Engraving of the Roman emperor Commodus (161-192), a brutal ruler who precipated the decline of 84 years of prosperity and stability in the empire.

Hand-colored advertisement from the 1910s showing four children in pajamas holding giant toothbrushes leaning over a giant tube of toothpaste. Caption says: "Armed to the teeth."

Royal Vinolia Toothpaste, 1910s.

A crowd of smiling graduates in black capes standing outside a university building, throwing their caps in the air.

Celebration of the University Bonn: Traditional throwing of the graduate caps in front of the university building.

Greg Daugherty, a&nbsp;longtime magazine editor and frequent contributor to HISTORY.com, has also written on historical topics for Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, and other outlets.

Greg Daugherty

Greg Daugherty, a&nbsp;longtime magazine editor and frequent contributor to HISTORY.com, has also written on historical topics for Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, and other outlets.

Greg Daugherty Archives | HISTORY

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HISTORY

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The Roman Empire, led by rulers such as Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Caligula and Nero, was a vast and powerful domain that gave rise to the culture, laws, technologies and institutions that continue to define Western civilization.

Ancient Rome

World War II was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy in 1945. Explore the battles, leaders and atrocities from the war and its impact on geopolitics and humankind.

Greg Daugherty

Stories

The History Behind ‘Pomp & Circumstance’ and 8 Other Graduation Traditions

How Humans Took Care of Their Teeth Through History

How Toys Changed After World War II

Was Commodus the Worst Emperor in Ancient Roman History?