Iván Román Archives ‑ History.com

How the 1978 Lufthansa Heist Led to a Trail of Dead Bodies

A crew of mafia‑affiliated hijackers, killers, loan sharks and thieves made off with $5.8 million in cash and jewels. Most involved got ‘whacked.’

How Salsa Music Took Root in New York City

Decades before the twirling, hip‑shaking grooves of salsa music exploded into a global phenomenon, it emerged from the glitzy New York mambo clubs in the 1940s and 1950s and made its way to the streets of Spanish Harlem. New York City in the ’40s and ‘50s was the perfect breeding ground. A new, African‑based Cuban […]

Why Puerto Rican Migration to the US Boomed After 1945

The US and Puerto Rican governments, looking to solve mutual problems, actively facilitated the exodus.

The Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill: What Really Happened?

Some later accounts of the battle, including Teddy Roosevelt’s, downplayed the Black troopers’ crucial role in the US victory.

6 Ways Coffee Helped Transform the World

More than five centuries ago, when coffee was a localized crop in the East African territories of Ethiopia and Yemen, Arab Sufi monks used the beverage for a similar purpose that people drink it today—to get a boost to stay awake. Their goal back then? To reach divine consciousness in midnight prayers. On its centuries‑long […]

How 19th‑Century German Immigrants Revolutionized America’s Beer Industry

How did lager beer become America’s most popular libation, sold everywhere from convenience stores to luxury hotels? It began in the mid‑19th century when throngs of German immigrants brewed the light, pale, effervescent alcoholic beverage in their kitchens for a taste of home. Resourceful German brewers grew the lager industry into a powerhouse by aggressively […]

7 Latin American Holiday Traditions

Holidays in Latin America celebrate faith, family and community in a festive, sometimes whimsical, style. