History

Science

An old relative of the T. rex sparks new questions about the dinosaur's origins

5:00am January 15, 2024

by Emma Bowman

Researchers say they've identified the oldest known Tyrannosaurus, shaking up the ongoing debate over how and when the dinosaurs arrived in North America.

The impact of 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' on Savannah over 30 years

6:40pm January 12, 2024

by Benjamin Payne

It's been 30 years since one book elevated Savannah, Ga., to a literary tourist destination. We check in on the impact of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

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During his lifetime, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s views were considered radical by much of the white establishment, including the government. King was the subject of several FBI surveillance investigations, designed to collect subversive material on him.

National

Martin Luther King Jr. was once considered 'radical.' Here's how he came to be lauded

11:18am January 11, 2024

by Vanessa Romo

As the U.S. celebrates the civil rights icon on MLK Day, here are a few things to know about the holiday honoring the slain activist and his fight against inequality and racial injustice.

How E.J. Koh drew on her own family members' experiences to write 'The Liberators'

6:09pm January 10, 2024

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author E.J. Koh about her novel, The Liberators. In just over 200 pages, the story covers generations, wars and geopolitical upheaval.

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With songs by The Avett Brothers, Swept Away is inspired by the true story of an 19th century shipwreck in which seamen resorted to cannibalism to survive.

Truth, forgiveness: 'Swept Away' is a theatrical vessel for Avett Bros' music

4:27pm January 08, 2024

by Elizabeth Blair

With songs by the Avett Brothers, Swept Away follows four men fighting to survive a shipwreck. The musical is inspired by the true story in which men resort to cannibalism to survive.

The U.S. Mint has released the 2024 Harriet Tubman Silver Dollar as part of the Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program. The coins include $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins and half-dollar coins honoring the bicentennial of her birth.

The U.S. Mint releases new commemorative coins honoring Harriet Tubman

5:17pm January 04, 2024

by Jonathan Franklin

The designs featured on the coins honor Tubman's life and her work as an abolitionist and social activist. The coins include $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins and half-dollar coins.

Remembering jazz pianist and 'Compared to What' singer Les McCann

6:09pm January 03, 2024

by Greg Bryant

The pianist Les McCann, who died Dec. 29 at the age of 88, was known for his song "Compared to What." But he had a long and celebrated expansive career that preceded — and followed — that hit.

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The legendary jazz concert with Charlie Parker playing plastic sax has been reissued

6:09pm January 03, 2024

by Bill Brownlee

Seventy years ago, Charlie Parker and four other be-bop legends created what many call the greatest jazz concert ever— with Parker playing a plastic saxophone. A reissue of the recording is out.

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National

Elmore Nickelberry, Memphis sanitation striker who marched with MLK, has died

4:58pm January 03, 2024

by Debbie Elliott

A civil rights activist from Memphis has died. Elmore Nickelberry was a sanitation worker who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to call for higher pay and better working conditions.

The original 1928 script for Disney's Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon to star Mickey Mouse.

Arts

'Steamboat Willie' is now in the public domain. What does that mean for Mickey Mouse?

5:12am January 01, 2024

by Neda Ulaby

A 1928 movie featuring the first appearance of Mickey Mouse enters public domain on Jan. 1. But creative and commercial access to the character is complicated by both copyright and trademark law.