Arts & Entertainment

The history of art and entertainment tells the complex story of human civilization through visual art, design, literature, music, film and television. It ranges from cave drawings of the Neolithic period to Renaissance masterpieces to rock 'n' roll and video games.

Featured Overview

Historian Yohuru Williams discusses key facts about the Hollywood Ten, a group of film directors, screenwriters and producers blacklisted for Communist affiliations in 1947.

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Artist Andy Warhol displaying his portrait of a Barbie doll.  (Credit: DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Featured Overview

Historian Yohuru Williams discusses key facts about the Hollywood Ten, a group of film directors, screenwriters and producers blacklisted for Communist affiliations in 1947.

1:41m watch

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Archibald Motley, 'Black Belt,' 1934.

These visual artists helped modernize and reclaim African American portrayals through groundbreaking painting, sculpture and photography.

Portrait of Machito (at mic, right), with his Afro-Cuban mambo orchestra, including: José Mangual (bongos), Carlos Vidal Bolado (conga), Mario Bauzá (far left trumpeter), Ubaldo Nieto (timbales) and Graciella Grillo (front left), at the Glen Island Casino, New Rochelle, New York, c. July 1947

When Afro-Cuban mambo met big band jazz, musical sparks flew.

10 Asian American Actors From Hollywood's Golden Age, Anna May Wong

Actors of East Asian descent often faced limited and typecast roles in Old Hollywood, but they paved the way for future generations.

Crinolines from 1850. Artist Unknown.

As clothing became cheaper and faster to make amid the Industrial Revolution, new, sometimes outrageous fashion designs became chic.

Why Is Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Significant?

Why Is Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' Significant?

Take a journey through the history of science fiction and examine the cultural influences such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and space exploration, that influenced Stanley Kubrick's 1968 visionary film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

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Arts & Entertainment
Josh Reynolds, the creator of mood stone rings

The jewelry gave wearers the opportunity to track their feelings.

Daft Punk musicians in space suit-looking costumes perform from an elaborate colored-light pyramid above the 2006 Coachella Music Festival stage

The Flaming Lips’ frontman in a bubble. Daft Punk’s pyramid perch. Tupac’s ‘hologram.’ Coachella’s most iconic sets didn’t just wow crowds—they changed what festivals could be.

Smiley Buttons

It was originally designed to lift employee morale after a rocky corporate merger.

a pile of three pairs of folded jeans

Denim jeans have unexpected origins.

Joni Mitchell

Springsteen's breakout. Dylan's heartbreak. P-Funk's Mothership. From punk poetry to hot-and-heavy disco, 1975 had something for everyone.

In April 1896, Thomas Edison rented a New York Vaudeville hall to show a film—an event that many consider to be America's first movie theater experience.

Bob Dylan performing live in New York, 1974.

The legendary singer-songwriter mixed folk and rock, and proved longer songs could become hits.

Actors Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Ray Bolge, Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton in a scene from the film 'The Wizard of Oz', 1939. Hamilton suffered severe burns during filming.

The iconic 1939 movie starring Judy Garland is among the most-watched in history, but even the biggest fans may not know these details.

Nosferatu

While the 1897 novel 'Dracula' launched a genre of literature and film about vampires, a 1922 knock-off film cast the villain in a whole new light.

Maria Callas, 1969

Callas became the most celebrated operatic soprano of the 20th century, but then her career—and life—were cut short.

Some of the earliest versions of socially acceptable women's pants were worn by women vacationing on the beach.

The Disney animation team spent three years, $1.4 million—and nearly 2 million separate paintings—in making its first feature-length film.

A view of the dunes of Florence, Oregon.

Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction classic tackled ecological themes and predicted some real-world problems.

Archibald Motley, 'Black Belt,' 1934.

These visual artists helped modernize and reclaim African American portrayals through groundbreaking painting, sculpture and photography.

Graceland, the Elvis Presley mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, photographed in 1985.

From how the kitchen was stocked, to who is buried on the grounds, explore facts about the estate that Priscilla Presley converted into a business.

A crowd of smiling graduates in black capes standing outside a university building, throwing their caps in the air.

Some commencement ceremony traditions, like the cap and gown, have medieval origins; others developed more recently.

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) composing the 'Missa Solemnis', February-April 1820. Oil painting by August Klober. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Genetic analysis of the composer's hair reveals a likely cause of death.

