History
Mount Rushmore at 75: How did it come to be?
The monument was ‘finished’ in 1941 when the project ran out of money. The man who oversaw its creation was a member of the Ku Klux Klan, writes Jonathan Glancey.<p>Teased, parodied, used and satirised over and again in books, comic strips, theme parks and films, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial …
Entebbe thrust Benjamin Netanyahu onto trajectory leading to politics
Forty years after a group of Israeli commandos carried out one of the most daring rescue operations in history – the raid on Entebbe – Prime Minister …
Political historyHow Elie Wiesel inspired the Free Soviet Jewry movement
Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, left, and Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky — the former Soviet refusenik — at the General Assembly of …
RussiaWhat really makes America great? You, the individual
Forty years ago tomorrow — on July 4, 1976 — the largest armada in human history sailed into New York Harbor to celebrate the bicentennial of the …
Political historyRedwood City: World War II veteran, teacher bring history to Independence Day parade
REDWOOD CITY -- As a 23-year-old Army scout, Ralph Rush became one of the very first Americans to enter a Nazi concentration camp during World War II …
World HistoryThe Great War changed religion and society, but not enough
THERE have been solemn gatherings in the killing fields of France, acts of remembrance in London’s Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey, prayers …
UK News“Charley’s War” co-creator Pat Mills condemns World War One apologists
<b>Pat Mills</b>, who co-created the seminal World War One-centred comic strip “<b>Charley’s War</b>” with artist <b>Joe Colquhoun</b>, has thanked fans still finding the …
ComicsWhat the Declaration of Independence Declares for Us
No document in United States history, excepting perhaps the Constitution, is more revered than the Declaration of Independence. Indeed, most Americans can recite (if not word for word) its most inspiring lines, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are …
Political historyMedieval Warfare Magazine – Volume 6 Issue 3
This summer you can read about the so-called ‘Last War of Antiquity’. The theme of the latest issue of <i>Medieval Warfare</i> is the Byzantine-Sassanid War …
Middle AgesThe Bay Area brilliance of Nef The Pharaoh: Why Neffy Got Wings is one of the best albums of 2016 so far
<i>All this week on FACT we’re celebrating the best albums of 2016 so far, bringing you an interview a day with an artist whose record has helped define</i> …
Music"Aerial America" gives a bird's-eye view of all 50 states
Smithsonian Channel's "Aerial America" showcases the 50 states<p>The Smithsonian Channel's <i>Aerial America</i> isn't just about sightseeing. The show covers stories happening in each of the USA's 50 states from a sky-high view, giving viewers unique angles on events and stories. While covering each state …
Road TripsThe warnings of the Holocaust have never been more relevant in Britain
Last Sunday, a Polish father and son lay bloodied on the floor after being attacked and told to “go back home” in Upton Park, East London. Just this week“get back to Africa” was being shouted by three men at an individual with an American accent on a tram in Manchester on Tuesday, earlier this week.<p>…
HolocaustForbidden City in Beijing to tear down modern buildings to preserve its ancient architecture
The Palace Museum in Beijing will soon be getting a new look, or rather an old look, as officials have ordered all modern buildings in the complex to be torn down. The palace, more commonly known as the Forbidden City, is a complex of ancient buildings that once served as the emperor’s residence …
BeijingBarack Obama Reveals His Populist Blind Spot
A misreading of history from the presidential podium<p>At a press conference in Canada on Wednesday, President Obama indulged himself in what he referred to as “a rant” about the meaning of the word “populist.” Like most rants, it was more spirited than factual—and it revealed an interesting blind …
Political history'The World's Oldest Profession' May Not Be What You Think
<i>The following post is the second of a series of excerpts adapted from</i> Unlatched: The Evolution of Breastfeeding and the Making of a Controversy <i>by Jennifer Grayson, which will be out from HarperCollins on July 5 (available here). Image credit: Charles Beaubrun [Public domain], via Wikimedia …
World HistoryAfter the calamity of Brexit, the British establishment is in a state of civil war
