Full Width [alt+shift+f] Shortcuts [alt+shift+k]
Sign Up [alt+shift+s] Log In [alt+shift+l]
Top Categories > history
#all #programming #technology #startups #life #science #history #literature #architecture #creative #design #travel #comics #finance #AI #indiehacker #cartography Muted Categories [alt+←][alt+→]
Open Culture
Andrei Tarkovsky’s Message to Young People: “Learn to Be Alone,” Enjoy Solitude I remember the first time I sat down and watched Andrei Tarkovsky’s lyrical, meandering sci-fi epic...
7 hours ago
2
7 hours ago
I remember the first time I sat down and watched Andrei Tarkovsky’s lyrical, meandering sci-fi epic Stalker. It was a long time ago, before the advent of smartphones and tablets. I watched a beat-up VHS copy on a non-“smart” TV, and had no ability to pause every few minutes and...
TheCollector
Understanding Beethoven in 5 Compositions undefined
22 hours ago
Overcoming Bias
Respect The Social Wild While most foragers had great respect for nature, our farmer-era ancestors had less resepct.
19 hours ago
Hidden History
Project Mercury Project Mercury was America’s entry into the Space Race and was intended to put a human into space...
59 minutes ago
1
59 minutes ago
Project Mercury was America’s entry into the Space Race and was intended to put a human into space before the Soviet Union did. The Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite in October 1957 caused a near-panic in the United States and led to desperate calls to “catch up”. President...
TheCollector
Is The Prince of Egypt (1998) an Accurate Portrayal of Ancient Egypt? undefined
18 hours ago
Open Culture
How the Nazis Waged War on Modern Art: Inside the “Degenerate Art” Exhibition of 1937 Before his fateful entry into politics, Adolf Hitler wanted to be an artist. Even to the most...
4 hours ago
1
4 hours ago
Before his fateful entry into politics, Adolf Hitler wanted to be an artist. Even to the most neutral imaginable observer, the known examples of the estimated 2,000 to 3,000 paintings and other works of art he produced in his early adulthood would hardly evidence astonishing...
Flashbak
Harold Fisk Maps the History of the Mississippi River, 1944 In 1944, Harold Fisk was a geologist and cartographer working for the US Army Corps of Engineers...
5 hours ago
1
5 hours ago
In 1944, Harold Fisk was a geologist and cartographer working for the US Army Corps of Engineers when he made these 15 maps to illustrate the government’s “Geological Investigation of the Alluvial Valley of the Lower Mississippi River”. Fisk’s ingenious maps shows a different...
History Today Feed
Pompey’s Greatest Show on Earth Pompey’s Greatest Show on Earth JamesHoare Tue, 03/04/2025 - 09:08
5 hours ago
Classical Wisdom
What’s the Role of Education? For the Individual... and for Society?
yesterday
TheCollector
Who Won the Battle of Gaines’ Mill? undefined
yesterday
Wrong Side of...
Farewell to Our Kith and Kin Why doesn't Britain doesn't stand up for Canada?
yesterday
TheCollector
What Bible Translations Existed Before and During the Protestant Reformation? undefined
yesterday
Open Culture
Where The Simpsons Began: Discover the Original Shorts That Appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show... When it first went on air in the late nineteen-eighties, Fox had to prove itself capable of playing...
yesterday
3
yesterday
When it first went on air in the late nineteen-eighties, Fox had to prove itself capable of playing in a televisual league with the likes of NBC, CBS, and ABC. To that end, it began building its prime-time lineup with two original programs more thematically and aesthetically...
History Today Feed
Maiden Flight of the Spitfire Maiden Flight of the Spitfire JamesHoare Mon, 03/03/2025 - 09:11
yesterday
Open Culture
The Story Of Menstruation: Watch Walt Disney’s Sex Ed Film from 1946 From 1945 to 1951, Disney produced a series of educational films to be shown in American schools....
yesterday
2
yesterday
From 1945 to 1951, Disney produced a series of educational films to be shown in American schools. How to bathe an infant. How not to catch a cold. Why you shouldn’t drive fast. Disney covered these subjects in its educational shorts, and then eventually got to the touchy subject...
TheCollector
Who Won the Battle of Hampton Roads? undefined
yesterday
African History...
African cities in the 19th century: cosmopolitan urban spaces between three worlds. When the German adventurer Gerhard Rohlfs visited the city of Ibadan in 1867, he described it as...
2 days ago
5
2 days ago
When the German adventurer Gerhard Rohlfs visited the city of Ibadan in 1867, he described it as “one of the greatest cities of the interior of Africa” with “endlessly long and wide streets made up of trading stalls.” However, unlike many of the West African cities he had...
TheCollector
How to Keep Your Head in King Henry VIII’s Court undefined
2 days ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Plato, Aristotle, and Euripides
2 days ago
TheCollector
Who Won the Battle of Fort Donelson? undefined
2 days ago
Flashbak
Johann Gottlob von Kurr’s The Mineral Kingdom, 1859 Johann Gottlob von Kurr (1798-1870) was professor of mineralogy and botany at the Stuttgart...
2 days ago
2
2 days ago
Johann Gottlob von Kurr (1798-1870) was professor of mineralogy and botany at the Stuttgart Polytechnic Institute when in 1858 he published Das Mineralreich in Bildern. The work was delivered in two sections. The first is an introduction including topics such as the formation of...
