american history

Elizabeth Van Lew’s Heroic Career As A Civil War Spy

Perhaps the Union's most important spy, Elizabeth Van Lew freed prisoners and passed along crucial information gathered at the Confederate capital of Richmond.

By Gina Dimuro • Jun 28, 2026

Elizabeth Van Lew’s Heroic Career As A Civil War Spy

Perhaps the Union's most important spy, Elizabeth Van Lew freed prisoners and passed along crucial information gathered at the Confederate capital of Richmond.

By Gina Dimuro • June 28, 2026

Barbara Daly Baekeland Tried To Cure Her Son’s Homosexuality With Incest. Instead, He Killed Her

Wealthy socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland attempted to "cure" her gay son by getting him to sleep with her, then Antony Baekeland stabbed her to death on November 17, 1972.

By Kara Goldfarb • Jun 28, 2026

Barbara Daly Baekeland Tried To Cure Her Son’s Homosexuality With Incest. Instead, He Killed Her

Wealthy socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland attempted to "cure" her gay son by getting him to sleep with her, then Antony Baekeland stabbed her to death on November 17, 1972.

By Kara Goldfarb • June 28, 2026

The Shocking Murder Of James Byrd Jr., The Black Man Who Was Dragged Behind A Truck By White Supremacists

The 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas, spurred federal hate crime legislation, even as some people insisted that it was simply a drug deal gone wrong.

By Rivy Lyon • Jun 28, 2026

The Shocking Murder Of James Byrd Jr., The Black Man Who Was Dragged Behind A Truck By White Supremacists

The 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas, spurred federal hate crime legislation, even as some people insisted that it was simply a drug deal gone wrong.

By Rivy Lyon • June 28, 2026

The Chilling Crimes Of Harvey Glatman, ‘The Glamour Girl Slayer’ Who Took Photos Of His Victims

In late 1950s Los Angeles, serial killer Harvey Glatman raped and murdered three aspiring models — but not before taking disturbing photos of them first.

By Gabe Paoletti • Jun 27, 2026

The Chilling Crimes Of Harvey Glatman, ‘The Glamour Girl Slayer’ Who Took Photos Of His Victims

In late 1950s Los Angeles, serial killer Harvey Glatman raped and murdered three aspiring models — but not before taking disturbing photos of them first.

By Gabe Paoletti • June 27, 2026

The Heroic Story Of The Memphis Belle, The First American Bomber To Return Home After 25 Successful Missions

The crew of the Memphis Belle were treated like celebrities when they arrived back in the United States in 1943, and their story boosted public morale during a time when one in five air crewmen never returned home.

By Ella Spitz • Jun 27, 2026

The Heroic Story Of The Memphis Belle, The First American Bomber To Return Home After 25 Successful Missions

The crew of the Memphis Belle were treated like celebrities when they arrived back in the United States in 1943, and their story boosted public morale during a time when one in five air crewmen never returned home.

By Ella Spitz • June 27, 2026

77 Rarely-Seen Photos From World War 2, The Deadliest War In History

From the front lines of blood-soaked battles to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, these photos illustrate the realities of life for millions of troops and civilians during World War II.

By John Kuroski • Jun 26, 2026

77 Rarely-Seen Photos From World War 2, The Deadliest War In History

From the front lines of blood-soaked battles to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, these photos illustrate the realities of life for millions of troops and civilians during World War II.

By John Kuroski • June 26, 2026

The New York City Farm Colony: Inside The Crumbling Ruins Of Staten Island’s 19th-Century ‘Poor Farm’

The New York City Farm Colony lies in ruins today, but it has a dark past as a hospital and poorhouse — and it's even connected to serial killers and boogeymen.

By Erin Kelly • Jun 25, 2026

The New York City Farm Colony: Inside The Crumbling Ruins Of Staten Island’s 19th-Century ‘Poor Farm’

The New York City Farm Colony lies in ruins today, but it has a dark past as a hospital and poorhouse — and it's even connected to serial killers and boogeymen.

By Erin Kelly • June 25, 2026

How Did Robin Williams Die? Inside The Actor’s Tragic Suicide

On August 11, 2014, Robin Williams died by suicide in Paradise Cay, California. An autopsy later showed that he had Lewy body dementia — a debilitating brain disease.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jun 25, 2026

How Did Robin Williams Die? Inside The Actor’s Tragic Suicide

On August 11, 2014, Robin Williams died by suicide in Paradise Cay, California. An autopsy later showed that he had Lewy body dementia — a debilitating brain disease.

By Marco Margaritoff • June 25, 2026

Sally Hemings, The Enslaved Woman Who Had A 38-Year Relationship With Thomas Jefferson

Rumors of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson's relationship spread even while they were alive — and DNA testing in 1998 suggested that Jefferson was indeed the father of Hemings' four children who survived into adulthood.

By Gina Dimuro • Jun 24, 2026

Sally Hemings, The Enslaved Woman Who Had A 38-Year Relationship With Thomas Jefferson

Rumors of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson's relationship spread even while they were alive — and DNA testing in 1998 suggested that Jefferson was indeed the father of Hemings' four children who survived into adulthood.

By Gina Dimuro • June 24, 2026

How David Vetter’s Disease Turned Him Into The ‘Bubble Boy’

Born with a hereditary condition known as severe combined immunodeficiency, David Vetter was so prone to infection that he had to live his life inside a plastic bubble.

By Genevieve Carlton • Jun 23, 2026

How David Vetter’s Disease Turned Him Into The ‘Bubble Boy’

Born with a hereditary condition known as severe combined immunodeficiency, David Vetter was so prone to infection that he had to live his life inside a plastic bubble.

By Genevieve Carlton • June 23, 2026

The USS Arizona, The Battleship That Lost Nearly 80 Percent Of Its Crew During The Attack On Pearl Harbor

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killed 2,403 people — and 1,177 of those fatalities were crewmen on the USS Arizona.

By Genevieve Carlton • Jun 22, 2026

The USS Arizona, The Battleship That Lost Nearly 80 Percent Of Its Crew During The Attack On Pearl Harbor

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killed 2,403 people — and 1,177 of those fatalities were crewmen on the USS Arizona.

By Genevieve Carlton • June 22, 2026

Inside The Shocking Revenge Story Of Marvin Heemeyer And His ‘Killdozer’

After his zoning petition was repeatedly dismissed, Marvin Heemeyer decided to modify a bulldozer into a lethal "killdozer" and go on a rampage in Granby, Colorado.

By Katie Serena • Jun 22, 2026

Inside The Shocking Revenge Story Of Marvin Heemeyer And His ‘Killdozer’

After his zoning petition was repeatedly dismissed, Marvin Heemeyer decided to modify a bulldozer into a lethal "killdozer" and go on a rampage in Granby, Colorado.

By Katie Serena • June 22, 2026