Modern History

A photograph of the US warship USS Gridley at sea

Test the Deep Depths of Your U.S. Navy Knowledge

Ben Campbell · April 6, 2024

An image of several Vaseline glass items pictured in a dark room

Why Do People Collect This Radioactive Glass?

Ben Campbell · April 6, 2024

A pair of geishas. They are both in traditional geisha kimonos, with brightly colored floral kimonos and white-painted faces.

Kyoto's Geisha District Says 'No More Tourists'

Beth Moreton · April 5, 2024

The film poster for “The Great Escape” from 1963/Corporal Karl Greise, one of the German guards known as "Rubberneck,” in the entrance to the escape tunnel "Tom" at Stalag Luft III, 1943

How Much Do You Know About the Real 'Great Escape'?

Ben Campbell · April 5, 2024

Many senior military officials from the U.S. during World War II.

WWII Ghost Army That Tricked Hitler Is Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal

Julia Mehalko · April 4, 2024

A group of U.S. Marines go over their planned attack in a black and white World War II photo.

Test Your Knowledge of America's Famous War Heroes

Julia Mehalko · April 4, 2024

Bloodletting, one of only three known photographs (tintype) of the procedure.

The Most Dangerous Cosmetics Used Until the 20th Century

Sam Watanuki · April 3, 2024

A wide shot of an interior shot of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

The U.K. Stops the U.S. From Taking One of Its Most Important and Historic Art Pieces

Alyssa Miller · April 2, 2024

Image of a tornado in the desert

Tornado Forecasting Hasn't Always Been Easy

Sam Watanuki · April 1, 2024

Digital illustration of the Confederate flag/Digital illustration of the flag of the USA

Most Americans Fail This Civil War Quiz

Lauren Fokas · April 1, 2024

Front and back of 1944 steel cent

A Man's Birthday Penny Is Actually Worth $30K

Sam Watanuki · March 31, 2024

An 1800s painting by Schell and Hogan of many steamboats in a river by a large Missouri town back in the 1800s, with smoke in the air.

The Unique Story Of The 19th-Century Shipwrecks Buried Beneath Kansas Cornfields

Sam Watanuki · March 31, 2024

A portrait of John Calhoun; a portrait of Abraham Lincoln that was doctored.

One of the Most Iconic Portraits of Abraham Lincoln Revealed to Be Fake

Julia Mehalko · March 30, 2024

A photo from the 1944 Normandy invasion during D-Day in World War II.

World War II Veteran Gets Married on the Beaches Where US Troops Arrived 80 Years After D-Day

Julia Mehalko · March 29, 2024

A college student is interviewing one of their peers. The interviewee is answering the question “Who won the Civil War?” incorrectly by answering “the Confederates, right?”

Questions About the Foundation of the United States That Most People Get Wrong

Chris Gorrie · March 29, 2024

Black and white photograph of World War I soldiers. Several men in period military uniforms are positioned around a machine gun. They are wearing combat helmets and carrying backpacks, with one soldier operating the gun, others assisting with ammunition, and one lying prone as a lookout

Discover How Much You Really Remember About World War I

Georgia McKoy · March 28, 2024

A painted portrait of President George Washington.

Which Historical Figure Said the Controversial Quote?

Julia Mehalko · March 26, 2024

Black-and-white photo of the atomic cloud during the Baker nuclear test at Bikini Atoll in July 1946. A huge mushroom cloud rises out of the ocean.

Senator Proposes a Bill to Further Help Those Exposed to Radiation as a Result of Nuclear Testing in the 1940s

Chris Gorrie · March 25, 2024

Satellite true color image of Lake Mead on July 19, 2022, during the 2020-22 North American drought/Lake Powell and Grand Staircase–Escalante from space

States Engaged in Heated Debates as Water Levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell Continue to Drop

Lauren Fokas · March 25, 2024

A field full of students graduating from high school wearing red and blue robes and hats. They’ve just thrown their hats into the air.

Everything the High School History Books Got Wrong

Chris Gorrie · March 23, 2024

A photograph taken at Ski Arlberg in Austria/A rescue helicopter is pictured flying over snowy mountains

Snowboarder Survives an Avalanche for 20 Hours

Ben Campbell · March 23, 2024

A composite image featuring two sections; on the left, a close-up of the American flag with a focus on the stars and stripes, and on the right, a group of individuals raising their right hands and holding folders during a naturalization ceremony

Do Americans Really Understand Immigration Law?

Georgia McKoy · March 22, 2024

A black and white photo of Frank and Jesse James wearing suits and holding the jacket with their hand.

The Mystery of Jesse James' Lost Gold

Beth Moreton · March 22, 2024

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo’s painting The Procession of the Trojan Horse in Troy, depicting the Trojan horse being drawn into the city by ropes as well as pushed from the hind legs.

Was the Trojan Horse Trick Real?

Chris Gorrie · March 21, 2024