american history

The Solution To The Unbreakable Code Carved Onto The Kryptos Sculpture At CIA Headquarters Will Soon Be Sold To The Highest Bidder

In 1990, a sculpture known as Kryptos was installed right outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia — and it was inscribed with four encoded messages. While the first three codes were all solved within a few years, the final message has remained shrouded in mystery to this day.

By Ainsley Brown • Aug 20, 2025

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The Solution To The Unbreakable Code Carved Onto The Kryptos Sculpture At CIA Headquarters Will Soon Be Sold To The Highest Bidder

In 1990, a sculpture known as Kryptos was installed right outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia — and it was inscribed with four encoded messages. While the first three codes were all solved within a few years, the final message has remained shrouded in mystery to this day.

By Ainsley Brown • August 20, 2025

Hanoi Hannah, The North Vietnamese Radio Host Who Encouraged U.S. Soldiers To Defect During The Vietnam War

From 1965 to 1973, Trinh Thi Ngo, better known as Hanoi Hannah, hosted a radio segment for a North Vietnamese propaganda station that aimed to destroy the morale of American troops.

By Kaleena Fraga • Aug 18, 2025

Hanoi Hannah, The North Vietnamese Radio Host Who Encouraged U.S. Soldiers To Defect During The Vietnam War

From 1965 to 1973, Trinh Thi Ngo, better known as Hanoi Hannah, hosted a radio segment for a North Vietnamese propaganda station that aimed to destroy the morale of American troops.

By Kaleena Fraga • August 18, 2025

The Tragic Story Of Gary Webb, The Investigative Journalist Who Died By Suicide After Exposing The CIA

Gary Webb was a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, but the media did everything it could to discredit his three-part exposé that revealed links between the CIA, the revolution in Nicaragua, and the crack epidemic that gripped Los Angeles in the 1980s.

By Marco Margaritoff • Aug 17, 2025

The Tragic Story Of Gary Webb, The Investigative Journalist Who Died By Suicide After Exposing The CIA

Gary Webb was a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, but the media did everything it could to discredit his three-part exposé that revealed links between the CIA, the revolution in Nicaragua, and the crack epidemic that gripped Los Angeles in the 1980s.

By Marco Margaritoff • August 17, 2025

‘This Beautiful Bubble Of Creativity And Friendship And Sex And Drugs’: Inside Laurel Canyon’s Counterculture History

See 44 vintage photos of when Laurel Canyon was the epicenter of Los Angeles' counterculture in the '60s and '70s.

By Austin Harvey • Aug 14, 2025

‘This Beautiful Bubble Of Creativity And Friendship And Sex And Drugs’: Inside Laurel Canyon’s Counterculture History

See 44 vintage photos of when Laurel Canyon was the epicenter of Los Angeles' counterculture in the '60s and '70s.

By Austin Harvey • August 14, 2025

The Disturbing Story Of David Berg, The Children Of God Cult Leader Who Encouraged Child Abuse

From promoting incest to spreading apocalyptic prophesies, David Berg was one of history's most depraved cult leaders — with as many as 10,000 followers across the world.

By Marco Margaritoff • Aug 13, 2025

The Disturbing Story Of David Berg, The Children Of God Cult Leader Who Encouraged Child Abuse

From promoting incest to spreading apocalyptic prophesies, David Berg was one of history's most depraved cult leaders — with as many as 10,000 followers across the world.

By Marco Margaritoff • August 13, 2025

44 Photos Of Juke Joints, The Grassroots Bars Of The Jim Crow South

In a time of segregation and widespread racism, juke joints offered a brief refuge for Black sharecroppers and rural workers — and left an unforgettable mark on music history.

By Austin Harvey • Aug 12, 2025

44 Photos Of Juke Joints, The Grassroots Bars Of The Jim Crow South

In a time of segregation and widespread racism, juke joints offered a brief refuge for Black sharecroppers and rural workers — and left an unforgettable mark on music history.

By Austin Harvey • August 12, 2025

Archaeologists In North Carolina May Have Just Uncovered The Wreckage Of The Infamous Spanish Privateer Ship ‘La Fortuna’

La Fortuna sank off the coast of colonial Brunswick Town, North Carolina, during an attack in September 1748.

By Austin Harvey • Aug 11, 2025

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Archaeologists In North Carolina May Have Just Uncovered The Wreckage Of The Infamous Spanish Privateer Ship ‘La Fortuna’

La Fortuna sank off the coast of colonial Brunswick Town, North Carolina, during an attack in September 1748.

By Austin Harvey • August 11, 2025

33 Propaganda Posters From America’s Not-So-Distant Past — And The Chilling History Behind Them

From the xenophobia of World War II propaganda to the perpetuation of racist stereotypes, these posters were distributed in shockingly recent times.

By Ainsley Brown • Aug 8, 2025

33 Propaganda Posters From America’s Not-So-Distant Past — And The Chilling History Behind Them

From the xenophobia of World War II propaganda to the perpetuation of racist stereotypes, these posters were distributed in shockingly recent times.

By Ainsley Brown • August 8, 2025

The Mythic History Of Route 66, The Iconic Highway That Stretched From Chicago To California

In the 1920s, Route 66 was promoted as "the shortest, best and most scenic route from Chicago through St. Louis to Los Angeles," and as traffic increased, motels, restaurants, and gas stations began popping up along the road to cater to travelers.

By Kaleena Fraga • Aug 7, 2025

The Mythic History Of Route 66, The Iconic Highway That Stretched From Chicago To California

In the 1920s, Route 66 was promoted as "the shortest, best and most scenic route from Chicago through St. Louis to Los Angeles," and as traffic increased, motels, restaurants, and gas stations began popping up along the road to cater to travelers.

By Kaleena Fraga • August 7, 2025

How Annie Malone Revolutionized Hair Products For Black Women — And Became One Of America’s First Black Female Millionaires

Not only did Annie Malone introduce hair care products that were far gentler than the existing options for Black women, but she also opened up a chain of cosmetology schools to teach women how to care for Black hair.

By Genevieve Carlton • Aug 7, 2025

How Annie Malone Revolutionized Hair Products For Black Women — And Became One Of America’s First Black Female Millionaires

Not only did Annie Malone introduce hair care products that were far gentler than the existing options for Black women, but she also opened up a chain of cosmetology schools to teach women how to care for Black hair.

By Genevieve Carlton • August 7, 2025

Inside The Atomic Bombings Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki That Helped End World War II

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bombs ever used in war on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, destroying the two Japanese cities and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

By Kaleena Fraga • Aug 6, 2025

Inside The Atomic Bombings Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki That Helped End World War II

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bombs ever used in war on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, destroying the two Japanese cities and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

By Kaleena Fraga • August 6, 2025

27 Powerful Photos Captured By Pioneering Photographer Diana Davies

From New York City's first Pride March to revolutionary groups like the Gay Liberation Front, these photos show what the early days of the gay rights movement looked like.

By Andrew Milne • Aug 5, 2025

27 Powerful Photos Captured By Pioneering Photographer Diana Davies

From New York City's first Pride March to revolutionary groups like the Gay Liberation Front, these photos show what the early days of the gay rights movement looked like.

By Andrew Milne • August 5, 2025