Best History Articles & Videos on the internet • Discoverology

History

Read the best history articles from around the internet, or watch the most insightful history videos from platforms like Youtube, Vimeo or leading history publishers like The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, New Yorker and many more.

Welcome To The Monkey House

Welcome To The Monkey House

Crime History Long Reads Politics

Between the end of the Korean War and the early 1990s, more than one million Korean women were caught up in a state-controlled prostitution industry that was blessed at the highest levels by the U.S. military. They worked in special zones surrounding U.S. bases—areas licensed by the South Korean government.

The Man Who Walked Backward

The Man Who Walked Backward

History Long Reads World

When the Great Depression put Plennie Wingo’s bustling Abilene, Texas, cafe out of business, he tried to find fame, fortune, and a sense of meaning the only way he knew how: by embarking on an audacious trip around the world on foot. In reverse.

Into The Unknown

Into The Unknown

History Nature

It was December 14, 1912. Thirty years old, already a seasoned explorer, Douglas Mawson was the leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), a 31-man team pursuing the most ambitious exploration yet of the southern continent. What followed was one of the most terrifying survival stories of all time.

"Balloonfest", The Spectacle That Became A Tragedy

"Balloonfest", The Spectacle That Became A Tragedy

History Videos

In September 1986, the city of Cleveland attempted to set a special record: the simultaneous launch of 1.5 million balloons. But fate intervened, and the result was both crazier and more tragic than anyone could have imagined.

In A Disaster, Humans Can Behave… Pretty Well, Actually

In A Disaster, Humans Can Behave… Pretty Well, Actually

History Life

In his new book, Jon Mooallem tells the story of the Great Alaska Earthquake and Genie Chance, the woman whose voice on the radio held everyone together. It’s a beautiful exploration of how people tell stories on the radio, on stage, in books, and generally to each other.

How Iran Threw The World's Greatest Party In A Desert

How Iran Threw The World's Greatest Party In A Desert

History Videos

In 1971, Iran threw an extravagant and exclusive party to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the Persian empire. The party had a grandeur never seen before in the world’s recorded history. It proved to be a stepping stone for the rise of the Iranian revolution and the fall of the Iranian Monarchy that changed the country forever.

Virginia Mori

Inspiration
Virginia Mori
The Very Dramatic $3,000,000 Qantas Airlines Heist

The Very Dramatic $3,000,000 Qantas Airlines Heist

Crime History Videos

Just after midday on May 26th 1971, Australian authorities received a call from a mysterious Mr. Brown claiming that a Qantas flight from Sydney to Hong Kong was carrying a bomb. He then claimed that he would disclose the location of the onboard bomb in return for a hefty sum.

How Philadelphia Became The One And Only Cream Cheese

How Philadelphia Became The One And Only Cream Cheese

Business Food History

There is only one cream cheese, and that is the brick-shaped silver package with the bright blue lettering: Philadelphia. Philadelphia cream cheese’s dominance isn’t a happy accident. Its cult popularity is likely the result of equal parts clever marketing and good timing.

Abandoned Places: The Pontiac Silverdome

Abandoned Places: The Pontiac Silverdome

History Videos

Just outside of Detroit, in Pontiac Michigan, sits one of the most famous and iconic abandoned structures in the country. At one time the largest NFL stadium and host to SuperBowl 16. This is the Pontiac Silverdome.

The Curse Of The Ship Of Gold

The Curse Of The Ship Of Gold

History Long Reads

How Tommy Thompson, a brilliant scientist, went from discovering a mother lode of treasure at the bottom of the sea to fleeing from authorities with suitcases full of cash.

Spanish Flu: A Warning From History

Spanish Flu: A Warning From History

Health History Videos

Celebrations marking the end of the First World War were cut short by the onslaught of a devastating disease – the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. The University of Cambridge has made a new film exploring what we have learnt about Spanish Flu, the urgent threat posed by influenza today, and how scientists are preparing for future pandemics.

The Sexual Assault Case That Shook Ancient Rome

The Sexual Assault Case That Shook Ancient Rome

Crime History

It was more than 2,000 years before the #MeToo movement, but a scene similar to the ones we’ve witnessed so often lately was already playing out. A prominent politician was on trial for corruption and bribery, charges bolstered by dirt his enemies had dug up from his past: the violent sexual assault of a young girl.

The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand

The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand

Crime History

Eighty years ago, a freezing Finnish farm boy took aim at the unstoppable Red Army — and became the greatest sharpshooter the world has ever seen. Simo Häyhä compiled, by some accounts, a kill count in excess of 500 by sniper rifle, more than anyone in recorded history.

Matt Rota

Inspiration
Matt Rota
Death In The Alps

Death In The Alps

History

Two planes from the same airline crashed in the same spot in the Alps, 16 years apart. Now the glaciers of Chamonix are melting. And as the ice turns to water, it is releasing secrets that have stayed frozen for the past 60 years.

