Stuff You Missed in History Class

Women weren’t initially welcome in the Civil War armies, but thousands eventually ended up serving as nurses. We feature five here. Listen in to learn [Read more]

John Dillinger robbery career began when he was paroled in 1933. Several escaped inmates joined Dillinger, and they were arrested in 1934. Dillinger escaped, but [Read more]

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi, is often considered the public’s “favorite” member of the Habsburgs. She only reluctantly carried out her duties, [Read more]

In the 19th century, Alphonse Bertillon standardized the mug shot and came up with a system of organizing police records; he also conceived a new [Read more]

As a Confederate surgeon, Dr. MacGuire’s first assignment was under the command of Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, who became his most famous patient. [Read more]

Polio was a terrifying threat in the early 20th century: It often left victims paralyzed or dead. Yet two vaccines caused an immediate drop in [Read more]

Today, Vincent van Gogh has come to fit our idea of the tortured artist. Aside from his art, he’s best known for cutting off his [Read more]

For a time, Mexico was ruled by a Habsburg prince: Ferdinand Maximilian. While Maximilian was unwelcome, he upheld liberal reforms and modernized the government. As [Read more]

In Part 2 of The Gunpowder Plot, we discuss how a group of English Catholics attempted to carry out their plan. Yet the Plot was [Read more]

In part two of this interview series, Dr. Holly Tucker discusses the research methods behind her new book, “Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and [Read more]