TheCollector
What Is the History of Arizona’s London Bridge? undefined
2 days ago
Flashbak
The Making of The Conversation – An Interview with Francis Ford Coppola, 1974 In 1966, Francis Ford Coppola was working as a scriptwriter when he talked with fellow American...
3 days ago
2
3 days ago
In 1966, Francis Ford Coppola was working as a scriptwriter when he talked with fellow American director Irvin Kershner (born Isadore Kershner (April 29, 1923 – November 27, 2010)) about spy movies. The time was ripe with espionage plots. The James Bond films were hugely popular...
Wrong Side of...
Crop rotation in the 14th century The Year of the Plague, part 4
3 days ago
TheCollector
The Authorship Debate: Who Is the Real Shakespeare? undefined
3 days ago
Hundred Rabbits
Summary of changes for February 2025 Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of...
3 days ago
5
3 days ago
Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of February. Summary Of Changes 100r.co, added Dinghy gelcoat, Week 10, Week 11, and Week 12 of the Victoria to Sitka logbook. Updated solar with new pictures and corrected information...
TheCollector
How to Decode Goryeo Buddhist Paintings in Korean Art undefined
3 days ago
weird medieval guys
My favourite etymologies: "to curry favour" Or, the unfathomably dark depths of the equine soul
3 days ago
Classical Wisdom
What is Love? With Armand D’Angour A recording from Classical Wisdom's live video
4 days ago
TheCollector
Ancient “Woodhenge” Discovered in Denmark undefined
4 days ago
A Collection of...
Collections: The Siege of Eregion, Part II: What Siege Camp? This is the second part of our [your guess is as good as mine] part series looking at the Siege of...
4 days ago
5
4 days ago
This is the second part of our [your guess is as good as mine] part series looking at the Siege of Eregion from the second season of Amazon’s Rings of Power. Last week, we saw how the logistics of this sequence absolutely do not work: Adar’s army has to cover an absurd amount of...
Classical Wisdom
Dialogues of Plato Conversations Across Time
4 days ago
TheCollector
Arthur Wellesley: The Iron Duke of Wellington Who Beat Napoleon undefined
4 days ago
Open Culture
The Experimental Movement That Created The Beatles’ Weirdest Song, “Revolution 9” As of this writing, the Beatles’ “Revolution 9″ has more than 13,800,000 plays on Spotify. This has...
4 days ago
4
4 days ago
As of this writing, the Beatles’ “Revolution 9″ has more than 13,800,000 plays on Spotify. This has no doubt generated decent revenue, even given the platform’s oft-lamented payout rates. But compare that number to the more than half-a-billion streams of “Blackbird,” also on the...
TheCollector
10 Oldest Universities in Continuous Operation in the U.S. undefined
4 days ago
Flashbak
Dear Me: Letters by Famous Faces to Their Teenage Selves Alun CummingAmongst letters to their 16-year-old selves, writer Stephen King advises against taking...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
Alun CummingAmongst letters to their 16-year-old selves, writer Stephen King advises against taking recreational drugs. Musician Alice Cooper has words of romance –  “Trashy girls are exciting for about five minutes… Keep your eye out for a good-lookin’ church girl. Then you’ll...
TheCollector
Paul Cezanne’s Metaphysical Paintings in 3 Works: A Failed Synthesis? undefined
5 days ago
Overcoming Bias
Can Systems Stop Culture Drift? Compared to before writing, religions that had sacred texts were better able to resist changes to...
5 days ago
5
5 days ago
Compared to before writing, religions that had sacred texts were better able to resist changes to their religious dogmas and dogma-enforce social rules.
TheCollector
The Valois Dynasty: Crisis, Triumph, and Downfall undefined
5 days ago
Open Culture
Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and 1,000 Musicians Protest AI with a New Silent Album The good news is that an album has just been released by Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn of...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
The good news is that an album has just been released by Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, The Clash, Tori Amos, Hans Zimmer, Pet Shop Boys, Jamiroquai, and Yusuf (previously known as Cat Stevens), Billy Ocean, and many other musicians besides, most of them...
History Today Feed
The Nabateans are Coming The Nabateans are Coming JamesHoare Thu, 02/27/2025 - 09:00
5 days ago
TheCollector
10 Oldest Museums in the U.S. undefined
5 days ago
Trying to Understand...
Before The Past Was New. Why should we bother trying to understand?
6 days ago
TheCollector
Emotivism: Are Moral Statements Mere Emotions? undefined
6 days ago
Classical Wisdom
The Dark Side of Love Euripides' Epic Battle between Love and Law
6 days ago
TheCollector
Great Wall of China Is Centuries Older Than Previously Thought undefined
6 days ago
Wrong Side of...
Phantom Borders The past is never dead. It's not even past
6 days ago
TheCollector
Value Theory: Is it Immoral to Disrespect the Environment? undefined
6 days ago
Open Culture
What Makes Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas One of the Most Fascinating Paintings in Art History Diego Velázquez painted Las Meninas almost 370 years ago, and it’s been under scrutiny ever since....
6 days ago
6
6 days ago
Diego Velázquez painted Las Meninas almost 370 years ago, and it’s been under scrutiny ever since. If the public’s appetite to know more about it has diminished over time, that certainly isn’t reflected in the view count of the analysis from YouTube channel Rabbit Hole above,...
