What Drove Heaven’s Gate Followers to Mass Suicide?In 1997, 39 members of a religious sect were found dead by suicide inside a San Diego mansion. Why did they do it?Read more
How Althea Gibson Faced Racial Barriers—Even as a Tennis ChampionBetween 1956 and 1958, Gibson became the first Black player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals. But none of it came easy.Read more
7 Trailblazing American Women EntrepreneursLong before Martha and Oprah, as far back as the late colonial era, these successful business women were breaking glass ceilings.Read more
5 Groundbreaking 19th-Century African American ArtistsDespite the virulent racism of their time, these talented African American artists found success—and left lasting legacies.Read more
7 Facts About British Royal CoronationsThe centuries-old ceremony is a mixture of political and religious rites replete in symbolism, tradition and pomp.Read more
The Earliest Known Author Was a Woman from MesopotamiaA priestess named Enheduanna claimed authorship to poetry and other texts—sometimes in first-person—more than a millennium before Homer.Read more
The Campus Walkout That Led to America’s First Black Studies DepartmentThe 1968 strike was the longest by college students in American history. It helped usher in profound changes in higher education.Read more
How Yellowstone Became America’s First National ParkYellowstone’s stunning natural beauty inspired the 19th-century push to set aside the land, where Indigenous people had been present for millennia.Read more
What Was the Role of FDR’s ‘Black Cabinet’?Led by Mary McLeod Bethune, this informal network of advisors was the first group to press for civil rights from within the federal government.Read more
How Nations Have Spied from the SkySince the Civil War, forces have deployed aerial surveillance gadgets from balloons to robotic dragonflies.Read more
Who Invented Buffalo Wings?The origin story of spicy, saucy chicken wings has more than one hero.Read more
7 Unique Valentine’s Day TraditionsChocolates and roses are common ways to mark Valentine’s Day, but there are other, lesser-known traditions to commemorate the holiday.Read more