History

March 30, 2025

Long-Lost Silent Film About Abraham Lincoln Discovered by an Intern

Dan Martin never expected to uncover a century-old silent film. During his final week as an intern at a Long Island film archive, the film preservation student found a film considered lost by the Library of Congress. It was one of more than 7,000 silent pictures thought to be missing. Sometimes, however, the past has a way of returning.

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March 1, 2025

Discover the Self-Taught Genius of Leonardo da Vinci

Although born out of wedlock—the son of a Florentine notary and his peasant mother—and sharing his childhood with 16 half-siblings from his parents' respective families, Leonardo da Vinci became one of history's most celebrated painters and engineers. One might assume that a man whose conceptual designs inspired inventions like the parachute, the machine gun, and the armored tank must have studied at a renowned academy or received advanced scientific training.

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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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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.