How Timekeeping Innovations Turned New Year’s Into a Midnight CelebrationThe completion of the transcontinental railroad drove synchronization of public clocks—and the start of celebrating at the stroke of midnight.Read more
8 Intriguing Archaeology Discoveries of 2024From detecting lost cities of the Amazon to tracing our history with Neanderthals, these were among 2024’s most fascinating discoveries.Read more
The Doomed 1896 Balloon Expedition to the Arctic“Shall we be thought mad?” expedition leader Salomon August Andrée wrote in his journal, just before he perished.Read more
What’s Behind the Jewish Tradition of Eating Chinese Food on Christmas?Dim sum for Christmas? The experiences of immigrants in New York explain how the tradition of Jews eating at Chinese restaurants on the Christian holiday began.Read more
Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter HolidayThe pagan holiday of Yule was held during the darkest days of winter and marked the start of the return of light.Read more
When Did Humans First Discover Dinosaurs?The first known illustration of a dinosaur bone is from 1677. The man who wrote about it thought it might belong to a giant.Read more
History’s Fastest Humans on WheelsEngines ablaze. Tire blowouts at 300 mph. Sonic booms. The quest to break world land‑speed records is not for the faint‑hearted.Read more
Who Was Odysseus? Facts About the Legendary Greek HeroIn Homer’s epic poem, the Greek warrior encounters cyclops, sorcerers and cannibals on his 10‑year journey back home from war.Read more
The 5 Longest Caves in the WorldThe longest cave system winds for more than 400 miles, but others on the list haven’t even been fully explored yet.Read more
The Collaborative Origins of American Sign LanguageAn 18th‑century sign language in France helped inspire an American version that developed through collaboration among the Deaf community.Read more
How the V‑Sign Came to Represent Victory, Then PeaceRaising two fingers in a ‘V’ shifted in meaning from ‘Victory’ to ‘Peace.’ Track the change from World War II to the Vietnam War eras.Read more
5 Ways Bob Dylan Influenced Popular MusicThe legendary singer‑songwriter mixed folk and rock, and proved longer songs could become hits.Read more
