Barbara Maranzani

Mikhail Gorbachev introduced perestroika and glasnost as well-intentioned reforms to transform the Soviet Union.

The author of the children's poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was persistent in arguing that establishing the national November holiday could help heal wounds from the Civil War.

In honor of Presidents’ Day, here’s a look at some unusual ways the commanders-in-chief have spent their special day.

Here are the stories of eight infamous serial killers, from Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy, to part-time clown John Wayne Gacy.

Check out some surprising facts about the World’s Columbian Exposition.

Explore nine fascinating facts about Lizzie Borden, who may or may not have taken an ax and given her parents lethal whacks in August 1892.

Find out more about the largest, armed Jewish resistance movement of World War II.

Explore surprising facts about one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.

After 10 days of bruising battle, U.S. forces took the hill, only to abandon it days later. Sniper fire was so intense, one soldier called it 'a human meat grinder.'

Explore the life and legacy of the civil rights pioneer.

Fred L. Shuttlesworth, the noted civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, died Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama.

Nearly 50 years before the March on Washington, African Americans took to the streets of New York to protest racial inequality.

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in the North in 1849 and then risked her life to lead other enslaved people to freedom.

In the Mexican-American War, Mexico faced an enemy that was coming into its own as a military power.

Check out five surprising facts about the author of 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina.'

Check out some surprising facts about the world-famous museum and its long history.

From Bette vs. Joan to the ultimate sibling rivalry, check out these legendary Hollywood battles.

Thirty years after the Hitler Diaries were exposed as a fraud, here’s a look back at some of history’s other famous fictions.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was designed to prevent secret surveillance by the president and others.

King penned of the civil rights movement's seminal texts while in solitary confinement, initially on the margins of a newspaper.

On September 15, 1963, a bomb exploded at a predominantly Black church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls and setting off nationwide soul-searching.

Check out seven facts about the legendary 19th-century feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families.

From Franklin’s brushes with death to Eleanor’s midnight ride with Amelia Earhart, here are 10 things you may not know about this presidential pair.

On the anniversary of its creation, take a look back at the history of the March of Dimes.

The Russian ruler was mostly known for modernizing her country—and for her long string of palace lovers. The horse? That was a myth.

Here are 10 unusual facts about the New York City landmark.

Get the facts about the iconic thoroughbred racehorse whose name reigns supreme in the history of racing.

In honor of Flag Day, check out some things you should know about the Stars and Stripes.

Get the facts about John Jacob Astor, America’s first multi-millionaire.

Burr’s political achievements are largely overshadowed by his duel with Hamilton.

Almost 40 years after it was first proposed, this week marked the opening of Four Freedoms Park, a new memorial honoring Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The German surrender during World War II was one of the most momentous events of the 20th century. Check out some surprising facts about how it went down.

From a 'mediocre' nominee to the 1980s fight that brought the phrase 'Borked' into the lexicon, these are some of the most fiercely fought confirmation battles in the high court's history.

Nicholas' five children were shot, bludgeoned, stabbed and then shot again. Could the Romanovs' many royal relatives across Europe have helped prevent the slaughter?

The 5,300-year-old body of Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991. Now, scientists have discovered he has at least 19 living Austrian descendants.

Unexplained fears surrounding the number 13 can be traced to ancient times.

The much-feared day was the beginning of the end for the powerful warriors.

On January 24, 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in Northern California. Get the facts on the rush for gold that followed.

The iconic 1969 music festival had a lot of unplanned and surprising aspects.

Among the missteps: lack of intel-sharing between agencies, tepid responses to earlier attacks and a failure to grasp the magnitude of the terrorists' ambitions.

It was one of the American Civil War's deadliest—and most consequential—clashes.

Here are five places you can visit today that are still affected by the Titanic disaster.

Actor George Takei reflects on a lifetime of activism, the legacy of Japanese American incarceration camps and the spirit of 'gaman.'

Explore little-known facts about the "date which will live in infamy."

Alexander Hamilton was one of America's most influential and controversial founding fathers.

From surprise candidates to delegate fistfights, here are five things you may not know about the history of nominating conventions.

The Nobel Prizes, awarded annually on the anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel’s death, remain some of the most prestigious awards in the world.

From the earliest steam locomotives to today’s high-speed 'bullet trains,' here are eight things you may not know about the 'iron horse.'

A tragic event in Morse's life started him on his path towards inventing the telegraph.

Check out nine facts about the complex that the U.S. Department of Defense calls home.

Abraham Lincoln's Civil War-era speech is one for the ages.

On Saturday, the worlds of Washington, D.C. and Hollywood will once again collide as the nation’s capital plays host to the annual affair.

Check out seven facts you may not know about Robert E. Lee's daring victory.

From its Civil War origins to its modern-day traditions, find out more about America’s most solemn holiday.

The search for the powerful ex-Teamster boss continues to fascinate the public—and frustrate authorities.

Discover some surprising facts about the Japanese capital.

Check out seven things you might not know about John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.

As we commemorate the anniversary of his death, here are 10 things you may not know about Robert F. Kennedy.

A recent discovery has shed new light on an age-old mystery.

The 1863 upheaval underscored growing class and race strife.

Antietam or Sharpsburg? Manassas or Bull Run? For many Americans, what you call a Civil War battle has nearly everything to do with where you or your Civil War-era ancestors grew up. Northern soldiers, far more likely to hail from cities or urbanized areas, are believed to have been impressed with the geography of the […]

A rare photo of the doomed ocean liner, likely taken the day before it set sail on its maiden voyage, is going on the auction block.

Forty years after the premiere of “Roots” captivated the nation, take a look back at the cultural phenomenon and its lasting legacy.

Scientists may have solved the 66-million-year-old mystery of what doomed the dinosaurs.

After nearly two centuries, scientists have identified the plant pathogen that devastated Ireland, killing 1 million people and triggering a mass emigration.

Where they built, fought and prayed.

A new study has cast doubt on a popular theory that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals once co-existed in Europe.

These were special spots for the Brotherhood.

Following yesterday's decision to end Saturday mail delivery, find out more about the long history of the U.S. Postal Service.

One of the nation’s most celebrated schools has announced a controversial change to its tuition structure.

One of America’s first “rural” cemeteries has been welcoming New Yorkers since 1838.

Berlin’s triumphal arch has played witness to some of the most significant moments in modern history.

Get the story behind Death Valley’s record-breaking heat wave.

A new cemetery in Russia will be the final resting place of 70,000 Wehrmacht soldiers killed on the Eastern Front.

Check out some surprising facts about this Cold War-era icon.

With the announcement of a $1 billion public stock offering, it will soon be possible to own a piece of one of the world's most iconic buildings.

Meet four popes who abdicated their position as head of the Catholic Church.