WEIRD HISTORY
A humble Scotsman saw something strange in the water—and daringly set out to catch it—only to have lecherous out-of-towners steal his fame and upend his quest. The Obsessive Life and Mysterious Death of the Fisherman Who Discovered The Loch Ness Monster – Read …
In ancient New Mexico, cold air in cavernous spaces carved out by lava flows preserved blocks of ice. An ice core extracted at El Malpaís National Monument in New Mexico connects water collection to periods of droughts. (jonnyphoto via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND …
The “Countess of Computing” didn’t just create the world’s first computer program—she foresaw a digital future. The Countess of Computing was the daughter of the Princess of Parallelograms. (Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain) – By Erin Blakemore SmithsonianMag.Com 2016 Oct 11 – It’s Ada Lovelace …
An archaeologist at Chedworth Roman Villa exploring what lies underneath parts of the villa, some of which haven’t ever been explored. Credit: Stephen Haywood/National Trust – Written by Sara Spary, CNN – Archaeologists have uncovered Britain’s first 5th century Roman mosaic — a …
Forever changing the nation, the women who worked in American factories during the war have been collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Artist J. Howard Miller produced this work-incentive poster for the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. Though displayed only briefly in Westinghouse …
Papers sold by Sotheby’s document the British scientist’s research into the ancient Egyptians and the Bible. Newton held unconventional religious beliefs and dabbled in alchemy and the occult. (Sotheby’s) – By Livia Gershon SmithsonianMag.Com 2020 Dec 08 – Messages about a coming apocalypse …
Reviewed: Hitler: Downfall 1939-1945 by Volker Ullrich (Trans. Jefferson Chase, Alfred A. Knopf, 2020) – by James Thornton Harris 2020 Dec 06 – James Thornton Harris is a contributing editor to the History News Network. For more information see www.JamesThorntonHarris.com. – Is there anything new we …
Bronze swine figurine found at Titelberg. Source: Wuyts, A / CC BY 2.0 – By Ed Whelan 2019 Nov 23 – The Duchy of Luxembourg has a remarkable archaeological site dating from the Celtic period. It was inhabited for over 700 years and …
An equine influenza in 1872 laid bare how essential horses were to the economy. Henry Bergh (in top hat) stopping an overcrowded horsecar, from Harper’s Weekly, Sept. 21, 1872. (Library of Congress) – By Ernest Freeberg, The Conversation SmithsonianMag.Com 2020 Dec 04 – …
Created by a Russian engineer, the theremin has delighted and confounded audiences since 1920 Russian physicist and engineer Lev Sergeyevich Termen—who later came to be widely known as Léon Theremin—invented his namesake instrument around 1920. Here, he’s pictured in 1928. (Library of Congress) …
