Extra Credit: Our pick of stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.

Melania Trump, who reportedly will not immediately occupy the White House upon her husband’s inauguration, will not be your typical First Lady.

Giving children toys for Christmas first became a thing in early nineteenth century England.

Happy birthday, Anders Celsius! The astronomer and geographer was born on November 27th, 1701, in Uppsala, Sweden. Most ...

The Weimar Republic is famous for failing, but considering its turmoil and crisis, it's surprising how long it actually lasted.

Have you been wondering about the history of Standing Rock protests and the American Indian Movement? Learn why and how we “Remember Wounded Knee.”

"The Simpsons" is the longest-running scripted series in television history, full of canny satire and the occasional prophecy.

Some panda species have strange thumb-like appendages, but their thumbs evolved for strikingly different reasons.

Puddings can be surprisingly nationalistic.

Fragrant. Sweet. Tangy. Certain synesthetic adjectives actually trigger cognitive simulations of eating.