History Defined

How the Soviet Union Managed to Spy on the U.S. Ambassador: The Great Seal Bug

In the shadowy world of international espionage, few incidents have captured the public imagination quite like the Compromise of the Great Seal. What ensued was a high-stakes spying scandal featuring covert operations, international diplomacy, and technological innovation. The “Thing” has captivated those who have learned about it ever since. The Soviet Union’s brazen planting of […]

How the Soviet Union Managed to Spy on the U.S. Ambassador: The Great Seal Bug Read More »

Rollo: The Viking Leader Who Became the Duke of Normandy

Rollo was a Viking leader who settled Normandy. He set the stage for the merging of Viking and Frankish cultures. As the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, Rollo’s legacy includes far more than raiding and pillaging. He established a royal bloodline that, centuries later, would create a bitter rivalry between Britain and France that would

Rollo: The Viking Leader Who Became the Duke of Normandy Read More »

The Great Dionysia

The world of Ancient Greece was steeped in religious and cultural traditions of all kinds. Festivals and rituals played a central role in everyday life. The Great Dionysia was one such festival. In ancient Athens, the celebration was a time of revelry, theater, and religious devotion. For several days each spring, the city would come

The Great Dionysia Read More »

The Flotas and Galeones: Bringing the Riches of the New World to Spain

The Spanish fleet was a symbol of power, wealth, and prestige. It was the foremost symbol of the greatest superpower the world had ever seen – the Spanish Empire. For centuries, the Spanish treasure fleet, with its flotas and galeones, transported European goods to its colonies and returned with vast quantities of gold and silver.

The Flotas and Galeones: Bringing the Riches of the New World to Spain Read More »

Who Was Vasily Blokhin? The Prolific Soviet Executioner

Within one of history’s darkest eras, a figure emerged whose name would become synonymous with cruelty, efficiency, and death: Vasily Blokhin, the chief executioner of the Soviet Union. Blokhin is widely acknowledged and infamous for the title of the most prolific executioner in recorded world history. And for good reason. Amidst the shadowy corridors of

Who Was Vasily Blokhin? The Prolific Soviet Executioner Read More »

The Tragic and Exploitative History of Human Zoos

During a time when slavery had been abolished in most of the world, human zoos remained a popular attraction for millions of Europeans and Americans. They flocked to exhibits showing groups of dark-skinned people from Africa, Asia, and North America surrounded by trappings that were supposed to represent their “natural environment.” Most of these cruel

The Tragic and Exploitative History of Human Zoos Read More »

The Kalmar Union: A Brief History of a United Scandinavia

Long before the European Union, there was the Kalmar Union. It was a grand experiment in middle-age Scandinavian diplomacy. For over a century, three kingdoms – Denmark, Norway, and Sweden – were united under the same king, bound together by promises of peace and prosperity. It was an era of both great potential and great

The Kalmar Union: A Brief History of a United Scandinavia Read More »

Pictures of 38 celebrities when they were kids

Have you ever been curious about what famous people looked like before they were famous? In this article, we go back in time to see old pictures of famous people when they were younger. We will show you their old school pictures and the first pictures of them when they started acting or singing. It’s

Pictures of 38 celebrities when they were kids Read More »

The Miraculous Escape of Robert Smalls: From Slave to Hero

The incredible life of Robert Smalls is a story of courage and daring. Smalls was born into slavery in the South in the 1800s. He rose from humble beginnings to become a naval hero, a political pioneer, and a champion for civil rights. But it was his incredible escape from the chains of enslavement that

The Miraculous Escape of Robert Smalls: From Slave to Hero Read More »

Who were the 10 greatest Roman generals?

Evaluating generalship is often a practice of choosing arbitrary values to rank. Military historians will argue infinitely over the relative merits of one leader over another. Ranking Roman generals is not immune to this kind of controversy. Sun Tzu provides us with some guidance: “Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting;

Who were the 10 greatest Roman generals? Read More »