The untimely deaths of famous musicians at age 27 may be coincidence, but it is tragic coincidence. The mythology of the 27 Club gained prominence with the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 since he died at the same age as iconic rock musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin ...read more

When the United States first launched the “War on Drugs” nearly five decades ago, not even the cleverest conspiracy theorists could have imagined the far-reaching consequences the campaign would have around the world. From the CIA allowing drug traffickers to flourish in exchange ...read more

We’ve all heard stories about King Arthur of Camelot, who according to medieval legend led British forces (including his trusted Knights of the Round Table) in battle against Saxon invaders in the early sixth century. But was King Arthur actually a real person, or simply a hero ...read more

From the shadowy Caynton Caves of Shropshire to the numerous claims that the Holy Grail (supposedly spirited away from Jerusalem by the Knights Templar during the Crusades) has been found, there’s been no shortage of Templar “discoveries” these days. The latest news regards a ...read more

1. Thanks to J. Edgar Hoover, FBI directors are now term-limited.Hoover landed his first job with the Department of Justice in 1917 at just 22 and by 1924 had become the head of the FBI’s forerunner, the Bureau of Investigation. When Hoover died at 77, he had spent 48 years—62 ...read more

1. Seventy years after the end of World War II, we commemorated the Allies’ final push to Berlin and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, explored Mussolini’s final hours, looked back at how the world celebrated V-E Day, met a Japanese engineer who survived two atomic bombs, and ...read more

1. Why was the Bill of Rights tacked onto the Constitution just three years after its ratification in June 1788? Essentially, anti-Federalist delegates objected to the proposed draft, arguing that it provided a framework for a new centralized government but failed to safeguard ...read more

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective with the knack for solving crimes through observation and reason was modeled after Dr. Joseph Bell, one of Conan Doyle’s medical school professors. Conan Doyle, born in Scotland in 1859, studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh ...read more

Basketball is the only major American sport with a clearly identifiable inventor. James Naismith wrote the sport’s original 13 rules as part of a December 1891 class assignment at a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. Born and ...read more

1. SapphoMuch uncertainty surrounds the life story of the celebrated Greek lyric poet Sappho, a woman Plato called “the tenth Muse.” Born around 610 B.C. on the island of Lesbos, now part of Greece, she was said to have been married to Cercylas, a wealthy man. Many legends have ...read more

1. There is no curse of King Tut. When Carter first entered King Tut’s lost tomb in November 1922, his financial backer George Herbert—a wealthy lord with a passion for Egyptology—was at his side. Four months later, Herbert died of apparent blood poisoning from an infected ...read more

1. Obama’s Second Term Begins In honor of Barack Obama’s inauguration for a second term as president of the United States on January 21, we looked at some surprising facts about presidential inaugurations of the past, and toured some lesser-known presidential inaugural sites. 2. ...read more

1. John AdamsWhen John Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755, the 19-year-old Massachusetts native found himself at a crossroads. As a child, he’d considered formal education tiresome and yearned to be like his father, a farmer. Now, however, he was torn between the ...read more

1. Rose Greenhow Known from a young age as “Wild Rose,” Rose O’Neal Greenhow ascended the ranks of Washington, D.C., society as the wife of a wealthy and prominent doctor. Her charmed life took a tragic turn in the 1850s, when her husband and five of their eight children died. In ...read more

1. Full moons make you crazy. Since ancient times, full moons have been associated with odd or insane behavior, including sleepwalking, suicide, illegal activity, fits of violence and, of course, transforming into werewolves. Indeed, the words “lunacy” and “lunatic” come from the ...read more

Scientists have been unable to pinpoint a definitive timeline for when man developed distinctive handedness. While some primates today show a clear preference for one hand over the other, there is less concrete evidence about our prehistoric ancestors. It’s believed that by the ...read more

1. Shakespeare’s father held a lot of different jobs, and at one point got paid to drink beer.The son of a tenant farmer, John Shakespeare was nothing if not upwardly mobile. He arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1551 and began dabbling in various trades, selling leather goods, ...read more

Before the advent of modern science, perfectly edible fruits, vegetables and herbs were deemed unfit for human consumption. The most famous example is the tomato, a plant native to South America that found its way into Spanish and Italian cuisine by the late 1600s century but was ...read more

Ancient Greeks According to certain iterations of the Greek calendar—they varied widely by region and era—the summer solstice was the first day of the year. Several festivals were held around this time, including Kronia, which celebrated the agriculture god Cronus. The strict ...read more

