On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright climbed aboard a fragile flying machine built largely of wood and fabric. At Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer rose into the air for 12 seconds and traveled 120 feet. It was the … Continue reading
A Hidden Artist in the Gilded Age: Amalia Kussner Guest Post by Kathleen Langone While many think of the well-known Gilded Age artists, like John Singer Sargent, there was another artist- almost as popular at the time- Amalia Kussner. But … Continue reading
Few American figures embodied brilliance, power, and outright strangeness as completely as Howard Hughes. By the time of his death in 1976, Hughes was one of the richest men in the world, a pioneer of aviation, a Hollywood mogul, and … Continue reading
Waiting for Midnight: The Painting That Captured Freedom’s Eve Slavery in the United States did not legally end with the Emancipation Proclamation. It survived until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment on December 6, 1865, which permanently abolished human bondage. … Continue reading
For centuries, churches rang their bells during storms to “drive away thunder.” It was a deadly mistake. Metal bells in tall towers acted like lightning magnets, and hundreds of bell-ringers were killed across Europe. Faith and ritual became a death … Continue reading