The Famous Female Mixologist You’ve Never Heard Of

Emma B. | Monday, Mar 16, 2015

However pink the drinks, cocktail making has historically been a man’s job—but that didn’t stop some exceptional women from trying to break the mould. We owe a special salute to Ada “Cole...

The Suffragette Who Survived Force Feedings for The Vote

Erin B. | Thursday, Mar 12, 2015

Alice Paul was unapologetic, militant and known for founding America’s pro-suffrage National Woman’s Party. But what many people don’t realize is that Paul fought for votes for women in b...

Before There Were Computers, NASA Relied on These Women

Erin B. | Friday, Mar 6, 2015

Before computers were machines, they were people—and NASA couldn’t have made it to space without its pool of “human computers.” These pioneering female mathematicians broke barriers for b...

The WWII Spy Who May Have Inspired an Iconic Bond Girl

Jes G. | Thursday, Mar 5, 2015

Krystyna Skarbek, also known by the alias Christine Granville, was a Polish woman-turned-British spy who had a remarkable espionage career. Not only do some say that Winston Churchill dub...

How a Horde of Rabbits Once Defeated Napoleon

Josh H. | Thursday, Mar 5, 2015

Napoleon Bonaparte, the 19th century French military leader who seized power in France, straight up conquered much of Europe and crowned himself emperor, was once attacked and defeated by...

Did Anyone Actually Build Fallout Shelters?

Linda M. | Tuesday, Mar 3, 2015

In October 1961, the Kreese family of Long Island, New York took a holiday. Sort of. The Kreeses—28-year-old Martin, a self-employed electrician, his wife, 25-year-old Judith, and their t...

Could Ancient Greeks Not See the Color Blue?

Jes G. | Monday, Mar 2, 2015

One day, British politician William Gladstone was reading through Homer’s Iliad when he realized he didn’t see the color blue mentioned at all. Homer famously described the sea as being “...

Why British Lawyers Still Wear Those Wigs in Court

Jes G. | Friday, Feb 27, 2015

Courtroom wigs and robes are old school, like King George III old school. But 21st century British judges and barristers (AKA British lawyers) still wear the same garb when they go to cou...

The Bet That Led to Dr. Seuss's 'Green Eggs and Ham'

Josh H. | Thursday, Feb 26, 2015

After penning beloved children’s stories such as The Cat in the Hat and Yertle the Turtle, Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was bet $50 by Bennett Cerf, co-founder of Random Ho...

This Man Is the World's Deadliest Sniper Ever

Josh H. | Wednesday, Feb 25, 2015

Chris Kyle may have the most confirmed sniper kills in U.S. history with 160, but Simo Hayha, a Finnish sniper during the Winter War between Finland and Russia, holds the title of deadlie...

Before Calculators, This Tool Helped Put a Man on the Moon

Erin B. | Friday, Feb 20, 2015

“I am, and ever will be, a white-socks, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer, born under the second law of thermodynamics, steeped in steam tables, in love with free-body diagrams, transforme...

The Sad Story of Ada Lovelace’s Forgotten Sister

Erin B. | Sunday, Feb 15, 2015

Ada Lovelace, the kick-ass mathematician often called the first computer programmer, was also the daughter of one of the most polarizing figures of the nineteenth century—the dashing, sca...