modern history

Carmine Galante Had A Mental Age Of 14 — And Was The King Of Heroin

Infamously ruthless, Carmine "Lilo" Galante became best known for masterminding the heroin trade and the grisly gangland execution that ended his reign.

By Joseph Williams • Feb 7, 2026

Carmine Galante Had A Mental Age Of 14 — And Was The King Of Heroin

Infamously ruthless, Carmine "Lilo" Galante became best known for masterminding the heroin trade and the grisly gangland execution that ended his reign.

By Joseph Williams • February 7, 2026

‘I Must Have Fame’: Inside Robert Peary’s Desperate Journey To Be The First Man To Reach The North Pole

It was once almost universally accepted that Robert Peary was the first man to make it to the North Pole in 1909, but a re-examination of his records in the 1980s cast serious doubt on his claim.

By Genevieve Carlton • Feb 7, 2026

‘I Must Have Fame’: Inside Robert Peary’s Desperate Journey To Be The First Man To Reach The North Pole

It was once almost universally accepted that Robert Peary was the first man to make it to the North Pole in 1909, but a re-examination of his records in the 1980s cast serious doubt on his claim.

By Genevieve Carlton • February 7, 2026

The Story Of C.P. Ellis, The KKK Leader Whose 1971 Meeting With A Black Activist Changed His Life

When C.P. Ellis was tasked with working with Ann Atwater to desegregate Durham, North Carolina schools, he was an "Exalted Cyclops" of the KKK. Ten days later, he was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement.

By Genevieve Carlton • Feb 6, 2026

The Story Of C.P. Ellis, The KKK Leader Whose 1971 Meeting With A Black Activist Changed His Life

When C.P. Ellis was tasked with working with Ann Atwater to desegregate Durham, North Carolina schools, he was an "Exalted Cyclops" of the KKK. Ten days later, he was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement.

By Genevieve Carlton • February 6, 2026

What Did Charles Manson Do? Inside The Surprisingly Thin Case Against Him

Did Charles Manson kill anyone? No. Who said he ordered any killings? Only the killers themselves. So what did Charles Manson actually do?

By Andrew Lenoir • Feb 6, 2026

What Did Charles Manson Do? Inside The Surprisingly Thin Case Against Him

Did Charles Manson kill anyone? No. Who said he ordered any killings? Only the killers themselves. So what did Charles Manson actually do?

By Andrew Lenoir • February 6, 2026

When “Blowing Smoke Up Your Ass” Was Much More Than Just A Saying

In the 18th and 19th centuries, "blowing smoke up your ass" was an actual medical treatment employed across much of western Europe.

By Krissy Howard • Feb 6, 2026

When “Blowing Smoke Up Your Ass” Was Much More Than Just A Saying

In the 18th and 19th centuries, "blowing smoke up your ass" was an actual medical treatment employed across much of western Europe.

By Krissy Howard • February 6, 2026

Inside The Tragic Soyuz 11 Disaster In Outer Space — And What Really Caused It

The Soyuz 11 space mission was supposed to be the Soviets' big answer to the U.S. Moon landing, but it ended in tragedy when three cosmonauts returned to Earth dead on June 30, 1971.

By John Kuroski • Feb 6, 2026

Inside The Tragic Soyuz 11 Disaster In Outer Space — And What Really Caused It

The Soyuz 11 space mission was supposed to be the Soviets' big answer to the U.S. Moon landing, but it ended in tragedy when three cosmonauts returned to Earth dead on June 30, 1971.

By John Kuroski • February 6, 2026

The Story Of The Famous Photo ‘The Soiling Of Old Glory’ And Boston’s Civil Rights Struggle Over Busing

On April 5, 1976, newspaper photographer Stanley Forman captured a shocking photo of a white demonstrator attacking a Black man with an American flag during an anti-busing protest in Boston — and it was soon clear that the image symbolized something much larger than the busing crisis.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 5, 2026

The Story Of The Famous Photo ‘The Soiling Of Old Glory’ And Boston’s Civil Rights Struggle Over Busing

On April 5, 1976, newspaper photographer Stanley Forman captured a shocking photo of a white demonstrator attacking a Black man with an American flag during an anti-busing protest in Boston — and it was soon clear that the image symbolized something much larger than the busing crisis.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 5, 2026

Jack Kerouac’s First Draft Of ‘On The Road,’ A 121-Foot Scroll He Typed In Three Weeks In 1951, Is About To Be Sold At Auction

Expected to fetch as much as $4 million, this original manuscript pauses for neither paragraph breaks nor chapter titles, instead presenting its epic tale of Beat Generation misadventures in one unbroken stream.

By Cara Johnson • Feb 5, 2026

News

Jack Kerouac’s First Draft Of ‘On The Road,’ A 121-Foot Scroll He Typed In Three Weeks In 1951, Is About To Be Sold At Auction

Expected to fetch as much as $4 million, this original manuscript pauses for neither paragraph breaks nor chapter titles, instead presenting its epic tale of Beat Generation misadventures in one unbroken stream.

By Cara Johnson • February 5, 2026

Harold Holt, The Australian Prime Minister Who Went For A Swim — And Disappeared

In December 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt vanished while swimming at Cheviot Beach in Victoria. His body has still never been found.

By Kara Goldfarb • Feb 5, 2026

Harold Holt, The Australian Prime Minister Who Went For A Swim — And Disappeared

In December 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt vanished while swimming at Cheviot Beach in Victoria. His body has still never been found.

By Kara Goldfarb • February 5, 2026

The Tragic Story Of Tracy Edwards, The Only Man To Escape From Jeffrey Dahmer’s Deadly Clutch

Tracy Edwards was 32 years old when he went home with Jeffrey Dahmer one night in 1991 and nearly became the serial killer's 18th victim. His life was never the same after.

By Austin Harvey • Feb 5, 2026

The Tragic Story Of Tracy Edwards, The Only Man To Escape From Jeffrey Dahmer’s Deadly Clutch

Tracy Edwards was 32 years old when he went home with Jeffrey Dahmer one night in 1991 and nearly became the serial killer's 18th victim. His life was never the same after.

By Austin Harvey • February 5, 2026