6 Little-Known Stories about Pearl Harbor

More than 80 years later, the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor remains significant as one of only a few times the United States has been attacked by a foreign adversary on its own soil.

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The History of Ordinary Things: Military Sewing Kits – Honoring Our Veterans

First used in print in 1749, the term “housewife” has been used to denote a sewing kit commonly used by the military. The pocket sewing kit was also known as a “hussif” or “hussy” (also spelled “huswife”).

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The History of Ordinary Things: Husking Tools and the Homestead Act of 1862

The 1862 Homestead Act, signed by Lincoln prior to the Civil War, was an important piece of legislation about federal land.

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Writer Recalls Sept. 11 Attacks from D.C.

Sept. 11, 2001, began like many busy mornings for me. I was in my Washington office and ready to leave for an appointment with a colleague near Georgetown University. Later, I had a meeting on Capitol Hill and, after that, I planned to take Amtrak to Penn Station in New York.

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The History of Ordinary Things: The Shocking History of Facial Powder

Across history, men and women whitened their skin with facial powder to show their respectability and social class. It was also intended to hide facial blemishes, such as smallpox pocks or aged skin. Only much later was powder used to “enhance natural beauty.”

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Radio Days and Arthur Godfrey Time

National Radio Day is Aug. 20. Radio has played an important role in American history with live broadcasts of presidential speeches, war coverage, commentary, and other live news.

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The History of Ordinary Things: Steam-Powered Engines – Not So Ordinary

For many of us, summer means outings to the state fair and steam engine shows. But what do we know about the story and significance of steam power?

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It Was 50 Years Ago Today: ‘You Don’t Mess Around with Jim’

In Jim Croce’s brief career — he died at age 30 in a 1973 Louisiana plane crash — Croce released five Top 10 singles, the first of which was one of the best story songs of modern times.

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Sixties Flashback: Art Weirdo or Business Savant?

As a dominant figure on the 1960s New York avant-garde art scene, Andy Warhol became a tireless self-promoter who straddled a line between bizarre media stardom and the straight-laced business world.

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