History & Society
Spies Like Us: 10 Notorious Names in Espionage
In the real world of intelligence gathering, spies can often do more damage with a portable hard drive than a pistol, and the photocopier is mightier than the sword. Here we examine some of history’s most notable spies.
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6 Civilizations That Disappeared
Throughout the course of human history, great civilizations have been built, thrived, and declined.
Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images
Editor's Picks
Did the Vikings Discover America?
Learn how the Vikings beat Christopher Columbus to America by 500 years.
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 Was Sci-Fi Passed Off as News
On August 25, 1835, the New York Sun began running a satiric story about life on the Moon. The problem? People believed it.
Why Did We Start Wearing Makeup?
Makeup has a long and contentious history. Where did it really come from?
5 Fascinating Battles of the African Colonial Era
Explore Africa’s history.
The Mechanical Turk: AI Marvel or Parlor Trick?
An automaton built in 1770 turned out to be a remarkably strong chess player—or did it?
How Fast Is the World’s Fastest Human?
Significantly slower than a speeding bullet, it turns out.
Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture
Be glad these aren’t in use anymore. Well, most of them, anyway...
Brain Games: 8 Philosophical Puzzles and Paradoxes
Dust off your thinking cap.
Spotlight: The Olympics
The original Olympic Games were so important to Greek society that historians once measured time by the interval between them—an Olympiad. The games were revived in the late 19th Century, adding the Winter Olympics in 1924, and are now regarded as the world's foremost sporting competition.
Quizzes
France: A History Quiz
What French woman was arrested for wearing men’s clothing? What French landmark was supposed to last only 20 years?
U.S. Presidential Code Names Quiz
Every U.S. president is assigned a code name by the Secret Service. This quiz will show you a code name along with two presidents’ names. Can you pick the right one?
Great Moments in Sports Quiz
What animal was used to curse the Chicago Cubs? Who overcame an illness to win the “Flu Game”? What National Football League (NFL) team achieved a perfect season?
Slang Through the Ages Vocabulary Quiz
Find out if you’re a space cadet or the bee’s knees.
Videos
Uncover the mystery behind the writing on the Rosetta Stone
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War
7 Deadliest Weapons in History
From rocks to rockets.
The War of a Thousand Days
The War of a Thousand Days, (1899–1903), Colombian civil war between Liberals and Conservatives that resulted in between 60,000 and 130,000 deaths, extensive property damage, and national economic ruin. The Liberal Party represented coffee plantation owners and import-export merchants who favoured
9 Questions About the American Civil War Answered
Important questions asked and answered, briefly.
Does Trench Warfare Still Exist?
Tanks and planes made the trenches obsolete—or did they?
History's Mysteries
Nazca Lines
Nazca Lines, groups of geoglyphs, large line drawings that appear, from a distance, to be etched into Earth’s surface on the arid Pampa Colorada (“Coloured Plain” or “Red Plain”), northwest of the city of Nazca in southern Peru. They extend over an area of nearly 190 square miles (500 square km).
9 Mysterious Disappearances of People Other Than Amelia Earhart
People other than Amelia Earhart have disappeared without a trace. Really!
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
Explore the oldest mystery of colonial America.
Voynich manuscript
Voynich manuscript, illustrated manuscript written in an unknown language and thought to have been created in the 15th or 16th century. It is named after antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912. Scholars and scientists have sought to decipher the text since the manuscript
Ancient Civilizations
Mali
Mali, trading empire that flourished in western Africa from the 13th to the 16th century. The Mali empire developed from the state of Kangaba, on the upper Niger River east of the Fouta Djallon, and is said to have been founded before 1000 ce. The Malinke inhabitants of Kangaba acted as middlemen
Indus civilization
Indus civilization, the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent. The nuclear dates of the civilization appear to be about 2500–1700 bce, though the southern sites may have lasted later into the 2nd millennium bce. Among the world’s three earliest civilizations—the other two are
Druid
Druid, member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. They acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest known records of the Druids come from the 3rd century bce. Their name may have come from a Celtic word meaning “knower of the oak tree.” Very little is known for certain about the
Achaemenian Dynasty
Achaemenian Dynasty, (559–330 bce), ancient Iranian dynasty whose kings founded and ruled the Achaemenian Empire. Achaemenes (Persian Hakhamanish), the Achaemenians’ eponymous ancestor, is presumed to have lived early in the 7th century bce, but little is known of his life. From his son Teispes two