History Today Feed
‘Friends in Youth’ by Minoo Dinshaw review ‘Friends in Youth’ by Minoo Dinshaw review JamesHoare Wed, 02/26/2025 - 09:00
6 days ago
TheCollector
Split-Brain: Two Selves in One? undefined
6 days ago
Classical Wisdom
Going LIVE with Armand D’Angour Love Isn’t Only for the 14th
a week ago
TheCollector
Excavations Reveal Ancient “Mosaic House” in Pergamon undefined
a week ago
Hidden History
The Fantasy Game of Tak The board game Tak (pronounced to rhyme with “back”) originally appeared as a prop in the...
a week ago
17
a week ago
The board game Tak (pronounced to rhyme with “back”) originally appeared as a prop in the fantasy/scifi book series The Kingkiller Chronicle, and was then brought to life in the real world. History In 1994, aspiring author Patrick Rothfuss began work on his first book,...
Flashbak
Notes on the Sexual Habits of the ‘Astonishingly Depraved’ Adélie Penguin, 1911 “There seems to be no crime too low for these Penguins” – Dr. George Murray Levick, notes on the...
a week ago
5
a week ago
“There seems to be no crime too low for these Penguins” – Dr. George Murray Levick, notes on the sexual habits of the Adélie penguin, Antarctica, 1911     Back in 1911, a select group of readers learned of the “astonishing depravity” and “hooligan males” of the Adélie penguins...
TheCollector
Science and Philosophy: Are They So Different? undefined
a week ago
Open Culture
Jimi Hendrix Plays the Beatles: “Sgt. Pepper’s,” “Day Tripper,” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” Who invented rock and roll? Ask Chuck Berry, he’ll tell you. It was Chuck Berry. Or was it Bill...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Who invented rock and roll? Ask Chuck Berry, he’ll tell you. It was Chuck Berry. Or was it Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard? Muddy Waters? Robert Johnson? Maybe even Lead Belly? You didn’t, but if you asked me, I’d say that rock and roll, like country blues, came not...
History Today Feed
An Uneasy Propaganda Alliance An Uneasy Propaganda Alliance JamesHoare Tue, 02/25/2025 - 09:21
a week ago
Open Culture
The 48 Laws of Power Explained in 30 Minutes: “Never Outshine the Master,” “Re-Create Yourself,” and... Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power has been a popular book since its first publication over a...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power has been a popular book since its first publication over a quarter-century ago. Judging by the discussion that continues among its fervent (and often proselytizing) fans, it’s easy to forget that its title isn’t How to Become Powerful....
TheCollector
The 10 Museums With the Largest Ancient Egyptian Collections undefined
a week ago
Classical Wisdom
What is the Key to Happiness? Do You Agree with Aristotle?
a week ago
TheCollector
Archaeologists May Have Found Second Pharaonic Tomb in Egypt undefined
a week ago
Flashbak
Living The Outlaw Life in Suburban America: ‘Once the needle goes in, it never comes out’ ‘There weren’t supposed to be drugs back then. It was supposed to be mom’s apple pie and white...
a week ago
7
a week ago
‘There weren’t supposed to be drugs back then. It was supposed to be mom’s apple pie and white picket fences.” – Larry Clark on drugs, outsiders and “a record of his secret teenage life.” in suburban America     When director and photographer Larry Clark (born January 19, 1943) ...
CrimethInc.
"The Only Immigrant Trying to Steal My Job Is Elon Musk" : A Bus Driver's Perspective on Elon Musk's... In the following narrative, a bus driver describes how the cuts that Elon Musk is carrying out in...
a week ago
6
a week ago
In the following narrative, a bus driver describes how the cuts that Elon Musk is carrying out in the federal government are affecting ordinary public transit workers. There is a poetic opposition between the figure of the anonymous bus driver and Elon Musk, the billionaire car...
TheCollector
10 Myths About the Greek God Dionysus undefined
a week ago
Wrong Side of...
A continent led by donkeys Europe’s independence from the US will be hard and expensive
a week ago
TheCollector
Is Lying Always Wrong? Exploring Different Ethical Routes undefined
a week ago
Open Culture
Neil deGrasse Tyson Lists the Best and Worst Sci-Fi Movies: The Blob, Back to the Future, 2001: A... Neil deGrasse Tyson may not be a film critic. But if you watch the video above from his Youtube...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Neil deGrasse Tyson may not be a film critic. But if you watch the video above from his Youtube channel StarTalk Plus, you’ll see that — to use one of his own favorite locutions — he loves him a good science fiction movie. Given his professional credentials as an astrophysicist...
History Today Feed
The Birth of Giovanni Morelli The Birth of Giovanni Morelli JamesHoare Mon, 02/24/2025 - 08:57
a week ago
TheCollector
Heracles Steals the Cattle of Geryon: The Hero’s Tenth Labor undefined
a week ago
Open Culture
David Bowie Performs an Ethereal Acoustic Version of “Heroes,” with a Bottle Cap Strapped to His... Not long ago I stumbled upon this pretty wonderful video of David Bowie playing an acoustic version...
a week ago
11
a week ago
Not long ago I stumbled upon this pretty wonderful video of David Bowie playing an acoustic version of “Heroes,” one of my favorite songs, and I thought I’d quickly share it today. Why wait? Appearing at Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit concert in October 1996, Bowie...
Trying to Understand...
Quand ça s’arrêtera en Ukraine, qui éteindra les lumières? Another of my essays in French.
a week ago
Overcoming Bias
Four Awakenings We start our lives focused on the concrete immediate narrow world around us in space, time, social...
a week ago
6
a week ago
We start our lives focused on the concrete immediate narrow world around us in space, time, social distance, and abstraction.