Following Britain’s shock decision to leave the European Union, Britain’s two largest political parties seem on the verge of implosion.<p>British prime minister David Cameron resigned following the vote, leaving a political vacuum at the heart of the British establishment that rivals are desperate to …
Civil War7 WWI Books to Read on the Battle of the Somme’s Centennial
Memoirs, novels and history books about one of the war's deadliest battles<p>July 1, 1916, marked the beginning of a nearly five-months-long fight on the banks of the Somme river in northern France. By the time the battle ended on Nov. 18, French, British and German forces had suffered more than a …
Battle of the SommeHow a Police Scandal Launched Progressivism Across America
Take a look back into the history of New York City at the end of the 19th century, and you'll find a vice economy that flourished, as well as the Democratic political machine and political outsiders that fought against both.<p>One of those outsiders was Charles Parkhust — a reverend who railed against …
Political historySmallest national park? Kosciuszko, forgotten son of liberty
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — If the hip-hop Broadway smash "Hamilton" can reignite interest in the first U.S. treasury secretary, what will it take to drum up interest in another forgotten hero from America's fight for independence?<p>That question has stumped National Park Service employees who oversee the …
Poland'The First American' tells the gripping story of George Washington
He was among the most famous men in the world and America’s biggest celebrity, and upon his death, even his former adversaries lowered their flags to half-mast. We’re not talking Elvis, or some Kardashian, but rather America’s first president, General George Washington.<p>As Americans look ahead to …
18th centuryMost History Majors at Top U.S. Schools Can Skip American History
According to an academic watchdog study<p>Less than one-third of the top schools in the United States require history majors to take a class in American history, according to a study by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a non-profit academic watchdog.<p>The Council surveyed each undergraduate …
American HistoryCan the Freedom of Information Act Be Fixed?
President Obama signs into law a much-needed update. But will it change anything?<p>In 1993, Monte Finkelstein filed what would become one of the longest-running requests for government records in history. Eager to complete his book on the relationship between the Allies and the Sicilian mafia during …
Political historyParis, Orlando and Turkey: Displacing the Narrative of Western Innocence
What is clear is that there is a context – no matter how painful to admit – of U.S. and Western complicity in creating the very forces that now …
TurkeyBritain could still ignore Brexit referendum result. It wouldn’t be the first time in EU’s ‘sorry history’
Print<p>LONDON – Only hours after the EU referendum results were released last Friday, millions had signed a petition to repeat it. Since then, some of …
ReferendumsDid enlightened US and Soviet scientists help avert nuclear war?
One of the more heavy-handed themes in <i>The Martian,</i> among a long list of heavy-handed themes in that film and novel, is the uniting power of science, …
20th CenturyCanadian Parliament to Obama: 'Four more years!'
If you missed President Obama’s address to the Canadian Parliament yesterday, it was a rather extraordinary event in which the American leader …
Elections (Canada)Did war change Guatemala's faith?
It’s been 20 years since the official end of Guatemala’s civil war.<p>The 36-year conflict is generally seen as a military versus guerrilla struggle for power and land, and also a front in the Cold War. But many of the estimated 200,000 people killed were civilians, and massacres of mostly indigenous …
Faith8 Amazing Ways to Explore Ireland's Ancient East this Summer
We’ve a lot to be proud of in Ireland, from the natural beauty surrounding us to the many marvellous landmarks to our colourful past. Ireland’s …
IrelandRobber steals presidential coin from oldest US park ranger
RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — A robber attacked the nation's oldest full-time park ranger in her San Francisco Bay Area home this week and made off with a coin she received from President Barack Obama, authorities said Thursday.<p>Betty Reid Soskin, 94, who works as an interpretive ranger at the Rosie the …
Political historyCuicuilco
Cuicuilco is an ancient settlement site in central Mexico, now located in southern Mexico City. Prominent in the late pre-Classic period, around 500 …
Ancient History