection to the dead soldier

The German U-576 off the coast of France, around 1940 or 1941. It sunk near North Carolina in 1942.

Wreckage of a Nazi U-Boat Was Found Off the Coast of North Carolina

A freighter lost in that skirmish was also discovered in the "graveyard of the Atlantic"

"Vampire Grave" in Bulgaria Holds a Skeleton With a Stake Through Its Heart

The skeleton likely fell victim to vampire hysteria that gripped Eastern Europe until relatively recently

The ruins of Tokat Castle in northern Turkey.

Archaeologists Think They’ve Found the Dungeon Where Dracula Was Kept

Vlad the Impaler was likely held captive in Turkey's Tokat Castle

A standard 10-hole Hohner harmonica.

Industrial Espionage and Cutthroat Competition Fueled the Rise of the Humble Harmonica

How a shrewd salesman revolutionized the instrument industry

A model depicting a Viking ring fortress layout.

Newly Discovered Viking Fortress Could Have Been a Launch Point for Invading England

The ring-shaped complex could have been used as a military training ground

No Man's Land could be the most terrifying of places. "Men drowning in shell-holes already filled with decaying flesh," wrote one scholar.

The Legend of What Actually Lived in the "No Man's Land" Between World War I's Trenches

Born of the horrors of trench warfare, a ghoulish tale of scavengers and scofflaws took hold 100 years ago

Case Solved on Jack the Ripper? Not So Fast

An author and a scientist claim to have proven the identity of the notorious 19th century killer, but others say the evidence is lacking

Neanderthal Carvings in a Gibraltar Cave Reveal Some of Europe's Oldest Known Artwork

Some argue, however, that Homo sapiens are responsible for the etchings

Annecy is known as the Venice of Savoie, a region in France.

10 Historic Canal Towns to Visit That Aren't Venice

Venice might be the most famous town to feature picturesque waterways, but beautiful canals can be found all over the globe

If there had been Academy Awards in the mid-1920s, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s The Big Parade produced by Irving Thalberg, directed by King Vidor, and starring John Gilbert and Renée Adorée, would have swept the prizes.

The Blockbuster World War I Film that Brought Home the Traumatic Impact of War

The blockbuster silent film <em>The Big Parade</em> is among the first to explore the psychological trauma of war

A typical 15th century banquet.

Before He Died, Richard III Lived Large

Bone chemistry sheds light on the monarch's shifting diet throughout his brief life

The bottle recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Poland

200-Year-Old Alcohol Found in Shipwreck Is Still Drinkable

Researchers found the liquid, originally thought to be mineral water, was actually over-aged booze

A European eel (not the world's oldest, however).

RIP, World’s Oldest Eel

The eel, 155, passed away in a Swedish well late last week

French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel with some of his works in Hong Kong, May 2014. The sculptures he is designing for Versailles have a similar pearl-strand shape.

For the First Time in 300 Years, a New Permanent Sculpture Will Grace Versailles

A fountain sculpture being installed on the grounds is intended to be the first permanent addition to the collection in centuries

A Royal Naval Air Service Bristol Scout D during a reconnaissance mission over the Western Front, February 1916. One of the first British single-seat fighter aircraft, the Bristol D was developed primarily for scouting. It was fast and maneuverable. The aircraft above was based on the HMS Vindex, a Royal Navy seaplane carrier operating in the North Sea.

World War I Special Report

Remembering the Great War and how we're still living through its legacy today

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