TheCollector
Tristan da Cunha: An Island at the Edge of the World undefined
a week ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Plus Roundup of Resources
a week ago
African History...
A history of the medieval coastal towns of Mozambique ca. 500-1890 CE. The East African coast is home to the longest contiguous chain of urban settlements on the...
a week ago
Flashbak
The Talking Parrot Tells All: When Madame Tussaud’s Caught Fire, 1925 “Criminals represented in the Chamber of Horrors, however, will have no feelings in the matter, as...
a week ago
8
a week ago
“Criminals represented in the Chamber of Horrors, however, will have no feelings in the matter, as they are all dead” – Report on the fire as Madame Tussaud’s, London 18 March 1925   The fire that tore threw London attraction Madame Tussaud’s on 18 March 1925 melted the famous...
TheCollector
Who Won the Siege of Petersburg? undefined
a week ago
Overcoming Bias
Our Big Oops Humanity has a huge problem, of which few are aware.
a week ago
TheCollector
The Mind-Body Problem & Consciousness: Dualism vs. Materialism undefined
a week ago
Flashbak
Christy Rupp: Rat Patrol in New York City, 1979 In 1979, American artist Christy Rupp (born 1949) created a street poster of a prowling, life-sized...
a week ago
7
a week ago
In 1979, American artist Christy Rupp (born 1949) created a street poster of a prowling, life-sized rat. With a keen interest in animal behaviour and habitat, Rupp’s popster coincided with a three-week strike by NYC sanitation workers. As the rubbish bags piled up on the city’s...
TheCollector
What Is the Difference Between Sunni and Shia Islam? undefined
a week ago
Wrong Side of...
Democracy vs liberalism in the heart of Europe ‘All state authority is derived from the people’
a week ago
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in Mississippi undefined
a week ago
Dreams of Space -...
Die Mondexpedition (1966) Die Mondexpedition is the original  German book that was translated into English in 1969 as The Log...
a week ago
10
a week ago
Die Mondexpedition is the original  German book that was translated into English in 1969 as The Log of a Moon Expedition. It's full title at the time was Die Mondexpedition: 14 Mal 24 Stunden auf dem Mond roughly translated as The Lunar Expedition: 14 times on the moon for 24...
Global Inequality...
Poison for the soul Review of David Lay Williams’s “The Greatest of All Plagues”
a week ago
TheCollector
Why European Militaries Collectively Downsized After the Cold War undefined
a week ago
A Collection of...
Collections: The Siege of Eregion, Part I: What Logistics? This is the first part of our [I don’t know; a few?] part series looking at the Siege of Eregion...
a week ago
11
a week ago
This is the first part of our [I don’t know; a few?] part series looking at the Siege of Eregion sequence from the second season of Amazon’s Rings of Power and what we can learn by pointing out its missteps. And I’m not going to bury the lede here: this entire sequence is a mess....
TheCollector
Leahy Law: Context, Overview, & History undefined
a week ago
Classical Wisdom
The Colosseum Rome's Iconic Arena
a week ago
TheCollector
Bodhidharma: The Legendary Founder of Kung Fu & Zen (Myth vs Facts) undefined
a week ago
CrimethInc.
Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace As Donald Trump and Elon Musk subordinate the United States government to their pursuit of...
a week ago
9
a week ago
As Donald Trump and Elon Musk subordinate the United States government to their pursuit of totalitarian power, Democrats remain in a defensive posture, accusing them of lawlessness. But neither courts nor laws will suffice to halt the descent into autocracy. Massive numbers of...
TheCollector
How Did the Arrival of Europeans Change North America? undefined
a week ago
Open Culture
How Do You Use AI in Your Daily Life? Share the Applications That Have Made a Big Difference Image by Jernej Furman, via Wikimedia Commons It would be difficult to imagine the last couple of...
a week ago
9
a week ago
Image by Jernej Furman, via Wikimedia Commons It would be difficult to imagine the last couple of years without artificial intelligence, even if you don’t use it. Can you recall the last day without some AI-related news item or social-media post — or indeed, a time when the hype...
TheCollector
10 Historic Towns in Germany You Should Visit undefined
a week ago
History Today Feed
Curbing the Power of the Popes Curbing the Power of the Popes JamesHoare Fri, 02/21/2025 - 07:00
a week ago
TheCollector
Don Quixote: Was the First Modern Novel Born in Captivity? undefined
a week ago
The Scholar's Stage
The Euro-American Split (I): Dread Possibility THERE ARE DECADES WHEN possibility is constrained in a narrow frame. The terrain has been surveyed,...
a week ago
10
a week ago
THERE ARE DECADES WHEN possibility is constrained in a narrow frame. The terrain has been surveyed, boundaries have been laid, and rules have been established. In such an age there is still room for high drama: The decisive round of a boxing match draws the eye despite the...
TheCollector
El Greco Altarpieces Reunited For First Time in 200 Years undefined
a week ago
Patterns in Humanity
Sub-replacement fertility in pre-baby boom Europe Past perspectives on fertility decline
a week ago
Flashbak
The International Atlas of Clouds and of States of the Sky by the Office National Météorologique,... “Ho! Ho! Ho! To the bottle I go To heal my heart and drown my woe Rain may fall, and wind may blow...
a week ago
10
a week ago
“Ho! Ho! Ho! To the bottle I go To heal my heart and drown my woe Rain may fall, and wind may blow And many miles be still to go But under a tall tree will I lie And let the clouds go sailing by” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring     … Continue reading "The...
