History

National

Thousands Gather On National Mall For Victory In Europe Day Celebration

4:34pm May 08, 2015

Thousands gathered on the National Mall Friday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, commonly known as V-E Day, with a ceremony and a fly over of vintage World War II planes.

Books

Six Weeks In World War I Transformed How Wars Are Fought

7:22pm May 07, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with historian Diana Preston about her book A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare.

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Swimming Hole by Jerrold Beim, published in 1950.

National

4 Hot-Button Kids' Books From The '50s That Sparked Controversy

7:58am May 07, 2015

by Linton Weeks

Mostly forgotten or out of print, these picture books triggered conversations about integration.

Former House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas in 2005. He died Wednesday at the age of 92.

Remembering A Former House Speaker Whose Fall Signaled New Era Of Polarization

1:14am May 07, 2015

by Ron Elving

The short line of Jim Wright's bio is that he made history as the first speaker of the House to resign under pressure, and his fall signaled the rise of a long era of partisan divide.

"I think that we think that language is something neutral and not at all political" — Jamila Lyiscott

What Does It Mean To Be 'Articulate'?

1:25pm May 06, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Educator and poet Jamila Lyiscott is a "tri-tongued orator." She unpacks the three distinct flavors of English she speaks with her friends, family, and colleagues.

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Bedford Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library — a gift from Andrew Carnegie, 1905.

National

Do We Really Need Libraries?

2:02pm May 05, 2015

by Linton Weeks

Between 1886 and 1919, Andrew Carnegie planted nearly 1,700 libraries across America. Over the years they grew. Now they are trying to survive.

During a Pap smear, doctors collect cells from in and on the cervix to test for abnormal cells that might be cancer or lead to it.

The Great Success And Enduring Dilemma Of Cervical Cancer Screening

1:30pm May 05, 2015

by Tara Haelle

The Pap smear has dramatically decreased rates of cervical cancer, but testing too often has a downside, too. Many women say they aren't yet ready to follow new guidelines and skip the annual tests.

Books
Arts

No Easy Answers In 'The Book Of Aron'

11:28am May 05, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Jim Shepard's new novel follows a depressed and probably doomed young boy in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto during World War II. Critic Michael Schaub calls it a "rewarding, shocking and beautiful book."

"A mathematical proof appears as a thing of beauty. It speaks of a higher truth. It speaks of a harmony to knowledge." - Terry Moore

Science

Why Do We Solve For 'X'?

11:01am May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Polymath Terry Moore wondered why "X" is the universal unknown in algebra. He dove into the history of numbers to come up with an unexpected answer.

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The Marquis de Lafayette sailed across the Atlantic to America aboard the original Hermione in 1780 and joined the American rebels in their struggle for independence from Great Britain. This replica will retrace his voyage; it's scheduled to arrive in Yor

World News

Replica Of Lafayette's Ship Re-Creates Historic Voyage To America

2:02am May 05, 2015

by Eleanor Beardsley

The Marquis de Lafayette sailed from France to America in 1780 to help the new nation defeat the British. A $29 million replica of the Hermione tall ship is retracing that journey.

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