What do the Salem Witch Trials and the case of mysterious bodily tics in high school cheerleaders have in common? Both originated as instances of mass psychogenic illness.
Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged Vladimir Putin’s military operations in Ukraine in a short-lived rebellion in June 2023. After calling off the mutiny, Prigozhin…
The morning of September 11, 2001, was beautiful in New York City and Washington, DC, but it turned unspeakably tragic when airliners hijacked by terrorists crashed into their…
For decades, the governments of Canada and the United States collaborated with Christian religious authorities to “civilize” Indigenous children forced to attend boarding schools.…
John Lennon faced immense government pushback in the early 1970s for his political activism. The FBI, the CIA, and the INS all teamed up to neutralize his public voice by getting…
Organizers of the 1936 Berlin Summer Games envisioned bringing together a war-torn world in peaceful athletic competition. That happened, but already the winds of war were…
Chicago’s 1968 Democratic National Convention saw protesters face off against enraged police officers outside while the official delegates fought brutal political battles inside.…
Health insurance is a complicated (and touchy) subject. Lots of people have strong opinions about how healthcare should be covered, but just as many of us don’t know much about…
Since 1946, the National School Lunch Program has provided free or low-cost lunches to American students who could not otherwise afford a healthy, nutritionally balanced midday…
After atomic bombs effectively ended World War II, the next global conflict might have wiped out the planet. U.S. strategic readiness in the air was a big reason why an all-out…
For our monthly “Editor’s Choice” documentary, we turn our attention to a gripping view of three prominent African Americans – Muhammad Ali, Gordon Parks, and Malcolm X – who…
Fifty-two American hostages held in Iran were released on January 20, 1981, 444 days after their capture, simultaneously with the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. Was…
The landing of Canadian troops on Juno Beach went smoothly, with virtually no resistance. But their advance on the German stronghold at Caen tested their mettle and proved their…
The apocalypse has been a tenet of Christianity for almost 2,000 years. Now, the term is applied to various potential scenarios in the secular world, from nuclear war to climate…
In May 1942, the U.S. and Japanese navies engaged in a confusing and bloody battle in which nearly everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Though it ended in a draw, it set…
The Tylenol Murders of 1982 terrified a nation and forever changed the way we consume medications and other products. But will justice ever be served for the victims and their…
The World's Fair used to be the Olympics of invention. These international expos debuted some of the most advanced technologies of their times, but the annual affairs have lost…
Before the invention of the hot air balloon, humanity's dreams of flying were relegated to the stuff of legend. Building on centuries of compounded knowledge, the Montgolfier…
The social and political turbulence of the Sixties came to a head in 1968. Night after night, viewers tuned in to the TV news to witness war, assassinations, demonstrations,…
MagellanTV is proud to present a new six-part documentary on the U.S. Civil War, Battlefield America. To mark that event, writer Kevin J. Martin interviewed its historian, Garry…
The quest for the land speed record has been rushing ahead since automobiles first appeared on the roads. Today, the “cars” in pursuit of the record look more like jet planes, but…
Each of us is a citizen of one country or another. The concept has developed since ancient Athens created the first known democracy. But what does it mean to be a citizen in…
In January 1967, the inherent dangers of the manned space program were brought into horrifying focus when three American astronauts died in a flashfire during a test on the…
The 1900 Paris World’s Fair revealed complex conflicts between aspirations and reality. Its noble effort to highlight the cultural, industrial, and technological contributions of…
The runaway burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are contributing substantially to increased global temperatures, resulting in rapid changes to weather patterns. The…
The May 1968 Paris student uprising was the spark that lit a blazing conflagration throughout the nation, shutting down the country. Daniel Cohn-Bendit – “Danny the Red” – led…
Forensic genetic genealogy led to the conviction of the Golden State Killer in 2020. Since then, hundreds of other cases have been cracked using the same method. But is it always…
In support of France’s May 1968 student strike, workers walked off their jobs, often occupying the factories where they worked. In many ways, this was more successful than the…
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…
The stories of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Lise Meitner are forever entwined with the development of the atomic bomb. Also common to the two scientists is their shared concern about…
Shark Week premieres Sunday, July 23. And what can we expect? Plenty of chills and suspense, for sure, along with celebrity sightings and incredible cinematography. There’ll also…
From the orb and scepter to crowns and capes, the coronation set for the first week in May 2023 is laden with symbols. As it has for over a thousand years, Great Britain will…
WWII was a technologically advanced conflict, and recruits became unknowing test subjects in an effort to use amphetamines to create “super soldiers” on both sides of the…
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…
The 1930s Dust Bowl was a Depression-era disaster resulting from both environmental and sociological circumstances. Dust storms decimated the livelihoods of American farmers and…
