When the Supreme Court Ruled a Vaccine Could Be MandatoryA 1905 decision provided a powerful and controversial precedent for the flexing of government authority.Read more
7 Major Events That Happened During Lame Duck SessionsSome lame-duck presidents and lawmakers managed to pack in major, sometimes stinging initiatives during their final weeks in office.Read more
13 Everyday Objects of Colonial AmericaEarly American colonists may not have had electricity, plumbing or cars, but they found ways to make daily life easier with these objects.Read more
Andy Warhol’s Soup Can Paintings: What They Mean and Why They Became a Sensation‘I used to drink it,’ the artist said. ‘I used to have the same lunch every day for 20 years.’Read more
What Was Christmas Like for America’s Enslaved People?For some, it was a rare time of respite; for others, an opportunity for resistance.Read more
9 Lucky New Year’s Food TraditionsFrom black-eyed peas to lentils to soba noodles, these foods and others are believed to bring good luck in the new year.Read more
6 Things You May Not Know About the White HouseAnswers to top questions about the executive residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.Read more
4 Diseases You’ve Probably Forgotten About Because of VaccinesVaccines are so effective at fighting disease that sometimes it’s easy to forget their impact.Read more
This President Secretly Purchased Enslaved Children While in OfficeJames Polk bought 19 people during his presidency, at least 13 of whom were children.Read more
Why the 1918 Flu Pandemic Never Really EndedAfter infecting millions of people worldwide, the 1918 flu strain shifted—and then stuck around.Read more
7 Things You May Not Know About FreemasonsWho are the Freemasons and what do they stand for? Is there really a secret Freemason handshake? And what do those symbols mean? Find out.Read more
The James Bond ‘Goldfinger’ Actor With a Nazi PastIsrael banned ‘Goldfinger’ for two months after learning about Gert Fröbe’s former Nazi membership.Read more