May 11 Watch Bannister recalls the day he conquered the four-minute mile By PBS News Hour Just over sixty years ago this week 25-year-old British runner Roger Bannister did what many athletes, and even doctors, had deemed impossible. He broke the four-minute mile. Bannister reflects on the barrier he somehow knew was psychological not physical. Continue watching
May 09 Baby name trends show parents want their kids to stand out By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press WASHINGTON — When it comes to baby names, blending in is out, and standing out is in. Noah and Sophia top the Social Security Administration's list of most popular American baby names for 2013, but they don't begin to approach… Continue reading
Apr 28 American History in 17 syllables and 140 characters By Victoria Fleischer For historian H. W. Brands, there are many ways to write about history. When teaching his students at the University of Texas the different tried and true formats for a good paper, Brands, who is known for his books Andrew… Continue reading
Apr 28 Fifty royal mummies unearthed in Egypt's Valley of the Kings By Justin Scuiletti The remains, which included those of newborn babies, princes and princesses, are believed to date back to the 18th Pharaonic dynasty. Wooden coffins and death masks, dating from 1567 to 1085 BC, were found beside the mummies, Ibrahim said to… Continue reading
Apr 27 Watch Meet America's newest historic landmarks By PBS News Hour It’s around this time every year that the Department of the Interior designates new national historic landmarks. There are roughly 2500 of them on the list: buildings, properties, even objects that represent important aspects of American history. This past week,… Continue watching
Apr 10 Watch How the Civil Rights Act pioneered anti-discrimination laws in America By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Apr 10 Watch 3:59 50 years on, honoring the Southern Democrat who spearheaded the Civil Rights Act By PBS News Hour Half a century ago, Lyndon Johnson signed landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, ethnicity and sex. At a summit honoring this chapter of Johnson’s legacy, President Obama applauded the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for opening doors of opportunity… Continue watching
Mar 12 Ancient tree rings suggest good weather helped Genghis Khan build his empire By Sarah Sheffer New research suggests that Genghis Khan, one of the greatest conquerors in all of history, may have been given an advantage by Mother Nature. Continue reading
Feb 17 Remembering Lincoln on Washington's birthday By Travis Daub Happy Presidents Day. Unless you're Abe Lincoln, that is. As Hari Sreenivasan explained on Sunday's PBS NewsHour Weekend, the third Monday in February doesn't officially recognize the Great Emancipator. Instead, it's in the books as "Washington's Birthday." There is… Continue reading
Feb 17 Photo: Washington's false teeth By News Desk https://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/435447570140106752 Historian Michael Beschloss shares this photo of one set of President Washington's false teeth. Mount Vernon has a wonderful writeup of the first president's complete dental history, noting that "When Washington was inaugurated President in 1789, only one… Continue reading