History

Environment

Lake Mead's Drought Conditions Make Diving For B-29 Wreckage Easier

8:23am July 09, 2015

by Will Stone

The lake is home to the underwater wreckage of a B-29 bomber, which crashed on a secret mission during World War II. The drought is making it easier for scuba divers to explore the submerged ruins.

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Russia Vetoes U.N. Proposal To Call Srebrenica 'Genocide'

6:34pm July 08, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

Twenty years ago, the international community failed to protect Bosnian Muslims in what was supposed to be a United Nations safe zone in Bosnia. Russia blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would have condemned the Srebrenica massacre as an act of genocide.

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'Vendetta' Recalls The Ruthless Rivalry Between Bobby Kennedy, Jimmy Hoffa

9:02pm July 06, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with James Neff about his new book Vendetta: Bobby Kennedy versus Jimmy Hoffa.

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Artist John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence. It can be seen in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Just A Few Important Words About The Declaration Of Independence

2:37pm July 06, 2015

by Mark Memmott

Along with the words and phrases that still ring out 239 years later are less noticed turns of phrase. They say a lot about the messages Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers wanted to send.

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Greek flags fly beside those of the European Union in Athens. Many people chalk the phrase up to Shakespeare, but its origins likely date back much earlier than that -- to medieval monks eager for a cop-out.

Is It All Greek To You? Thank Medieval Monks, And The Bard, For The Phrase

10:11pm July 05, 2015

by NPR Staff

Ben Zimmer, language columnist at The Wall Street Journal, explains the origin of the phrase "it's all Greek to me" — and shares a few variants from other languages.

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During the Revolutionary War, many loyalists were treated brutally -- like the tarred and feathered man in this print. When the war wrapped up, loyalists often found they had to fend for themselves, or flee.

What Happened To British Loyalists After The Revolutionary War?

6:09pm July 04, 2015

Not everyone celebrated when the British surrendered at Yorktown. About a fifth of all colonists remained loyal to the Crown; for them, the American victory spelled exodus and, often, more violence.

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American Library Association volunteers in Paris on Feb. 27, 1919.

National

When America's Librarians Went To War

5:55pm July 04, 2015

by Linton Weeks

During the world wars of the 20th century, librarians played a role worth remembering.

Remembering 'Britain's Schindler'

11:04am July 04, 2015

Sir Nicholas Winton died Wednesday at age 106. He organized the escape of 669 mostly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia before WWII. NPR's Eric Westervelt speaks with an escapee, Alice Masters.

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Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey was a much more respectable bird than the eagle.

National

A Bird Of Courage And A Bash In Denmark: The July 4 You Didn't Know

5:46am July 04, 2015

by Paige Pfleger

In the U.S., people often spend the Fourth of July grilling hot dogs and wearing their patriotic clothing. But there's more to this annual holiday than fireworks.

St. Laurentius, a polish Catholic church in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, was closed in March amid fears that it would collapse. Since then, the community has pushed back to save the historic building.

In Philadelphia's Fishtown, A Fierce Debate Over The Fate Of A Polish Church

6:31pm July 03, 2015

by Bobby Allyn

The Philadelphia Archdiocese has plans to demolish the city's oldest Polish church, but it's facing strong resistance: Longtime parishioners and neighborhood newcomers have joined forces in protest.

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