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politics

In the 1920s, the Now-Forgotten Flood of 'Girl Mayors' Became the Face of Feminism

The political trend was short-lived, but fascinating.
Brianna Nofil July 6, 2016
A block of Park Slope brownstones, circa 1974.
mystery

The ‘Brownstone Detective’ Who Digs Up Dirt on New York Homes

Wondering if someone got murdered in your house? Ask Brian Hartig.
Cara Giaimo July 6, 2016
The former Washington
Washington, D.C.

Washington Coliseum

A historic arena where the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S.
museums and collections

The Racist Contradiction at the Heart of the Famous 'Freedom Train'

A new Rosenbach Museum exhibit highlights the irony of riding the traveling museum piece in the era of Jim Crow.
Jessie Guy-Ryan July 3, 2016
Inside Mammoth Spring Frisco Depot
Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

Mammoth Spring Frisco Depot

Life-size figures portray depot attendants, train crew, and passengers frozen in time at the oldest railroad station in Arkansas.
Zorngården (Zorn's house)
Mora, Sweden

Zorn Museum

The city that saw the birth of Sweden is now home to an impressive collection of work from its favorite artist.
Boston, Massachusetts

USS Constitution

Berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, "Old Ironsides" is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat.
Barack Obama visited the castle in 2009.
Cape Coast, Ghana

Cape Coast Castle

Where thousands of slaves passed through the "Door of No Return."
weapons

Wax Bullet Duels Were the Paintball Fights of 1909

Prideful men could fluff their feathers without anyone ending up dead.
Tao Tao Holmes June 29, 2016
gardens

The Unknown French Horticulturist Who Made Lilacs Happen

If you've ever enjoyed a stroll through a modern garden, thank Victor Lemoine.
David Doochin June 28, 2016
food

Did an Uncredited Woman Invent Breakfast Cereal?

Before there was granola, there was granula—and billions turned out to be at stake.
Sarah Laskow June 28, 2016
A 1824 Playfair line graph, illustrating how bread and stock prices are affected by war.
mathematics

The Scottish Scoundrel Who Changed How We See Data

When he wasn't blackmailing lords and being sued for libel, William Playfair invented the pie chart, the bar graph, and the line graph.
Cara Giaimo June 28, 2016
Sign for the Rock, with rock just underneath
Rwanda

The Rock of Kamegeri

After suggesting criminals be burned to death on this rock, a king's advisor suffered his own punishment.
Mosque panorama
Kairouan, Tunisia

Great Mosque of Kairouan

Founded in 670, this ancient mosque is an architectural time portal.
aircraft

The Pilots Who Risked Their Lives to Deliver the Mail

Being an airmail carrier was one of the most dangerous jobs in America.
David Doochin June 16, 2016
The Basilica viewed from the west of Vezelay
Vézelay, France

La Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine

This church sits upon a peaceful hill and a long, turbulent history.
On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge officially opened with an unusual variation on the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony.
bridges

The Story Behind the Most Baffling Photo Taken on the Golden Gate Bridge

Why San Francisco’s mayor brought a blowtorch to open the city's new bridge.
Erik Shilling June 15, 2016
Amelia Bloomer introduces Susan B. Anthony to Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Seneca Falls, New York

When Anthony Met Stanton

This statue commemorates the meeting of the most influential minds of the women’s rights movement.