All Articles — Page 30
Every story we've published, newest first
Time Traveler's Guide to Chola Thanjavur, 1010 AD
Your guide to Chola Thanjavur, 1010 AD - where bronze gods dance, merchant fleets rule the Indian Ocean, and the world's largest temple rises from the plains.
The Bennington Triangle Disappearances: Five People Vanished in Vermont's Haunted Wilderness
Five people vanished near Glastenbury Mountain between 1945 and 1950 in the Bennington Triangle disappearances. Not one case has ever been explained.
Marie Antoinette vs. History: How Accurate Is Sofia Coppola's Candy-Colored Biopic?
How accurate is the Marie Antoinette biopic? Sofia Coppola's 2006 film separates the macarons from the myths in this fact-check of the French queen's reign at Versailles.
Time Traveler's Guide to Babylon, 1750 BC
Survive and thrive in Babylon, the world's greatest city under King Hammurabi - where the law is carved in stone, ziggurats touch the sky, and the beer is always fresh.
Spotlight vs. History: How Accurate Is the Catholic Church Scandal Film?
The Spotlight team exposed the Catholic Church's abuse cover-up in Boston. Our accuracy verdict on how well the Oscar-winning film captures what really happened.
The Tara Calico Mystery: The Polaroid That Haunted a Nation
The Tara Calico Polaroid case: a 19-year-old vanishes on a bike ride, and nine months later a disturbing photo surfaces 1,200 miles away. Is it her?
Time Traveler's Guide to Seleucid Antioch, 200 BC
Seleucid Antioch in 200 BC: a survival guide to the gleaming Hellenistic capital where Greek culture meets Syrian splendor. What to wear, eat, and avoid.
Selma vs. History: How Accurate Is Ava DuVernay's Civil Rights Masterpiece?
A look at Selma's historical accuracy: David Oyelowo's portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. earned acclaim and controversy, but how much did Ava DuVernay's film get right?
Servant Girl Annihilator: America's First Serial Killer Before Jack the Ripper
The Servant Girl Annihilator murdered eight people in 1884-85 Austin, Texas, striking at night - and some believe he later fled to London to become Jack the Ripper.
Time Traveler's Guide to Srivijaya Palembang, 850 AD
Survive Srivijaya Palembang, the maritime empire controlling the Strait of Malacca. Pack your gold, learn some Sanskrit, and never insult the Buddha.
The Death of Edgar Allan Poe: Literature's Greatest Unsolved Mystery
Edgar Allan Poe's death in 1849 remains literature's greatest unsolved mystery - a missing week, strange clothes, and a name cried out in delirium that no one has ever explained.
Glory vs. History: How Accurate Is the Civil War Epic About Black Soldiers?
Glory's historical accuracy is mixed: the assault on Fort Wagner is real, but most of the soldiers on screen never existed. We separate fact from invention.
Time Traveler's Guide to Timurid Samarkand, 1400 AD
Your survival guide to Timurid Samarkand at its 1400 peak - where to find the best plov, how not to end up on a skull tower, and why the blue domes will change you.
Argo vs. History: How Accurate Is Ben Affleck's Best Picture Winner?
Argo historical accuracy: Ben Affleck's CIA thriller about the Canadian Caper won three Oscars, but how much did Hollywood get right, and whose role got erased?
The Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold: The Perfume Heiress Who Vanished on Fifth Avenue
Dorothy Arnold walked out of her Fifth Avenue home on December 12, 1910 and was never seen again. America's oldest unsolved missing persons case still has no answer.
Time Traveler's Guide to Swahili Kilwa Kisiwani, 1300 AD
Swahili Kilwa at its 1300 AD peak: East Africa's wealthiest trading port where monsoon winds, gold, and ivory connected the Indian Ocean world.
12 Years a Slave vs. History: How Accurate Is Steve McQueen's Unflinching Masterpiece?
How does 12 Years a Slave historical accuracy hold up? McQueen's epic tells Solomon Northup's harrowing true story with remarkable fidelity to the memoir.
The Max Headroom Incident: The Most Terrifying 90 Seconds in Television History
The Max Headroom broadcast intrusion: on November 22, 1987, someone hijacked two Chicago TV stations with a disturbing transmission that has never been explained.
Time Traveler's Guide to Achaemenid Persepolis, 500 BC
Your survival guide to Achaemenid Persepolis in 500 BC - what to wear, who to bribe, and how to survive the world's first superpower at its ceremonial height.
Darkest Hour vs. History: How Accurate Is Gary Oldman's Churchill Epic?
Darkest Hour historical accuracy check: Gary Oldman won an Oscar for becoming Winston Churchill in May 1940, but how much of the film is real history?
Granger Taylor Disappearance: The Man Who Vanished to Board a UFO
Granger Taylor vanished in 1980 after leaving a note saying he was boarding an alien spacecraft for a 42-month voyage. The mechanical genius was never seen again.
Time Traveler's Guide to Minoan Knossos, 1500 BC
Your survival guide to Minoan Knossos - where bull-leaping is the national sport, women hold real power, and indoor plumbing puts medieval Europe to shame.
The Spy in the Bag: Gareth Williams and the Death Nobody Can Explain
The spy in the bag Gareth Williams case: MI6 codebreaker found padlocked in his own bathtub. No DNA, no struggle. Fifteen years on, nobody knows how he got there.
The Northman vs. History: How Accurate Is Robert Eggers' Viking Epic?
Our guide to the northman historical accuracy separates Norse fact from Hollywood fiction - how closely did Robert Eggers' brutal Viking epic mirror the real history?