Past Chronicles – History, Mysteries and Discoveries

Museum reconstruction of the Uluburun ship in cross section, with stacks of copper ingots in the hold and painted crew on deck

The Uluburun Wreck: A Bronze Age Cargo That Never Reached Its Port

A sponge diver's sketch of 'metal biscuits with ears' led to one of the richest Bronze Age wrecks known, sunk off Turkey over 3,300 years ago.

Helena Marsh · November 6, 2026

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Translucent yellow Tamagotchi with three white buttons on a ball chain, photographed on a gray background

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

Thirty Years of the Tamagotchi, the Egg That Demanded Your Attention

November 5, 2026

Painted wall of Tutankhamun's burial chamber showing rows of seated baboons above a sarcophagus glass case

The Step Under the Workmen's Huts That Led to Tutankhamun's Tomb

November 4, 2026

Black-and-white photo of a steam shovel and rows of workers on rail tracks at the bottom of the Culebra Cut during Panama Canal construction

November 3, 1903: How Panama Became a Country With a Gunboat Offshore

November 3, 2026

A dark bronze Roman dodecahedron with round holes in its faces and a small knob at each corner, in a museum case at Tongeren

Roman Dodecahedra: The Bronze Objects Nobody Has Managed to Explain

November 2, 2026

Black and white photo of the Riviera movie theater in Detroit in 1970, with its tall vertical sign and a marquee listing Salt and Pepper

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

November 1, 1968: The Day G, M, R and X Arrived at the Movies

November 1, 2026

More Stories

Close-up black and white portrait of a young Harry Houdini with curly hair, a dark coat and a bow tie, smiling slightly

October 31, 1926: Houdini Died on Halloween, and the Séances Began

Daniel Okafor · October 31, 2026

Orson Welles in a light suit talking to a crowd of reporters with notepads, a microphone stand in front of him

October 30, 1938: The War of the Worlds Broadcast and the Panic Myth

Thomas Avery · October 30, 2026

A tall beige BBN Interface Message Processor cabinet with rows of switches and a nameplate on its front panel

October 29, 1969: The First Message on the Internet Was Just 'LO'

Daniel Okafor · October 29, 2026

The stone arches of the Ponte Milvio crossing the fast-flowing Tiber in Rome under a clear blue sky

October 28, 312: The Battle at the Milvian Bridge That Remade Rome

Helena Marsh · October 28, 2026

Three young women in homemade costumes sit on a lawn in 1918, one in a bonnet, one hiding behind a fan, one in a turban and veil

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

From Crepe Paper to Plastic Masks: A Short History of Halloween Costumes

Ruth Calloway · October 27, 2026

Oil painting of New York harbor crowded with flag-draped sailing ships and steamboats during the 1825 Erie Canal celebration

October 26, 1825: The Erie Canal Opened and Cannons Spread the News

Thomas Avery · October 26, 2026

The round clay Phaistos Disc on a metal stand in a museum case, its stamped signs arranged in a spiral of compartments

The Phaistos Disc: A Clay Message From Minoan Crete Nobody Can Read

Helena Marsh · October 25, 2026

Black and white photo of the curved edge of the Earth with clouds below and the black sky of space above, taken from a V-2 rocket in 1946

October 24, 1946: The Grainy Photo That First Showed Earth From Space

Daniel Okafor · October 24, 2026

Portrait of Archbishop James Ussher in a black cap, white ruff and bishop's robes, after Sir Peter Lely

October 23, 4004 BC: How Archbishop Ussher Dated the Creation

Helena Marsh · October 23, 2026

Hand-coloured French print of Garnerin's parachute, shown folded at departure and open after separating from the balloon

Garnerin's Leap: The First Parachute Jump Over Paris in 1797

Thomas Avery · October 22, 2026

Two DeLorean time machine replicas parked side by side in a garage, gull-wing doors open

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

Back to the Future Day: What a 1989 Film Got Right About Our Future

Ruth Calloway · October 21, 2026

Ice caps melting in the sea. The ice has a lot of gaps between them.

Melting Polar Ice Caps Are Changing How Earth Rotates, and Changing Time Itself

Beth Moreton · April 15, 2024

A Votes For Women flag. The flag is purple, white, and green; on the white part, it says “Votes For Women” in black writing.

Did You Know the Iroquois Inspired the Women's Rights Movement?

Beth Moreton · April 15, 2024

An image of a man and his cart on the Oregon Trail/An old Oregon Trail marker along the road

Westward Ho! Test Your Oregon Trail Knowledge

Ben Campbell · April 14, 2024

Thomas Sully The Passage of the Delaware 1819 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

What Led to the American Revolution? Test Your Knowledge

Beth Moreton · April 14, 2024

A 16th-century painting titled Depiction of the Madonna and Child/An image of the Italian painter Filippino Lippi

Check Grandma's Art — This 90-Year-Old Had a 16th-Century Painting in Her House

Ben Campbell · April 14, 2024

An image of former US President Theodore Roosevelt/a picture of John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office/An image of Ronald Reagan smiling in the White House

Name That U.S. President Based on Their Photo

Ben Campbell · April 14, 2024

Fejee Mermaid at the Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

Scientists Identify the 'Mermaid' That Washed Up in Japan as Being a Monkey-Fish-Lizard Hybrid

Lauren Folkas · April 13, 2024

Stonehenge on a grey day. The stone are all mostly ground together, but there are one or two that are slightly off to the side.

