Restaurants Built Modern Japan’s Identity
In the early 20th century, Japan's embrace of exotic cuisines helped strengthen its connections both to China and to the West.
Why Cheerfulness Mattered in the Antarctica Expedition of 1912
Often associated with stoic masculinity, Robert Falcon Scott's British Antarctic Expedition was in fact defined by cheerfulness and friendly homemaking.
Why Did Ousted Egyptian President Morsi Lose Power?
Mohamed Morsi was elected president in 2012, in Egypt's first free elections. His death has put his brief presidency back in the spotlight.
Who Were the Montford Point Marines?
The first African-American recruits in the Marine Corps trained at Montford Point, eventually ending the military’s longstanding policy of racial segregation.
When Germany Called its Soldiers Hysterical
After WWI, German psychiatrists diagnosed traumatized soldiers as having "hysteria," othering the men to somewhat disastrous effect.
Why Are Americans So Cheery?
How Americans went from loving melancholy to focusing on controlling their emotions -- and destinies.
When Cities Closed Pools to Avoid Integration
Many Americans lack nearby municipal pools, the lasting result of extralegal Jim Crow-era efforts to keep races segregated at all costs.
What Does It Mean To Be Celtic?
How various nationalist groups have come to use "Celtic" as a coded way of saying "white."
The Accidental Presidents of the United States
How "accidental" world leaders have faced the challenges of leading major democracies without being voted in.
The Stonewall Riots Didn’t Start the Gay Rights Movement
Giving Stonewall too much credit misses the movement’s growing strength in the 1960s, sociologists note.