If you thought Mardi Gras—that annual celebration that marks the last day before the Christian season of Lent—began in New Orleans, you’re clearly not from Alabama. Although The Big Easy in Louisiana is perhaps best-known for its Mardi Gras revelry, the port city of Mobile, ...read more

It was a plan that read like science fiction: A system armed with an array of space-based X-ray lasers would detect and deflect any nukes headed toward the United States. President Ronald Reagan saw the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) as a safeguard against the most ...read more

On the Map BUY HERE: Atlas of World War II, about $22.50, Amazon Start with an astounding array of rare wartime maps—some with generals’ scribbled notations, others used by downed airmen to plot their escapes, still others with ominous coffin markers to show ...read more

Each December, as we unpack our favorite holiday treasures, we recall their personal significance: Grandma’s Christmas china, mother’s hand-sewn tree skirt, a child’s finger-painted ornament. But most traditional items, in general, also have long, storied ...read more

If anyone had cause to wonder about the allure of the candy cane, look no further than the words of Will Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf: “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” In fact, according to the National Confectioners ...read more

Way back when you were a kid, you likely asked Santa for a Magic 8 Ball. Or a teddy bear. Or Hot Wheels. Or a baby doll. And today’s kids? When they climb up on the jolly bearded guy’s lap in 2018, their lists often include…a Magic 8 Ball. A teddy bear. Hot Wheels. A baby doll. ...read more

Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, known for his famous, fatal duel with Aaron Burr—and his ability to draw sold-out crowds to a hit musical examining his life—played a key role in a battle that brought an end to the American Revolutionary War. And in ...read more

In 1975, Rev. Jim Jones, the religious cult leader and civil rights activist, hinted at things to come. “I love socialism, and I’m willing to die to bring it about, but if I did, I’d take a thousand with me,” he said during a sermon at his Peoples Temple church in San Francisco. ...read more

A secret war-time meeting. Fear of an oil shortage. An exchange of gifts (including a wheelchair) and a budding friendship. When Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Abdul Aziz ibn Saud on February 14, 1945 aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Suez Canal, it was the first time a U.S. ...read more

A balanced budget amendment. Tax cuts. Welfare reform. Those were just three of the 10 points of the Contract with America, Newt Gingrich's conservative plan, signed by 300-plus Republican candidates and presented at a press conference just six weeks before the 1994 midterm ...read more

Just three presidents have faced impeachment charges in U.S. history—Andrew Johnson in 1868 surrounding the firing of a cabinet member; Richard M. Nixon in 1973 for his Watergate cover-up; and Bill Clinton, in 1998-99 for charges of perjury and obstruction in the Monica Lewinsky ...read more

You don’t have to be a contestant on “Truck Night in America” to get a thrill from customizing your pick-up truck or SUV. Below, some products, both practical and fun, to vamp up your vehicle—from an espresso machine that fits neatly in your cup holder to an ...read more

Sometimes you just need a little time to yourself. And while most of us aren’t ready for the danger and isolation of an off-the-grid survival test like the one undertaken by participants on “Alone,” a solo wilderness adventure tops many a bucket list. Plan your ...read more

While some trade war tactics have led to revolutions (Boston Tea Party), others have failed miserably (Smoot-Hawley Act). Here’s a look at seven U.S. trade wars that made an impact—for better or for worse—on our country. 1. The Boston Tea Party Major players: American colonists, ...read more

HISTORY recommends products that our editors think you’ll like, and if you buy something through our links HISTORY may get a small share of the revenue. Prices may fluctuate. WALK THIS WAY Whether you’re navigating wintry backwoods terrain, looking for a ...read more

The Greek Ministry of Culture reports archaeologists have found the oldest written record of Homer’s Odyssey. Considered to be one of the all-time greatest works of literature, the engraved clay slab contains 13 verses from the 12,109-line poem, with preliminary estimates dating ...read more

A more than 2,000-year-old sarcophagus has been discovered in Alexandria, Egypt, but what—or who—is inside is still unknown. The black granite tomb, the biggest of its size found in the city and dating back to the Ptolemaic period, measures about 9-feet long by 5-feet wide and is ...read more

The following content is brought to you by our partner, the Caesars Palace. Daredevil motorcycle jumps. Heavyweight bouts. World-class tennis and Formula One racing. The rich, 50-plus-year history at Caesars Palace has included many amazing sporting feats and events. Opened Aug. ...read more

The shattered bones of women, teens and young children recently discovered at an ancient archaeological site known as the “German Stonehenge” may offer evidence of ritual human sacrifice in Bronze Age Europe. The victims’ last moments appear to have been violent ones, as ...read more

With lifetime appointments, it’s not unusual for Supreme Court justices to serve well past the average U.S. retirement age of 63. (Justice Anthony Kennedy, 81, announced his retirement this week; Ruth Bader Ginsberg is 85; Stephen Breyer turns 80 in August; Antonin Scalia died ...read more

He was a founding father, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and an American hero—but most have probably not heard of Caesar Rodney or his dramatic 18-hour midnight horseback ride to Philadelphia to cast a critical, deciding vote in favor of separating from Great ...read more

More than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954—with a whopping 1,004,756 entering the United States in 1907 alone. And yet, even during these days of peak immigration, for most passengers hoping to establish new lives in the United States, the ...read more

The following content is brought to you by our partner, the Wounded Warrior Project. For Brett Miller, cycling had not only been a form of fitness, but his escape. A firefighter for 17 years before joining the National Guard in 1988 to help pay for college, he was conducting ...read more

The following content is brought to you by our partner, the Wounded Warrior Project. From knowing how to listen to inspiring hope to recognizing when to stay firm in your convictions, lessons learned in the military are easily transferable to civilian life. We asked six combat ...read more