Chris Klein

Christopher Klein

Christopher Klein is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom and Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler. Follow Chris at @historyauthor.

Latest from this author

A circa-1910 image of Jim Thorpe in his football uniform / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Native American was an Olympic medalist, NFL standout and a MLB player — he even won a ballroom dancing championship.

illustration of a wooden trojan horse emerging from a computer screen

Cyber warriors learned a lot from Ghengis Khan and Caesar.

Why Organized Labor Declined in the 1920s

Take a look back at a landmark victory for American workers: the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike.

Aerial View Of People Lined Up At Church

Here is the history behind the services and symbols of a new pope's installation.

Severe exposure, starvation and disease ravaged tribes during their forced migration to present-day Oklahoma.

Wounded Knee Massacre

White settlers feared the Lakota's Ghost Dance presaged an armed uprising. But US troops carried out the bloodbath.

The 1803 land deal may have been one of history’s greatest bargains, but doubling America’s territory drew sharp criticism—over cost, governability and more.

Santa Maria Maggiore Cathedral interior, in Rome, Italy.

These seven pontiffs left lasting legacies on the course of the Catholic Church—and world history.

Explore 10 facts about American horse racing’s ultimate prize.

Fall of Saigon

The conflict in Vietnam ended in turmoil with the largest helicopter evacuation of its kind in history.

Vatican City, Rome, Italy.

Explore 10 things you may not know about the seat of the Catholic Church.

Multiple ascending explosions of smoke and fire upon impact on a black background

From gold rushes to guerrilla wars, dynamite’s dual legacy is one of construction and destruction.

Historical accounts of the man who sentenced Jesus to death paint him as arrogant and cruel; the Bible goes easier on him, shifting the blame.

Violence and vandalism were once as traditional as candy and costumes.

Still photo from HISTORY® Channel's series 'Jesus: His Life'

Some argue that Jesus wasn't an actual man, but within a few decades of his lifetime, he was mentioned by Jewish and Roman historians.

Approximately 700 miles of barbed wire, chain link, post-and-rail and wire mesh fencing has been erected along the border.

The men of Town Line voted to leave the United States at the start of the Civil War—but it wasn’t over slavery.

Biosphere II

In the 1990s, eight adventurers spent two years separated from the rest of the world inside a futuristic greenhouse meant to mimic a spaceship—on Earth.

A German U-boat, circa 1916.

After terrorizing trans-Atlantic ships in World War I, German U-boats grew even more fearsome in World War II.

Babe Ruth won three World Series titles with the Red Sox before he joined the Yankees in 1920.

Baseball's biggest icon once served jail time and spent most of his life believing he was a year older than he really was.

Ten surprising facts about the national anthem and the man who wrote its lyrics.

Not until nearly three years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor did Japan adopt suicide aerial attacks as official military strategy.

When the US Government Fast-Tracked a Flu Vaccine in an Election Year

More than a quarter of the nation was inoculated in 1976 for a pandemic that never materialized.

The illustrated book was first printed in 1957 and encouraged young people, including future Congressman John Lewis, to stage nonviolent protests.

Junior Johnson in the Pontiac #55 car and Charlie Cregar in the Chevrolet #505 car race as fans watch the action at Daytona Beach, 1956. NASCAR has grown from moonshine runners escaping federal agents to one of the most popular sports in the country. (Credit: Hy Peskin/Getty Images)

It wasn’t gasoline—but moonshine—that fueled the growth of stock car racing in Appalachia and led to the rise of NASCAR.

The History of Food Stamps in the United States

The program was designed to aid American farmers and businesses—as well as the hungry—and had its largest expansion under a Republican president.

Circa 548 BC: Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian empire. By 548 BC, he was King of Persia.

A largely tolerant and merciful ruler, Persian king Cyrus the Great established one of the largest empires in world history.

Jackie Robinson may have kept silent in the face of racial bigotry in his first two seasons after breaking baseball’s color barrier, but after 1949 he was quiet no longer and became a powerful voice for civil rights.

When Hank Aaron Passed the Babe

Look back at the moment Hank Aaron surpassed the immortal Babe Ruth.

These are the places where top officials planned to evacuate to the event of a nuclear attack.

Exterior view of the Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia home, with its red-brick exterior, neoclassical columned portico and white-topped dome.

The Founding Father’s beloved Virginia estate doubled as a focal point for his experiments in architecture, horticulture and invention.

A general view of the Olympic Rings in front of the Bolshoy Ice Dome prior to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Although World War II forced the cancellation of the 1944 Summer Games, an unofficial Olympics took place in a most unlikely setting—a Nazi prisoner of war camp.

