History

Franz Kafka, who died in 1924, studied Hebrew in Germany during the last two years of his life. This is one of eight notebooks of his Hebrew studies that are part of the Israeli National Library's collection. Israel and an elderly Israeli woman are wrangling over Kafka documents that may include unpublished manuscripts. Natan Dvir/Polaris hide caption

Historian Tom Holland has adapted Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides and Virgil for BBC Radio. His other history books include Rubicon, Persian Fire and The Forge of Christendom. Sadie Holland hide caption

Almost 70 years ago, Dorothy Flood was denied access to a train dining car because she was black. Now, after finally dining in a first-class car, she says she'll never ride another train again. Rachel Greiman/Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime hide caption

The American Dream has long evoked the idea that the next generation will have a better life than the previous one. Today, many Americans feel that dream is in jeopardy. H. Armstron Roberts/CORBIS hide caption

Thomas Edison called the linotype the "eighth wonder of the world." Copyright Linotype: The Film hide caption

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, connecting San Francisco to Marin County in the north. George Rose/Getty Images hide caption

More than 200,000 people crossed the bridge the day it opened in 1937. Many walked. Others ran, tap-danced, roller-skated, unicycled, or strode on stilts. Courtesy of GoldenGateBridge.org hide caption

Harrison Wright, 88, with his grandson Sean Guess, 36, at StoryCorps in Austin, Texas. StoryCorps hide caption