History.com Editors Archives

Darkness Lurks in the Paris Catacombs

Beneath the streets of Paris, France, are the bones of more than 6 million people, also known as The Paris Catacombs.

Why Woodstock Almost Never Happened

Woodstock, the iconic music festival, brought huge audiences and groundbreaking performances. But when local residents raised concerns about crowds of arriving music fans, it almost never happened.

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1:00 minTV-PG

History Shorts: The First Hispanic Congressman Fights for His Seat

Romauldo Pacheco ran to represent a large Southern California district that was sympathetic to his bid for office. But he encountered fierce opposition.

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2:05 minTV-PG

Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo

Human Rights Organization, Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, fight to find their grandchildren who were kidnapped by Argentina’s Authoritarian government in the 1970s.

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1:19 minTV-PG

Women’s History Month

Celebrate the progress and accomplishments of American women with this look at trailblazers throughout history. Are you next?

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1:13 minTV-PG

Advice from the Founding Fathers: Thomas Jefferson

Over the course of his life, Thomas Jefferson developed a list of ideas for those wishing to be on their best personal behavior. A Dozen Canons of Conduct in Life, is a list he sent to his granddaughter, Cornelia Jefferson Randolph.

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1:18 minTV-PG

Advice from the Founding Fathers: George Washington

When George Washington was young, he copied down 101 rules of social behavior that would later become a book of his titled Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.

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1:51 minTV-PG

Advice from the Founding Fathers: Benjamin Franklin

From 1732 until 1758, Benjamin Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanac, which featured a collection of Franklin’s thoughts and proverbs. In 1758, he collected the best advice into an essay titled The Way to Wealth.

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1:39 minTV-PG

The Illnesses JFK Hid from the Public

John F. Kennedy is remembered in part for his youth and good looks, but did you know that during the 1960 presidential campaign JFK was seriously ill and needed testosterone treatments?

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2:14 minTV-14

LBJ, Before the War on Poverty

LBJ spent time after college teaching impoverished Mexican-American immigrants on the border of Texas and Mexico, an experience that shaped his personality and presidential ambitions.

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4:06 minTV-PG

The Rise and Fall of the Guillotine

See why this device became a preferred form of legal execution during the French Revolution.

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2:21 minTV-PG

George Washington: Greatest Challenges

After George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789 in New York City, he faced a variety of leadership challenges, both foreign and domestic.

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