history4.11 min read
Bolton Captain Arthur Rostron's Critical Role in Saving 705 Titanic Survivors
13 hours ago•Source: BBC
History News
The latest history stories, each synthesized from multiple sources with added background and context.
Featured History Stories
View original source
3.42 min•9 days ago
1940 Discovery of Lascaux Cave: How a Dog-Led Accident Changed Art History
In 1940, four French teenagers, including 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat, discovered the Lascaux Cave after following a dog into a hole on a hillside. The site contained 17,000-year-old paintings of animals and geometric engravings. Public tourism later damaged the fragile environment, leading to its closure in 1963 and the creation of replicas like Lascaux IV.
More Top Stories
2
Roadwork in Tbilisi Uncovers 1,000-Year-Old Pottery Cache Beneath Main Boulevard
Fox News•11 days ago
3
Nor'easter Unearths Possible 1884 Shipwreck Remnants on Nantucket Shore
CBS News•12 days ago
More History Stories
history14 days ago
Medal of Cheadle Hulme soldier killed in final week of WWI goes to auction
A military medal belonging to a soldier from Cheadle Hulme who died in the final week of World War I is being sold at auction. The item offers a tangible connection to the end of the Great War and the local history of the Manchester area.
Lincoln excavation seeks to rewrite the narrative of medieval leprosy care
A new archaeological dig in Lincoln aims to uncover the remains of the Hospital of the Holy Innocents, a medieval leprosary founded around 1100. Researchers hope to challenge the Victorian-era myth that leprosy patients were universally ostracized, suggesting instead that such institutions were often wealthy, peaceful religious communities. The three-year project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will expand on 2025 test pits that found wall traces and pottery, seeking to reveal the unique design of English leprosaria and connect locals with their hidden heritage.
Archival Findings Challenge Hitler's Alibi in 1931 Niece's Death
Newly discovered documents in Munich archives suggest Adolf Hitler was in the city when his half-niece, Geli Raubal, died in 1931, contradicting the long-held belief that he was in Nuremberg. Historian Harald Sandner argues these records point to a cover-up by Nazi sympathizers, though experts remain divided on whether this proves murder.
Archival records cast doubt on Hitler's alibi for niece's 1931 death
Newly discovered documents suggest Adolf Hitler may have been in Munich when his niece Geli Raubal died in 1931, contradicting his official alibi. Historian Harald Sandner argues the body was found a day earlier than recorded, implying Hitler had the opportunity to commit the act. While some experts dismiss this as a clerical error, others suspect a cover-up by Nazi sympathizers in the police.
Jefferson's Hair: New Genomic Study Settles 200-Year Paternity Debate
A 15-year Smithsonian-led study has provided definitive genetic proof that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings. By sequencing DNA from Jefferson’s preserved hair and comparing it to living descendants, researchers ruled out alternative theories involving his brother Randolph. The findings, detailed in anthropologist Richard Kurin’s book 'History by a Hair,' reinforce historical consensus and offer closure to a long-standing national controversy.
New Munich Archive Documents Cast Doubt on Hitler's Alibi in 1931 Niece's Death
Harald Sandner, a historian, discovered documents in a Munich archive that contradict the official timeline of Geli Raubal's 1931 death. These records suggest Adolf Hitler may have been present in Munich when his niece died, challenging his previously accepted alibi that he was in Nuremberg. The findings raise questions about potential police cover-ups by Nazi sympathizers.
German amateur uncovers 934-coin Roman hoard near Cologne
An amateur archaeologist in western Germany discovered a hoard of 934 Roman silver denarii, the largest collection from the Hadrian era ever found in the country. The 3.1kg cache, buried in the second century AD, is now on display in Bonn.
Danube Mud Preserves WWII Motorcycle and Soldiers' Remains in Budapest
A Wehrmacht motorcycle and the remains of two unidentified German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in Budapest, preserved by oil-rich mud. The German War Graves Commission is analyzing intact identification tags and artifacts to determine the men's identities and fates, though the cause of death remains unknown.
Archaeologists Identify First Physical Evidence of Punitive Nose Amputation in 14th-Century China
A 14th-century female skeleton from Henan, China, provides the first archaeological evidence of punitive nasal amputation. The woman, who lived between 1298 and 1404, survived the procedure for several years, as indicated by healed bone fractures. Her face-down burial suggests social ostracism, likely resulting from crimes such as theft or adultery under the historical 'Five Punishments' system.
History's Real-Life Oddities That Seem Terribly Made Up
BuzzFeed collects 90 history facts that read like tall tales—ranging from animals on trial and mid-air plane tennis to a 1947 flying car test, the 1978 Mormon priesthood ban for Black members, and ancient fart jokes—proving that history can be stranger than fiction.