History Shorts: Why Do Ghosts Wear White Sheets?

(1m 1s) tv-pg

Ghosts in white sheets have become a classic Halloween icon, but where did this costume actually begin?

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Marshmallows Were Once Used As Medicine

Marshmallows Were Once Used As Medicine

More History Shorts Videos

These are unexpected tales from history you didn’t know you needed to know—and want to share with a friend. Explore key moments in history with these 60-second video shorts.

A President's First Pitch Helped Heal the Nation

Elizabeth Blackwell Fought Sexism to Save Civil War Soldiers

How the Census Led to Modern Computing

The White House Easter Egg Roll

Super Tuesday’s Ill-Fated Origins

The Wright Brothers’ Sister Was the Secret to Their Success

The Legendary Harlem Hellfighters

First Medal of Honor and the Great Locomotive Chase

St. Patrick’s Day and the American Revolution

Daylight Saving Time

Calvin Coolidge Keeps His Cool After Harding's Death

Teddy Roosevelt Takes the Reins After an Assassination

Mardi Gras in New Orleans Came from a Secret Society

Andrew Johnson's Efforts to Undermine Lincoln's Legacy

Why Does the Iowa Caucus Come First?

The Zamboni Revolution

WWII's Skiing Soldiers

How Thomas Jefferson Cancelled the State of the Union

The Prohibition Agents Who Became Masters of Disguise

How the Snowmobile Got Its Start

The Snowstorm that Changed Everything

New Year's Eve Ball Drop

How Nutcrackers Became A Holiday Icon

NORAD Santa Tracker

Pearl Harbor

Berlin's Animal Arms Race

Honoring Veterans Day

North America’s Ancient Cities

WWII Thanksgiving

Why Sheep Mowed the White House Lawn

George Washington's Dogs

Marshmallows Were Once Used As Medicine

The Hollywood Actress Who Invented WiFi

The Interstate System...and Atomic Bombs?

How an Exile Brought Chewing Gum to America

Why Do We Celebrate Columbus?

Apples Were Once As Good As Gold

The Mendez Family, Trailblazers Fighting School Segregation

Tailgating Started During a Civil War Battle

The 9/11 Survivor Tree

Why Homework Was Banned

Before the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor Saved Baseball

How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football

How a Camping Trip Created our National Parks

Apollo 11: JFK’s Secret Space Tapes

Apollo 11: Handmade Parts

Apollo 11: Impact on the Modern Space Race

Apollo 11: What the Moon Smells Like

Apollo 11: They Almost Forgot the American Flag

The Nazis Plot to Blow Up Hoover Dam

More to History: Woodstock Almost Never Happened

The Washington Monument Was Almost Never Finished

Why Prisoners Preferred Alcatraz

How Devil's Tower Got its Name

How a Camping Trip Brought Us Charcoal BBQs

Why Hurricanes Have Names

The Ice Cream Cone Came Via a Chance Encounter

Why Republicans are linked to Elephants

Why Democrats are linked to Donkeys

Labor Day's Railroad Strike Roots

How the Beer Can Was Saved from Extinction

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