american history

Ziegfeld Follies: The Opulent Broadway Shows That Dazzled 1920s New York City

From 1907 to 1931, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. put on a series of extraordinary shows that "glorified" American women and embraced “erotic abandon.”

By Kaleena Fraga • Jul 15, 2021

Ziegfeld Follies: The Opulent Broadway Shows That Dazzled 1920s New York City

From 1907 to 1931, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. put on a series of extraordinary shows that "glorified" American women and embraced “erotic abandon.”

By Kaleena Fraga • July 15, 2021

The Strange Life Of ‘Lord’ Timothy Dexter, The 18th-Century Millionaire Whose Success Defied Reason

Timothy Dexter made absurd investments that somehow panned out, wrote an entire memoir without a single piece of punctuation, and faked his own death just to see how he would be mourned.

By Genevieve Carlton • Jul 14, 2021

The Strange Life Of ‘Lord’ Timothy Dexter, The 18th-Century Millionaire Whose Success Defied Reason

Timothy Dexter made absurd investments that somehow panned out, wrote an entire memoir without a single piece of punctuation, and faked his own death just to see how he would be mourned.

By Genevieve Carlton • July 14, 2021

The Wild Story Of John Harvey Kellogg, The Eccentric Wellness Guru Who Invented Corn Flakes

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg used a host of bizarre methods to prevent masturbation and cleanse his patients’ colons at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

By Leah Silverman • Jul 13, 2021

The Wild Story Of John Harvey Kellogg, The Eccentric Wellness Guru Who Invented Corn Flakes

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg used a host of bizarre methods to prevent masturbation and cleanse his patients’ colons at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

By Leah Silverman • July 13, 2021

The Incredible Story Behind The Iconic ‘Kiss Of Life’ Photo

On July 17, 1967, a Florida photographer named Rocco Morabito captured one electrical lineman saving the life of another in an image that would go down in history.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jul 13, 2021

The Incredible Story Behind The Iconic ‘Kiss Of Life’ Photo

On July 17, 1967, a Florida photographer named Rocco Morabito captured one electrical lineman saving the life of another in an image that would go down in history.

By Kaleena Fraga • July 13, 2021

Lysol Was Once Used As Birth Control – And Poisoned A Lot Of Women

With few options available to women, Lysol’s advertising as a feminine product made it one of the most popular contraceptive devises around.

By Aimee Lamoureux • Jul 11, 2021

Lysol Was Once Used As Birth Control – And Poisoned A Lot Of Women

With few options available to women, Lysol’s advertising as a feminine product made it one of the most popular contraceptive devises around.

By Aimee Lamoureux • July 11, 2021

Meet Emperor Norton, America’s Self-Proclaimed Supreme Leader

In 1859, San Francisco businessman Joshua Norton declared himself Emperor Norton of The United States. And it worked... sort of.

By Susan Sims • Jul 11, 2021

Meet Emperor Norton, America’s Self-Proclaimed Supreme Leader

In 1859, San Francisco businessman Joshua Norton declared himself Emperor Norton of The United States. And it worked... sort of.

By Susan Sims • July 11, 2021

The True Story Of Blackbeard, The Fearsome Pirate Who Ruled The 18th-Century Caribbean

Calling himself "Blackbeard," English pirate Edward Teach terrorized the Caribbean between 1716 and 1718 until he was ultimately beheaded in battle.

By Gina Dimuro • Jul 10, 2021

The True Story Of Blackbeard, The Fearsome Pirate Who Ruled The 18th-Century Caribbean

Calling himself "Blackbeard," English pirate Edward Teach terrorized the Caribbean between 1716 and 1718 until he was ultimately beheaded in battle.

By Gina Dimuro • July 10, 2021

The Brutal Story Of Malice Green’s Murder By Detroit Police

When Malice Green — an unarmed Black man — was beaten to death by the police on November 5, 1992, many wondered if justice was even possible.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jul 8, 2021

The Brutal Story Of Malice Green’s Murder By Detroit Police

When Malice Green — an unarmed Black man — was beaten to death by the police on November 5, 1992, many wondered if justice was even possible.

By Marco Margaritoff • July 8, 2021

Annie Lee Cooper, The Black Activist John Lewis Revered As ‘Absolutely Fearless’

From marching with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma to socking a racist cop for trying to keep her from the polls, Annie Lee Cooper fought for the rights of Black Americans with ferocity.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • Jul 8, 2021

Annie Lee Cooper, The Black Activist John Lewis Revered As ‘Absolutely Fearless’

From marching with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma to socking a racist cop for trying to keep her from the polls, Annie Lee Cooper fought for the rights of Black Americans with ferocity.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • July 8, 2021

The Extraordinary Life Of Mary McLeod Bethune, The First Black Woman To Lead A Federal Agency

A child of former slaves, Mary McLeod Bethune achieved the near-impossible when she became an advisor to five different U.S. Presidents in the Jim Crow era.

By Genevieve Carlton • Jul 7, 2021

The Extraordinary Life Of Mary McLeod Bethune, The First Black Woman To Lead A Federal Agency

A child of former slaves, Mary McLeod Bethune achieved the near-impossible when she became an advisor to five different U.S. Presidents in the Jim Crow era.

By Genevieve Carlton • July 7, 2021