TheCollector
What We Know About Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ So Far undefined
a week ago
Open Culture
The Architectural History of the Louvre: 800 Years in Three Minutes Setting aside just one day for the Louvre is a classic first-time Paris visitor’s mistake. The place...
a week ago
9
a week ago
Setting aside just one day for the Louvre is a classic first-time Paris visitor’s mistake. The place is simply too big to comprehend on one visit, or indeed on ten visits. To grow so vast has taken eight centuries, a process explained in under three minutes by the official video...
History Today Feed
How Have Cults Shaped American History? How Have Cults Shaped American History? JamesHoare Thu, 02/20/2025 - 08:36
a week ago
TheCollector
10 Locations from the Odyssey and Their Real-Life Counterparts undefined
a week ago
History Today Feed
Delivering the Chinese Post Office Delivering the Chinese Post Office JamesHoare Thu, 02/20/2025 - 07:00
a week ago
Open Culture
Optical Poems by Oskar Fischinger: Discover the Avant-Garde Animator Despised by Hitler & Dissed by... At a time when much of animation was consumed with little anthropomorphized animals sporting white...
a week ago
11
a week ago
At a time when much of animation was consumed with little anthropomorphized animals sporting white gloves, Oskar Fischinger went in a completely different direction. His work is all about dancing geometric shapes and abstract forms spinning around a flat featureless background....
TheCollector
Satyrs in Greek Art: Rowdy Party Animals undefined
a week ago
Classical Wisdom
The Top 10 Pre-Socratics, ahem, Natural Philosophers Time to Rename "the tyrants of the spirit"?
a week ago
TheCollector
Egypt Announces First Royal Tomb Discovery Since King Tut undefined
a week ago
Classical Wisdom
Who Were the "Pre-Socratics"? Classical Wisdom Litterae
a week ago
TheCollector
5 Women in Epistemology You Should Know undefined
a week ago
Flashbak
Cover Stars of The Face Magazine – Photos 1980 – 2004 There’s a new exhibition of The Face, the glossy British magazine that through the 80s and 90s was...
a week ago
8
a week ago
There’s a new exhibition of The Face, the glossy British magazine that through the 80s and 90s was the lightning rod of the progress of popular culture and styled a generation. The Face was well produced, designed and written monthly with music at its core but an expanded focus...
TheCollector
What Is Black History Month? undefined
a week ago
Open Culture
Watch David Byrne Lead a Massive Choir in Singing David Bowie’s “Heroes” Throughout the years, we’ve featured performances of Choir!Choir!Choir!–a large amateur choir from...
a week ago
12
a week ago
Throughout the years, we’ve featured performances of Choir!Choir!Choir!–a large amateur choir from Toronto that meets weekly and sings their hearts out. You’ve seen them sing Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” (to honor Chris Cornell) and Leonard Cohen’s...
History Today Feed
‘The Great Siege of Malta’ by Marcus Bull review ‘The Great Siege of Malta’ by Marcus Bull review JamesHoare Wed, 02/19/2025 - 08:00
a week ago
Trying to Understand...
What We Talk About, When We Talk About Talks. The End may be further away than you think.
a week ago
History Today Feed
Pelayo: the Reluctant Visigoth and the Reconquista Pelayo: the Reluctant Visigoth and the Reconquista JamesHoare Wed, 02/19/2025 - 07:00
a week ago
TheCollector
What Did Albert Camus Really Mean by the Absurd? undefined
a week ago
Wrong Side of...
The lone wolves of Germany Why weak states resort to collective punishment of citizens
a week ago
TheCollector
The Battle of Navarino: The Last Battle of the Age of Sail undefined
a week ago
Hidden History
The Vigenere Cipher The Vigenere Cipher is an encryption system that was developed over 500 years ago, and a variant of...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
The Vigenere Cipher is an encryption system that was developed over 500 years ago, and a variant of it was still being used by Soviet KGB spies in the 1950s. Ever since people have been writing, they have been searching for ways to make their written messages secure. This has...
TheCollector
The Stono Rebellion: America’s Largest Slave Uprising undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Why Are the Names of British Towns & Cities So Hard to Pronounce?: A Humorous But Informative Primer When they make their first transoceanic voyage, more than a few Americans choose to go to England,...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
When they make their first transoceanic voyage, more than a few Americans choose to go to England, on the assumption that, whatever culture shock they might experience, at least none of the difficulties will be linguistic. Only when it’s too late do they discover the true meaning...
History Today Feed
Adolphe Sax’s Brass Wars Adolphe Sax’s Brass Wars JamesHoare Tue, 02/18/2025 - 08:00
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Who Was Ruby Bridges? undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
When William S. Burroughs Appeared on Saturday Night Live: His First TV Appearance (1981) Though he never said so directly, we might expect that Situationist Guy Debord would have included...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Though he never said so directly, we might expect that Situationist Guy Debord would have included Saturday Night Live in what he called the “Spectacle”—the mass media presentation of a totalizing reality, “the ruling order’s nonstop discourse about itself, its never-ending...
TheCollector
What Is Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom? undefined
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
The American Cincinnatus Washington's Great Inspiration
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Is Perfection a Real Thing? undefined
2 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
Futarchy And Self-Dealing Governance Compared to divided government, a more central government has stronger incentives to help the polity...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Compared to divided government, a more central government has stronger incentives to help the polity as a whole.
