History Today

Why Are There 360 Degrees in a Circle? Here's the History

As Greek geometry developed, it created the concept of an angle as a magnit...

As Greek geometry developed, it created the concept of an angle as a magnitude

A group of flappers with question marks on their swim suits pose together on the beach, ca. 1925.

The Past and Future of Punctuation Marks

In classical times there were no punctuation marks or spaces between words....

In classical times there were no punctuation marks or spaces between words. Here's how that changed

A pillar of the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, south of Athens, is seen covered in scrawl marks, many made by 19th century visitors in this picture taken on Aug. 15, 2008. The temple has a mark made by the famous English poet Lord Byron.

What We Can Learn From Ancient Graffiti

The earliest graffiti of a person’s name on a monument has been identified ...

The earliest graffiti of a person’s name on a monument has been identified by the historian Lionel Casson in a cave at Wadi Hammamat in Egypt — the name of Hena, an official under Menutuhotep III in 2000 BC

The Free Russian Library and reading room, 15 Whitechapel Road, Stepney, London, circa 1901 (1901). The Free Russian Library provided Russian emigres living in London with access to Russian literature.

A Historic U.K. Law Was Passed After a Wave of Anti-Migrant Sentiment. Here's How It Shaped British Immigration Policy

The Aliens Act of 1905 created a new type of immigrant to the U.K. and a ne...

The Aliens Act of 1905 created a new type of immigrant to the U.K. and a new way of dealing with them

Entrance to the German concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. Undated photograph.

The Long Debate Over What Counts as a Concentration Camp

Even for Nazi camp survivors who sought to eradicate them, they were hard t...

Even for Nazi camp survivors who sought to eradicate them, they were hard to define

The three ages of man, 1500-1502, by Giorgione (1478-ca 1510), oil on canvas, 62x77 cm.

What the History of Beards Reveals About the Changing Meaning of Masculinity

The historian Christopher Oldstone-Moore identifies "four great beard movem...

The historian Christopher Oldstone-Moore identifies "four great beard movements" that punctuate history

A convoy of US warships escorted re-flagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through Iran-Iraq tanker war plagued waters of Persian Gulf in 1987

With Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz Once Again Under Threat, These Are the Lessons of the 1980s Tanker War

If tensions in the Persian Gulf lead to war, it will not be the first time