Demystified
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What’s a Hoosier?
Learn why people from Indiana are called Hoosiers.
Was Napoleon Short?
Find out if the most-known aspect of Napoleon’s legacy is really...
Was Johnny Appleseed a Real Person?
Johnny Appleseed is an American folk hero. But is he just a legend...
Did Marie-Antoinette Really Say “Let Them Eat Cake”?
Party like it’s 1789
Who Were the Assassins?
Outlandish tales about a sect known as the Assassins were a staple...
How Did the Tradition of Christmas Trees Start?
And how are toilet bowl brushes involved in the custom?
How Secret Is Top Secret?
It has been said that two can keep a secret if one of them is...
Did Lucille Times Boycott Buses Before Rosa Parks?
Six months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, another...
Is Castilian Spanish Spoken with a Lisp?
The rumor is that a medieval Spanish king’s subjects imitated...
What Did We Call America’s Elite Before the “1 Percent”?
Special designations for the super-wealthy existed long before...
How Did Alexander the Great Really Die?
When Alexander the Great’s body didn’t decompose for days after...
Why Did We Start Wearing Makeup?
Makeup has a long and contentious history. Where did it really...
How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?
In 1946 deaf-blind writer and activist Helen Keller piloted a...
Why Do Americans Celebrate the Fourth of July with Fireworks?
How fireworks became a part of patriotic celebration and why...
How Many People Have Been to the Moon?
You may recall the Apollo program of the 1960s and ’70s, but...
What Have We Left on the Moon?
Humans first landed on the Moon 50 years ago and have already...
Was Dracula a Real Person?
What is the real story behind the prince who may have inspired...
Why Is Marijuana Illegal in the U.S.?
Get the 411 on why 420 was outlawed in the U.S.
Did Anyone Really Think the Titanic was Unsinkable?
Most reports about the Titanic before it sank focused on its...
Did George Washington Really Say, “I Can’t Tell a Lie”?
The story behind the legend of George Washington and the cherry...
What Is the Origin of the Term Holocaust?
How “Holocaust” became synonymous with genocidal tragedy.
Were the Nazis Socialists?
What’s the difference between National Socialists and every other...
Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?
Hint: The answer involves a king.
Did the Vikings Discover America?
Learn how the Vikings beat Christopher Columbus to America by...
Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich?
A bit of background on the First and Second Reichs.
How the Border Between the United States and Mexico Was Established
Despite the acceptance by many Americans in the 1840s of the...
Who Becomes President After the President and Vice President?
The presidential line of succession is longer than you might...
How the Dred Scott Decision Affected the U.S. Election of 1860
The Dred Scott decision of 1857 put a match to the tinderbox...
Does Trench Warfare Still Exist?
Tanks and planes made the trenches obsolete—or did they?
What Does the Rosetta Stone Say?
The inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone were the key to unlocking...
Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What’s the Difference?
What we talk about when we talk about pirates.
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
How a single line of the U.S. Constitution guards against improper...
What Was the Little Ice Age?
The Little Ice Age is known for its effects in Europe and the...
What Is an Executive Order?
How does the U.S. president’s primary instrument of executive...
Did Duchess Anastasia Survive Her Family’s Execution?
Find out what really happened to the youngest daughter of Russia’s...
Why Are There Only 28 Days in February?
O the days gone by!
Why Are There Nine Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court?
How did nine become the magic number for the U.S.’s most-powerful...
Did Nero Really Fiddle as Rome Burned?
It really depends on how you define “fiddle.”