History

Inna Brayer (center) with students, Alex Volynsky (left) and Simone Lempert (right) at her dance studio in Brooklyn, New York.

Why Russian-American Jews Are Ballroom Dance Leaders

2:54pm June 18, 2015

by Alexandra Starr

As ABC's Dancing with the Stars celebrates its 10th anniversary, we explain why Russian Jewish immigrants and their descendants have stepped to the front of this country's ballroom dance scene.

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In his new book One Man Against the World, Tim Weiner explores some of the questions surrounding the presidency of Richard Nixon, pictured above in the Oval Office on Feb. 19, 1970.

Fueled By Fear, How Richard Nixon Became 'One Man Against The World'

4:52pm June 16, 2015

In his new book, New York Times journalist Tim Weiner paints a portrait of a president overwhelmed by wars at home and abroad, whose self-destructive behavior resulted in "political suicide."

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Womanless weddings, like this one in a Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, often included prominent members of the community. Alongside the bride, with hands clasped, is Theodore M. Berry, the first African-American mayor of the city.

National

When 'Womanless Weddings' Were Trendy

12:15pm June 16, 2015

by Linton Weeks

With bearded brides and deep-voiced flower girls, these surreal, public-spirited rituals delighted American communities for decades.

The 1949 murder film Too Late For Tears, starring Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea, follows a woman desperate to protect a newfound fortune. It will be shown as part of Turner Classic Movies' "Summer of Darkness" on July 17.

Arts

Mystery Loves Company, And TCM's Noir Movie Marathon Has Plenty Of Both

2:27pm June 15, 2015

by Beth Accomando

Turner Classic Movies has kicked off its "Summer of Darkness" — 24 hours of noir films every Friday in June and July with an accompanying free, online class.

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Sister Mary de Lourdes Fahy transformed a one-room schoolhouse into the the Kiltartan Gregory Museum dedicated Yeats.

In The Rolling Hills Of Galway, Spirit Of W.B. Yeats Lives On

2:26pm June 15, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

Saturday marks the 150th birthday of William Butler Yeats, one of the 20th century's greatest poets. In far western Ireland's County Galway, Yeats found inspiration in the people and landscape.

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The London copy of the 1215 Magna Carta, on display by the British Library. The document was sealed on June 15, 1215.

World News

Magna Carta, 'This Awful Thing' That Shaped Legal Rights, Turns 800

12:18pm June 15, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The landmark birthday prompted a Google Doodle in Britain depicting a man in chains — a reference to the rights that were eventually extended beyond the nobility.

Thomas Edison's talking dolls were reportedly pretty robust, but their miniature phonographs were another story.

Science
Arts

Edison's Talking Dolls Can Now Provide The Soundtrack To Your Nightmares

3:34pm June 14, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

Thomas Edison built and sold about 500 dolls back in 1890. Now, new technology has made hearing their supercreepy voices possible for the first time in decades. (Thanks, technology.)

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Greg Kay decided to raise his son Linken, 10, to speak Esperanto as his native tongue. When Greg was younger, he traveled around South Korea, biking between Esperanto-speaking homes.

Esperanto Is Not Dead: Can The Universal Language Make A Comeback?

6:21pm June 13, 2015

by Stina Sieg

A hundred years ago, a Polish physician created a language that anyone could learn easily. The hope was to bring the world closer together. Today Esperanto speakers say it's helpful during travel.

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National

Radio Shack's Answering Machine Messages Were Hip To The Times

1:39pm June 12, 2015

Martin Schneider of the website "Dangerous Minds" reviews a series of pre-recorded outgoing messages made by Radio Shack in the 1980s when home answering machines first cropped up.

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National

Prison Breaks Past: Several Inmates Have Tried To Escape From N.Y. Prison

6:39pm June 11, 2015

Jeff Hall, a history professor at Queensborough Community College, discusses the history of prison breaks in northern New York.

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