Historical Events

Pacifism is more than just opposition to war. There are many types of pacifism, and some peace movements have successfully changed laws. But is pacifism still a valid concept in today's world of terrorism?

By Patrick J. Kiger

From 1854 to 1941, the London Necropolis Railway carried the dead and the living who mourned them alike to the largest cemetery in the world.

By Laurie L. Dove

Here are just 10 of the countless events in our history that have stoked fear among the masses — and rightfully so.

By Clint Pumphrey

Where were you when Farrah Fawcett died? Chances are you don't remember. But if we threw out Michael Jackson's name you could probably answer the question. Guess what? Both events were on the same day.

By Patrick J. Kiger

After nearly half a century capturing the attention and imaginations of millions, the infamous D.B. Cooper plane-hijacking case has been closed. Will we ever know the true culprit?

By Josh Clark

Spite is not just for kids with broken toys. Many adults have gone to unbelievable lengths to pay back someone who did 'em wrong. Here are 10 classic examples.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The Gold Rush-era Egg War of 1863 saw business competitors in San Francisco engage in lethal violence... over eggs?

By Laurie L. Dove

A new exhibition creates exact replicas of cave art, found in a remote region along the Silk Road and spanning centuries, cultures and styles.

By Christopher Hassiotis

The presidential digs have housed more than a few untraditional pets through the years. Rebecca the Raccoon and Josiah the Badger are but two.

By John Donovan

Identity errors have led to a range of awfulness, from lengthy prison sentences to the wrong person being declared dead.

By Nicholas Gerbis

On the first Sunday in October, a fountain in the Italian town of Marino flows with wine. One year, however, things didn't go as planned.

By Rachel Pendergrass

With oil prices dropping, a report showed some cargo ships found it cheaper to sail around South Africa, rather than paying $465,000 to go through the Suez Canal.

By John Donovan

On Aug. 25, 1835, The New York Sun ran the first of several newspaper columns on the moon's geography, vegetation and humanoid inhabitants. There was just one problem.

By Bryan Young

A phone call from an early-1900s rural homestead was at the forefront of communications technology, and farms were the most networked communities of the time.

By Laurie L. Dove

Imagine a researcher eavesdropping on your conversation from underneath your bed and recording it for an experiment. That really happened.

By Bryan Young

How to go from a Bible verse to carving canals with nukes in just a few easy steps — almost. Learn how operation plowshare worked at HowStuffWorks.

By Oisin Curran

Think systemic racism was only a problem in the Southern slave states? Think again. It was alive and well in the Northwest, too. Is it still?

By Bryan Young

Imagine 2.3 million gallons of molasses pouring down city streets in a massive, lethal wave. That was the scene in Boston on Jan. 15, 1919.

By Bryan Young

Mass hysteria epidemics are not as rare as you might think. They often occur in small, insular worlds like schools and factories where people feel stressed. We've got examples from the 16th century to the 21st.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Under repressive regimes, teens still need their rock 'n' roll. What drastic measures did Soviets go to to create an underground vinyl record market?

By Laurie L. Dove

A placid lake above a hydroelectric dam on the border of Brazil and Paraguay was once site of Guairá, among the world's most awe-inspiring. Why'd we get rid of it?

By Laurie L. Dove

It's December 1915. San Diego is booming but its main reservoir is low when along comes a rainmaker by the name of Charles Mallory Hatfield.

By Candace Gibson

A spying dolphin or a subversive squirrel may seem like far-fetched fiction, but animals have been employed by military forces for years.

By Laurie L. Dove

Windows shattered, furniture broken and dozens of cadets including Jefferson Davis nog-wild on smuggled booze. A "party" in 1826 nearly altered the course of history.

By Laurie L. Dove

They may not seem stealthy to us, but back in World War I, zeppelins were airborne war machines. And some of them were made from cow intestines.

By Candace Gibson