History

National

The Risks Of Normalizing The So-Called Alt-Right

5:10pm November 27, 2016

Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt discusses Holocaust deniers, and the similarities she sees in media coverage of the so-called alt-right movement, which has been associated with white nationalism.

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Castro's Cuba: Bay Of Pigs As A 'Fascinating And Important' Failed Endeavor

8:39am November 27, 2016

With the world reflecting on the death of Fidel Castro, NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with writer Jim Rasenberger about the Bay of Pigs.

Books
Arts

Julia Baird Paints A Stronger, More Likable 'Victoria The Queen'

8:39am November 27, 2016

NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to Julia Baird about her new book "Victoria the Queen." Baird says that contrary to how she is usually remembered, Queen Victoria was a lively and dedicated ruler.

Daniel Foose Returns From Family's Former Slave Plantation With New Album Material

9:28am November 26, 2016

Foose is a jazz bass player and composer living in New York. His great-great-great grandfather was a slave owner, and Foose went back to the old plantation to exorcise some ghosts.

National

'Atlas Obscura' Explores Roots Of The So-Called Mid-Atlantic Accent

4:32pm November 25, 2016

Ever watched an old movie or listened to recordings of Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats, and wondered where that accent comes from? Dan Nosowitz decided to look into that and wrote about it for Atlas Obscura. Turns out the roads to an early 20th century American pseudo-British accent lead back to a Canadian elocution teacher, Edith Skinner and her book, Speak with Distinction.

Encore: For 100 Years, Celery And Olives Were Thanksgiving Mainstays

6:27pm November 24, 2016

Celery and olives were two mainstays of the Thanksgiving table for about 100 years, starting in the late 1800s. Hilary Sargent wrote about this tradition for Boston.com and spoke with us about it in 2014. On this holiday, we revisit that conversation. This story originally aired on Nov. 27, 2014 on All Things Considered.

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Plymouth Plantation Museum Showcases Music Of Pilgrims And Native Americans

6:27pm November 24, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

The first Thanksgiving most likely took place in 1621 at Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Plymouth Plantation, a living history museum, recently showcased the spiritual music of both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians.

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Heavy smog in London's Piccadilly Circus on Dec. 6, 1952, was part of a five-day fog that killed thousands of people.

Research On Chinese Haze Helps Crack Mystery Of London's Deadly 1952 Fog

4:44pm November 23, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Atmospheric scientists, pinning down chemical processes behind Beijing's pollution, discovered an explanation for the unusually toxic smog that killed thousands of people in London in December 1952.

Museum's 1770s Artifact Smells Of Rum

7:35am November 23, 2016

Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution opens next year. It has an earthenware mug from the 1770s which still smells of rum poured by some Revolutionary-era drinker.

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A football field makes an enormous (and illuminating) timeline.

Watch Earth's History Play Out On A Football Field

4:39pm November 22, 2016

by Adam Cole

If our planet's 4.5 billion-year existence were laid out on a 100-yard timeline, when and where would humans first show up? Good question. NPR's Skunk Bear hits the gridiron for a reality check.