History

January 5, 2025

Discover the Popular Textbook That Helped Benjamin Franklin Pass Math

Among the Founding Fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was unique: he was a polymath, finding prominence as a diplomat, printer, inventor, philosopher, and author during his lifetime. Even so, he failed math twice. When he was eight years old, Franklin was enrolled in a Boston grammar school. By 1715, however, Franklin’s father withdrew him from his studies and instead sent him to a school specifically for learning writing and math.

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December 25, 2024

Carnian Pluvial Event: Learn About the Time It Rained for Over a Million Years

In places such as the Pacific Northwest, it seems like it's always raining. But did you know there was a time on Earth were rain poured for over a million years? This episode is known as the Carnian pluvial event (CPE). Thought to have been triggered by unique, volatile conditions, it took place about 232 million years ago—changing the natural landscape forever.

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December 8, 2024

Rare New England Coin From 1652 Found in an Old Cabinet Sells for $2.52 Million at Auction

What's the oldest coin you've ever come across? Maybe it's a mid-century penny you picked up from the street, or an old quarter kept by your grandparents. Whatever the age, they are surely not beating one coin recently sold at an auction. A New England threepence from 1652 recently sold for $2.52 million, setting a world record per Stack’s Bowers Galleries, who oversaw the sale.

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November 28, 2024

The Oldest City in the United States May Surprise You

The United States is a relatively new nation in the grand scheme of human history. Built from conquest and settlement, the nation's history is critical to learn in order to build a better present. Many believe the American permanent settlement began with Jamestown or the Pilgrims in Massachusetts.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.