The Great Forgetting: The Spanish Flu of 1918
Between 1918 and 1920, the ‘Spanish Flu’ killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people, eclipsing the death toll of World War I. Yet for decades, the deadliest pandemic in…
Connecting the dots across time
Between 1918 and 1920, the ‘Spanish Flu’ killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people, eclipsing the death toll of World War I. Yet for decades, the deadliest pandemic in…
Tossing people out of windows seems to be a uniquely Bohemian form of political protest. The infamous Defenestrations of Prague—in 1419, 1483, and 1618—were not just random acts of violence…
For over 400 years, long after Carthage had fallen, Rome faced a true equal in the East: the mighty Sassanian Persian Empire. More than just a rival, this sophisticated civilization…
Was the Battle of Kadesh a great victory for Ramesses II, or a deadly ambush he spun into a tale of personal glory? By analyzing the competing Egyptian and Hittite…
On its own, Martin Luther's protest against the Catholic Church might have been a footnote in history. But when combined with the revolutionary power of the printing press, his 95…
Who held the ultimate power in medieval Europe: the Pope or the Holy Roman Emperor? This question ignited the Investiture Controversy, a titanic struggle that pitted Pope Gregory VII against…
The Mau Mau Uprising was more than a simple rebellion; it was a brutal civil war wrapped inside a war for independence. Born from decades of colonial injustice, the conflict…
Explore King Henry VIII's radical campaign to shutter England's monasteries, a move driven by a lust for power, wealth, and a new queen. This pivotal event, executed with ruthless efficiency…
Believe it or not, two Italian city-states once went to war over a stolen wooden bucket in a conflict that left 2,000 people dead. This bizarre 14th-century standoff between Bologna…
During the French Revolution, clothing transcended mere style to become a potent political badge. From the aristocratic silks and knee-breeches of the Ancien Régime to the simple trousers of the…
In 1835, an unemployed painter tried to assassinate President Andrew Jackson on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, marking the first such attempt in American history. When both of the…