History

September 21, 2024

The History of Halloween: Exploring the Age-Old Origins of the Enchanting Holiday

For centuries, people young and old have reveled in the fun and frightening festivities of Halloween. Occurring every year on the last day of October, the haunted holiday is a festive way to celebrate the fall season and an exciting way to embrace the occult, making it one of contemporary culture's most exciting annual events. But what is the true history of Halloween? Though it's wildly popular today, Halloween is not merely a modern phenomenon.

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September 14, 2024

Postcard Arrives 121 Years Late and Reunites Families in Wales

In August 1903, Ewart on the Eastern Coast of Wales sent a postcard to Lydia on the Southern Coast. While the distance between them would only take about an hour and a half to drive today, Ewart’s message took 121 years to arrive. A manager at the Swansea Building Society, a Welsh financial institution, was surprised to receive the much-overdue postcard in August 2024.

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September 4, 2024

18 Famous First Photographs in History: From the Oldest Photo Ever to the World’s First Instagram

While the term photography was coined in the early 19th century, Greek mathematicians had been making camera obscuras, or pinhole cameras, since the 4th century BCE. The history of photography has always been filled with innovation, with the ability to produce high-resolution images evolving along with the technology photographers have on hand. With such a long history, it's no surprise that photography is full of important firsts, from the world's oldest photograph to the first photo uploaded to Instagram.

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August 26, 2024

Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz Is the First Afro-Latina on a U.S. Quarter

The “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz is the fourth woman to be honored in the 2024 American Women Quarters Program and the first Afro-Latina to grace a U.S. coin. This vivacious vocal powerhouse’s career spanned continents, genres, and decades. That’s a lot of life and musicality to portray on a small metal disc, but U.S. Mint medallic artist Phebe Hemphill was up to the challenge and created a striking pocket portrait.

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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.