What happens when one’s monumental scientific achievement results in cataclysmic death? “Father of the bomb,” Robert Oppenheimer, was deeply troubled about the consequences of his…
Joséphine ascended from obscurity as a child on Martinique to become the empress of France. Much of her historical fame derives from being Napoleon’s wife, but Joséphine was a…
In 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh cut off his left ear after an argument with his friend, fellow artist Paul Gauguin. But what would have driven him to commit such an act of…
Threatened with a career-ending diagnosis of HIV, basketball legend Magic Johnson rebounded in health and in life. He made an impact by becoming a spokesperson for HIV/AIDS…
George Westinghouse was Thomas Alva Edison’s relentless competitor in the battle to establish a universal standard for transmission of electricity to the streets, homes, and…
Jesus of Nazareth is one of history’s most famous religious figures, and yet scholars and clergy alike are still undecided about the language(s) he spoke. Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek,…
In 1924, two affluent young men kidnapped and murdered a 14-year-old child. The crime shocked the nation and led to what many considered to be the trial of the century. The case…
Is Michelangelo’s statue of David pornographic? It turns out the question isn’t new – it’s age-old and dates almost to its time of completion. Michelangelo felt differently, of…
Ada Lovelace was a 19th-century woman a century ahead of her time. Well-versed in advanced mathematics, her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage allowed her to envision a…
Mahatma Gandhi developed his philosophy of Satyagraha, or “Holding on to Truth,” to fight for a radical vision of equality and social justice when he was a young lawyer to South…
Rising from the bloody conflicts of imperial Rome, Septimius Severus became its first emperor of African origin. He bestowed many gifts on his North African homeland, and his…
Born to privilege, Alfred Southwick dedicated his life to easing the pain suffered by dental patients, using skills he acquired as an engineer. His legacy, however, is forever…
Political assassinations have been a part of human history for as long as there have been leaders and their enemies, but not all assassinations significantly influence their…
Famous for his exquisite poetry, and his notorious affairs, Lord Byron is also known today as the father of Ada Lovelace, considered to be the first computer programmer. Her…
He defeated Napoleon and saved Europe, but the British establishment wouldn’t acknowledge his love for the mother of his child. Admiral Nelson was smitten with Lady Hamilton.…
Over 900 people died gruesomely at Jonestown, a symbol of “doomsday” cults. Charismatic, autocratic Jim Jones ruled with brute force, leading his followers to madness and beyond.…
Marco Polo introduced the Far East to Europe. His travels fostered innovation and exploration for centuries. Do the facts bear him out, or was he a fraud who stole work from…
Julius Caesar altered the course of the Roman republic, yet the greatest impact he had came about in the aftermath of his assassination in 44 BCE. His death would change the…
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was a man of vision, designing structures that broke with European precedent. Best known for his homes for wealthy patrons, when the Great Depression…
French 19th century painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s long-standing anti-Semitism affected his career choices, his aesthetic strategies, and his painterly style. Explore the…
Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa is perhaps the most famous painting ever, entertaining six million viewers each year at the Louvre. But its subject, most likely the Italian…
Was Shakespeare gay or bisexual? Amid debate, new research reveals undeniable queer themes throughout his work, in poems and in plays. Did he do this intentionally? If so, the…
Charles Darwin is remembered as the father of evolutionary theory, but he wasn’t alone in arguing for the crucial role of natural selection. A lesser known colleague joined him in…
Clint Eastwood gained international stardom in a so-called spaghetti western that brought a new sense of drama to a tired genre. But his last “cowboy movie,” Unforgiven, reveals…
When Kim Philby defected to Russia in 1963, he had been spying for the Soviets from the highest levels of British Intelligence for over 20 years. His betrayal cost countless…
In Florence, Italy, in the early 1400s, male same-sex practices were not uncommon. Leonardo da Vinci was anonymously denounced for this as a young man, and his case’s outcome…
Edgar Rice Burroughs created Tarzan, one of the most famous characters in fiction, and earned a fortune from his pen. Though much of his work is now dated, his best stories remain…
WWII reporters Ernie Pyle and A.J. “Joe” Liebling focused on the everyday details of U.S. troops on the march and under fire. They wrote honestly of their own fears and of the…
Pop artist Andy Warhol is known for his glacially cool, photo-based serial imagery, which erased the artist’s hand from the final product. But is Warhol’s art impersonal? His…
Known for “fiddling” while Rome was in flames, Nero is the model for depraved autocrats. Sifting through the lurid details, historians now depict a more complex man. He was…
Promoting her new cookbook on a Boston TV station, Julia Child was offered her own show and soon became a star. Her sense of fun and warm personality inspired millions to take up…
For 8 whirlwind years, John Reed was America’s foremost crusading journalist, covering labor strife in the U.S and the Russian Revolution, the subject of his essential book Ten…
After the 1651 defeat of his royalist army, Charles Stuart, Prince of Wales, was a fugitive of Oliver Cromwell’s republican troops. With a few loyal subjects, the prince barely…
President-elect Abraham Lincoln made a 10-day train trip from Springfield, Ill. to Washington, D.C. His speeches on the way were intended to show a moderate policy toward the…
