Showing titles in History

With over 110 million viewers every year, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched television events in the United States. The final showdown between the two best football teams in the NFL attracts some of the biggest musicians to perform at the half-time show. But the Super Bowl is more than just a spectacle - it's a high-stakes game to win the championship and claim a place in history. Go back in time, and relive all the magic from years past - from excruciating fumbles to game-winning plays.

When Columbus landed on the islands in the Caribbean Sea, he thought he was off the coast of China. A few years later, Amerigo Vespucci sailed west, hoping to find a new route to the East. Instead, he discovered new lands that nobody at home knew about. What did he see? Who did he tell? And why is America named after him?

In May 1607, English settlers stepped off their ship in North America. They were about to start the first permanent English settlement in North America. They endured many hardships and made many tough choices in the new land. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather suffer from intestinal problems after becoming infected with dysentery or have bleeding gums after getting scurvy? Would you want to work as a blacksmith or tend the tobacco fields?

Allosaurus and its relatives were fierce and dangerous predators. Dinosaurs in this group had deadly claws and razor-sharp teeth.

From the moment Africans were first brought to the shores of the United States, they had a hand in shaping the country. Their labor created a strong economy, built our halls of government, and defined American society in profound ways. And though the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't signed until 300 years after the first Africans arrived, the fight for freedom started the moment they set foot on American soil.

Born the eighth of 17 children in Philadelphia, Betsy Ross lived in a time when the American colonies were yearning for independence from British rule. Ross worked as a seamstress and was eager to contribute to the cause, making tents and repairing uniforms when the colonies declared war. By 1779 she was filling cartridges for the Continental Army. Did she sew the first flag? That's up for debate, but Who Was Betsy Ross? tells the story of a fierce patriot who certainly helped create the flag of a new nation.

In a time where thousands pushed westward to find their fortune, Stephen Austin went west to found a colony. The fierce struggle between Austin's settlers and the Mexican government would lead to the birth of Texas and countless stories of heroes and heroism. Jailed by Mexican authorities, Austin fought a long, bitter struggle for the survival of Texas. Many may not know that Austin's dream almost did not come true.

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, America entered World War II, and a new theater of battle opened up in the Pacific. But US troops, along with thousands of Filipino soldiers who fought alongside them, were overtaken in the Philippines by a fiercely determined Japanese navy, and many Americans and Filipino fighters were killed or captured. These American and Filipino prisoners of war were forced to endure the most horrific conditions on the deadly trek known as the Bataan Death March.

One of the founders of US cryptology who would eventually become one of the world’s greatest code breakers, Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892-1980) was a brilliant mind behind many important battles throughout the 20th century, saving many lives through her intelligence and heroism. Whip-smart and determined, Elizebeth displayed a remarkable aptitude for language and recognizing patterns from a young age.

Whether masterminding battle strategies or guiding the peace process among war-torn nations, 5-Star general MacArthur faced challenges with unwavering courage & resolve. The general began his honored army career by leading his fellow cadets at West Point and ultimately commanded all U. S. forces in Asia. Remembered especially for directing the fight against Japanese expansion during WWII and later governing the defeated Japanese people with grace and wisdom, General MacArthur won the respect of millions, both allies and enemies.

As a child he dreamt of changing South Africa; as a man he changed the world. Nelson Mandela spent his life battling apartheid and championing a peaceful revolution. He spent 27 years in prison and emerged as the inspiring leader of the new South Africa. He became the country’s first Black president and went on to live his dream of change.

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson received the Coretta Scott King Award for her children’s book Almost to Freedom. Here she relays the extraordinary story of Bass Reeves, a lawman in the Old West who escaped slavery to become one of the most successful U.S. Marshals in history.

On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burst into flames. The factory was crowded. The doors were locked to ensure workers stayed inside. One hundred forty-six people - mostly women - perished; it was one of the most lethal workplace fires in American history, until September 11, 2001. But the story of the fire is not the story of one accidental moment in time. It is a story of immigration and hard work to make it in a new country, as Italians and Jews and others traveled to America to find a better life.

In January of 1963, Sharon Robinson turned 13 the night before George Wallace declared on national television "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" in his inauguration for governor of Alabama. That was the start of a year that would become one of the most pivotal years in the history of America. As the daughter of Jackie Robinson, Sharon had incredible access to some of the most important events of the era.

You can always recognize a painting by Kahlo because she is in nearly all of them, with her black braided hair and colorful Mexican outfits. A brave woman who was an invalid most of her life, she transformed herself into a living work of art. As famous for her self-portraits and haunting imagery as she was for her marriage to another famous artist, Diego Rivera, this strong and courageous painter was inspired by the ancient culture and history of her beloved homeland, Mexico. Her paintings continue to inform and inspire popular culture around the world.

An astonishing civil rights story from Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin. On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution.

If you've learned about the history of Chinese people in America, it was probably about their work on the railroads in the 1800s. But more likely, you may not have learned about it at all. This may make it feel like Chinese immigration is a newer part of this country, but some scholars believe the first immigrant arrived from China 499 CE—one thousand years before Columbus did!

In mid-1860s, two railroad companies had a huge job in front of them: building the transcontinental railroad. The railroad would run from east to west across the United States. As the grueling work began, there were many choices to make. Now, the choices are yours.

Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth. So begins Sid Fleischman's ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens.

Just in time for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia comes an updated edition of Olga Hall-Quest's classic. Hall-Quest provides an absorbing account of life in this first permanent colony of what is now the United States, and the struggles of those who settled there. Experts from the Jamestown National Historical Site have fact-checked every detail, and the curator has written a brand-new foreword - complete with recently discovered information about the colony.