modern history

The Unbelievable Story Of The Monuments Men Who Rescued Europe’s Masterpieces From The Nazis

From 1943 to 1945, a civilian task force of 345 Allied academics known as the Monuments Men managed to save 5 million cultural relics.

By Natasha Ishak • Jul 11, 2020

The Unbelievable Story Of The Monuments Men Who Rescued Europe’s Masterpieces From The Nazis

From 1943 to 1945, a civilian task force of 345 Allied academics known as the Monuments Men managed to save 5 million cultural relics.

By Natasha Ishak • July 11, 2020

How Justine Johnstone Went From Silent Movie Starlet To Groundbreaking Scientist

Broadway and silent movie star Justine Johnstone got tired of the shallow roles she was offered, so she set her sights on medicine instead.

By Andrew Milne • Jul 8, 2020

How Justine Johnstone Went From Silent Movie Starlet To Groundbreaking Scientist

Broadway and silent movie star Justine Johnstone got tired of the shallow roles she was offered, so she set her sights on medicine instead.

By Andrew Milne • July 8, 2020

Inside The Bizarre, 11-Day Saga Of The Disappearance Of Agatha Christie

On December 4, 1926, beloved mystery writer Agatha Christie vanished in a case that remains unsolved today.

By Natasha Ishak • Jul 6, 2020

Inside The Bizarre, 11-Day Saga Of The Disappearance Of Agatha Christie

On December 4, 1926, beloved mystery writer Agatha Christie vanished in a case that remains unsolved today.

By Natasha Ishak • July 6, 2020

How A TV Repairman, A Mortician, And A Ragtag Crew Of Futurists Cryonically Froze The First Man

Robert Nelson had no professional background or even a college degree, yet he found himself at the center of a nascent scientific movement — and then things got messy.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jul 1, 2020

How A TV Repairman, A Mortician, And A Ragtag Crew Of Futurists Cryonically Froze The First Man

Robert Nelson had no professional background or even a college degree, yet he found himself at the center of a nascent scientific movement — and then things got messy.

By Marco Margaritoff • July 1, 2020

Inside The 1969 Berkshire UFO Incident That Shook A Small Massachusetts Town

On September 1, 1969, about 40 people in Berkshire County, Massachusetts reported seeing a UFO — and one boy named Thomas Reed claimed that he and his family were taken aboard.

By Natasha Ishak • Jun 30, 2020

Inside The 1969 Berkshire UFO Incident That Shook A Small Massachusetts Town

On September 1, 1969, about 40 people in Berkshire County, Massachusetts reported seeing a UFO — and one boy named Thomas Reed claimed that he and his family were taken aboard.

By Natasha Ishak • June 30, 2020

33 Crazy Gangster Names And The Even Crazier Things They Did To Earn Them

From "Cadillac Frank" to "Tick Tock," these mafia nicknames reveal some of the craziest characters and stories in the mob's bloody history.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jun 25, 2020

33 Crazy Gangster Names And The Even Crazier Things They Did To Earn Them

From "Cadillac Frank" to "Tick Tock," these mafia nicknames reveal some of the craziest characters and stories in the mob's bloody history.

By Marco Margaritoff • June 25, 2020

Fordlândia: Henry Ford’s Forgotten Rubber Empire Deep in the Heart of the Amazon

In 1928, Henry Ford broke ground on Fordlândia, a rubber-producing town in Brazil that he hoped would supply his car factories and serve as a model industrial society. Instead, it devolved into a dystopia.

By Morgan Dunn • Jun 24, 2020

Fordlândia: Henry Ford’s Forgotten Rubber Empire Deep in the Heart of the Amazon

In 1928, Henry Ford broke ground on Fordlândia, a rubber-producing town in Brazil that he hoped would supply his car factories and serve as a model industrial society. Instead, it devolved into a dystopia.

By Morgan Dunn • June 24, 2020

How William Pester Pioneered The Hippie Lifestyle In California In The 1910s

Starting in 1916, William Pester began living in a hut, foraging for fruits and nuts in order to eat, and spending most of his time alone in the California desert.

By Natasha Ishak • Jun 18, 2020

How William Pester Pioneered The Hippie Lifestyle In California In The 1910s

Starting in 1916, William Pester began living in a hut, foraging for fruits and nuts in order to eat, and spending most of his time alone in the California desert.

By Natasha Ishak • June 18, 2020

A Brief History Of The Amphicar: The Amphibious Automobile Of Your Dreams

Originally designed as a Nazi war vessel, the Amphicar 770 made a splash as the only amphibious car ever mass-produced.

By Natasha Ishak • Jun 17, 2020

A Brief History Of The Amphicar: The Amphibious Automobile Of Your Dreams

Originally designed as a Nazi war vessel, the Amphicar 770 made a splash as the only amphibious car ever mass-produced.

By Natasha Ishak • June 17, 2020

Meet The Confederados, The Confederate Loyalists Who Fled To Brazil After The Civil War

Rather than accept defeat, up to 20,000 die-hard Confederates moved to the slaveholding Empire of Brazil to establish colonies of Confederados. Their descendents still honor them today.

By Morgan Dunn • Jun 15, 2020

Meet The Confederados, The Confederate Loyalists Who Fled To Brazil After The Civil War

Rather than accept defeat, up to 20,000 die-hard Confederates moved to the slaveholding Empire of Brazil to establish colonies of Confederados. Their descendents still honor them today.

By Morgan Dunn • June 15, 2020