In his retellings of ancient myths, Bacon called for research to extend human lifespans, but only if those longer lives were spent in the pursuit of knowledge.

Despite being famous for his witty analyses of the American South, Twain was proudest of the historical fiction he wrote about France’s legendary martyr.

According to legend, Sforza lifted her skirts to show her adversaries that she had the body parts to make more children. But why?

United States President Lyndon B. Johnson’s televised announcement that he would not run for re-election shocked a nation divided by the Vietnam War.

A succession of authoritarian regimes birthed a strong tradition of collective action.

Although Karl Marx never saw the U.S., he thought long and hard about how it fit into his theory, especially during the Civil War.

On the 250 anniversary of Andrew Jackson's birth, a look at his squashing of the first great nullification crisis in American history.

Globalization is the watchword of our time, but maybe Alexander The Great was the first global citizen.

Bernie Sanders is a democratic socialist, but just what is democratic socialism and where did it come from?