Breaking News

The History of the Long War Against a Gay ‘Cure’

“Yes, we are sick—we are sick of your manipulation and exploitation of us,” gay activist Frank Kameny declared in 1971.

A Political Scientist Analyzes Why Trump Will Likely Lose the Government Shutdown

by John A. Tures

One of the biggest myths about government shutdowns is that presidents usually win.

Working-class women also made suffragette history

A century after some UK women won the vote, most of the suffragette stories we hear still focus on the elite. But this was a diverse movement.

Ulysses Grant’s Failed Attempt to Grant Native Americans Citizenship

In a forgotten chapter of history, the president and his Seneca Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Ely Parker, fought for Native American rights

‘Human lives were not of value’: African-American remains awaken history of convict-leasing system

The discovery of 95 African-American remains at a Fort Bend school district construction site has put a new focus on the brutal history of the state’s convict-leasing system and the use of inmates to make money for the prisons.

A Blue Clue In Medieval Teeth Suggests Women Helped Create Lavish Books Too

The discovery adds to a growing recognition that women, and not just monks, labored as the anonymous scribes who painstakingly copied manuscripts and decorated the pages to dazzle the eye.

The U.S. Has Been in a Constant State of National Emergency Since 1979. Here’s Why

by Olivia B. Waxman

Not only are national emergencies more common than most Americans probably realize, they can also go on for decades.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says ‘call me a radical,’ a loaded word with a long history

The word, used throughout history as both a pejorative and a badge of honor, has deep roots in American political rhetoric.

Women Couldn’t Fly Without A Man — Until She Changed Things

Magnolia’s Lynn Rippelmeyer tells how fate — in the form of some bad weather — allowed her and her mentor to make aviation history.

Seeking Gravitas, Trump's Giving a Primetime Address Tonight. Here's the Historical Precedents He's Building Upon.

The spirit of every president in the television age will be alive in the memories of millions watching at home.

The Real History of Intellectual Piracy

What China Can Learn From America

In Land of Lincoln, Long-Buried Traces of a Race Riot Come to the Surface

by Megan Gannon

Archaeologists recently uncovered the remains of five houses that lay witness to the tragedy that set Springfield, Illinois, on fire in 1908.

Confederacy Controversy: ESPN apologizes for using ‘Dixie’ in Andrew Luck graphic during Colts-Texans playoff game

“It was a mistake to use this song. We regret having done so and we apologize,” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.

Enormous 'Pulse of Death' in Holocaust was worse than feared, researchers find

"Because the Nazis destroyed nearly all records of the massacre, it is important to try to uncover what actually happened at the time."

Hidden women of history: Hop Lin Jong, a Chinese immigrant in the early days of White Australia

by Antonia Finnane

An ordinary Chinese immigrant to Australia reveals an extraordinary story. 

The Revolt in the Trenches: WWI, Revolution, and Bulgaria

by Jana Tsoneva

One year after the Bolsheviks ended Russia’s participation in World War I, revolutionary soldiers in Bulgaria forced their government to do the same.

In Newly Found Audio, Civil Rights Leader Bayard Rustin Says Coming Out 'Was An Absolute Necessity'

The rare tape was provided by Rustin's surviving partner who preserved a library of backup recordings. Those recordings have helped foster a better understanding of the gay icon — one that Marcus concedes was absent from his civil rights education.

A Former House Historian Speaks About the Unprecedented New Congress – and the Government Shutdown

No one has ever shut down the government before over a single issue. Plus: What's special about this incoming class of congresspeople.

How the Dust Bowl Made Americans Refugees in Their Own Country

As they traveled west from the drought-ravaged Midwest, American-born migrants were viewed as disease-ridden intruders who would sponge off the government.

Trump defends Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan

Even the Wall Street Journal has denounced Trump for passing along old Soviet propaganda.