All Articles — Page 19
Every story we've published, newest first
Priscilla vs. History: How Accurate Is Sofia Coppola's Presley Film?
Priscilla movie accuracy examined: Sofia Coppola's 2023 film follows Priscilla Beaulieu to Graceland. What it gets right, what it softens, and what it omits entirely.
A Time Traveler's Guide to Mughal Lahore, 1600
Mughal Lahore in 1600 was among the largest cities on earth. Here is how to survive a visit without attracting official attention in Akbar's still-formidable empire.
The Macuahuitl: How an Obsidian Club Beheaded Horses at Tenochtitlan
The Aztec macuahuitl was a wooden sword set with obsidian blades sharper than surgical steel - and the most feared close-combat weapon in Mesoamerica.
BlackBerry vs. History: How Accurate Is the Canadian Tech Biopic?
BlackBerry movie accuracy review: Matt Johnson's 2023 film fact-checks Research In Motion's rise and fall through Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton.
The Connecticut River Valley Killer: Seven Women, Two States, No Conviction
The Connecticut River Valley Killer stabbed at least seven women across two states between 1978 and 1988. The prime suspect died in 2005. The case has never been closed.
If Marcus Aurelius Lived Today: The Reluctant CEO Who Journals at 4 a.m.
If Marcus Aurelius lived today, he would be the most respected and least visible chief executive alive. A Stoic emperor running an institution, then and now.
Origins of Soap: Who Invented It and When
The origins of soap trace to a Babylonian clay tablet from 2200 BC: fat, ash, water. The full history of cleanliness from ancient Sumer to the Victorian factory.
A Time Traveler's Guide to Goryeo Kaesong, 1100
Your guide to Kaesong, capital of the Goryeo dynasty in 1100 - a Buddhist monarchy at its confident peak, trading with Song China and producing Korea's finest celadon.
Air vs. History: How Accurate Is the Nike-Michael Jordan Story?
The air 2023 movie accuracy holds up well. Sonny Vaccaro's Jordan bet, Deloris Jordan's royalty demand, and Nike's 1984 basketball crisis are all faithfully depicted.
Arsenal: The Rapier
Rapier sword history: the civilian blade of Renaissance Europe, designed for the duel and the city street. For a century it defined how educated men settled disputes.
The Doodler: San Francisco's Forgotten Serial Killer
The Doodler killer San Francisco case: a man who sketched his targets on napkins before attacking them killed at least five men in 1974-75 and was never charged.
If Socrates Lived Today: The Philosopher Who Would Be Banned From Every Platform
If Socrates lived today, he would be banned from every platform and unemployable - a philosopher who can't stop asking what anyone actually means by anything.
Origins of Hindu-Arabic Numerals: How the Digits 0-9 Conquered the World
The origins of Hindu-Arabic numerals span a thousand years: invented in India, refined in Baghdad, and carried to Europe by a Pisan merchant's son named Fibonacci.
Time Traveler's Guide to Anglo-Saxon Winchester, 880
Anglo-Saxon Winchester, 880: Alfred the Great's wartime capital and the political heart of Wessex. A practical guide for visiting the kingdom that would invent England.
Arsenal: Dane Axe History - The Viking Age's Most Devastating Weapon
Dane axe history spans two centuries of Viking warfare - from Norse raids to Hastings in 1066 and the Byzantine Varangian Guard who carried it to Constantinople.
Connie Converse: The Songwriter Who Vanished
Connie Converse invented the intimate singer-songwriter sound a decade before Dylan, then vanished in 1974 without a trace. Fifty years later, nobody knows where.
Ferrari vs. History: How Accurate Is Michael Mann's Enzo Ferrari Biopic?
Ferrari 2023 film accuracy: Michael Mann's biopic gets the de Portago crash and Dino's death right, but softens the real Enzo considerably.
If Plato Lived Today: The Philosopher Who Would Found a Think Tank and Distrust Democracy
If Plato lived today, the wrestler-aristocrat who wrote the first systematic case against democracy would be recognizable, uncomfortable, and very well funded in 2026.
Origins: Who Invented Zero
The question of who invented zero has a complex answer: Brahmagupta formalized it in India in 628 CE, but the Maya and Babylonians got there first, in their own ways.
Time Traveler's Guide to Prohibition New York, 1925
Prohibition New York 1925 in practice: 30,000 illegal bars, jazz in Harlem, and distilled spirits that could blind you. A survival guide to the city at its most defiant.
Arsenal: The Viking Ulfberht Sword - A Weapon Out of Time
The Ulfberht sword mystery: roughly 170 Viking-age blades carry an inscription and crucible steel that Europe had no method of producing. Where did the metal come from?
If Aristotle Lived Today: The Man Who Categorized Everything Would Still Be Doing It
If Aristotle lived today, he would be the professor governments wish they had: systematically classifying the modern world with the same rigor he applied to ancient fish.
Maestro vs. History: How Accurate Is the Leonard Bernstein Biopic?
Maestro 2023 accuracy: Bradley Cooper's Netflix biopic traces Bernstein's marriage to Felicia Montealegre. The emotional core is real; the omissions are considerable.
The Assassination of Olof Palme: Sweden's Most Enduring Cold Case
The Olof Palme assassination in 1986 shocked Sweden. Thirty-four years of investigation ended without a conviction - only a posthumous naming of the probable killer.