A great white shark swims just under the surface of the water.

U.S. Shark Mania Began With This Attack More Than a Century Ago

On July 1, 1916, a young stockbroker from Philadelphia headed into the surf at Beach Haven, N.J.

Truman Declared an Emergency When He Felt Thwarted. Trump Should Know: It Didn’t End Well.

Truman seized control of the country’s steel mills during the Korean War. It led to a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court.

Is Technology Bringing History to Life or Distorting It?

History is coming to life, and scholars are debating the merits of this wave of re-creation and manipulation.
Pope Gregory with his hand on the globe.

On New Year’s, Our Calendar’s Crazy History, and the Switch That Changed Washington’s Birthday

In 1752, the Brits and Americans lopped 11 days off the calendar in one fell swoop.

The Day White Virginia Stopped Admiring Gen. Robert E. Lee and Started Worshiping Him

Stripping Virginia of its Lee tributes is far harder than it is in other places.
Great White shark

Blood in The Water: Four Dead, A Coast Terrified and The Birth of Modern Shark Mania

A series of deadly shark attacks by the Matawan Man-Eater shook New Jersey and prompted President Wilson to declare war on sharks.