History

Behind The Former Slave Narratives Captured By A New Deal Program

5:44pm February 17, 2021

In the 1930s, the Federal Writers' Project collected the narratives of former slaves in the United States. Clint Smith of The Atlantic speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about these stories.

On the day of the official change to decimalized currency on Feb. 15, 1971, Lord Fiske, chairman of the Decimal Currency Board, makes a purchase at a Woolworths store in London.

U.K. And Ireland Celebrate 50 Years Since 'Decimal Day'

5:25pm February 15, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

Until Feb. 15, 1971, Britain had 240 pennies to a pound. There were also two farthings in a ha'penny, three pennies in a bit, two shillings in a florin, and five shillings in a crown.

World News

Ancient Brewery Unearthed In Egypt

7:14am February 15, 2021

A team of American and Egyptian archeologists discovered a brewery back about five thousand years. The factory likely provided beer that was used in royal rituals.

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17,000-Year-Old Conch Shell, Thought To Be Ceremonial Cup, Is A Horn

8:29am February 11, 2021

A seashell found in a French cave in 1931 appears to have been modified by prehistoric people so that it could be used like a trumpet. This horn, however, is not the oldest known musical instrument.

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A model of a feathered Tyrannosaurus rex at the American Museum of Natural History in 2019 in New York City. All Things Considered is making amends for its lack of dinosaur coverage.

8-Year-Old Calls Out NPR For Lack Of Dinosaur Stories

7:23am February 10, 2021

by Mary Louise Kelly

How can All Things Considered consider all things without considering dinosaurs? That's the question posed by 8-year-old Leo Shidla of Minneapolis.

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Julia Watson presentation on the TED MainStage, as part of TED2020: Uncharted. June 25, 2020. Photo courtesy of TED.

Arts

Julia Watson: What Can We Learn From Indigineous Design Developed Over Generations?

9:35am February 05, 2021

by NPR/TED Staff

For generations, Indigenous people have used slow but sophisticated technology to build elaborate structures. Architect Julia Watson says their designs can guide our response to the climate crisis.

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University Of Florida Student Uncovers Tomb Of Brazilian Abolitionist, 'Sea Dragon'

5:00am February 05, 2021

In Brazil, the location of the 'Sea Dragon's' tomb was a mystery for a century. Until a University of Florida student stepped in. How'd he discover the tomb of the man known for ending slavery there?

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Sick patients were isolated in converted warehouses during the 1918-19 global influenza pandemic, which killed an estimated 50 million worldwide.

The U.S. 'Battles' Coronavirus, But Is It Fair To Compare Pandemic To A War?

10:59am February 03, 2021

COVID-19 has now killed more Americans than WWII. That fact helps some people put the viral death toll in perspective, while others find it offensive. Historically, is it even a valid comparison?

The author's grandparents, Russell and Mary Shorto, socialize at Club Harlem in Atlantic City, N.J., in the mid-1950s.

Author Digs Into Family's 'Smalltime' Mob Operation, Finds Family Secrets

4:35pm February 02, 2021

by Dave Davies

Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob boss in the industrial town of Johnstown, Pa. Shorto writes about the family havoc that resulted from his grandfather's operation in his new memoir, Smalltime.

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National

In NYC, A Preservation Dispute Over Possible Underground Railroad Site

5:00pm January 31, 2021

How does one verify a historic site when its whole point, at the time it was making history, was to hide in plain sight?