Humans have conceived versions of intelligent machines for centuries.

Henry Ossawa Tanner and his painting "The Annunciation" (1898)

Despite the virulent racism of their time, these talented African American artists found success—and left lasting legacies.

Two civil rights activists produce an ethnically correct Black doll and usher in a new standard for the toy industry.

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Vintage Christmas picture from 1960 of a boy and girl with Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls

From Raggedy Ann to Barbie to Cabbage Patch Kids, these mass-produced playthings have delighted millions of children worldwide.

Portrait of Machito (at mic, right), with his Afro-Cuban mambo orchestra, including: José Mangual (bongos), Carlos Vidal Bolado (conga), Mario Bauzá (far left trumpeter), Ubaldo Nieto (timbales) and Graciella Grillo (front left), at the Glen Island Casino, New Rochelle, New York, c. July 1947

When Afro-Cuban mambo met big band jazz, musical sparks flew.

Celia Cruz during rehearsal for the third annual Latin GRAMMY Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, 2002.

Colonization of the Americas allowed for the melding of European, Indigenous and African sounds—creating some very danceable musical styles.

Declaration of Independence Copy Up for Sale371385 03: One of only 25 known surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence which were printed July 4, 1776 sits on display at Sotheby''s June 22, 2000 in New York City. The historic document will be sold in a one-day sale June 29th, 2000. It is estimated to be worth between $4,000,000 and $6,000,000.

These are some of the most surprising, and valuable, historical objects people have ever found by accident.

Actresses Lucille Ball (right) and Amanda Milligan in a classic episode of the television comedy 'I Love Lucy' entitled 'Job Switching,' which aired on May 30, 1952.

Pioneering shows from the 1950s, like 'I Love Lucy,' would help shape the medium for decades to come.

Pomp and Circumstance was originally used in King Edward VII’s coronation. Four years later, it was played as everyone was leaving Yale University because the song's composer was receiving an honorary degree.

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A visitor looks at the work 'Campbell's Soup Cans' by artist Andy Warhol at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City

'I used to drink it,' the artist said. 'I used to have the same lunch every day for 20 years.'

Do you ever feel like you have the most common name ever? From Emily to Micheal to Sarah, these names have caught many parents' eyes and defined decades. Check out the most popular baby names in every decade, in this episode of History By the Decade.

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From the soirees of 1920s Paris to the festivals of King Henry VIII's court, history was full of outrageous celebrations. So grab some champagne and take a tour of the 9 craziest parties in history in this episode of History Countdown.

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Brad Meltzer Decodes Four Enduring Historical Mysteries

Fort Knox empty? The disappearing White House cornerstone. America's version of Stonehenge. And Leonardo's missing notebook page.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

'Walk' among the terra cotta warriors. Tour Anne Frank's secret annex. Read letters to FDR. And more.

Suicide? Murder? P.R. stunt? Marie Empress's 1919 disappearance from an ocean liner remains a total enigma.

The iconic music festival faced massive resistance from local residents who feared an invasion of long-haired druggies in August of 1969.

The Kim Sisters

The Kim Sisters’ success in Las Vegas allowed their family in war-torn Korea to eat.

Some of the 20th century's most important inventions—computers, transistors, satellites—were pioneered at Bell Labs. But these scientists also delved into the creative, and their research in computer-generated films and music would set the foundation for an entire future of media.

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Makers of the television show "The Six Million Dollar Man" get the fright of a lifetime when they discover that their prop mannequin is actually the mummified corpse of an outlaw killed 65 years ago.

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These controversial artworks shocked the world.

Learn about the long Hollywood history of the oft-remade film "A Star Is Born."

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Michey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi

Mickey Rooney's portrayal in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' is often cited as offensive and a well-known example of yellowface.

The stars! The sights! See Hollywood as it was in the 1960s, as television and movies became equals in Los Angeles' most famous neighborhood.

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Kim Jong-il with actress Choi Eun-hee and director Shin Jeong-gyun (right of center. (Credit: Magnolia Pictures/Everett)

The late Kim wanted Choi Eun-hee and her director ex-husband to improve North Korean cinema.

Janet Leigh in Psycho

Extreme close-ups. Fast-motion reverse shots. And flesh-stabbing sound effects made with a knife and a casaba melon.