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts was bundled for the frigid weather at the 1981 AFC Championship game.

In the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals, the teams and fans endured a minus 59-degree wind chill.

Teammates show Bobby Grier, (C), what they think of Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin's threat to block Georgia Tech from playing in the Sugar Bowl on January 2nd, if the University of Pittsburgh's Negro player is part of the Panther team. Gathered around Grier from the left are: Bob Kiesel, end; Nick Carr, Guard; Jim McCuskar, tackle and Don Agafon, tackle. Two thousand Georgia Tech students staged a protest demonstration in which they twice burned the Governor in effigy. The case was scheduled to go before the Georgia State Board of Regents.

The Georgia governor ignited a national controversy over the participation of the University of Pittsburgh's only Black player in the 1956 Sugar Bowl.

A performer dunks a ball as he performs during halftime during the Men's Basketball Preliminary Round match between France and Nigeria at the 2012 Olympic Games.

A Canadian is to thank for one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Mussolini - 'L'homme d'Etat' (The Statesman). From Signal, December 1940, French language news magazine published by Nazis. 'Avec un calme parfait et un sureté de vues qui ne l'abandonment jamais, sachent constamment attendre l'heure exacte ou il agira, et animé d'un ardent amour pour son peiple, le Duce préside avec une calirvoyance géniale aux destinées de son pays'. Benito Mussolini, Italian dictator and leader of the National Fascist Party, 29 July 1883 - 28 April 1945. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

How did Italy's wartime dictator die? And what happened to his corpse afterward?

Klaus Barbie outside the Lyons courthouse following his sentencing on July 4, 1987.

After World War II, many Nazi war criminals changed their identities and escaped across the Atlantic. Only some were captured and brought to justice.

White marble statue of Roman general Julius Caesar with his right arm raised and index finger pointing upward

He vastly expanded the ancient Roman empire, but his assassination led to its downfall.

Idealized rendering of the Roman Forum. Print by Theodor Joseph Hubert Hoffbauer, 1911.

During 200 years of relative peace and prosperity, the Roman Empire reached the peak of its political and economic power.

photographic portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Both his biological mother and his stepmother helped set Abraham Lincoln on the pathway to the presidency.

Bao Bao, the National Zoo's newest panda cub, meets the media for the first time on January 6, 2014.

The arrival of the National Zoo’s first giant pandas in 1972 marked a new chapter in U.S.-China relations.

Columbus fleet: Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria

Check out 10 things you may not know about the Genoese explorer who sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

Chinese National Day ParadeA mass demonstration on China's National Day, October 1, outside the Gate of Heavenly Peace, Tiananmen, during the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s.

The Cultural Revolution was a Chinese sociopolitical movement from 1966 to 1976 led by Communist Mao Zedong.

According to new research by a Canadian historian, the 1918 flu outbreak that killed 50 million people originated in China.

Whitey Bulger

The notorious gangster was recruited as an FBI informant. It turned it out that corrupt FBI agents were the ones informing him.

History’s Biggest Art Heist

Thieves stole 13 masterpieces worth $500 million from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. The case remains unsolved.

Helmetless Chicago Bear Dick Plasman (14) attempts to block a kick against the Green Bay Packers. / AP Photo/Harry L. Hall

Dick Plasman, who played for the Chicago Bears and Cardinals in the 1930s and 1940s, suffered a gruesome injury when he slammed into a wall headfirst during a game.

DENVER - SEPTEMBER 16: A close up of the official NFL 'The Duke' game ball complete with commissioner Roger Goodell's signature as the Denver Broncos defeated the Oakland Raiders 23-20 in overtime during week two NFL action at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 16, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Look back at the National Football League’s humble origins in an Ohio auto dealership and its inaugural 1920 season.

WAVE cheerleaders at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station during World War 2. Sept. 13, 1943. - (BSLOC 2014 17 174) - Image ID: F2B5F7 (RM)

'Bear' Bryant, who became a legend at Alabama, and future Pro Football Hall of Famers were among the all-star collection of talent.

New York: The All All-America of 1935--A close up of Jay Berwanger, ace backfield man of the University of Chicago, shown holding the bronze trophy of the downtown Athletic Club, with which he was presented today, December 10th, after his selection as the Outstanding Football Player of 1935. Berwanger is the only football player in the country to have been selected on All All-America Teams.

First awardee Jay Berwanger passed on an NFL career, Michigan's Tom Harmon played himself in a movie and LSU's Billy Cannon was imprisoned for counterfeiting.

