Here's Why Benjamin Franklin Invented Swim Fins
From bifocals to lightning rods, Benjamin Franklin invented a lot of things that we still use today. He invented swim fins when he was just 11 years old.
Read MoreFrom bifocals to lightning rods, Benjamin Franklin invented a lot of things that we still use today. He invented swim fins when he was just 11 years old.
Read MoreThe British had competition from the French, whose colony, a fraction of the size of Britain's, was ready and willing to fight for supremacy in North America.
Read MoreIn 1999, horror novelist Stephen King had a close brush with death, but it wasn't from a ghost. Here's the truth about King's near-death experience.
Read MoreAlthough first ladies often have their own "pet projects," Evita Peron was more than a figurehead; she might have been Argentina's most influential first lady.
Read MoreBritish General Cornwallis is perhaps best remembered for his informal surrender at the conclusion of the Battle of Yorktown.
Read MoreGeorge Washington, the first U.S. president, had owned slaves since he was 11 years old, when he inherited 10 slaves after his father died in 1743.
Read MoreIt took time for the Japanese high command to realize how devastating the new weapons could be. The residents of those cities, however, learned immediately.
Read MoreSamuel Morse was inspired to invent a way in which people could instantly contact one another after a personal tragedy that struck when he was far from home.
Read MoreAmelia Earhart was a true pioneer. Her first flight across the Atlantic took almost 15 hours, but she didn't use coffee to stay awake. Here's how she did it.
Read MoreThe Olympic Torch Relay is inspired by the ancient Greek tradition of celebrating a sacred flame. Fire was brought to Earth from the divine home of the gods.
Read MoreWhat made Dr. Joseph Bell different from other physicians was his excellent observational skills, which helped him gain information about patients.
Read MoreElements of ancient architecture and art do stand out and beg for explanation. Such is the case with the "handbags" seen on stone reliefs across the globe.
Read MoreEdward "Eddie" Patrick Francis Eagan holds a unique honor in Olympic history. He's the only person to win gold medals in both the Winter and Summer games.
Read MoreIn just about any depiction of pirates, at least one pirate sports an eye patch, and it has been assumed that pirates wore eye patches for one reason.
Read MoreCassette tapes helped change the music industry by allowing consumers to record their mixtapes without using the bulky recorders we often see in TV shows.
Read MoreA ring for each continent represented in the Olympics? Sure, makes sense. But wait, why are there only five? And what do these colors mean? Here's the scoop:
Read MoreThe Vikings had many ways to make sure they didn't freeze to death during the tough winters, and some of these may be a bit surprising.
Read MoreGymnasts are known to peak young, but the age of the youngest Olympian in the modern era may surprise you.
Read MoreWe remember the Korean War, if at all, as one between the United States and North Korea, but the United Nations played a major role in the war.
Read MoreFor as studied as Jane Austen has been in the years since her early death, one thing no one can seem to agree on, is what killed her at the age of just 41.
Read MoreYou can't simply walk into a US military base. So when it comes to US military facilities, there are still some pretty mysterious ones out there, even today.
Read MoreThe Aztec Sun Stone was lost to history for centuries after a Spanish bishop ordered it be buried. It was found again in 1790. Here's where it is today.
Read MoreBeulah George Georgia Tann was purportedly a child trafficker years before we started calling them that, tearing families apart all for her own profit.
Read MoreOf all the romantic notions of piracy that stick in the canon of popular culture today, one of the favorites seems to be the idea of a buried treasure.
Read MoreLater known as Evita, Eva PerĂ³n was born with the name Eva Maria Ibarguren in Los Toldos, a small agricultural town on the plains of Argentina.
Read MorePrincess Charlotte Augusta of Wales died from childbirth complications, which produced multiple tragedies and set into motion pivotal changes in history.
Read MoreThe Palace of Versailles, which began life as a small hunting lodge, has exchanged purpose and ownership countless times in the course of its 360-year history.
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