How Hitler’s Failed Beer Hall Putsch Helped Fuel His RiseHitler’s failed 1923 coup and his short term in prison ended up helping the future dictator reset and find his path to power.Read more
How ‘Dune’ Imagined Climate Disaster—and Inspired Environmental ActivismFrank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel, ‘Dune,’ tackled ecological themes and predicted some real-world problems.Read more
Vikings Had Terrible TeethThe Vikings suffered from painful cavities and tooth abscesses. Still, their dental health was in some ways better than ours.Read more
When Did Humans Start Waging Wars?Organized warfare appears to have started in the Neolithic Age and then ramped up during the Bronze Age.Read more
Did Polynesian Voyagers Reach the Americas Before Columbus?The Polynesians were expert sailors—and research suggests they landed in the Americas centuries before Columbus.Read more
Why Did the Vikings Disappear From Greenland?In the 15th century, the Vikings vanished from Greenland after more than 400 years of living there—what happened?Read more
How Did Beethoven Die?Genetic analysis of the composer’s hair reveals a likely cause of death.Read more
10 Unsolved Ancient MysteriesDespite the best efforts of amateur and professional archeologists, the ancient world has retained many of its secrets. Read more
How Ethiopia Beat Back Colonizers in the Battle of AdwaIn 1896, Ethiopia fended off an invading Italian army and secured its independence.Read more
Ukraine Has Seen Centuries of ConflictUkraine has long endured battles, with Russia’s 2022 invasion only the latest in a series of wars, rebellions, raids and pogroms to take place there.Read more
How the Declaration of Independence Was Printed—and ProtectedAmerica’s earliest founding document survived war, fire, mistreatment, insects and the ravages of time prior to landing at its current home in the National Archives.Read more
What Is a War Crime?For centuries—and especially since World War II—countries have attempted to define the rules of war and determine punishment for violators.Read more