Solve the Mysteries of Stonehenge in This Quiz

Beth Moreton · April 13, 2024

An image of several miners outside of the Courrières Mine/An image of a large number of Chinese miners underground

These Are Some of the Biggest Mining Disasters in History

Ben Campbell · April 13, 2024

This is a portrait painting of Mary Queen of Scots. She is wearing a black and gold dress with a Tudor neckline, a pearl tiara, and earrings.

See How Much You Know About Mary Queen of Scots

Beth Moreton · April 13, 2024

This is a view from the top of the Appalachian Mountains. A man is standing on top of a rock looking down at the rest of the mountains.

The Scariest Legends About Appalachia

Beth Moreton · April 12, 2024

A look at the remains of an iron furnace in Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland.

DNA of Enslaved Workers from the Industrial Revolution Reveals a New Side to African American History

Alex Trent · April 12, 2024

An image of the 12th-century blade after it has been sharpened and polished/An up-close image of the Kasuga Taisha shrine in Nara, Japan

One of the World's Oldest Samurai Swords Was Found in an Attic

Ben Campbell · April 12, 2024

Ancient World See all ›

An example of some sewage construction. The road has been dug up, and a brown pipe is lying across the open hole. There are pipes in the ground and barriers surrounding the hole.

An Ancient Aegean Tomb Was Found During Sewer Construction

Beth Moreton · April 11, 2024

A painting depicting George Washington crossing the Delaware River in 1776/Ancient Egyptians depicted in a drawing harvesting plants

Quiz: Historical "Facts" That Are Actually Completely Inaccurate

Ben Campbell · April 10, 2024

Prolific Author Receives Backlash For Calling the Bible a 'Work of Fiction'

Sam Watanuki · April 9, 2024

Modern History See all ›

Several scientists are pictured working on research in their lab/An image of Anthony Fauci during a speech alongside Donald Trump

Americans Don't Trust Science Anymore

Ben Campbell · April 12, 2024

An aerial view of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona seen in the daytime.

Current Texas Immigration Causes Legislatures To Revisit Arizona's Historic 'Show Me Your Papers' Law

Julia Mehalko · April 11, 2024

On the left, President Joe Biden is pictured smiling behind a podium with the Presidential Seal, draped in front of an American flag. On the right, former President Donald Trump is shown with a stern expression, wearing a red 'Keep America Great' cap

Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump Sequel is the First Presidential Rematch Since 1956

Georgia Mckoy · April 10, 2024

Discoveries See all ›

A large piece of cinnabar is pictured on display/A piece of torbernite is pictured, showing off its green color

These Are the Most Toxic Minerals on Earth

Ben Campbell · April 10, 2024

An image that depicts how far Point Nemo is from various places in the ocean

This Is the Most Remote Place on Earth

Ben Campbell · April 9, 2024

An image depicting a sizeable golden vessel from the Sumerian city of Ur/A small golden vessel that resembles an ostrich egg

These Are Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur

Ben Campbell · April 8, 2024

Nostalgia & Pop Culture See all ›

Two young children pictured playing with their toys in the 60s/Modern era kids pictured playing on a laptop

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

Things Boomers Did as Babies in the '60s That Would Shock Gen Z Today

Ben Campbell · March 24, 2024

A grainy black and white screenshot depicts four individuals, two women and two men, in early 19th-century attire outside a building with large pillars. One woman stands in the foreground, centered and facing the camera, while the other woman and man appear to be walking past her

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

The First Movie Ever Made in 1888 Was Extremely Polarizing

Georgia McKoy · February 15, 2024

Different Calico Critters in the School Lunch Set

Nostalgia & Pop Culture

Your Guide to Calico Critters: Houses, Families, and Where to Buy

Alyssa Miller · February 6, 2024

Mysteries See all ›

Part of Bohemian Grove. There is a stage with steps surrounded by woodland.

What Is the Super-Secret 'Bohemian Grove'?

Beth Moreton · April 11, 2024

The Bull-Leaping Fresco painting. The painting shows a bull, with one man standing by his tail and another man standing by his head. Another man is in red and is jumping over the bull. Title: Bull-Leaping Minoan Fresco

The Mystery Behind Minos and Bull-Jumping

Beth Moreton · April 8, 2024

A painting depicting Moses and Joshua bowing to the Ark of the Covenant/Recreation of the Ark of the Covenant based on descriptions

Was the Ark of the Covenant Real?

Ben Campbell · April 7, 2024

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