In the aftermath of a ship’s tragic explosion in Havana Harbor, Alberto Korda snapped a picture of Che Guevara that became one of the most iconic and widely distributed…
The Cuban Revolution had its roots in Spain’s colonial domination and America’s later exploitation of the island nation’s resources. How did Fidel Castro rise to power and…
What is Christmas without Santa Claus? The men interviewed for this article represent three different approaches to being Santa in contemporary America. Each of their stories is…
New technologies are later understood to have had a huge impact on history. Two related inventions, the vacuum tube and the electric microphone, utterly transformed modern life,…
Jack London was the most successful American writer of the early 20th century, earning a fortune writing books that are still read today. He was also an accomplished photographer…
Operation Pied Piper during World War II saw millions of people evacuated from Great Britain’s largest cities. The youngest generation to live through the war had their childhoods…
Venezuelan political activist Leopoldo López has sacrificed many things, including his freedom, to oppose the regimes that have caused endless misery for the people of his…
The hippies’ Summer of Love was seeded in the early 1960s and blossomed during 1967 – but it withered before year’s end. Here’s the incredible story behind why it flowered, how it…
WWII gave rise to military tactics that targeted psychological weaknesses in the enemy. It redefined what constituted a battlefield. At the expense of civilians and civility,…
The Monterey Pop Festival, an unprecedented gathering of young people and performers, many of them high on LSD, launched 1967’s Summer of Love, merged music and film, and…
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.…
World War I shook mankind to its core as nations mobilized for a war unlike any other. A new age of carnage came about by technological advancements, but the causes of WWI…
NASA revolutionized the trajectory of space exploration through its Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s. Over four and a half years they sent a dozen men to the Moon, and…
Humans have waged wars for millennia, but is war ever justifiable? Just war theorists offer principles that explain when war is justified and how war should be conducted.
One lesson of History is that hubris and military aggression are inevitably followed by defeat. Overestimating one's own power while underestimating the strength of an adversary…
The history of the United States is complicated and often distressing. Public schools that ignore or gloss over the difficulties do a great disservice to the children who will…
The U-505 was taken on the high seas by a U.S. Navy task force through planning, valorous action, and a lot of luck. Slated for demolition after the war, it was saved again by a…
The Nazis revered so-called “Aryan” motherhood. During the Nazi era, the ability of “racially valuable” women to give birth was a prime goal. Even so, low birth rates pushed the…
For many, Ellis Island was the beginning of their American Dream. But the journey was more complicated for those who suffered from illness or infirmity.
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…
Treasure hunting may be seen as antiquated, but modern hunters put time, money, and passion into striking it big. Brent Brisben and Dennis Parada are two such hunters, and they…
Everyone knows about Amelia Earhart, but can you name another notable female pilot? Some of the great pioneers of aviation were women, and the story of a group of women who were…
Once established in the United States, Sicilian gangs thrived thanks to Prohibition. The money that flowed through the 20th century Mafia led to wars for control in both Italy and…
An astounding photograph and two ecological catastrophes combined with a classic book to inspire a crusading U.S. senator to institute what he called a “national teach-in.” Fifty…
The Nazi building program, mostly unrealized, reveals the depth of Hitler’s madness. Rebuilding Berlin and planning enormous structures to glorify the German ruler’s ego wrought…
Fine French dining has evolved significantly over the past century. However, the essence of French cuisine, bringing rich flavors to diners’ palates in an aesthetically pleasing…
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…
Los Angeles is known for many things: sun, sand, movie stars – and grisly murders? Yes, those too. Join the time-traveling bus tour for a glimpse of crimes that defined their…
What happened when an earthquake, a tsunami, and nuclear reactor meltdowns combined to devastate a populated region of Japan? Though lessons have been learned save lives in the…
The Imitation Game portrays Alan Turing as the sole genius behind the breaking of the German Enigma code. The truth is that Enigma was cracked earlier by Polish mathematicians…
Three men in Mississippi were kidnapped and murdered in June 1964, awakening the nation to the horror of race-based violence and oppression affecting Blacks and civil rights…
The Ku Klux Klan reappeared in the 1920s, promoted by a pair of public relations executives using images drawn from a blockbuster movie. But the Klan soon collapsed from internal…
The 21st century has had rapid progress for members of the LGBTQ community. But in fact, recent advances in gay rights stand on a foundation that was laid by courageous activists…
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…
Nazi data scientists provided Hitler statistics about the “undesirables” in the German Volk. For the Reich, mass murder became a big data problem solved with the help of the then…
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…
Trains have changed human history in countless ways, launching events like the Industrial Revolution and allowing millions of people to travel the world.
