A Man Planned This American Road Trip 200 Years Ago. You Can Still Take It
In 1822, long before GPS, smartphones or interstate highways, Gideon Miner Davison published a travel guide that showed Americans how to explore their own country. His The…
Two Airliners Collided in the Sky. America Had to Change Aviation
On June 30, 1956, two of America’s most advanced passenger aircraft—the TWA Lockheed Super Constellation and a United Airlines Douglas DC-7—collided at roughly 21,000 feet above the…
You Already Know These Words. You Just Don’t Know Their History
Some of the English words you use every day are far older than you might expect. Words like tomorrow, awkward, tenant, trespass and foray carry traces of…
The Wild West Isn’t Dead. You Just Have to Know Where to Look
From dusty main streets and historic saloons to rodeos, ranches and cowboy boots, the American West still carries traces of a frontier that officially disappeared more than…
We Live Inside a Galaxy We Still Don’t Fully Understand
When you look up at the night sky, the Milky Way may seem like an enormous collection of stars stretching across the darkness. But our galaxy is…
Words That Make You Sound Smarter Without Trying Too Hard
Sometimes, sounding intelligent has surprisingly little to do with using complicated words. The difference may be as simple as choosing a word that expresses exactly what you…
What It Really Takes to Grow Old in Your Own Home
Growing older does not necessarily mean leaving the home and routines that have shaped your life. For many Americans, aging in place offers a way to preserve…
What Happens When a 1959 Car Crashes Into a 2009 Car?
A 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air may look like the kind of car that could survive almost anything, while a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu appears far less imposing. But…
The Buick Skylark and the Changing American Dream
The Buick Skylark was never simply a car; it was a reflection of what Americans wanted from their cars at different moments in history. A model that…
The Murder Mystery That Made Lizzie Borden Famous
Walk into an American grocery store and you might see a vegetable labeled “yam” without realizing that it is probably a sweet potato. Although the two are…