The Two-Way posts about History
by Erica Ryan
The remains of the unknown sailors were found a decade ago in the wreck of the USS Monitor, a revolutionary ironclad warship. It sank months after its history-making clash with an iron-armored Confederate ship in 1862.
Why not on a Friday? And why not the last Thursday? There is an explanation. But you have to go back to things decreed by presidents Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt (FDR, that is).
by Krishnadev Calamur
Lana Peters, who died last year, defected to the U.S. in 1967. The Associated Press, citing newly declassified documents, says the FBI was trying to gauge how the former Svetlana Alliluyeva's defection was affecting international relations.
©2013 NPR
Romania's tourist board is advertising its family links with the British royal family; Britain's Prince Charles is distantly related to Vlad the Impaler, popularly known as Count Dracula.
by Melisa Goh
Sen. George McGovern lost the 1972 presidential bid to Richard Nixon yet inspired a new generation of voters with his candidacy and opposition to the Vietnam War. A family spokesman told the AP McGovern died Sunday at a hospice in Sioux Falls, S.D., surrounded by family and friends. He was 90.
by Melisa Goh
The crowds that cheered the shuttle on Saturday changed their tune after a night of hassles that left the Endeavour still blocking L.A. traffic and threatening trees early Sunday morning.
by Melisa Goh
The New York Times prospered under Sulzberger's guidance, leading the way in financially difficult times through innovation and savvy management. Under Sulzberger, the paper added sections and editions, won 31 Pulitzer prizes, and played a historic role in defending the First Amendment.
by Eyder Peralta
The portrait appeared in the Ken Burns Civil War series and a chance encounter put a name to the face.
by Elise Hu
Christian book company Thomas Nelson Publishers is ending its publishing and distribution of evangelical David Barton's controversial book, The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed about Thomas Jefferson. The publisher says it has lost confidence in the book's details.
by Mark Memmott
The latest expedition to look for clues to the aviator's 1937 disappearance didn't discover any obvious debris. But now they'll analyze images taken in the ocean off a tiny island in the mid-Pacific.
by Mark Memmott
History Detectives thinks it has found the guitar Bob Dylan played when he famously (or infamously?) "went electric" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. But Dylan says otherwise.
by Mark Memmott
The French count was a legend for his behind-the-lines work as a secret agent for the British. Twice he was captured and condemned to death by the Nazis. Twice he escaped to conduct more espionage. He recently died.
by Mark Memmott
Muslim extremists are pillaging Sufi tombs and mosques. They're ignoring international protests. To them, the sites are offensive. To most others, they're historical sites of huge importance.
A Greek city's new subway project has led to the discovery of an ancient road made of marble that was laid nearly 2,000 years ago. The road in Thessaloniki is made of paving stones that show signs of use by both horse-drawn carriages and local children, the AP reports.
It's Flag Day, but as President Obama's proclamation points out, it's actually Flag Week, as Congress requested.
by Mark Memmott
No one saw them Monday — the 50th anniversary of the trio's escape. But that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't there. Would you like to believe they were?
by Mark Memmott
Among this year's list of "11 most endangered historic places" in the view of the National Trust for Historic Preservation are post office buildings across the nation.
by Mark Memmott
Dr. Charles A. Leale, 23, was in Ford's Theatre that fateful night. He ran to the president's side. The first thing he ordered for Lincoln was brandy and water. Then he began treating the mortally wounded president. Leale's account had been missing.
by Scott Neuman
Less than 250 years ago, the brightest minds of the Enlightenment were stumped over how far the Earth is from the sun. The transits of the 1760s helped answer that question, providing a virtual yardstick for the universe.
In Hanoi, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta returned a North Vietnamese soldier's diary. Vietnam's defense minister gave Panetta an American Army sergeant's letters. The exchange marks another milestone in the countries' relations.