Galileo was a philosopher, experimental physicist, and astronomer. Did you know he invented and sold a multi-function calculating device? He also cleverly used geometry to analyze…
For decades, women around the world fought for their right to vote. Many suffragettes devoted their lives to the cause – some even going to jail – and shaped the future of women’s…
Édouard Manet was, in key ways, the first “modern” painter. Born in Paris during great social upheaval, he reinvented traditional painting to capture the changing scenes of urban…
When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BCE, the fate of the Roman Republic had already been sealed. Rome’s representative government had been crumbling for decades. And…
Fidel Castro transformed his country in Cuba’s 1959 revolution. What early influences led Castro to this radical act? Following a childhood marked by extremes, he used his…
The day after the fall of Richmond, Abraham Lincoln made an astonishing open-air tour of the captured Rebel capital. At great risk to his life, the visit symbolized the…
Diana Vreeland brought an independent verve to American style starting in 1939 as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar. Her magazine work gave women permission to create their own…
Andrew Carnegie was the world's richest man, hated by many for his opposition to organized labor. But in his last years, he gave away most of his fortune to benefit working…
Charlie Chaplin became a movie star thanks to his beloved Tramp character. But his comedy masterpieces and enormous fortune couldn’t calm a torment, grounded in a horrific…
Founding Father Alexander Hamilton was opposed to slavery, yet at times of his life he participated in the institution, and even suppressed his personal opinions in order to “form…
Cary Grant, among the brightest movie stars of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, was also “an apostle of LSD.” His outspoken advocacy for the promise of “psychedelic psychotherapy” spoke…
Frank Sinatra was a towering figure in the cultural history of the 20th century. But the pinnacle of his career, at least in music, may be his albums of the ’50s. His legacy…
In documentaries exploring disorder in the universe, nothingness, and gravity, scientist Jim al-Khalili explains arcane and complex science topics to non-specialists. The joy and…
Calamity Jane is a legendary heroine of the Wild West. The stories of her gender-bending acts of courage and adventures with Wild Bill Hickok have stood the test of time. But were…
Lise Meitner played an instrumental role in the research that led to nuclear fission and, soon after, to the creation of the atomic bomb. But she had deep misgivings about her…
Mary Queen of Scots served as queen of multiple kingdoms before she was dethroned for her faith and the controversies that followed her in life. She was Catholic in the face of…
Meet Lady Death – the Ukrainian sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who shot down as many gender barriers as she did enemies. Rising to fame in WWII, the deadly sniper played a key role…
Marie Bracquemond, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Berthe Morisot – these painters, all affiliated with the Impressionist art movement, have not received the attention given their…
Popularized by the Disney film, the story of Pocahontas is a crown jewel of American folklore. But was any of it true, or was the tale invented by European colonizers like John…
Dr. Hannah Fry is a renowned mathematician whose research offers a window into everything from personal success to love to algorithms. Let’s get to know her.
Catherine the Great’s rise to power was marked by intrigue, betrayals, and other court chicanery. But from these roots arose a leader who reigned over three decades, ruling the…
Viewing art can be a solitary, sometimes confounding experience. Waldemar Januszczak is seeking to change that by hosting TV documentaries on art that feature his accessible yet…
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has delighted readers since its 1865 publication. But most readers don’t know that author Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, was a math…
A battle of titans named Edison and Westinghouse sparked the invention of the supposedly humane electric chair. But how did Nikola Tesla’s promising discovery – alternating…
Caligula was Rome’s third emperor, and the first to be assassinated. While the start of his reign was full of promise, he soon lost support as he became increasingly erratic,…
The Wright Brothers revolutionized early aviation in 1903 with the first flyable airplane. But they almost destroyed their own industry with their intense litigation to protect…
In the Space Race between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., America relied on the rocket designs of Wernher von Braun. Sometimes called the “Father of Space Travel,” von Braun was also…
Alexander entered Egypt in 332 BCE, liberating it from the Persians and advancing his ultimate goal of conquering the entire Persian Empire. In the process, he transformed Egypt,…
Ted Bundy is one of history’s most notorious serial killers, and fascination surrounds him. But what made him become a killer? We’ll take a look at the details of his childhood…
Think you know bananas? Meet Sam “the Banana Man” – the immigrant who founded his own banana empire, manipulated Central American governments, and took control of one of the…
Ludwig van Beethoven’s music includes some of the most memorable, profound, and beautiful compositions of all time. But for much of his career he was unable to listen to what he…
Ludwig van Beethoven was among the greatest composers in history, yet is often seen as a moody, dark genius. What does his childhood tell us about him?
In a life of only 35 years, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created an extraordinary volume of memorable work that will be performed for as long as we appreciate the genius of timeless…
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