The Man Who Invented the Modern Zoo Tested Out His Ideas on People First
Carl Hagenbeck believed that animals should be housed in habitats that mimicked their natural environment. Earlier, he’d followed the same guiding philosophy when exhibiting Indigenous people in “human zoos”
Untold Stories of American History
Tattered Pages Discovered in Storage Reveal an Enslaved Man’s Daring Bid for Freedom—and His Second Life at Sea
Historians are investigating the haunting handwritten manuscript, which chronicles Thomas White’s escape from slavery in Maryland and adventures around the world nearly 200 years ago
This Forgotten Founding Father Hoped to ‘Die Up to My Knees in Blood’ in the Fight for American Independence. He Got His Wish
Joseph Warren was a key leader of the American Revolution, mobilizing troops and managing a circle of spies. But he’s mainly remembered for his death at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775
This Exiled Romanov Princess Fled the Bloodshed of the Russian Revolution and Reinvented Herself as a Fashion Icon
A new exhibition spotlights Natalia Pavlovna Paley, the granddaughter of a czar. She built a new life for herself in France and the U.S., appearing in films and on the pages of glossy magazines
Yemen’s Al-Qahira Castle Survived Centuries of War and Neglect. Can It Survive Its Own Restoration?
With funding for preserving the historic site in jeopardy, local officials are wondering what will come next for the 800-year-old structure
The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2025
From a barbecue capital in Texas to the site of the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War in New York, these spots are worthy of a visit this year
How America’s Forgotten Second National Park Lost Its Federal Status—and Gained a New Lease on Life as a State Park
Much of Mackinac Island was designated as a national park in 1875, but it proved to be too expensive for the government to maintain, so it was transferred to the State of Michigan in 1895
Tens of Thousands Were Treated for a Deadly Disease While Confined to Psychiatric Hospitals on These Two Venetian Islands
In the 19th and 20th centuries, San Servolo and San Clemente housed patients suffering from pellagrous insanity, a condition caused by a vitamin deficiency
Meet the Defiant Loyalists Who Paid Dearly for Choosing the Wrong Side in the American Revolution
American colonists who aligned with the British lost their lands, their reputations and sometimes even their lives
The Hidden History of the Nazi U-Boats That Prowled the Gulf Coast, Bringing World War II to America’s Shores
Between 1942 and 1943, German submarines sank 56 Allied ships in the region and damaged another 14, losing just one of their own in the process
The Stunning Search for the Remains of Fallen WWII Airmen
After three crewmen were swallowed up by the Pacific at the end of World War II, a modern-day rescue effort went to find them
From Peasant Fodder to Fine Dining, Feast on the Tasty History of How Snails and Oysters Became Luxury Foods
Humans have eaten mollusks for millennia, but they weren’t always viewed as elite treats
Would You Wear a Wedding Dress Made of Disposable Paper? These 1960s Brides Donned Them to Save Money—and Make a Daring Fashion Statement
Created with synthetic textiles, the “nonwoven” gowns could be shortened for the reception or easily packed away for the honeymoon
What Can We Learn From Apocalyptic Times of the Past?
More than a millennium ago, a Maya community collapsed in the face of a devastating drought. One writer joined an intrepid archaeologist to upend what they thought they understood about why it all happened
These Trailblazing Black Paramedics Are the Reason You Don’t Have to Ride a Hearse or a Police Van to the Hospital
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Freedom House Ambulance Service set the standard for emergency medical care, laying the groundwork for the services available today
Pioneering Teenage Parachuter Georgia ‘Tiny’ Broadwick Showed That Courage Isn’t Counted in Pounds
The first woman to parachute from an airplane, she will be recognized in an exhibit when part of the newly renovated National Air and Space Museum reopens this year
The Shipwrecks From John Franklin’s Doomed Arctic Expedition Were Exactly Where the Inuit Said They Would Be
In May 1845, 129 British officers and crew members set out in search of the Northwest Passage on HMS “Erebus” and HMS “Terror.” None returned
The Joys of Discovering the Roman Underground, From the Colosseum to What’s Beneath the Trevi Foundation
To escape the crowds of the Eternal City, head below ground and enter a portal into Rome’s past
What Happened to FDR’s Fireside Chats? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Three Formerly Enslaved Artists Created Beautiful Pottery 150 Years Ago, and Now Their Wares Are Coveted Around the World
The stunning vessels from the H. Wilson & Company were forgotten for generations, only to gain new appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into them
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