Passing opened up football in the early 20th century. Here, a Rutgers quarterback wings it against Princeton. / Bettman via Getty Images

Critics said its introduction in 1906 would doom the game by making it less physical. Instead, it made the sport more popular than ever.

Jesse Owens, Ohio State's sensational athlete, is shown in the midst of running a sprint circa 1935.

Check out ten surprising facts about the Olympic track and field champion.

Cycling: 2016 Summer Olympics: Blurred view of cyclists in action during Men's Sprint at Rio Olympic Velodrome. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 8/16/2016 CREDIT: Robert Beck (Photo by Robert Beck /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: SI33 TK1 )

From a gymnast with a wooden leg to a medalist busted for drinking beer, explore 10 surprising facts about the Summer Olympics.

Read the bizarre history of the first Olympic marathons.

1992 Winter Olympics, USA Kristi Yamaguchi during Women's Singles Free Skating Finals, Albertvile, France

Explore 10 surprising facts about the elite cold-weather competitions.

Chiara Calderone of Italy competes during the Junior Ladies Short Program of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating on September 16, 2016.

The balletic sport developed in Europe thousands of years ago. But an American turned it into the spectacle we know today.

8 Unusual Winter Olympics Sports; Skijorking and more

From soldiers shooting at balloons to skiers towed by horses, these strange and sometimes dangerous sports were once part of the Winter Olympics.

Baseball: Aerial view of Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Athletics. Boston, MA 5/30/1965 CREDIT: Fred Kaplan (Photo by Fred Kaplan /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X10813 )

On the 100th anniversary of the first Major League Baseball game at Fenway Park, explore eight surprising dates from the stadium’s hidden history.

Babe Ruth met St. Louis Cardinals star Rogers Hornsby during the 1926 World Series.

Some of the Fall Classic’s most infamous mistakes were committed by MLB stars such as the New York Yankees' Babe Ruth and Mariano Rivera.

Babe Ruth's called shot home run is one of baseball's most memorable World Series moments.

A remarkable chain of events links an attempted murder to the Bambino's called shot blast against the Chicago Cubs in 1932.

Six of the Wildest Moments from the 1986 New York Mets Championship Season

New York's 'traveling rock show' made headlines on and off the field and beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

Bill Mazeroski's game-winning 1960 World Series homer.

In the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the wild 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski of the underdog Pittsburgh Pirates toppled the mighty New York Yankees.

Babe Ruth won three World Series titles with the Red Sox before he joined the Yankees in 1920.

Weeks after a foul ball bloodied a teen who lived in Babe Ruth’s former farmhouse, the Boston Red Sox ended an 86-year title drought.

Explore 10 surprising facts about the famous barnstorming basketball team.

Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers pulls down a rebound against the Boston Celtics during a mid-1960s game at Boston Garden. (Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Fifty years ago today, basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain achieved one of the most incredible feats in sports history: scoring 100 points in a single NBA game.

Cover of French Journal Le Petit Journal, No. 875 from August 25, 1907, about the murder case around Vere St. Leger Goold, Irish tennis player. Goold was later convicted of murder and sent to Devil's Island, French Guyana.

A killer backhand earned Vere St. Leger Goold a spot in a Wimbledon final.

painting of the Titanic just as it's going under, with lifeboats in the foreground

One hundred years ago, Tennis Hall of Famers Dick Williams and Karl Behr survived the most famous shipwreck in history.

St. Patrick may be the patron saint of Ireland, but many St. Patrick’s Day traditions were born in the United States.

Diorama depiction of the Battle of Palmito Ranch. (Credit: Texas Military Forces Museum, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas)

Robert E. Lee’s surrender did not officially end the Civil War. Find out where the fighting continued in the weeks after Appomattox.

Hundreds of Union troops, many of them African Americans, died at Fort Pillow 150 years ago. How it happened is still hotly debated.

Roberto Clemente was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973

The Pittsburgh Pirates' star—the first Latino Hall of Famer in baseball—was a hero for his charity work and social activism prior to his death in a 1972 plane crash.

Grant's Overland Campaign, The Battle of the Wilderness

The Civil War campaign saw Grant and Robert E. Lee duel for the first time.

Abraham Lincoln was disappointed by most of his generals—but not Ulysses S. Grant.

Fifty years after the Kennedy assassination, find out what happened to eight figures whose lives became entwined with the events in Dealey Plaza.