American educator and television personality Fred Rogers on the television series 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' circa 1980s. (Credit: PBS Television/Getty Images)

Nuclear war and race relations weren't the usual kiddie-show fodder, but they made their way into the safe space of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.'

Take a journey through the history of science fiction and examine the cultural influences such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and space exploration, that influenced Stanley Kubrick's 1968 visionary film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

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Los Angeles Exteriors And Landmarks – 2014LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 03: A view of the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee on February 03, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Hollywood’s Humble Origins In 1853, a small adobe hut was all that existed where Hollywood stands today. But over the next two decades, the area became a thriving agricultural community called Cahuenga Valley. When politician and real estate developer H...

Stephen Hawking

Little known facts about the astronomical life of author, cosmologist and physicist Stephen Hawking.

A poster for Stanley Donen's 1952 comedy 'Singin' in the Rain' starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. (Credit: Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images)

Many memorable performances were fueled by “pep pills.”

At the 1973 Academy Awards, Sacheen Littlefeather refuses the Academy Award for Best Actor on behalf of Marlon Brando who won for his role in The Godfather. She carries a letter from Brando in which he explains he refused the award in protest of American treatment of the Native Americans. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Here’s why three famous winners didn’t take their Oscars home.

Fred Rogers pauses during a May 27, 1993 taping of his show " Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

If popular folklore is to be believed, he's a tattooed former military sniper with a dark secret.

A line-up of women being directed by Sammy Lee during the filming of MGM's 'Revue Of 1930'. (Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Female extras and dancers were often lured to parties under false pretenses.

How eight lucky people found work by famous artists.

In 1967, Philco-Ford produced a short film exploring what the "Home of the Future" might look like. We re-examine this film to see what they got right about the future - and what was wrong with the past.

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A family sitting around their television, 1945. (Credit: Harold M. Lambert/Getty Images)

Television brought film into people’s homes—but flattened Hollywood.

English author Jane Austen. (Credit: Stock Montage/Stock Montage/Getty Images)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that marriage isn’t always in the cards.

English novelist Charles Dickens. (Credit: Rischgitz/Getty Images)

The country once taxed the number of windows people had—in effect, making them pay to breathe.

Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures

'King Cohn' lived up to his despicable reputation.

A copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' being pulled off a shelf.

Biloxi, Mississippi, will remove the book from school curriculums.

The rumble scene from the stage production of 'West Side Story,' 1957. (Credit: Hank Walker/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

As the musical celebrates its 60th anniversary, it stands as more than art: It was an artistic confrontation of social issues from immigration to economic inequality to gang violence.

A visitor looks at a painting entitled "La persistance de la mémoire" (Persistence of Memory) by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali's during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou contopary art center (aka Beaubourg) on November 19, 2012 in Paris. More than 30 years after the first retrospective in 1979, the event gathers more than 200 art pieces and runs until March 13, 2013. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS GUILLOT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images)

Surrealism, an artistic movement that formed in the early 20th century, has had a lasting impact on painting, sculpture, literature, photography and film.

Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848–1933), A Wooded Landscape in Three Panels, c. 1905, stained glass, 219.7 x 334.1 cm (86.5 x 131.6 in), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas.

Art Nouveau showcased curvaceous lines in visual arts and design, before the streamlined style of Art Deco flourished in displays of architecture and fashion.

Richard Hornberger was famous for his wisecracking characters, but his real accomplishments were as a surgeon.

A visitor looks at enigmatic American artist Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans" at the Tate Modern in London 05 February 2002. A major retrospective of the controversial Warhol's work is expected to be a highlight of the English capital's cultural year. AFP PHOTO/Nicolas ASFOURI / AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)

Modernism was a movement in the arts that lasted from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th century.

Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley gets mobbed by girls backstage of the Milton Berle Show in Burbank, California, 1956. (Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Does the King still hold appeal for a younger generation?

The Wassily Chair, B3, designed by Marcel Breuer at Bauhaus School.

Bauhaus was an influential art and design movement in early 20th century Germany that championed a geometric, abstract style with no historical nods.

Car chases. Drag races. Spy maneuvers and more. The film world has long had a love affair with its four-wheeled stars.

