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Black and white headshot of author Matthew Wills

Matthew Wills

Matthew Wills has advanced degrees in library science and film studies and is lapsed in both fields. He has published in Poetry, Huffington Post, and Nature Conservancy Magazine, among other places, and blogs regularly about urban natural history at matthewwills.com.

Older black and white drawing of the presentation of the Magna Carta

Magna Carta at 800

The Magna Carta's 800th birthday is this year.
Horseshoe Crab

Horseshoe Crabs: Humans’ Surprising Health Ally

It turns out that Atlantic horseshoe crabs are vital to our health.
Close-up of the Vietnam Memorial

The Vietnam War: 50 Years (and More) Later

The fiftieth anniversary of the Vietnam War is somewhat misleading: The US had been involved in Vietnam for well over a decade already by 1965
Bank in Switzerland

The Origins of Secret Swiss Bank Accounts

The uncovering the mystery and dispelling the myths of Swiss Bank Accounts
Globe showing area referred to as the Middle East

Making the Middle East

Two scholarly perspectives on the making of the Middle East.
A shiver of swimming in a circle

Eugenie Clark 1922-2015

Eugenie Clark, the oceanographer known as the "shark lady" has died at 92.
Construction site

Radiocarbon Dating at 75

Carbon-14, or radiocarbon, was discovered 75 years ago by Martin Kamen and Sam Rubin at the UC-Berkely Radiation Lab
An eagle feeds its offspring

Bald Eagles Are Back From the Brink

Bald eagles are back from the brink of extinction.
Academy Award statue

And the Academy Award Goes to…

The American motion picture industry honors itself every year with the Academy Awards, now known officially as "The Oscars."
A feral cat

The Environmental Danger of Outdoor Cats

Outdoor cats are an environmental disaster.
A stamp commemorating the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Recording History: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 are a touchstone of American history.
Construction paper, scissors, a pen, and cut out hearts; everything necessary for homemade Valentine's day cards

The Origins of St. Valentine’s Day

The complicated origins of St. Valentine's Day.
A postcard of a Duluth lynching, June 15, 1920

Lynching in America

A new report called Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror," documents 3,959 African Americans lynched between 1877 and 1950.
Nelson Mandela with his right fist raised

Nelson Mandela’s Release

February 11th marks a quarter century since the release of Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
A pocket of rust colored snow in a crater

The Surprising Colors of Snow

In mountain and other wilderness areas where deep snows last well into the spring, the snow may be tinted red, green, orange, or yellow.
Social Security cards and a sheet of budget numbers

Social Security at 75

The Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935.
Byzantine illustration from the 9th century; a robed figure is destroying an icon.

A Short Guide to Iconoclasm in Early History

In the 8th century, the Eastern or Orthodox branch of Christianity gave history the word iconoclasm, from the Greek words for "icon smashing."
Older covered circuit board

AT&T: Birth of the First Social Network

The first transcontinental telephone call was put through on January 25, 1915.
Blue and red flashing police lights

The Roots of Modern Police Work

The beginnings of modern police work have roots in the colonial experience in Ireland.
The word "news" in old typeface on aged paper

Privacy, Journalism, and the Gilded Age

The interview is now such a standard part of journalism that it may come as a surprise to read that the New York Times editorialized against it in 1874.

Orson Welles at 100

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Orson Welles.
Twelfth century illustration of Byzantines using fire against Thomas the Slav

Ancient Chemical Warfare

The lethal combination of chemistry and warfare has a long history.
The back of a taxi in a busy street

Taxis, Ride-sharing Apps, and Safety: An Age-Old Debate

Current controversies over ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft may not be all that new.
Goya, The Speed and Daring of Juanito Apiñani in the Ring of Madrid 1815-16 Etching and aquatint

Goya, The Moors, and The Bulls

An exhibit of Francisco Goya's paintings and prints at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts showcases an amazing talent and a personality who lived through extraordinary and frequently horrifying times.
Back of a soldier's helmet

The Last Formal Declaration of War

The last time Congress formally declared war was in World War II.