News | HISTORY

5 Infamous “Not Guilty” Verdicts

From the millionaire who shot the high‑society architect to the pioneering photographer who slayed a romantic rival, find out about five famous defendants who were ultimately acquitted of murder.

How Patrick Henry’s ‘Liberty or Death’ Speech Inspired Revolution

Patrick Henry’s stirring words at the 1775 Virginia Convention became a rallying cry for American colonists fed up with British control.

Islamic Ring Found in 9th‑Century Viking Grave

Discovered more than a century ago in a Swedish grave, a ring bearing an Arabic inscription confirms contact between the Vikings and the Islamic world.

After 400 Years, Investigators Find Remains of Cervantes, Don Quixote’s Creator

A team of Spanish researchers believes it has found the long‑lost remains of Miguel de Cervantes, author of “Don Quixote,” beneath a Madrid convent.

History’s Biggest Art Heist

Thieves stole 13 masterpieces worth $500 million from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. The case remains unsolved.

How did Washington, D.C., get its name?

Before Washington, D.C., became America’s capital in 1800, the Congress met in a number of different locations, including Baltimore, Trenton and New York City. After years of debate by the new nation’s leaders about the selection of a permanent seat of government, Congress passed the Residence Act in July 1790, which declared that the capital […]

WWII’s Largest Battleship Revealed After 70 Years Underwater

After an eight‑year search, a research team sponsored by Microsoft co‑founder Paul Allen has discovered the shipwreck of the massive Japanese battleship Musashi.

7 Historical Treasures Discovered by Accident

From the Terra Cotta Army to the Dead Sea Scrolls, get the stories behind seven chance encounters that led to the discovery of priceless historical relics.

The Warship of Peace That Fed Famine‑Stricken Ireland

On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, revisit America’s first major foreign disaster relief effort when a warship delivered food to Ireland during the potato famine.

When Did the “Age of Man” Begin?

A new study suggests that the dramatic upheaval caused by European colonization of the Americas may have marked the beginning of a new period of geologic time.

When Gandhi’s Salt March Rattled British Colonial Rule

In March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi and his followers set off on a brisk 241‑mile march to the Arabian Sea town of Dandi to lay Indian claim to the nation’s own salt.

Discovery of Oldest Human Fossil Fills Evolutionary Gap

A newly unearthed fossil from Ethiopia is altering the timeline of human evolution, pushing it back by nearly a half‑million years.