In A Man of Misconceptions: The Life of an Eccentric in an Age of Change, John Glassie writes of 17th-century Jesuit priest and scientist Athanasius Kircher, a renaissance man who studied magnetism, Mount Vesuvius, even the blood of plague victims. The only problem? His theories were often wrong.
Rye was all but pushed off the market by sweeter, corn-based bourbon after Prohibition, but it might be coming back, no illegal still required. Bartenders from coast to coast seem to prefer its intense flavor for their cocktail creations.
Archaeologists are unearthing evidence that the city of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, celebrated as the birthplace of Jesus, may not have been the actual Bethlehem of his birth. They have discovered a Bethlehem that existed in the Galilee near Nazareth.
That trademark brew, Budweiser, is known to the world as the "King of Beers," and the Busch family was once considered practically royalty. Their early success led to a reign that lasted 150 years, but the end, when it came, wasn't so glorious.
Hawaii Democrat Daniel Inouye, the Senate's senior member, received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. In Italy, he personally stormed three German machine gun nests, taking them out but losing his right arm in the process. Inouye died Monday after suffering from a respiratory ailment.
For 15 minutes each week, Phyllis Jeanne Creore spoke and sang to the servicemen and their loved ones in her NBC radio broadcast. Now 96 years old, the beloved "Canteen Girl" shares her memories — and some personal wartime letters, too.
After intelligence officials reported activity at Syrian chemical weapons sites, the U.S. warned Syrian President Bashar Assad he'd face "consequences" if Syria uses such weapons. Many questions remain about what chemical weapons Syria has and how they could use them.
Any ordinary commuter or tourist can be a royal for a day traveling on France's Versailles trains. Each of the cars of the 30 trains is decorated to resemble spaces at the sprawling and opulent Palace of Versailles.
Audie Cornish talks to Joe Maddalena, who runs Profiles in History. The company is auctioning off a huge collection of historic letters and documents on Dec. 18. Among them are letters by George Washington, John Lennon, Vincent Van Gogh, Lou Gehrig, Louis Pasteur, Sigmund Freud, and Napoleon.