"Paris Street; Rainy Day" by Gustave Caillebotte. From the Art Institute of Chicago. (Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

Impressionism, an art movement that emerged in France in the mid- to late 1800s, emphasized plein air painting and new expressions of light and color.

PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 18: A visitor looks at Picasso paintings 'Seated woman with a hat' and 'Bust of a woman with a striped' during the press day at the Picasso Museum, on October 18, 2014 in Paris, France. The museum will reopen on the 25th and will be inaugurated the same day by French president Francois Hollande. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)

Cubism is an abstract artistic movement created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in the early 1900s that influenced other forms of art, music and literature.

Actress Helen Kane

The cartoon vixen was an unlikely candidate for a lawsuit—and for popularity.

Crowning the Queen on the program 'Queen for a Day,' which was aired that day over radio and TV.

The midcentury TV show  traded big prizes for women’s sob stories—and predicted the reality shows of today.

Check out 10 of history’s most fashionable world leaders.

American stage actress and director Antoinette Perry. (Credit: CSU Archives / Everett Collection)

The effect a Tony Award has on a Broadway production is similar to what an Oscar can do for a Hollywood film. It’s the industry’s highest honor and can make or break a play when it is given—or not. Although it may seem like a mainstay now, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway […]

Emma Watson poses in the press room at the 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards.  (Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

MTV made waves when Emma Watson was awarded a non-gender specific “Best Actor” award for her performance in “Beauty and the Beast.” But while this may be a first for the MTV Movie & TV Awards, it’s not a first for the entertainment industry. For the top honors in film and theater, awards have always […]

Author Ernest Hemingway poses for a portrait while on a big game hunt in September 1952 in Kenya.

Hemingway, America’s best-known novelist and one of the most famous figures in the history of literature, had a secret espionage past.

Several thousands turned out to see the controversial works of Robert Mapplethorpe at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.

When the daguerreotype—the proto-photo—was first popularized in 1839, French poet and critic Charles Baudelaire railed against the form, calling it “deplorable.” And in the 178 years since its invention, the camera—and photographers—have courted controversy and headlines in equal measure. Here are the 10 most controversial moments in the history of the camera: 1. Death on […]

Meet eight Muppet characters who've helped kids—and adults—learn some powerful life lessons.

From Bette vs. Joan to the ultimate sibling rivalry, check out these legendary Hollywood battles.

Ellen Degeneres, Groundbreaking LGBTQ Characters

Have you heard of these groundbreaking LGBT characters?

Get the facts on eight of the most magnificent libraries of the ancient world.

(Original Caption) Horatio Alger (1834-1889), American author of a series of stories on self-supporting boys.

Referring to someone as a “Horatio Alger hero” means that person has overcome adversity and achieved success thanks to hard work and perseverance. The term is linked to the fictional stories of real-life, 19th-century author Horatio Alger Jr., who penned tales about street children who managed to better their circumstances through a combination of factors […]

DEC 6 1967, DEC 9 1967; Mrs. Anthony Gavito Jr., left, and Miss Nadine Murray, 7100 W. 67th Ave., look over Twister game. They were checking toys in preparation for Christmas party.; (Photo By Ed Maker/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The late-night television show rescued the game from being branded as too risqué—and made it a pop culture sensation.

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.

These classic works of literature ran afoul of government censors.

Getty Images / Tony Evans

Read about Roald Dahl’s secret life befriending presidents and bedding socialites as part of a British spy ring in the United States.

In 1911, a former Louvre employee perpetrated one of the greatest art heists in history: the theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s immortal painting “Mona Lisa.”

Louis Armstrong plays his trumpet during a performance in Baltimore.

Check out nine little-known facts about the jazz legend nicknamed “Satchmo.”

Charlie Chaplin

From an Oscar-winning scriptwriter to a hardboiled detective novelist.

Find out how these three priceless objects were recovered and learn how stolen items associated with Walt Whitman and King Croesus also have happy endings.

Chinese paleontologist Xu Xing (L) from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Beijing holds a fossil of a Archaeoraptor with Stephen Czerkas (R), director of the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding. (Credit: TIM SLOAN/Getty Images)

From Drake’s Plate of Brass to the Archaeoraptor fossil, explore seven fascinating historical hoaxes.

