History

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.

Josephine Baker—A French and American Hero

Source: Articles on History

Rising from poverty in St. Louis to become an entertainment superstar in her adopted home of Paris, Josephine Baker could easily have enjoyed a life of leisurely wealth. Instead, she aided the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of World War II and later spoke out for American civil rights.

Pol Pot’s Shadow

Source: PBS Frontline

In the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge, led by the dictator Pol Pot, took over the southeast Asian nation of Cambodia. The regime uprooted and destroyed countless lives, killing nearly two million of its own people. Cambodians today have yet to come to terms with the horrors of that time.

Why Are Shirt Buttons on Different Sides for Men and Women?

Source: Mental Floss

Read about some interesting theories related to fashion for men and women. Did nobility dictate the differences in fashion?

How the Civil War Changed Modern Medicine

Source: Discovery News

In 1861 scientists hadn’t actually discovered that germs cause diseases, and doctors didn’t know they should wash their hands! But over the course of the Civil War, this changed and there were many advancements in medical care.