TheCollector
What Is the Earliest Evidence for King Arthur? undefined
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Marvels of the Universe, 1912 – Curious Scientific Illustrations From A Compendium of Life First published in 1912, readers could learn all things about everything in Marvels of the Universe...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
First published in 1912, readers could learn all things about everything in Marvels of the Universe : a popular work on the marvels of the heavens, the earth, plant life, animal life, the mighty deep. It was published as a periodical in London by Hutchinson and Company, founded...
TheCollector
WWII Bombers: The Aircraft That Shaped the War undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Brian Eno Attempts to Figure Out What Art Does in a New Book Co-Written with Artist Bette A Brian Eno was thinking about the purpose of art a decade ago, as evidenced by his 2015 John Peel...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Brian Eno was thinking about the purpose of art a decade ago, as evidenced by his 2015 John Peel Lecture (previously featured here on Open Culture). But he was also thinking about it three decades ago, as evidenced by A Year with Swollen Appendices, his diary of the year 1995...
History Today Feed
Diocletian’s Great Persecution Diocletian’s Great Persecution JamesHoare Mon, 02/17/2025 - 08:56
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Inside SNL: Al Franken Reveals How Saturday Night Live Is Crafted Every Week As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, Al Franken takes you inside the making of an...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, Al Franken takes you inside the making of an SNL episode. He should know a thing or two about the subject. Part of the original SNL writing team, Franken spent 15 years writing and performing for the show. (Anyone remember...
TheCollector
The 54th Massachusetts: The Heroic Black Union Regiment undefined
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Quiz Lots and Lots of Love
2 weeks ago
African History...
Internal diasporas and the state in African history The Wangara chronicle, one of West Africa's oldest surviving historical texts composed around 1650,...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
The Wangara chronicle, one of West Africa's oldest surviving historical texts composed around 1650, contains an interesting account explaining the migration of a group of scholars from medieval Malī against the wishes of its ruler:
TheCollector
Behind the Bullet Holes: A Roadtrip Through Bosnia and Herzegovina undefined
2 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
Futarchy and the Transfer Problem I recently tweeted on the ineffectiveness of Medicine, and thus on waste we could cut by cutting...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
I recently tweeted on the ineffectiveness of Medicine, and thus on waste we could cut by cutting back on it.
Global Inequality...
Trump, the state and the revolution To say that Trump in his new incarnation is different from the Trump No.
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Harlem Renaissance: Its Social and Cultural Impact undefined
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Grant Wood: America The Sensual Grant Wood’s most famous picture is American Gothic (1930), that painting stepped in storytelling...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Grant Wood’s most famous picture is American Gothic (1930), that painting stepped in storytelling and subversive wit of two farmers looking lean, staid and weather-beaten as they stand guard before their lean and staid home. But there’s lot more to him that than hit. Wood was a...
TheCollector
Imperialism vs Colonialism: Key Differences Explained undefined
2 weeks ago
Wrong Side of...
Rome’s miserable fate The Year of the Plague #3
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Towns Near Houston, Texas undefined
2 weeks ago
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, February 14, 2025 (On Grant Funding) Hey folks! Happy Valentine’s Day. Fireside this week and then hopefully next week we’ll start into...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
Hey folks! Happy Valentine’s Day. Fireside this week and then hopefully next week we’ll start into our look at the Siege of Eregion in Season 2 of Rings of Power and also the larger Tolkien legendarium. I confess, watching the show, my suspension of disbelief fell much faster...
TheCollector
Who Is the Morrigan in Celtic Mythology? undefined
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Greek Mythology's Greatest Love Story Cupid and Psyche
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Darius III: The Persian King Who Fought Alexander the Great undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Meet Jesse Welles, the Folk Singer Who Turns News into Folk Music, Writing Songs on Elections, Plane... At first glance, Jesse Welles resembles nothing so much as a time traveler from the year 1968....
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
At first glance, Jesse Welles resembles nothing so much as a time traveler from the year 1968. That’s how I would open a profile about him, but The New York Times’ David Peisner takes a different approach, describing him recording a song in his home studio. “Welles, a...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Towns Near Phoenix, Arizona undefined
2 weeks ago
Res Obscura
Happy Lupercalia A special discount on subscriptions in honor of the Roman wolf holiday
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Fun Fact: The Other Types of Love Can you think of 30 meanings of “Love”?
2 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
Reenacting Trauma So far I’ve watched 34 episodes of Couples Therapy, wherein Dr.
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Heracles Captures Cerberus: The Hero’s Twelfth Labor undefined
2 weeks ago
Wrong Side of...
The beautiful rebirth of Dresden (2) A city rises from the ashes
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Magic in Ancient Egypt: How Did It Influence Daily Life? undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
How the Fairlight CMI Synthesizer Revolutionized Music In the credits of Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required appears the disclaimer that “there is no...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
In the credits of Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required appears the disclaimer that “there is no Fairlight on this record.” Cryptic though it may have appeared to most of that album’s many buyers, technology-minded musicians would’ve got it. In the half-decades since its introduction,...
Flashbak
The Art of Erotic Ex Libris (NSFW) Ex Libris is a Latin phrase that translates as “from the books”. Also known as bookplates, Ex Libris...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
Ex Libris is a Latin phrase that translates as “from the books”. Also known as bookplates, Ex Libris were first used in Germany in the 15th Century. These designs are pasted into a book’s inside cover or endpaper as a sign of ownership. The first books were highly valuable and...