Going back in time—to play a famous man or woman from history—was the ticket to Oscar gold for these nine men and women.

harry houdini

Explore 10 surprising facts about history’s most influential magician.

(Original Caption) Leo Tolstoy-(1828-1910) Russian novelist and moral philosopher. Tolstoy is shown seated, as an older man with a flowing beard. Undated photograph.

Check out five surprising facts about the author of 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina.'

Mary Wirth and her horse. Circa 1920.

From Queen Victoria’s favorite lion tamer to a doomed aerialist, step right up and meet eight of the most beloved and influential stars of the big top.

British mystery author Agatha Christie autographing French editions of her books.

Explore some illuminating facts about the so-called Queen of Crime.

Enrico Fermi in His Laboratory.

Check out eight whiz kids who made their mark on history.

On the set of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Historical figures and events informed George Lucas as he created his sci-fi saga in a galaxy far, far away.

The Hatter from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." (Credit: The Print Collector/Getty Images)

Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” famously features an eccentric character called the Hatter, who’s referred to in the story as “mad” and became popularly known as the Mad Hatter. However, the phrase “mad as a hatter,” used to describe someone who’s crazy or prone to unpredictable behavior, didn’t originate with Carroll. Instead, […]

(Credit: Yarygin/www.istockphoto.com)

The origins of “in the limelight,” which refers to being the focus of public attention, are linked to a type of stage lighting that was popular in the 19th century. The “lime” in limelight has nothing to do with the green citrus fruit but rather with a chemical compound, calcium oxide, also known as quicklime. […]

Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was cemented as a premier writer of late 19th century America with his works "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Find out more about his life and writing in this video.

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Was There a Real Moby Dick?

Stories of killer whales have circulated on the high seas for generations.

A portrait of Edgar Allan Poe, the American author and poet, 1809-1849.

The famed writer died suddenly—and under strange circumstances.

Get the facts about the famous comic strip Peanuts and its creator.

James Dean poses for a Warner Bros publicity shot for his film 'Rebel Without A Cause' in 1955 in Los Angeles, California.

Get the facts on the actor who epitomized coolness and youthful angst.

An 1887 van Gogh self-portrait

Find out more about the Dutch-born painter, including what he did before becoming an artist, the unusual place where he painted some of his best-known works and why he might not have been responsible for cutting off his own ear.

American aircraft designer Howard Hughes prepares for the trial run of his strategic airlift flying boat, the Hughes H-4 Hercules (aka the 'Spruce Goose'), Los Angeles harbor, 2nd November 1947. The brief flight was the aircraft's first and only time airborne.

From the development of his massive Spruce Goose aircraft to his involvement in a top-secret CIA plot to recover a Soviet sub, get the facts about the eccentric billionaire.

circa 1865: American showman and circus owner Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810 - 1891), who toured the country with his entourage of 'freaks

Check out 10 surprising facts about the 19th century’s most legendary showman

Explore the story of this literary classic and its author, L. Frank Baum, whose jobs ranged from chicken breeder to frontier storekeeper before he struck literary gold in 1900.

The cast of "The Sound of Music" at the film's 1965 premiere.

Explore the true history behind one of the most popular films of all time, “The Sound of Music.”

From the business setback that spurred him to develop Mickey Mouse to that persistent cryogenics myth, discover seven fascinating facts about this entertainment legend.

Copenhagen, Denmark

It's one of the rarest and most influential books in world history. But was it the first?

A photo taken on April 2, 2014 at the Institut des Lettres et des Manuscrits de Paris shows the manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom" written by the Marquis de Sade while he was imprisoned at the Bastille in 1785. Sade wrote the manuscript in tiny script on both sides of a sheaf of narrow paper, whose sheets he attached into a single 39-foot-long roll. Fearing that his work would be confiscated, he hid the roll in a crevice in a stone wall of his cell. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images)

From Martin Luther King’s immortal jailhouse letter to a classic of philosophy completed on death row, get the facts on eight of the most influential and incendiary works written from behind bars.

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) composing the 'Missa Solemnis', February-April 1820. Oil painting by August Klober. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

From Charles Dickens’ obsession with order to a Greek politician’s bizarre trick for avoiding procrastination, learn more about eight historical figures that had unorthodox methods for getting things done.

Check out eight fascinating facts about the world-famous author, including why his riverboat career was marred by tragedy and who served as the real-life model for Huck Finn.

