Browsing Category

History : Society & Culture & Entertainment

Himeji Castle on a Sunny Winter Day

Photo of the famously beautiful Himeji Castle on a winter day, from a gallery of Japanese Castles dating from the 14th century onward.

Cold War: AIM-54 Phoenix

Developed in the 1960s, the AIM-54 Phoenix missile was the US Navy's first long-range missile. Designed to operate with the AWG-9 radar, the AIM-54 was carried aboard the US Navy's F-14 Tomcats and was largely meant to serve in a fleet defense role. The AIM-54 was retired from service in S

American Civil War: Turning Points

The two victories at Gettysburg, PA and Vicksburg, MS, turned the Civil War in the Union's favor. Culminating within a day of each other, Gettysburg and Vicksburg respectively put Lee on the defensive in the East and opened the Mississippi in the West, paving the way for the South's ultima

The History of Italian Art

Italy has always been one of the main centers for art throughout the centuries, often influencing the whole of Europe. From the Byzantine period through the High Renaissance, Italian artists were some of the most famous in the world. New styles of painting were often echoed in the sculpture and arch

Embargo Act of 1807

The Embargo Act of 1807 was Thomas Jefferson's misguided plan to punish Britain for interfering with American trade.

Japanese Woodcut Tools

Traditional Japanese woodcut tools produce a lasting and influential style.graffiti - street art image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.comImpressionist painter Vincent van Gogh described the artistry of Japan as, "Simple as breathing; they draw a figure with a couple of strokes with such...

This Week in African History: 1 - 7 January

Donald Woods escapes to Lesotho, Joy Adamson is killed in Kenya, Joe Slovo dies in South Africa, and two Libyan MiG-23s are shot down by US Navy jets off the coast of Libya.

Support for Lincoln

Envelopes with patriotic images, such as this portrait of Lincoln, were widely used during the Civil War.

Who Are the Taliban, Really?

Learn more about the group who ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s and continue to fight the US-led coalition today.

Judenfrei Definition

A definition of the term Judenfrei, from the Holocaust Glossary.