The History Of CTRL + ALT + DELETE

The History Of CTRL + ALT + DELETE

History Tech

In 2013, Bill Gates admitted ctrl+alt+del was a mistake and blamed IBM. With the del key across the keyboard from the other two, it seemed unlikely that all three would be accidentally pressed at the same time. Here’s the story of how the key combination became famous in the first place.

The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan… Stalin Did

The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan… Stalin Did

History Long Reads

The US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when the Japanese finally succumbed to the threat of further nuclear bombardment and surrendered. The support for this narrative runs deep. But there are three major problems with it, and, taken together, they significantly undermine the traditional interpretation of the Japanese surrender.

How A Single Mom Created A Plastic Food-Storage Empire

How A Single Mom Created A Plastic Food-Storage Empire

Business History Long Reads

The story of Tupperware is a story of innovation and reinvention: how a new kind of plastic, made from industrial waste material, ended up a symbol of female empowerment. The product ushered women into the workforce, encouraging them to make their own money, better their families, and win accolades and prizes.

The Last Ditch Attempt To Save The USSR, August Coup Of 1991

The Last Ditch Attempt To Save The USSR, August Coup Of 1991

History Politics Videos

One of the most important events in the decline and fall of the USSR was the August Coup of 1991 which saw its Vice President attempt to overthrow its president, Mikhail Gorbachev. It didn’t go too well and was hastily planned but the fact that it ended peacefully is frankly nothing short of miraculous.

The World Through The Eyes Of The US

The World Through The Eyes Of The US

History Media World

There is always that one country on America’s collective conscious. After looking at 741,681 section front headlines of The New York Times, Russell Goldenberg found out which countries around the world have preoccupied Americans the most each month since 1900.

Schlitterbahn’s Tragic Slide

Schlitterbahn’s Tragic Slide

History Long Reads

In the water park business, Jeff Hendry was considered a genius of sorts. He often said that his goal in life was to make customers of his family’s legendary water parks happy—“to put a smile on their faces, to give them a thrill or two.” It was a beautiful vision. Until it went horribly wrong.

Joseph Ford

Inspiration
Joseph Ford
The 1968 Sci-Fi That Spookily Predicted Today

The 1968 Sci-Fi That Spookily Predicted Today

History Media

In John Brunner’s 1968 novel Stand on Zanzibar, for instance, he peers ahead to imagine life in 2010, correctly forecasting wearable technology, Viagra, video calls, same-sex marriage, the legalization of cannabis, and the proliferation of mass shootings.

'Bizarre As Hell': The Disappearance Of The Yuba County Five

'Bizarre As Hell': The Disappearance Of The Yuba County Five

Crime History

How five men came to be on an inhospitable mountain road more than 50 miles from their homes in and around Marysville and Yuba City, California, was just one of the mysteries surrounding their disappearance. All five had intellectual disabilities or psychiatric issues to various degrees.

The Fall Of The Berlin Wall In Pictures

The Fall Of The Berlin Wall In Pictures

History Photos

East Berliners get helping hands from West Berliners as they climb the Berlin Wall, which had divided the city since the end of World War II, near the Brandenburg Gate, early morning, Nov. 10, 1989. Germans celebrated the opening order that was announced by the East German Communist government hours before.

Revisiting An American Town Where Black People Weren’t Welcome After Dark

Revisiting An American Town Where Black People Weren’t Welcome After Dark

History Life Long Reads

Anna is a city of a little more than 4,000 people located in the middle of Union County, where soybean fields and flatlands to the north give way to the forests and sandstone canyons of southern Illinois. Most people I met, wish the racist lore behind the city’s name would go away. So why hasn’t it?

A Secret Cupid Is Emerging From A 17th-Century Vermeer

A Secret Cupid Is Emerging From A 17th-Century Vermeer

Art History

During a routine round of conservation on Johannes Vermeer’s 17th-century Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, art detectives realized that a section of the canvas had been painted over after the Dutch artist’s death in 1675, concealing a cupid figure.

The Love Story That Shocked The World

The Love Story That Shocked The World

History Videos

When Seretse Khama, an African prince, and Ruth Williams, a white middle-class clerk from Lloyd’s underwriters, got married in 1948, it provoked shock in Britain and Africa. Khama was exiled from Great Britain and later became the first president of Botswana when it became an independent country.

London Underground 1970-1980 By Mike Goldwater

London Underground 1970-1980 By Mike Goldwater

Cities History Photos

The first thing that strikes anyone who regularly rides on the London Underground is how clean it looks in Mike Goldwater’s photographs. Homeward bound tourists keen to recapture the thrill of minding the gap and cooling their heels on overcrowded platforms are not offered a range of signature scents.

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