Louis and Auguste Lumière

Take a look back at the Lumière brothers and their groundbreaking invention, the Cinématographe.

Alfred Hitchcock

Check out nine surprising facts about the man known as the big screen’s “Master of Suspense.”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective with the knack for solving crimes through observation and reason was modeled after Dr. Joseph Bell, one of Conan Doyle’s medical school professors. Conan Doyle, born in Scotland in 1859, studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and went on to work as a physician in England while writing […]

Portrait of Nathaniel Hawthorne, ca. 1886, by artist Alexander Johnston.

Explore 10 surprising facts about the famed American novelist.

Actor Charlie Chaplin looks though a movie camera on April 22, 1935. He is directing, as well as acting in, a comedy tentatively titled Production No. 5.

From his challenging childhood to his stolen coffin, the silent film star's story was anything but ordinary.

24-year-old American actor Christopher Reeve plays the comic-book hero as he mends a broken railway track in a scene from the film 'Superman'.

Explore eight surprising facts about the Man of Steel.

Read the incredible tale of Marcus Luttrell and his fellow Navy SEALs that is the basis for the film.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini

Find out more about the extraordinary circumstances of seven of history’s most unlikely friendships.

Zapruder film, JFK assassination

The 26-second snippet of JFK's assassination became a major piece of evidence for government investigators and conspiracy theorists alike.

Orson Welles' 1938 program is the most famous—and dramatic— broadcast in radio history.

Color illustration from the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" depicting the character, Little Red Riding Hood, sitting on the grass and cowering as a wolf approaches her. Part of "Grimm's Fairy Tales" by the Brothers Grimm.

Check out six sinister themes in his work you likely wouldn’t find in a modern-day children’s story.

The Louvre Museum in Paris.

Check out some surprising facts about the world-famous museum and its long history.

Portrait of Winston Churchill painted by Graham Sutherland as an 80th birthday gift.

From a Russian national treasure looted by the Nazis to a da Vinci painting that no one has ever seen, find out more about eight of art history’s missing masterworks.

The Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California.

Explore some surprising facts about this famed symbol of the U.S. movie industry.

Ziggy Marley talks about his famous family and his favorite memories of his father.

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A sample of Clifford Irving's forged correspondence with Howard Hughes. (Credit: National Postal Museum/Smithsonian Institute)

Thirty years after the Hitler Diaries were exposed as a fraud, here’s a look back at some of history’s other famous fictions.

Horatio Nelson.

Find out more about the unusual origin stories behind 10 everyday phrases.

Pablo Picasso in his mansion "La Californie" in Cannes.

Check out seven surprising facts about the prolific and influential artist.

OSLO, NORWAY - DECEMBER 10: A plaque depicting Alfred Nobel at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony 2008 in Oslo City Hall on December 10, 2008 in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to Martti Ahtisaari for his important efforts, on several continents and more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. His will stated that the prize should be awarded by a committee of five people elected by the Norwegian Parliament. The Peace Prize is presented annually in Oslo, Norway, in the presence of the king, on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The Nobel Prizes, awarded annually on the anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel’s death, remain some of the most prestigious awards in the world.

The chemistry between Stan Lee's script and Steve Ditko's art made the tale of a high school outcast accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider an instant success.

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Is it true that Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton played a role in the invention that lead to Johnny Carson? Stay tuned!

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Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel at work on a drawing for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

The famous children's book author and illustrator

Explore seven fascinating facts about the English novelist and his extraordinary life.

From Thomas Edison to MTV, the music video's long history.

Rock guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) caught mid guitar-break during his performance at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 1970.

Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin number among the tragically long list of musicians who died at 27.

Author Mark Twain poses for a portrait in 1900.

Mark Twain, the pseudonym of Samuel Clemens, was an American writer and humorist known for his travelogues and books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Washington, DC: Four Of "Hollywood Ten" Off To Jail. Four of the "Hollywood Ten" convicted of contempt today because they refused to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee whether they were Communists are shown leaving U. S. District Court to begin their jail sentences. In front are Albert Maltz, (Left) and Ring Lardner, Jr. Behind them are Alvah Bessie (Left) and Lester Cole.

The Hollywood Ten were film professionals who denounced the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947, resulting in their blacklisting from the industry.