History Today Feed
Searching for the Soul of the Beaver Searching for the Soul of the Beaver JamesHoare Thu, 02/13/2025 - 09:28
2 weeks ago
CrimethInc.
The Students Walk Out in Los Angeles : A Report from the Streets In the opening weeks of Donald Trump’s second presidency, some of the fiercest expressions of...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
In the opening weeks of Donald Trump’s second presidency, some of the fiercest expressions of defiance have come from the communities that Trump is threatening to attack. In Los Angeles, students have engaged in weeks of walkouts and other protests against the mass deportations...
TheCollector
10 Historic Sites in London You Should Visit undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Jane Austen Used Pins to Edit Her Manuscripts: Before the Word Processor & White-Out Before the word processor, before White-Out, before Post-It Notes, there were straight pins. Or, at...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
Before the word processor, before White-Out, before Post-It Notes, there were straight pins. Or, at least that’s what Jane Austen used to make edits in one of her rare manuscripts. In 2011, Oxford’s Bodleian Library acquired the manuscript of Austen’s abandoned novel, The...
TheCollector
NAACP: A Century of Fighting for Civil Rights undefined
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
What is Love? Daphnis, Chloe and the Ancient Novel
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Art Institute of Chicago Acquires Over 2,000 French Artworks undefined
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
What It Was Like to Get a Meal at a Medieval Tavern At least since The Canterbury Tales, the setting of the medieval tavern has held out the promise of...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
At least since The Canterbury Tales, the setting of the medieval tavern has held out the promise of adventure. For their customer base during the actual Middle Ages, however, they had more utilitarian virtues. “If you ever find yourself in the late medieval period, and you are in...
History Today Feed
‘The Crowd in the Early Middle Ages’ by Shane Bobrycki review ‘The Crowd in the Early Middle Ages’ by Shane Bobrycki review JamesHoare Wed, 02/12/2025 - 09:25
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Watch 10 Great German Expressionist Films: Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari & More In 1913, Germany, flush with a new nation’s patriotic zeal, looked like it might become the dominant...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
In 1913, Germany, flush with a new nation’s patriotic zeal, looked like it might become the dominant nation of Europe and a real rival to that global superpower Great Britain. Then it hit the buzzsaw of World War I. After the German government collapsed in 1918 from the economic...
Trying to Understand...
Stories We Tell Each Other. Because contingency frightens us.
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Nike: The Greek Goddess of Victory Incarnate undefined
2 weeks ago
CrimethInc.
Eight Things You Can Do to Stop ICE The Trump administration is paving the way for mass deportations by building new prison camps and...
2 weeks ago
13
2 weeks ago
The Trump administration is paving the way for mass deportations by building new prison camps and invoking the Alien Enemies Act, which was used to justify the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Motivated by nativism and white nationalism, Steven Miller and...
TheCollector
How Linda Nochlin Brought Feminism Into Art History undefined
2 weeks ago
Hidden History
The Sobibor Rebellion In October 1943, inmates at the Nazi extermination camp in Sobibor, in Poland, organized an uprising...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
In October 1943, inmates at the Nazi extermination camp in Sobibor, in Poland, organized an uprising that destroyed the camp and led to the escape of hundreds of prisoners. In January 1942, a group of fifteen Nazi government officials met in the Wannsee suburb of Berlin with...
Wrong Side of...
The case against child voters Votes at 16 is the most cynical of politics
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Everything You Need to Know About Cryptography (History & Examples) undefined
3 weeks ago
Open Culture
Horrifying 1906 Illustrations of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds: Discover the Art of Henrique Alvim... H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds has terrified and fascinated readers and writers for decades since its...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds has terrified and fascinated readers and writers for decades since its 1898 publication and has inspired numerous adaptations. The most notorious use of Wells’ book was by Orson Welles, whom the author called “my little namesake,” and whose 1938 War...
Flashbak
Illustrations from Lorenz Oken’s Atlas of Living Things, 1833-1834 These wonderful illustrations of a broad variety of fora fauna are from German naturalist Lorenz...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
These wonderful illustrations of a broad variety of fora fauna are from German naturalist Lorenz Oken’s huge atlas of living things, the Allgemeine Naturgeschichte für alle Stände atlas (1833-1834) (General natural history for all classes). Published over seven instalments, its...
Open Culture
Tracing English Back to Its Oldest Known Ancestor: An Introduction to Proto-Indo-European People understand evolution in all sorts of different ways. We’ve all heard a variety of folk...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
People understand evolution in all sorts of different ways. We’ve all heard a variety of folk explanations of that all-important phenomenon, from “survival of the fittest” to “humans come from monkeys,” that run the spectrum from broadly correct to badly mangled. One less often...
History Today Feed
On the Spot: Geoffrey Parker On the Spot: Geoffrey Parker JamesHoare Tue, 02/11/2025 - 08:25
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Toussaint L’Ouverture: A Biography of the Haitian Revolutionary undefined
3 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Why Do We Love Violence? The Tainted Glory of the Gladiator
3 weeks ago
Flashbak
Painted Backgrounds for Early 20th Century Photographers, 1908 Before image filters and digital backdrops added depth and interest to photographs, placing subjects...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Before image filters and digital backdrops added depth and interest to photographs, placing subjects in exquisite settings, there were hand-painted backgrounds for photography studios. Beginning in the mid-1800s, decorative backgrounds worked at the intersection of traditional...
