What did kids do after school in 1925? From chores and jobs to street games and radio, here are 5 real parts of American childhood between the bells.
History
How Captain Cook Died in Hawaii (Without Being Eaten)
Captain James Cook was killed in Hawaii in 1779, but he was not eaten. Here’s what actually happened at Kealakekua Bay and why the cannibalism myth spread.
What If Prince Had Let Weird Al Parody Him?
Prince blocked Weird Al Yankovic from parodying his songs and even banned eye contact. What if he had said yes? Three alternate histories, grounded in reality.
White Sands Footprints and the First Americans
New dating of human footprints at White Sands, New Mexico, suggests people were in North America during the last Ice Age. Here’s what changed and why it matters.
When the Shah Refused to Kill Khomeini
In the 1970s Saddam Hussein reportedly offered to kill exiled cleric Ruhollah Khomeini for the Shah of Iran. The Shah refused. Here’s what happened and why it mattered.
5 Things a 1925 Name Survey Reveals About Identity
In May 1925, a New York newspaper asked people if they liked their own names. Here are 5 surprising things that simple question reveals about identity and change.
What If 1920s Men Had Married Earlier?
A 1925 New York photo feature asked single men why they weren’t married yet. What if their answers had changed? How different would marriage, money, and gender roles look today?
“Which Is The Ideal Girl?”: 5 Things 1925 Got Wrong
In 1925, newspapers asked readers to pick the ‘ideal girl.’ Here are 5 things that quiz reveals about beauty standards, sexism, and modern dating culture.
What If 1920s America Took Marital Abuse Seriously?
In 1925 a New York photo feature treated “rough” husbands as a joke. What if that culture had condemned marital abuse instead? Three grounded what-if scenarios.
Skokie Nazis vs ACLU & Museum: What Really Happened
In 1977 the ACLU defended neo-Nazis’ right to march in Skokie, Illinois. Survivors fought back and built the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Here’s how both shaped history.