Maze Prison Northern Ireland3RD OCTOBER: ON THIS DAY IN 1981 THE HUNGER STRIKES AT THE MAZE PRISON IN NORTHERN IRELAND, COME TO AN END Aerial view of the Maze Prison, where 38 IRA prisoners escaped. 14/3/95: Riot. 25/8/95. 24/3/97: Breakout Bid. 27/12/97: Man shot dead. 15/03/98: David Keys found hanged in cell. 11/11/98: Will shut at end of year 2000. 28/7/00: Prisoners released. * The London Docklands bomber and the border sniper who picked off police and troops on duty were among more than 80 terrorist prisoners set to stream out of the Maze prison. The final wave of early releases under the Good Friday Agreement was set to all but empty the infamous jail. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)

In 1983, dozens of Irish Republican Army prisoners broke out of the 'escape-proof' Maze prison.

Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty.

A quarter-century before boldly leading Britain in World War II, Winston Churchill spearheaded a World War I military debacle—Gallipoli.

Churchill April 1939: British Conservative politician Winston Churchill. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

A new book details 25-year-old Winston Churchill’s exploits in the Boer War and his dramatic escape from a prisoner-of-war camp that made him a British hero.

On the anniversary of Churchill’s funeral, look back at the day when Great Britain said farewell to the man who defended the country from the Nazis in World War II.

Queen Victoria arrives at St Paul's Cathedral for her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. (Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

As the United Kingdom celebrates the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, take a look back at the country’s last Diamond Jubilee—Queen Victoria’s in 1897.

The final British Airways Concorde flight lifts off from John F. Kennedy Airport. (Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Forty years after the Concorde’s first commercial flight, read about the rival Soviet “Konkordski” and the Cold War race to build the world’s first supersonic jet.

jack the ripper

Take a look back at one of history’s most notorious serial killers.

A book author claims to have solved one of history’s coldest cases and unmasked the identity of Jack the Ripper.

The assault on civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama helped lead to the Voting Rights Act.

Henryk Ross risked his life to take thousands of secret photographs inside the ghetto at Lodz, Poland.

Tailgating 1940s style in Chicago, ca. 1944Tailgating 1940s style in Chicago, ca. 1944 (Photo by Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images)

The ritual grew as ownership of automobiles and then mass production of portable grills and plastic coolers soared.

Running the 'Machine' 1864. (clockwise from top left) Edwin McMasters Stanton, Abraham Lincoln, secretary of state William H. Seward, Navy secretary Gideon Welles, and two unidentified contractors. Currier and Ives

Tall and gangly, with rough-edged frontier roots, the 16th president was an easy figure to caricature.

Explore 10 surprising facts about the bloodiest revolt in American slavery history.

Lincoln was so taken with the new technology—which he called 'lightning messages'—that he sometimes slept on a cot in the telegraph office during major battles.

UNSPECIFIED - : Ancient Olympic Games: the relay race. Runners had to keep alight the flame and hand it to their fellows.This 1922 reconstruction shows runner protecting flame with shield. Chromolithograph. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Although shrouded in myth, the ancient Olympics were surprisingly similar to the modern Olympic Games.

The Hanging Gardens of Ancient Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

An Oxford researcher says she has found evidence of the elusive Hanging Gardens of Babylon—300 miles from Babylon.

Che Guevara billboard

A coming-of-age adventure through five South American countries set Che Guevara on the path to becoming a Marxist revolutionary.

LONDON - DECEMBER 15: A rare American first edition of a Winnie-the-Pooh book is displayed at a press preview at Sotheby's Auctioneers on December 15, 2008 in London. Sotheby's is holding an auction of original artworks and rare first edition books featuring the famous characters by A.A. Milne from the private collections of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone on December 17, 2008. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Find out how a real-life black bear owned by a Canadian soldier serving in World War I inspired the famous children’s book.

In 1898, an American-born son of Chinese immigrants took on the U.S. government to affirm the principle of birthright citizenship via the 14th Amendment.

Stonehenge

In 1915, Cecil Chubb went to an auction to buy some dining chairs but returned home with the ultimate impulse buy—Stonehenge.

Yosemite National Park

Check out 10 surprising facts about the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A little-known chamber concealed behind the head of Abraham Lincoln was intended to contain a shrine to America.

As San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its birthday, explore six surprising facts about this modern marvel of engineering.

How Many Were Killed During the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge?

Horrific workplace accidents claimed a string of lives and left its designer dead and his son crippled.

John Adams

The future American president represented Redcoats accused of murdering American patriots in an incident that helped spark the Revolution.

Apollo 11 Photos

President Nixon prepared a chilling speech in case disaster struck the moon landing.