1. GingerNicknamed for its red hair, “Ginger” is the most famous of six naturally mummified bodies excavated in the late 19th century from shallow graves in the Egyptian desert. It went on display at the British Museum in 1901, becoming the first mummy to be exhibited in public, ...read more

Published in 1897, Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel “Dracula” launched an entire genre of literature and film about vampires, those sinister figures who use their supernatural powers to hunt humans and drink their blood. To create his immortal antihero, Count Dracula, Stoker certainly ...read more

The game we know as poker is believed to have ancient roots that go back nearly 1,000 years, crossing several continents and cultures. Some historians say poker’s origins can be traced to a domino-card game played by a 10th-century Chinese emperor; others claim it is a descendant ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer serves up pizza history, from the flatbreads of ancient Pompeii to today’s pies. He also takes us through the steps of making a classic Margherita pizza at home. Follow his recipe (taken from his cookbook “The Farm: Rustic ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer explains how pickles sustained sailors and explorers during long ocean voyages. He demonstrates the art of pickling, an ancient technique now enjoying a resurgence among home cooks. Ian follows a recipe based on a version ...read more

Feast your eyes on ancient Egyptian art, and chances are you’ll be dazzled by its bright blue accents. Historians believe Egyptians got hooked on the color when they used lapis lazuli, a semiprecious stone from Afghanistan, to tint everything from frescoes to their eyelids. Since ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer tackles the epitome of Southern comfort food: golden, crisp, juicy fried chicken. Did you know it was introduced to that region of America by both Scottish and African immigrants? Ian takes a bite out of this delicious ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer explores the rich history of sourdough bread, from its ancient origins to its rise in popularity during the California Gold Rush. He also explains why it was probably discovered by accident. Ian then demonstrates how to make ...read more

1. Ultimate Guide to Titanic This April marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, an event that continues to fascinate us—and our viewers. Leading up to the centennial, we broke the news of the release of the first map to cover the entire wreck site and gave ...read more

It’s hard to credit a single person with inventing the automobile. Not only did an estimated 100,000 patents lead to cars as we know them, but people also disagree on what qualifies as the first true automobile. For historians who think that early steam-powered road vehicles fit ...read more

Archaeologists have unearthed the court and tomb of a previously unknown ancient Egyptian princess who lived some 4,500 years ago. Led by Miroslav Bárta of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, the team made the discovery at Abusir, a pyramid and necropolis complex located south of ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer explains how founding father Thomas Jefferson discovered pasta in Europe and introduced it to the United States. He also churns out some homemade pasta and a simple dish similar to the one Jefferson used to serve his guests ...read more

Ward Hill Lamon—Abraham Lincoln’s former law partner, friend and sometime bodyguard—told a famous story about the 16th U.S. president’s premonition of his own death. According to the tale, just a few days before his assassination on April 14, 1865, Lincoln shared a recent dream ...read more

It’s one of the most famous quotes in history. At some point around 1789, when being told that her French subjects had no bread, Marie-Antoinette (bride of France’s King Louis XVI) supposedly sniffed, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”—“Let them eat cake.” With that callous remark, ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer takes us through the history of doughnuts, which were first introduced to America by Dutch settlers. He also explores the mystery of why doughnuts have holes. Make your own version of this classic and delicious treat by ...read more

Why did you decide to undertake this project? Presidential speeches are direct communications between the nation’s chief executive and the people of the country. They articulate policy and distill the president’s beliefs, and as such they literally make history. Since the ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer tells us how apple pie came to be seen as quintessentially American. He also shares his secrets for achieving a perfectly flaky crust and delicious filling as he bakes his own version of the iconic dessert. Check out the ...read more

The origins of one of the America’s oldest unsolved mysteries can be traced to August 1587, when a group of about 115 English settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. Later that year, it was decided that John White, governor of the new ...read more

In the early morning hours of July 17, 1918, Czar Nicholas II—the last monarch of the Romanov dynasty, which ruled Russia for 304 years—was reportedly executed along with his wife, Alexandra, and their five children by their Bolshevik captors in the basement of a house in ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer explores the ancient history of chocolate and addresses the eternal question: Can it make you happy? He also prepares a batch of mouthwatering chocolate brownies based on an 1896 recipe that appeared in the first edition of ...read more

In 1751, the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly—part of the state’s colonial government—paid around 100 pounds for a large bell to hang in its new State House (later known as Independence Hall). Cast at London’s Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the bell arrived in Philadelphia in August ...read more

In this exclusive Hungry History video, host Ian Knauer explores the history of lobster, from its humble origins as a lowbrow staple to its current status as a sought-after delicacy. He then whips up two takes on the traditional—and delicious—lobster roll. Check it out, then ...read more