History

Travel space and time to explore our world’s regions and civilizations. HowStuffWorks takes you across battlefields, into palaces, and through the remote villages and growing cities that have created the world we see today.

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John Wilkes Booth Didn't Act Alone: The Conspiracy to Kill Lincoln
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On the evening of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln attended a performance of the comedy "Our American Cousin," accompanied by his wife, Mary …
Aug 25, 2020
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Rights & Freedoms
Beulah Mae Donald Took on the Klan — and Won
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The long list of America's civil rights icons includes a string of instantly recognizable names; presidents and preachers; a 14-year-old boy in the …
2 days ago
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10 Most Long-lived Empires in History — Plus Other Wowing World History
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Empires rise and empires fall. But these superpowers reigned longer than any others. What can we learn from their missteps and achievements?
3 days ago
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Culture
Do the Kings, Queens and Jacks on Playing Cards Represent Real People?
howstuffworks.com - by Alia Hoyt
If you ever sit down to play a card game, you'll quickly learn that the jacks, queens and kings — the "court" or "face" cards — are valuable, …
May 11, 2020
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Culture
The New England Vampire Panic Was Very Real and Very Deadly
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It was a scene only Dracula and his blood-spattered ilk could love. In the late 18th and early 19th century, New Englanders were gripped by a vampire …
Apr 16, 2020
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Royal Families
Prince Philip's Death Marks the End of Royal Dynastic Unions
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In November 1947, a dynastic union was forged between the royal houses of Greece and Great Britain. It would be one of the last of this kind of royal …
6 days ago
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The Real Story of Montezuma, the Last of the Aztec Emperors
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You might say there are two Montezumas: the real one who lived and the one who was invented after his death by conquistador Hernán Cortés. Learn the real story of Montezuma, plus the stories of other notable emperors.
Apr 9
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Culture
7 Famous Folks Who Were Also Doctors
howstuffworks.com - by Oisin Curran
Super Bowl LIV, with six minutes to go, the San Francisco 49ers are 10 points up and things aren't looking good for Kansas City. But six minutes is a …
Apr 13, 2020
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Mary Magdalene
Who Was the Real Mary Magdalene?
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As the Christian world prepares for Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus three days after his crucifixion, Christians will read the …
Apr 10, 2020
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The Wild Wild West Quiz
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Question of 10 This legendary gunslinger at the O.K. Corral actually wasn't that quick on the draw: Where did the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral actually …
Jun 26, 2020
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Italy
Tuscan Wine Windows: Charming Remnants of Ancient Social Distancing
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The charming plague wine windows you still find dotting the streets of Italy today are another homey and enchanting Tuscan tradition that has …
Apr 1
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How Cesar Chavez United Thousands of Farmworkers and Became a Civil Rights Icon
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The fight for human rights is never done alone. It's borne by a multitude of visionaries, carried on by armies of believers and waged in a variety of …
Feb 6, 2020
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Hawaii
How Do the 5 U.S. Territories Differ From the 50 States?
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The island of Guam is about 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) long and maybe only 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) across at its widest point. A tiny island like …
Mar 31
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American Revolution
Why Was the American Revolution So Revolutionary?
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Several aspects of the American Revolution could qualify it as revolutionary. First, guerilla warfare played a major role in the war for …
Dec 17, 2019
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Culture
Chinese-American Actress Anna May Wong Fought Racism in Life and Onscreen
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In 2018, "Crazy Rich Asians" made history. Aside from being the highest-grossing romantic comedy in a decade, making $235 million worldwide within …
Jan 22, 2020
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Humble Hero: Why Neil Armstrong Became the First Man on the Moon
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From combat pilot to NASA astronaut, how did Neil Armstrong receive the honor of becoming the first man on the moon? Plus, read the story on Buzz Aldrin and more astronaut stories.
Mar 22
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Why Isn't Washington, D.C. Already a State?
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Back in June 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed historic legislation that would have transformed the District of Columbia into the …
Jun 26, 2020
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Culture
She's the Most Famous Paleobiologist You May Not Know
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Scattered bones called out to her. On July 9, 1965, a visiting scientist — the late Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska — took a stroll through the Mongolian …
Mar 22
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Mythology
The Curse of Beauty: How Helen of Troy Was Blamed for Sparking the Trojan War
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When a figure is known for having "the face that launched a thousand ships," they're bound to pique plenty of interest and curiosity. While many …
Mar 19
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When Doctors 'Prescribed' Alcohol During Prohibition and More Ridiculous History
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While bootleggers found ways to sneakily sell booze despite the law, one unlikely group legally provided easy access to alcohol: doctors. Learn the story behind this and other ridiculous history.
Mar 18
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Eastern Canada
19 Amazing Facts About the Canadian Provinces
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Canada is the second-largest country in the world, so it should come as no surprise that there's a lot of diversity in a place that big. With 10 …
Mar 18
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Audie Murphy, From World War II Hero to Hollywood Hitmaker
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America's most decorated World War II combat soldier Audie Murphy was considered a hero and Hollywood icon. But those labels came at a price that not even Murphy could pay. Learn about the life of Audie Murphy and read other WWII stories.
Mar 16
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Unraveling the Romanticized Story of Pocahontas and More Native American History
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History and the movie studios have twisted the story of Pocahontas into one of a mythical woman who saved John Smith, willingly converted to Christianity and married an Englishman. The truth, however, isn't so rosy.
Mar 15
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No Need to Beware the Ides of March, Actually
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The Ides of March isn't exactly tops when it comes to well-known dates on the calendar, but thanks to a murder in ancient Rome and a play written by …
Mar 13, 2020
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Fearless Females: Our Women's History Quiz
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Question of 10 Susan B. Anthony committed what criminal act, for which she was fined $100? Activist Lucy Parsons was known for spearheading what …
Mar 13
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'By Any Means Necessary': The Life of Malcolm X
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In the summer of 1963, a young Sudanese student at Dartmouth College named Ahmed Osman was walking through Harlem with a friend when he decided to …
Mar 11
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The Chelsea Hotel Is New York's Legendary Hotel for Artists and Dreamers
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The scaffolding of a stalled renovation project has hidden the façade of the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan for years now. But no amount of dust could …
Mar 10
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A Gangster's Gangster: Bugsy Siegel's Life and Times
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Ben Siegel met his end the way many mobsters do, which is to say quickly and exceedingly violently. In his 41 years on Earth, the man some called …
Mar 9
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Frédéric Chopin: The Child Prodigy Who Captured the Soul of the Piano
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Writer Ted Libby may have said it best in his 2010 NPR article celebrating 200 years of the musical genius Frédéric Chopin. Libby argues that no one …
Mar 9