Rather than stand in support of an idea, an ethic, a cultural identity, etc., sometimes art exists to upend or scrutinize it. Claes Oldenburg created such art.
The Blitz was a period of near-constant bombing by the Luftwaffe between September 1940 and May 1941. But no one in England was going to let Hitler win.
Leonard. Sacha Baron. The Brothers. If we can be sure of one thing, it's that there are lots of famous "Cohens" in the world. Here's the history of the name.
"The Autobiography of Malcolm X" is a crucial text, but three removed chapters, thought to be too controversial, provide insight into Malcolm X's narrative.
Super glue is known today as one of the most adhesive substances ever invented, and is widely available to the public. Here's why super glue was invented.
From stories of Soviet human wave attacks to the idea that D-Day was a turning point, here is a (non-exhaustive) list of myths about World War II in Europe.
The resting places of many of the 2,403 servicemen who were killed in the attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 are still under the waters of the harbor.
There are 2.5 million people in the U.S. named Smith. Why do so many share a name that's a by-word for "nondescript"? Here's why Smith is such a common surname.
With the publication of her memoir "Wife No. 19" in 1876, Ann Eliza Young purported to tell the real story of her life as one of the wives of Brigham Young.
There's a lot that astronomers still don't fully understand about the history of the Universe, but telescopes like Webb can help to unravel these mysteries.
It was famously observed by General William Sherman that war is hell. For the defeated, the aftermath of war can also be a time of injustice and cruelty.
Before George Washington became the nation's first president, there was a purported plan to turn the U.S. into a monarchy. It was called the Prussian scheme.
Abbreviated phrases or sentences, wee images to indicate something emotional -- all the stuff of modern digital communication, but not necessarily new.
Jim Thorpe is widely considered the finest, most broadly gifted athlete of the 20th century. Finally, his two 1912 Olympic gold medals are being restored.
The build-up to the Revolutionary War had been going on for a decade before actual combat broke out. Here's how the burning of the HMS Gaspee played a role.
Woodstock in 1969 is known as the musical event of the century, but it almost turned into a mass electrocution. Here's how Woodstock almost turned deadly.
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program had many supporters, but also a questionable track record. This is the controversial history of D.A.R.E.
In Nazi Germany, there were some who tried to stand up to Adolf Hitler. This is the story of Fritz Kolbe, the German diplomat who spied for the Allies in WWII.
George Washington Carver was a monumental intellect, not only in terms of agriculture and botany, but also as a well-respected painter during his life.