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…
For some astronauts space flight has been just one planet in their orbit of accomplishments. Let’s learn about five women astronauts who set their sights on breaking boundaries…
Although our awareness of the deadly Ebola virus dates back only to about 2014, recorded viral transmission and deaths stretch back nearly 50 years, to at least 1972. Studying the…
This year, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of a milestone in the progress of the feminist movement in the U.S., a political event that demonstrated the power and reach of “second…
Necessary or frivolous? In a society where “I’ll sue you” is a common threat, the legal system gets inundated with potential cases. Sometimes these cases are tragic and the…
People around the world are concerned about the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, first identified in Wuhan, China. But this is not the first coronavirus in humans, nor is it the most…
During the Cold War, the geopolitical stakes could not have been higher. But no episode combined audacity with deep secrecy and paranoia like the U.S. attempt to raise a sunken…
The technology of producing newspapers has evolved a lot in the past 300 years, and reading habits have changed, too. But have we lost anything essential as the forms of news…
With the collapse of the Iran Nuclear Deal, will Iran proceed with its nuclear weapons program? If so, is there a way to block it without sparking an all-out war – a conflict…
Poppies are the source of many opioid drugs, medications that bind to the areas of the brain controlling pain and emotions. While first marketed with good intentions, the drugs…
More than three decades ago, the United States and the U.S.S.R. nearly came to blows over a disabled Soviet space station called Salyut-7. Or did they?
The events of September 11, 2001, are seared into the memories of all who witnessed it, including the horrific spectacle of the twin towers’ collapse. Engineering allows us now to…
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…
1969 was a year of signal events in popular culture. From Woodstock to Altamont, from the Manson murders to the Moon landing, the events kept piling up in the rush to the end of…
The art of Living History and historical re-enactors might be the closest we’ll ever come to actual time-travel. Without a time machine, these committed amateur historians attempt…
Who owns the Moon? Technically no one – but several private companies and individuals have had other ideas. As interest in the Moon’s profit potential grows, important questions…
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…
The Middle East was an active theater of conflict during WWI. Following the war it was treated as spoils of war by the West, despite promises made for Arab self-determination.…
Nationalism has changed dramatically since its formation during the Enlightenment era. In the 1830s, Polish composer Frédéric Chopin made his musical mark as a defender of…
Humans appear to be on the verge of setting out in large numbers into space on commercial flights. Space visionaries are promoting these journeys as essential next steps for the…
During the Cold War, accidents and other incidents involving nuclear weapons were more common than many people know, but the bombs didn’t go off. How close have we come to…
Effects of cyberbullying are pernicious, serious, and long-lasting. Half of all teens with Internet access report to researchers that they’ve been cyberbullied, but 90 percent of…
Black markets have been created across the world for illegal organ transplants. Mostly in severely poor, developing nations with incompetent or corrupt oversight, this trade is…
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…
In our digital age, artwork and other creative content can travel rapidly from author to user. But sometimes those users exploit digital content in ways unauthorized by copyright…
Uncovering Hawai‘i’s history reveals an unexpected tale of 19th century American empire-building and a tradition of native resistance that runs counter to Hawai‘i’s status as…
Has anything important changed since Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un first met? Kim still has his nukes, and the U.S. wants him to give them up. World War III is not the solution.…
“Propaganda” and “war” generally go hand in hand. After World War I, however, propaganda became a marketing tool no longer reserved for posters of the enemy and national spirit.…
With China ascendant, the era of the United States as the world’s lone superpower may be ending. Where is a flashpoint that could draw the two nations into a military conflict…
The world wars of the 20th century were fought by soldiers, sailors, and airmen in clashes of steel across defined geographical battlefields. World War III, however, could well…
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