Patrick J. Kiger

Patrick J. Kiger has written for GQ, the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, PBS NewsHour and Military History Quarterly. He's the co-author (with Martin J. Smith) of Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America.

Latest from this author

Before the invasion, the Allied commander was at odds with air force officers and Churchill over a controversial plan.

Richard Nixon in WWII

While the future president saw plenty of action in the Solomon Islands, at one station Nixon found time to master poker—and rake in winnings.

Benjamin Franklin

Postal mail delivery became a vital communication line for the colonies—and then helped unite the newly independent United States.

As Americans dreamed of amassing fabulous fortunes, many became vulnerable to cons.

From Gerald Ford's football days to Barack Obama's basketball game to George W. Bush's impressive marathon splits, many presidents have shown athletic prowess.

The 1911 factory blaze shocked the nation and spurred new regulations to protect factory workers.

Treaty of Versailles

Some disarmed the German military, while others stripped the defeated nation of territory, population and economic resources, and forced it to admit responsibility for the war and agree to pay reparations.

A dinner of society people at Delmonico's restaurant in New York City in 1899.

As American industrialists and financiers accumulated incredible wealth during the Gilded Age, they strove to outdo one another with their lavish spending and possessions.

Thomas Knowlton, the Battle of Bunker Hill

Death tolls weren't as high as in other wars, but the losses were significant for the population of the 13 colonies.

Ancient Greek Sports. Three nude athletes are depicted competing in a foot-race on an ancient Greek amphora. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Ancient Greek athletes competed in individual sports that placed physical prowess on display.

Ukrainian Famine

Cruel efforts under Stalin to impose collectivism and tamp down Ukrainian nationalism left an estimated 3.9 million dead.

Ronald Reagan may have spearheaded the build-up that led to the demise of the Soviet Union, but George H.W. Bush quietly saw it through.

The Nile River

From nourishing agricultural soil to serving as a transportation route, the Nile was vital to ancient Egypt's civilization.

How the Black Death Spread Along the Silk Road

The Silk Road was a vital trading route connecting East and West—but it also became a conduit for one of history's deadliest pandemics.

10 Ways the Transcontinental Railroad Affected America

The country, from its commerce to the environment to even its concept of time, was profoundly altered after the completion of the railroad's 1,776 miles of track.

Minimum Wages in America

Since 1938, the U.S. federal government has established that workers are entitled to a base hourly wage. Which workers receive that minimum—and how much—has remained a political issue.

7 Events That Led to the American Revolution

A series of events escalated tensions that culminated in America's war for independence.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The future president’s break would not only help save his life, but also lead to his earning a Silver Star.

The Firefighters of 9/11

The firefighter deaths on Sept. 11 amounted to more than a third of the approximately 1,000 emergency personnel at the scene.

One settlement in modern-day Illinois hosted a population of around 20,000, while another featured multiple-story buildings.

How Did Billy the Kid Die?

Even though a widely-accepted account says the outlaw was shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett in New Mexico, murky details have led to other theories.

How World War I Fueled the Russian Revolution

Ineffective leadership and a weak infrastructure during the war led to the demise of the Romanov dynasty.

A close-up of the text of the Code of Hammurabi.

The collection of laws and regulations carved into stone thousands of years ago carries principles and ideas that are still applied today.

How Hammurabi Transformed Babylon into a Powerful City-State

The ancient Babylonian king ruled with military and diplomatic finesse—and he also knew a thing or two about self-promotion.

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Environmental factors helped agriculture, architecture and eventually a social order emerge for the first time in ancient Mesopotamia.

Oldest U.S. Presidents

The Founding Fathers only set an age minimum for U.S. presidents—not a maximum.

Thomas Edison

Edison's genius was improving on others' technologies and making them more practical for the general public.

Native American Inventions

From kayaks to contraceptives to pain relievers, Native Americans from a range of tribal nations developed key innovations long before Columbus reached the Americas.

Hate Paying Income Tax? Blame William H. Taft

Republican president William H. Taft successfully advocated for a permanent, national income tax.

The surprise Japanese assault inflicted heavy losses but failed to strike a decisive blow.

Benedict Arnold

The Revolutionary War officer-turned traitor had a brilliant strategy—except that everything went wrong.

How the Dangerous Sport of Chariot Racing Captivated Ancient Rome

Chariot racing in ancient Rome showcased local teams, speed, violence and star athletes.

8 Inventions from the Second Industrial Revolution That Transformed Life

The period between the late 1800s and the early 1900s saw a boom in innovations that would take the world by storm.

HISTORY: Han Dynasty

The 400-year rule of the Han Dynasty generated a slew of innovations in everything from agriculture to metallurgy to seismology.

Dancers dressed in green performing in a St. Patrick's Day parade in Munich.

Dressing in green on St. Patrick's can trace its roots to leprechaun legends, as well as a sign of Irish defiance.

Statue of Liberty: The Making of an Icon

It took grassroots efforts to raise the funds and ultimately build the colossal monument in New York Harbor that has come to symbolize freedom around the world.

U.S. Presidents in Uniform

From George Washington to Dwight D. Eisenhower to John F. Kennedy, military veterans have risen to the nation's highest office many times through history.

Crispus Attucks

Crispus Attucks, a multiracial man who had escaped slavery, is known as the first American colonist killed in the American Revolution.

Join or Die

Franklin’s 'Join or Die' cartoon was so effective it rallied the colonies and influenced politics throughout two wars.

dust bowl migrants

As they traveled west from the drought-ravaged Midwest, American-born migrants were viewed as disease-ridden intruders who would sponge off the government.

Seven Hard-Fought Battles That Helped Win the American Revolution

While the British were often better equipped and trained, these events proved critical in ultimately securing Americans' victory in the war.

Crowd in the street during a strike, 1927

Strikes have been a powerful, sometimes perilous tactic for workers as they've fought for better wages and working conditions.

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton

Eliza Hamilton poured her energy into founding a free school and an orphanage in New York to help children in need.

6 Surprising Discoveries From Medieval Times

The Middle Ages have yielded a series of amazing archaeological discoveries, from medieval swords to buried castle remains to evidence of zombie fears.

Senegalese soldiers after attack, circa 1914-circa 1918. The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were recruited from Senegal and other sub-Saharan regions of the French empire.

Battles in Africa were waged between colonial powers, but most of those compelled to fight were conscripted Africans.

Overspending, lower oil prices and political unrest all combined to trigger a decline for the once-prosperous nation.

Ferdinand Magellan expedition depicted in painting.

In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan set off on an audacious journey around the globe. Find out what made the expedition so dangerous—and why its leader did not survive.

huge mushroom cloud exploding over a tropical island

Between 1946 and 1958 the United States detonated 23 nuclear weapons on the tiny, remote ring of islands that make up Bikini Atoll.

How Ancient Sparta's Harsh Military System Trained Boys Into Fierce Warriors

The Greek city-state imposed brutal training and contests that began at age 7.

Smallpox Blankets

There’s evidence that British colonists in 18th-century America gave Native Americans smallpox-infected blankets at least once—but did it work?