“I Was a Nazi, and Here’s Why”

Source: The New Yorker

In 1964, a former Nazi published a book-length letter to a Jewish schoolmate, detailing how she became a Nazi and apologizing for the wrongs she had perpetrated in the service of Hitler.

Biblical bee-keepers picked the best bees

Source: New Scientist

One of the earliest ways humans harnessed the power of nature was through keeping livestock—including bees. Find out how long-ago beekeepers made the most of what nature had to offer.

The Flight 93 National Memorial Park

Source: National Park Service

Flowers and other tributes are still being left at Flight 93 National Memorial Park in Pennsylvania. Learn more about the decision to create this park to commemorate the flight and to honor the passengers.

Egypt’s Oldest Known Art Identified, Is 15,000 Years Old

Source: National Geographic News

Thousands of years ago, rock paintings and etchings were the way to make your voice heard. This article proves the message is still being heard today.

Two Perspectives: Description of the people in hiding

Source: Miep Gies

Read this interesting account of the eight people in hiding in the Secret Annex from the perspective of Miep Gies and compare it to Anne Frank’s account.

In the 1800s, a freed slave built bridges across the South

Source: Atlanta Magazine

Horace King, a freed slave in early 1900’s was known for his sophisticated bridge-building technique. With the man who freed him, John Goodwin, he built covered bridges across what became the Confederate States of America.

Play Ball!: Colonial Games and America’s National Pastime

Source: Colonial Williamsburg Journal

Historians research the origins of baseball, which may reach further in the past than is commonly recognized.

Invention of the Telegraph

Source: Library of Congress

Read about the successes and setbacks Samuel F. B. Morse encountered while inventing the telegraph.

2016 Is a Leap Year. Why Do We Have Them?

Source: Forbes

Every four years (with an exception at the turn of most centuries), a quirk of the calendar gives us an extra day. Learn why 2016 is one of those years.

Alexander Gardner: The mysteries of the Civil War’s photographic giant

Source: The Washington Post

Chances are, if you’ve seen a Civil War-era photograph, it was credited to photographer Mathew Brady. However, that photo was most likely actually taken by Alexander Gardner, who went on to document the American West.