Jul 15 Codebreaker Alan Turing to be the face of a new British banknote By Associated Press During World War II Turing worked at the secret Bletchley Park code-breaking center, where he helped crack Nazi Germany's secret codes by creating the "Turing bombe," a forerunner of modern computers. Continue reading
Jul 14 This genetic brain disorder turned Woody Guthrie’s life from songs to suffering By Dr. Howard Markel Huntington's disease -- which Guthrie inherited from his mother -- can lead to serious mood disorders, uncoordinated and involuntary body movements, balance problems, psychotic breaks, dementia and death. Continue reading
Jul 04 How past presidents celebrated the Fourth of July By Calvin Woodward, Associated Press In modern times, presidents have tended to stand back and let the people party. Continue reading
Jun 18 How bad is the measles comeback? Here’s 70 years of data By Nsikan Akpan, Vanessa Dennis PBS NewsHour breaks down the U.S. fall and rise of the measles in 3 charts. Continue reading
May 14 Watch 7:15 Author Jared Diamond on the ‘breakdown’ of American democracy Award-winning writer and historian Jared Diamond has spent his career studying the rise and fall of civilizations. In his latest book, “Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis,” he examines major geopolitical events of recent decades, in search of lessons… Continue watching
Apr 15 World witnesses Notre Dame Cathedral fire with shock and horror By Associated Press As the flames tore through the 12th-century cathedral, Spain's prime minister offered France the help of his country in the recovery. Continue reading
Mar 24 What caused Harry Houdini’s mysterious death? By Dr. Howard Markel He may have escaped his dangerous feats, yet his death has remained a source of conjecture among both magicians and surgeons. Continue reading
Feb 28 The ‘awful’ work of the real doctors who inspired M*A*S*H By Dr. Howard Markel The people in MASH units worked long hours and endured horrific stresses of warfare. Continue reading
Feb 22 Watch 3:55 How The HistoryMakers strives to share the African-American experience This weekend, many PBS stations will air “An Evening with Ken Chenault,” a special about the man who was chairman and CEO of American Express for 17 years. It was created by The HistoryMakers, a Chicago-based oral history project collecting… Continue watching
Feb 18 WWII sailor in iconic Times Square kiss photo dies at 95 By Associated Press In one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century, George Mendonsa kisses Greta Zimmer Friedman, a dental assistant in a nurse's uniform, on Aug. 14, 1945, the day Japan surrendered to the United States. Continue reading