Historic Painting: "Many Happy Returns" by William Powell Frith, 1856.
There's a lot going on in this Victorian-era painting of a young girl's birthday party.
Sean Munger
Hippies in space: A "Star Trek" episode in 1960s historical context.
One of Star Trek's "worst" episodes provides a fascinating insight into America in 1969.
Historic Photo: Cliff House, San Francisco, 1901, a lost building with a fascinating story.
This is not a matte painting from a 1930s horror movie, but a real place with a checkered history spanning some 150 years.
Behind the Scenes: The Persian Gulf War, Explained.
My newest deep-dive video takes on the short war that lies at a critical juncture in modern world history.
23 minutes on Venus: the hellish voyage of Venera 7.
Spending less than half an hour on the surface of Venus would give Dante Alighieri a run for his money.
All that sizzles: a geohistory of the great American steak houses.
The great American steak houses are about a lot more than just good steak. They tell a key part of the American story.
The Great Daylight Fireball of 1972.
This famous photo depicts an earth-grazing meteor, a comparatively rare event.