History
On This Day, Nov. 8, 1895: Wilhelm Röntgen Discovers X-Rays in Würzburg
A glowing screen in a German lab led to the discovery of X-rays, the first Nobel Prize in Physics and a medical…
“Father Forgive”: How Coventry Answered Its Darkest Night With Mercy
On November 14, 1940, bombs left an English city and its cathedral in ruins. The next morning, its church leaders chose forgiveness,…
Louis Braille: How a Blind Teenager’s Six Dots Opened Books to the World
An accident in his father’s workshop took Louis Braille’s sight when he was three. By fifteen, he had invented a way for…
On This Day, Nov. 7, 1916: Jeannette Rankin Becomes First Woman Elected to Congress
Montana voters elected suffragist Jeannette Rankin to the U.S. House on Nov. 7, 1916, four years before the 19th Amendment. Her story…
The 11th Hour: How the Guns Fell Silent and the World Learned to Remember
For more than four years, the guns of the Western Front had roared. Then, at eleven o’clock in the morning on November…
On This Day, Nov. 6, 1860: Abraham Lincoln Is Elected the 16th President
On Nov. 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln won a four-way race to become the first Republican president, a victory that led Southern states…
Historic City Maps Online: Read the Viewpoint Before Following the Streets
The Library of Congress’s Maps of Cities collection offers an accessible starting point for examining how a historical map selects, arranges and…
After Sydney Open 2026, Keep Looking at the Buildings Between the Destinations
Sydney Open’s announced November 1 program offers a starting point for an original city-observation exercise that continues after an open-building day.
Two Minutes at Gettysburg: How 272 Words Gave a Grieving Nation Hope
This November 19 marks 163 years since one of the shortest speeches in American history. It took about two minutes to deliver.…
A 400-Year-Old Shipwreck Lock in Wales Finally Gives Up Its Secret Code
On a stormy December evening more than four centuries ago, a merchant ship called the Ann Francis was heading home from Spain.…
On This Day, Nov. 5, 1872: Susan B. Anthony Casts a Ballot and Is Arrested
On Nov. 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony and 14 other women voted in Rochester, New York. Anthony was arrested, convicted by a…
Six Years Old and Praying: Ruby Bridges’ Brave Walk, Nov. 14, 1960
On the morning of November 14, 1960, a six-year-old girl walked up the steps of a school in New Orleans. Four federal…
Viktor Frankl Lost Nearly Everything, Then Helped Millions Find Meaning
Some people are remembered for what they built. Viktor Frankl is remembered for what he refused to let go of, even after…
“Known But to God”: The Story of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Nov. 11, 1921
On a quiet hill at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia stands a white marble tomb. On its back are words many visitors…
The Mayflower Compact: How 41 Weary Travelers Chose Unity Over Division
In November 1620, a small wooden ship rode at anchor off the tip of Cape Cod. Its passengers were tired, cold and…
On This Day, Nov. 4, 1979: The Iran Hostage Crisis Begins in Tehran
On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, starting a 444-day hostage crisis that ended when 52 Americans…
Laika and Sputnik 2: The Little Dog Who Orbited Earth on Nov. 3, 1957
Sixty-nine years ago today, a former Moscow street dog named Laika became the first living creature to orbit Earth. Her one-way flight…
When Galloping Gertie Fell: The Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Gift of Failure
On the morning of November 7, 1940, a brand-new bridge in Washington State began to twist in the wind like a ribbon.…
Seven People and a Prayer: The Leipzig Church Behind the Fall of the Berlin Wall
On the night of November 9, 1989, crowds in Berlin did something that had seemed impossible for 28 years. They walked through…
Beethoven’s Silent Storm: How a Deaf Composer Gave the World a Song of Joy
Imagine being one of the most gifted musicians in the world and slowly losing the one sense your work depends on. For…
November 1, 1800: John Adams Moves Into an Unfinished White House and Prays a Blessing
This past November 1 marked 226 years since an American president first slept in the house we now call the White House.…
Mexico City’s Record-Breaking Catrina Invites Families to Remember
This week, in the heart of Mexico City, a giant smiling skeleton lady rose above the great public square called the Zócalo.…
One Last Season: The Never-Give-Up Dig That Found King Tut’s Tomb
This coming Wednesday, November 4, marks 104 years since one of the most exciting moments in the history of archaeology. On that…
Frederick Douglass: The Enslaved Boy Who Taught Himself to Read and Spoke for Freedom
He never knew his exact birthday. He barely knew his mother. He was born owned by another man, in a place where…