History

Seasonal Ranger Mike Donahue (right) discuses the Battle of Little Bighorn with Jon Jones atop Custer Hill.

National

Little Bighorn Tour Guide Brings Battle To Life

12:04pm July 22, 2013

by Jim Kent

The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana is one of the most visited sites in the National Park System. And for more than two decades, seasonal ranger Mike Donahue spends his summers at Little Big Horn, teaching visitors all about the historic battle.

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The B Reactor is the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor located at the Hanford site in Richland, Wash. The three-story-high block of graphite contains about 2,000 "process tubes" arranged in a grid. These tubes contained uranium, and when enough ura

National

A Peek Inside A Once Top Secret Spot In Atomic Age History

11:40am July 19, 2013

by Martin Kaste

Want to take a tour of the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor? It's in Richland, Wash., and if you're lucky, your guide will be one of the people who worked here when the place was still new. Physicist Paul Vinther signed on at the plant in June 1950, and he now gives tours.

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Sylvester's 1978 album Step II resulted in a couple of smash singles, "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)."

Sylvester: 'Mighty Real' Disco Star Deserves A Modern Spotlight

4:29pm July 16, 2013

by Milo Miles

A new collection of disco numbers, Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, showcases the career of Sylvester. Music critic Milo Miles argues that Sylvester — an openly gay, superstar costume-wearer from the start — was not only a pioneer, but also someone with whom the times have finally caught up.

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President Gerald Ford finishes giving a speech on Jan. 13, 1975. Ford was born 100 years ago Sunday.

The Civil Rights Stand Of A Young Gerald Ford

6:54pm July 14, 2013

by Don Gonyea

President Gerald Ford was born 100 years ago Sunday. He is best known for pardoning President Richard Nixon, but a little-known story from his college days might also serve to define his character.

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Men dressed as members of the Union infantry demonstrate battalion formations for tourists.

National

Gettysburg Swells As Throngs Mark Civil War's Turning Point

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Christopher Connelly

The small town of Gettysburg, Pa., has rolled out the red carpet for tens of thousands of visitors this week. The town hopes the tourists, descending to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, will mean a $100 million boost to the local economy.

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How 'Dancing In The Street' Became A Protest Anthem

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by NPR Staff

Mark Kurlansky's book Ready for a Brand New Beat is a history of the song "Dancing in the Street." It was the soundtrack for the summer of 1964, when race riots and war protests spread across the United States.

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An ancient wild barley sample recovered from Chogha Golan, Iran.

Farming Got Hip In Iran Some 12,000 Years Ago, Ancient Seeds Reveal

11:46am July 08, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Archaeologists had considered Iran unimportant in the history of farming – until now. Ancient seeds and farming tools uncovered in Iran reveal Stone Age people there were growing lentils, barley and other crops. The findings offer a snapshot of a time when humans first started experimenting with farming.

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History Buffs Commemorate 150 Years Since Gettysburg Battle

9:48am July 04, 2013

by Marie Cusick

This week marks the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg. While it's widely known as the critical turning point of the Civil War, the small Pennsylvania town has seen many other battles since then — over how the historic site should be preserved and remembered.

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Artistic reconstruction of Archicebus achilles in its natural habitat of trees.

Science

Tiny, Ancient Tree-Dweller Was One Of Earth's Earliest Primates

10:26pm July 03, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

About 55 million years ago, a teacup-sized critter in China was helping to pave the way for apes and humans. This insect eater had fingernails and stereo vision, a newly published analysis of a fossil suggests. And it weighed just 1 ounce.

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Portrait of Marie Duplessis by Charles Chaplin (1846)

Books
Arts

The Tragic Story Of 'Traviata' Muse Marie Duplessis

8:12pm July 02, 2013

by NPR Staff

The 19th-century courtesan died at 23 of tuberculosis, but her legacy inspired a successful play, several movies and the great Italian opera La Traviata. In The Girl Who Loved Camellias, Julie Kavanagh tracks her journey from Normandy peasant girl to romantic heroine.

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