TheCollector
What Did the Ancient Egyptians Believe About the Afterlife? undefined
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
‘The Brothers Grimm: A Biography’ by Ann Schmiesing review ‘The Brothers Grimm: A Biography’ by Ann Schmiesing review JamesHoare Mon, 02/10/2025 - 11:03
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
History of Travel: Who Invented the Passport? undefined
3 weeks ago
Open Culture
Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Who Was the Greatest Scientific Mind in History Neil deGrasse Tyson has spent his career talking up not just science itself, but also its...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Neil deGrasse Tyson has spent his career talking up not just science itself, but also its practitioners. If asked to name the greatest scientist of all time, one might expect him to need a minute to think about it — or even to find himself unable to choose. But that’s hardly...
TheCollector
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers in Baseball undefined
3 weeks ago
African History...
On the history of the Bantu expansion: old misconceptions and new evidence The southern half of the African continent is populated by speakers of about 550 closely related...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
The southern half of the African continent is populated by speakers of about 550 closely related languages that are referred to as the Bantu languages.
TheCollector
How Eva Perón Shaped Peronism undefined
3 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Quiz Plus Roundup of Resources
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Manuela Sáenz: The Forgotten Heroine of Latin American Independence undefined
3 weeks ago
Flashbak
The Brilliant Paper Bag Hats Made by Self-Taught Artist moses of Hawaii Born Murray Odessky on October 16, 1931, the artist who would eventually change his name to “moses”...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
Born Murray Odessky on October 16, 1931, the artist who would eventually change his name to “moses” moved to the Big Island of Hawaii and began to create 255 brilliant paper bag hats – sculptures that he donated to the Mingei Museum in San Diego, CA. Until he died in 2015, moses...
TheCollector
What Is the Sabbath in the Bible? undefined
3 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
When They Hear Less Than You Say Something must be done.
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
John Bauer: The Swedish Master of Fairy Tale Art (Bio, Art & Facts) undefined
3 weeks ago
Wrong Side of...
‘I say the Americans really won the war’ Vietnam’s victory over communism
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Dr. Paul Cartledge on Socrates: The Philosopher Who Changed the World undefined
3 weeks ago
Dreams of Space -...
Our Defenders (1976) Even if a bit inappropriate, given politics, here is a cool Russian pop-up book. Not really space...
3 weeks ago
6
3 weeks ago
Even if a bit inappropriate, given politics, here is a cool Russian pop-up book. Not really space flight oriented but still interesting. Our Defenders was a book illustrating the Russian military including battlefield rockets. The images are stereotypical of Soviet times and an...
A Collection of...
Collections: The Strange Armor of Dragon Age: The Veilguard This week we’re going to have a bit of fun looking at some of the interesting armor choices for the...
3 weeks ago
25
3 weeks ago
This week we’re going to have a bit of fun looking at some of the interesting armor choices for the recent Dragon Age: The Veilguard. In a way, this is an extension of the post on “The Problem with Sci-Fi Body Armor,” because I think Veilguard provides a pretty exceptional...
TheCollector
Hidden Portrait Found Beneath Titian Masterpiece undefined
3 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
The Goddess of Spring Flora and the Floralia Festival
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Cowboys of the Pampas: A Brief History of the Gaucho undefined
3 weeks ago
Flashbak
Émile-Allain Séguy’s Insectes, 1925 – A Hymn To Nature In 20 Beautiful Illustrated Plates “Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
“Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible...
TheCollector
Thaddeus (Judas) of the 12 Disciples: Bio, Legacy, and Death undefined
3 weeks ago
Open Culture
Warner Bros. Lets You Watch 31 Films Free Online: David Byrne’s True Stories, Christopher Guest’s... It’s Friday, which means that tonight, many of us will sit down to watch a movie with our family,...
3 weeks ago
20
3 weeks ago
It’s Friday, which means that tonight, many of us will sit down to watch a movie with our family, our friends, our significant other, or — for some cinephiles, best of all — by ourselves. If you haven’t yet lined up any home-cinematic experience in particular, consider taking a...
TheCollector
Top 10 Historic Sites of Cusco, Peru undefined
3 weeks ago
Wrong Side of...
Journey to the Imperial City Travels in Vietnam, Part 2
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Bartholomew (Nathanael) of the Twelve Disciples: Bio, Death, Legacy undefined
3 weeks ago
Open Culture
See Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Visualized in Colorfully Animated Scores Music is often described as the most abstract of all the arts, and arguably the least visual as...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
Music is often described as the most abstract of all the arts, and arguably the least visual as well. But these qualities, which seem so basic to the nature of the form, have been challenged for at least three centuries, not least by composers themselves. Take Antonio Vivaldi,...
History Today Feed
Doing Business with Russia Doing Business with Russia JamesHoare Thu, 02/06/2025 - 09:24
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
5 of the World’s Strangest Islands undefined
3 weeks ago
Open Culture
Behold Harry Clarke’s Hallucinatory Illustrations for Edgar Allan Poe’s Story Collection, Tales of... As you’ve probably noticed if you’re a regular reader of this site, we’re big fans of book...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
As you’ve probably noticed if you’re a regular reader of this site, we’re big fans of book illustration, particularly that from the form’s golden age—the late 18th and 19th century—before photography took over as the dominant visual medium. But while photographs largely...
TheCollector
Did the Poet Alexander Pushkin Have African Roots? undefined
3 weeks ago