In the late 19th century, French inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville patented the earliest known sound recording device. But his accomplishments were only recognized recently.
The late activist and Google doodle honoree stormed the island with dozens of other activists in 1969, citing a century-old treaty in claiming it for Native Americans. He would have been 75 on Monday.
In the new TNT docu-series about race, the former NBA star is mostly indifferent to the broader context of the discussions he's wading into — and to the limits of trying to "start a dialogue."
The fanciful dish was meant to impress nearly 400 years ago, so don't roll your eyes at photos of these pretty edibles: They're actually a time-honored tradition tinged with a bit of kitchen science.
In 1848, a railroad worker survived an accident that drove a 13-pound iron bar through his head. The injury changed his personality, and our understanding of the brain.
Protests and court battles trailed the nearly two-year effort to get rid of the monuments. For the past month they've been acrimonious gathering places for those in favor and opposed to removal.
Before it became a byword for disaster, the hydrogen-lifted airship heralded an era of fine dining in the skies — with an all-electric kitchen, a cocktail lounge, wine cellar and multi-course meals.
Before Roe v. Wade, a network of clergy helped counsel women seeking abortions and sometimes helped them find abortion providers. Some of them are gathering in New York this weekend to mark the 50th anniversary.
If the 83-year-old Akihito steps down, he will be the first to abdicate in 200 years. But the provision doesn't solve Japan's royal problem: strict rules of succession and a dearth of eligible males.
What did it take to get through Ellis Island? For a few years, it took passing a puzzle test. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Adam Cohen, who wrote about it in Smithsonian Magazine.