Lesley Kennedy

The United States may be synonymous with 'red, white and blue' due to the iconic design of America’s Stars and Stripes, but it’s just one of many countries that use the color combination on its national flag.

The term “86” has woven its way into American slang, typically meaning to get rid of or refuse service. And while its exact origins are murky, its use dates back to the 1930s.

Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay, is best known as the site of the notorious former federal prison, but its history extends far beyond that. Here, we answer six common questions about the national landmark.

At first railroad companies were reluctant to hire Chinese workers, but the immigrants soon proved to be vital.

Five facts about the world's smallest army and their time-honored traditions.

Since 1555, every pope has changed his name upon election, symbolizing a new beginning and hinting at the papacy’s future direction.

After inspecting burrs that had stuck to his dog’s fur, a Swiss engineer got an idea.

The holiday, which celebrates renewal and fertility, involves dancing with fire.

Maypole dances, celestial wonders and military campaigns.

Learn why the holiday is so significant in Russia—and what distinguishes it from V-E Day.

The tradition has practical and symbolic reasons.

Centuries of history and symbolism inform the tradition.

Jesse James. Billy the Kid. Butch and Sundance. Their iconic status endures, despite their history of violent crime.

For many Christians, sunrise and resurrection are linked.

Paul McCartney said the song was about a playground slide, but Manson claimed the music incited a race war and murder.

The act put an end to long-standing national-origin quotas that favored those from northern and western Europe.

March has long been unpredictable, from a blizzard with 50-foot snow drifts to a bizarre meat storm.

Since the early 1800s, U.S. federal and state governments have taken steps both securing and limiting access to contraception and abortion.

Learn why we decorate trees, swap cookies and hide pickles and elves, among other traditions.

The reserve force of men and women traces its roots to Colonial America.

The French heroine and saint was labeled a heretic, fraud, sorceress and cross-dresser.

More than just facts and figures, these statistics highlight the massive scale of Titanic's ambition—and of its tragic sinking.

Through the decades, the right to vote in U.S. elections has seen massive change and expansion.

When a variant of Mad Cow Disease moved from cattle to humans in the mid-1990s, panic ensued and the British economy lost billions.

The founding father worried that trying to spell out all of Americans' rights in the series of amendments could be inherently limiting.

After a 1954 ruling declared that segregated schools were unconstitutional, a decades-long effort to integrate them through busing was often met with violent protests.

After he parachuted from a 727 passenger plane with ransom money—and disappeared—newspapers started receiving weird letters, some with coded messages.

From the Boston Tea Party to the banana wars of the 1990s, U.S. trade battles have yielded mixed results for Americans.

The holidays both celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but have some different traditions and are based on different calendars.

The benefits of fluoridated water was discovered in the early 1900s, when health officials in a Colorado city noticed residents had stained, but remarkably healthy teeth.

Architecture, agriculture, art and more first blossomed in these cultures.

His privileged childhood on a Virginia plantation gave him access to a rich education. He fell in love with Enlightenment ideas.

Before the 22nd Amendment, presidents could run for more than two terms—but only FDR managed to win more than two consecutive elections.

Presidential first pitches. Wacky stunts. Parades and banner raising. Every spring, baseball opens a fresh season with plenty of fanfare.

Power dressing. ’Eatertainment.’ Fad toys that sparked near-riots. Which trends did you participate in?

There are many reasons, but part of the explanation comes down to timing.

The sport, which dates to 1100, was a social event and sometimes played to settle disputes.

Despite the adoption of the 19th Amendment, many women of color, immigrant women and poorer women continued to face barriers at the polls.

The classic short story is considered an example of early American folklore. But tales of headless horseman have been around since the Middle Ages.

On March 22, 1893, 15 months after Canadian-born James Naismith invented basketball, Senda Berenson pitted Smith College freshmen and sophomore teams against each other.

As Florida's electoral votes became too close to call, controversy ensued over hanging chads, dimpled chads and butterfly bullets.

Answers to top questions about the executive residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Speculation fueled theories that a terrorist act had caused the crash that killed the 230 on board, but an investigation later concluded it was a tragic mechanical error.

A strategy to give congressional campaigns a unified, national message under the "Contract With America" led to a Republican sweep.

The 74-day Falklands War became Prime Minister Thatcher's "moment" that led to swift British victory—and also helped save her political skin.

With their presidential ticket, Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro made history in 1984. But that didn't help them win.

The over 900 deaths in Guyana under cult leader Jim Jones were more mass murder than suicide.

In September 1975, President Gerald Ford escaped two attempts on his life—both by women and both in California.

