History

The cover of a 1933 cookbook, Crisco Recipes For The Jewish Housewife, produced by Crisco's parent company Procter & Gamble, to promote the vegetable-based oil to the new wave of Jewish immigrants.

National

How A Corporation Convinced American Jews To Reach For Crisco

7:53am December 02, 2018

by Deena Prichep

On Hanukkah, many Jews fry potato pancakes called latkes in oil or maybe schmaltz. But a century ago, one company saw an opportunity to make the Jewish fat of choice truly American: Crisco.

Gettysburg Address Anniversary: Remembering A Message For The Ages

5:45am November 22, 2018

This week marks 155 years since Abraham Lincoln delivered the famously short Gettysburg Address in 1863.

Queue Listen Now

National

A Family Tree With Roots Deep In Slavery

2:35pm November 21, 2018

by Nabil Ayers

At first, the results of Nabil Ayers' DNA test made him feel less black than ever. But months later, those results uncovered his ties to a unique and specific black experience.

'Heirs Of The Founders' Looks At Efforts To Stave Off Civil War

11:51am November 21, 2018

by Scott Detrow

H.W. Brands brings to life a transitional era of American politics when the scope and power of the federal government was unknown, as were the boundaries of the United States.

Politics & Government

Florida's Midterm Election Recounts Bring Back Memories Of 2000

5:08am November 21, 2018

Steve Inskeep talks to columnist and commentator Cokie Roberts, who answers listener questions about the history of election recounts.

Che: A Revolutionary Life, by Jon Lee Anderson and José Hernández.

'Che' Graphic Biography Explores The Myths And Truths Of The Legend

9:49am November 20, 2018

by Etelka Lehoczky

While José Hernández and Jon Lee Anderson struggle continually to balance nuanced truth with cartoony distillation, Che remains a remarkable accomplishment.

This turkey seemed to be in a fowl mood in 1987 when Ronald Reagan used the word "pardon" for the first time in reference to sparing a Thanksgiving turkey.

The Presidential Turkey Pardon's Weird Roots Go Back To The Iran-Contra Scandal

6:05pm November 19, 2018

by Domenico Montanaro

President Reagan's pivot away from a reporter's question about possibly pardoning those involved with the 1980s arms-sales scandal is a key moment in the history of the event taking place Tuesday.

World News

Ancient Babylon In Iraq Restored

7:48am November 17, 2018

by Jane Arraf

The ancient site of Babylon in Iraq has undergone a lot of damage in recent years but archeologists hope it will still get special status.

Abraham Lincoln is shown in Richmond, Va., being cheered by former slaves in 1865.

Texas Students Will Soon Learn Slavery Played A Central Role In The Civil War

8:36pm November 16, 2018

by Camille Phillips

The state's previous social studies standards listed three causes for the Civil War: sectionalism, states' rights and slavery, in that order.

National

FBI Re-Creates Fake Heads Used In 1962 Alcatraz Prison Escape

5:29pm November 16, 2018

When three inmates escaped Alcatraz in 1962 they used fake heads to fool the prison guards. Now, the FBI has re-created the heads in order to preserve the history of an escape that is still unsolved.

Queue Listen Now