Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, The Conversation, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.

In 1881, Prudential announced that insurance policies held by black adults would be worth one-third less than the same plans held by whites.

In 1994, Republicans swept the midterms and Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House. His “Contract with America” was both polarizing and transformative.

Maria Theresa, the King of Hungary, ruled over the "accidental" Austro-Hungarian Empire, overseeing social, administrative, fiscal, and religious reforms.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical was revolutionary in the way it “integrated” music, dance, and dialogue. Or was that language just a marketing ploy?

Brazil's oldest natural history museum has burned down. The institution played a crucial part in creating Brazil's identity as a country.

Oberlin College was founded by religious idealists committed to abolitionism and integration. Then public attitudes began to shift.

Spiritualist medium Helen Duncan was photographed emitting ectoplasm, supposedly proof of her ability to contact the dead.

What our emotional reaction to jargon reveals about the evolution of the English language, and how the use of specialized terms can manipulate meaning.

The history of obstetric forceps shows the dangers of privatizing important medical know-how.