History : NPR

The Salt

Stone Age Mediterranean Farmer ISO Hungry Nordic Hunter-Gatherer?

April 26, 2012 • What was a farmer with Mediterranean roots doing in Sweden 5,000 years ago? Bringing farming north to the hunter-gatherers, according to new DNA research.

13th-Century Food Fights Helped Fuel The Magna Carta

The barons wanted King John to stop seizing their grain. The fish weirs had to go, too. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Wikimedia Commons

The Salt

13th-Century Food Fights Helped Fuel The Magna Carta

April 18, 2012 • A greedy king who seized food was a key driver of the Magna Carta. That 13th-century document was a key inspiration for the American Revolution 500 years later. But at the time, the barons who negotiated the deal weren't concerned with the rights of starving peasants — these 1 percenters wanted to protect their own power and property.

George Washington's Ice Cream Recipe: First, Cut Ice From River

Actress portraying Martha Washington John Rose hide caption

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John Rose

The Salt

George Washington's Ice Cream Recipe: First, Cut Ice From River

February 20, 2012 • George Washington had a powerful yen for coffee, according to records at his Mount Vernon home. A new exhibition reveals just how the Washington family cooked and ate.

Though Murad IV banned tobacco, alcohol and coffee, some say he consumed all three and his death was the result of alcohol poisoning. Adam Cole/NPR hide caption

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Adam Cole/NPR

Opinion

The Salt

Drink Coffee? Off With Your Head!

January 17, 2012 • By now, many New Year's resolvers are finding out how difficult it is to give up caffeine. History brims over with coffee-lovers who couldn't bring themselves to quit the bean — even when they faced decapitation.

Soybeans May Have Fed Asia Earlier Than Thought

Soybean farmers in Xiangfan, in central China's Hubei province. Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Reuters /Landov

The Salt

Soybeans May Have Fed Asia Earlier Than Thought

November 28, 2011 • Soybeans have fueled Asian civilizations for centuries, but the origins of the noble bean remains shrouded in the mists of history. Now a Korean archeologist says China may have to share bragging rights as the birthplace of soy.

Blog Of The Nation

When The Distant Tragedy Of Sept. 11 Became Personal

September 4, 2011 • New York and Washington, D.C. were the primary targets on Sept. 11. The attacks played out mostly on TV for much of the rest of the country. Yet for most Americans, there is one moment when the distant tragedy became deeply personal.

Blog Of The Nation

The Fine Line Between Historical And Fiction

June 7, 2011 • Jessica Francis Kane studied the Bethnal Green tube station disaster, then spent years writing a novel centered around the day's horrific events. It's forced her to consider the line between historical and fiction.

The Two-Way

It's The Anniversary Of America's First Policewoman

April 1, 2011 • So it's April 1. But it's more than April Fools' Day. It's also the anniversary of America's first policewoman — and no, we're not talking about Angie Dickinson. On April 1, 1908, Lola G. Baldwin was sworn in as a Female Detective in Portland, Ore.

PIck a day, any day on this calendar -- it was probably more exciting than April 11, 1954. studiocurve/Flickr hide caption

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studiocurve/Flickr

Blog Of The Nation

What Were You Doing On April 11, 1954?

November 30, 2010 • When we learn about history, we tend to focus on the action-packed days. But what about those "off" days, where nothing of significance actually happened? According to a Cambridge-based scientist one April Sunday in 1954 was the most boring day ever.

Blog Of The Nation

Marking History

November 5, 2008 • Historians weigh the moment, as Senator Barack Obama heads for the White House.