The Doctor Who Took Out His Own Appendix
On this day in 1961 Dr. Leonid Rogozov had to remove his own appendix while stationed in Antarctica.
Lead Pollution Is Bad For Us, But Can It Walk Us Back Through History?
Lead, unfortunately, is something that lingers, as was proven by scientists who used lead pollution from centuries ago to track the ups and downs of European monarchs.
Now That’s A Deep Cut: Music Scholars Bring Back “Lost” Songs From 1,000 Years Ago
Music scholars at Cambridge University studied musical manuscripts without modern notation and after years of detective work, reconstructed what they would have sounded like.
Jimmy Carter Vs. The Swamp Rabbit
It’s a very odd anniversary in the history of the U.S. presidency. Today in 1979, President Jimmy Carter got into a fight with a rabbit.
Now That We Don’t Shake Hands, Find Out Why We Ever Started
Some health experts suggest that when the world gets back to normal we should do away with the handshake. It is an effective way to spread germs, but it's also had some pretty useful functions in its long history.
Radio Saved The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was only supposed to stand in Paris for 20 years... but experiments in "wireless telegraphy" helped convince the powers that be to keep the tower in place.
The Motorcycling Sisters Who Rode For The Right To Vote
It's the birthday of Augusta Van Buren, who joined her sister Adeline for a cross-country motorcycle trip in 1916 to win support for the suffragist movement. And what a trip it was.
When Kentucky Had a “Meat Shower”
What the heck caused meat to fall from the sky over Bath County, Kentucky on this day in 1876?
When Abe Lincoln Said Thanks But No Thanks To A Herd Of Elephants
On this day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln wrote to the king of Siam, now Thailand, to say thanks, but no thanks, to the king's offer of a herd of elephants.
What Time Was Like Before Time Zones
November 18, 1883 is when railroads across the United States adopted a uniform system of time, more or less getting all of us in sync with each other. But what was time like before then?