Aldrin saw a broken-off circuit breaker switch lying on the floor of the lunar module and "gulped hard."

The former Western movie set provided shelter—and isolation—as Charles Manson and his followers plotted the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and others.

Prom wasn't always about the dress, the limo and the 'prom-posals.'

One theory claims the iconic holiday candy was created in Germany to appease fidgety choirboys.

Foods enjoyed during New Year are similar to those eaten throughout the year, but with special emphasis on bringing good fortune.

Some claim the earliest Mardi Gras celebration was in Mobile, Alabama, not New Orleans, but it depends on a few technicalities—and who's answering the question.

When his New Deal legislation kept getting struck down, FDR proposed a law targeting justices over the age of 70.

After this first meeting between a U.S. president and a Saudi king, FDR would leave behind a unique gift.

Having a single candidate by the time of a party's convention has been a key stepping stone for victory. But it hasn't always worked out that way.

Although many convention speeches are forgotten, others stood out for famous lines and marking a new mandate or vision.

President Cleveland lost his first reelection bid in 1888—then returned four years later to win back the White House.

Veterans and Wounded Warrior Project volunteers share what they’ve learned.

From superhyped decathlete Dave Johnson's bronze-medal showing to gymnast McKayla Maroney's slip, here's when American performances didn't meet heightened expectations.

In the very first event at the first Games in 1924, an American sparked controversy with a speedskating gold medal. In 1994, the Harding-Kerrigan showdown was TV ratings gold.

From the Unabomber to Bonnie and Clyde, these 13 terrorists and outlaws triggered some of the most massive manhunts in criminal history.

From 'Raging Bull' to 'The Blind Side,' here's Hollywood's spin versus the truth.

For roughly 2.5 million years, humans lived on Earth without leaving a written record of their lives—but they left behind other kinds of remains and artifacts.

There’s a saying that the worst of times bring out the best in people.

The ERA was on track to become the 27th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Then a grassroots conservative movement halted its momentum.

As interest in cultural, intellectual and scientific exploration flourished, support for an all-powerful church diminished.

Disapproval over wars, invasions, apartheid and doping scandals have all prompted countries to pull out of the Games.

The two leaders recognized in each other the desire to move past tense politics and end a nuclear standoff.

The murder of the British royal and World War II hero signaled a dark period ahead for relations between England and Northern Ireland.

The 1957 Christmas Day address humanized the monarch and acknowledged a shift in the position's role from aloof ruler to accessible figurehead.

Hamilton's leadership in the war's last major land battle would deliver the future Secretary of the Treasury his long-sought glory.

The tradition, bestowed as a final tribute, began in 1852, with the death of Henry Clay.

Sensationalist headlines played off tensions between Spain and the United States in a time when raucous media found a voice.

The entire U.S. figure skating team was lost in the horrifying crash. But a memorial fund later helped lay the groundwork for recovery.

How the Wounded Warrior Project helps veterans help themselves and then help others.

Reagan said he wanted to avoid nuclear Armageddon, critics called the Strategic Defense Initiative far-fetched and expensive.

The framers referred to Congress as the “first branch” of government—and they established a wide range of powers for both the House and Senate.

From black-eyed peas to lentils to soba noodles, these foods and others are believed to bring good luck in the new year.

It wasn't until the 20th century that inventors looked past single-use products.

Gold medalists such as Sonja Henie, Dorothy Hamill and Tara Lipinski have used the worldwide platform to launch lucrative post-Games careers.

From how the kitchen was stocked, to who is buried on the grounds, explore facts about the estate that Priscilla Presley converted into a business.

He signed the Declaration of Independence and went on his own (not-so-famous) midnight ride. But a deformity may have contributed to Caesar Rodney's lack of fame.

The law was created in the wake of a scandal involving FDR and federal employees of the Works Progress Administration.

In 1907, no passports or visas were needed to enter the United States through Ellis Island. In fact, no papers were required at all.

Among the names the future first president gave his dogs were Sweet Lips, Venus, Trulove, Taster, Tippler, Drunkard and Madame Moose.

John Adams said the right to a trial by jury, along with representative government, serve as "the heart and lungs of liberty."

Fort Knox empty? The disappearing White House cornerstone. America's version of Stonehenge. And Leonardo's missing notebook page.

Some toys sprang from failed scientific experiments. Other were inspired by parents' jobs.

Before Social Security, American colonists initiated local poverty relief taxes, and differentiations were made between “worthy” and “unworthy” poor.

Early versions were developed as a convenience, but the device evolved to transform delivery in politics, news and entertainment.