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Key Moments in the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was among the scariest events of the Cold War. The 13-day showdown brought the world’s two superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. In the Fall of 1962 the United States demanded that the Soviets halt construction of newly-discovered missile bases in ...read more
Tycoon John D. Rockefeller Couldn't Hide His Father's Con Man Past
When he was a child, John D. Rockefeller watched his father count his money—huge wads of which he refused to keep in a bank and lovingly stacked in front of his impressionable son. “He made a practice of never carrying less than $1,000,” the oil baron recalled later in life, “and ...read more
Which Countries Were Involved in the Vietnam War?
The Vietnam War was ostensibly a civil war between the communist North and pro-Western South. Yet the Vietnamese didn’t do all the fighting. The United States and many other countries intervened, propping up both sides—but especially South Vietnam—with troops, weapons and ...read more
What Happened at the Stonewall Riots? A Timeline of the 1969 Uprising
On a hot summer night in 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar located in New York City’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven for the city’s gay, lesbian and transgender community. At the time, homosexual acts remained illegal in every state except Illinois, and bars ...read more
The First Nonstop Flight Across the Atlantic Lasted 16 Harrowing Hours
When it was all over, Captain John Alcock, an English pilot, telegraphed his story to newspaper reporters around the world. He was exhausted by a recent in-air ordeal that had culminated in a risky plane crash in Ireland along with his navigator and flying partner, Arthur Whitten ...read more
How Charles Manson Took Sick Inspiration From the Beatles' 'Helter Skelter'
Innocent song using the symbol of a playground slide as a metaphor, or subliminal lyrics inciting a race war and murder? Ask Paul McCartney what he was thinking when he wrote the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” and it’s the former. But, according to Charles Manson, the “White Album” ...read more
How Many Times Has the U.S. Landed on the Moon?
The moment is etched in the collective memory of an entire generation—the blurry black-and-white image of Neil Armstrong descending the stairs of the Apollo 11 lunar module on July 20, 1969 to become the first human being to step foot on the moon. “That’s one small step for [a] ...read more
The Archbishop of Canterbury's Wife Kept Falling in Love With Women. He Knew All About It
In 1859, at 18, Mary Benson married her second cousin Edward, the man who would eventually become Archbishop of Canterbury. Mary wrote many passionate love letters during their 37-year marriage. “Did you possess me, or I you, my Heart’s Beloved,” read one, “as we sat there ...read more
The Supreme Court Rulings That Have Shaped Gay Rights in America
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) was established in 1789, but it didn't rule on a case that directly influenced gay rights until nearly 170 years later. Since then, the highest federal court in the country has weighed-in on about a dozen other LGBT rights–related ...read more
How the 'Blood Feud' Between Coke and Pepsi Escalated During the 1980s Cola Wars
The great Cola Wars of the 1980s were a battle between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for dominance. The disastrous introduction of “New Coke” in 1985 appeared to set Coca-Cola back. Yet by the end of the year, it was clear the “mistake” had actually helped Coca-Cola’s sales, allowing ...read more
Women of the WWII Workforce: Photos Show the Real-Life Rosie the Riveters
When the United States entered World War II after the 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor, men shipped overseas by the millions to serve in the war. This left many of the civilian and military jobs on the home front unfilled—and that's when women stepped in. Before the war, some women ...read more
12 of the Most Iconic Cars in TV History
The TV and auto industries have flourished side by side for 70 years, so it’s only natural that the vehicles driven by characters of the small screen are as etched in our memories as the costumes they wore and the places they called home. Here are a dozen celebrated TV rides that ...read more
The Wildest Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories, Debunked
The Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969 was one of the most astonishing achievements in human history. That day, an estimated 530 million TV viewers watched U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take their first steps on the moon. Afterward, the two men and third ...read more
How Gay Culture Blossomed During the Roaring Twenties
On a Friday night in February 1926, a crowd of some 1,500 packed the Renaissance Casino in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood for the 58th masquerade and civil ball of Hamilton Lodge. Nearly half of those attending the event, reported the New York Age, appeared to be “men of ...read more
Stonewall Riots Apology: NYPD Commissioner Says 1969 Police Raids Were 'Wrong'
Police crowded the Stonewall Inn, beating the bar’s patrons with nightsticks and brandishing their guns. In 1969, it was common practice for police officers in New York and other cities to harass owners and patrons of bars that they suspected of providing safe harbor for gay ...read more