Historical Events

How Pabst Blue Ribbon got its name

Pabst Blue Ribbon is an iconic American beer. Its story begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city that has been a brewing mecca since the mid-19th...

The Lake of the Ozarks community underwater

In the heart of Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks is a popular destination for vacationers seeking respite from the city life of St. Louis...

A Viking runestone in Minnesota?

The Kensington Runestone is a stone slab, covered in runes, and according to some, carved by Vikings. It was allegedly discovered by a Swedish farmer...

Abraham Lincoln’s Grandfather was murdered

In the 1780s, relations between Native Americans and encroaching pioneers in the Ohio Valley were tense. In 1786, a Native American man shot and killed...

When Japanese Bomb Balloons Landed in Michigan

During World War II, the Japanese military launched thousands of balloon bombs across the Pacific Ocean, hoping to cause damage and panic in the United...

When General Grant Expelled Jews From Their Homes

General Ulysses S. Grant is best known for his role as the commander of the Union Army during the American Civil War and later as...

Historical Figures

Harnack East Germany

Defying the Third Reich: The Brave Story of Mildred Fish-Harnack

Mildred Fish-Harnack was an accomplished academic from Wisconsin. She resisted the horrors of Nazi Germany while disseminating intelligence to the U.S. and Soviet Union. Even...

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mile-High Skyscraper Dream

On October 16th, 1956, the 89-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright met with government representatives, city agencies, news reporters, architects, students and curious public citizens at the...

How Civil War Atrocities Shaped Jesse James

When people think of outlaws and the American West, Jesse James’ name often leads the pack. Known as either a Robin Hood figure or more...

Elizabeth Packard’s Terrifying Journey From Asylum Patient to Advocacy

Elizabeth Packard was a 19th-century who fought for women's rights and mental health advocacy. She was born in a Calvinist household in 1816 in Ware,...

Mark Twain’s Dream

Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was known to be eccentric. He predicted his death to coincide with the appearance of Halley’s Comet. He had a...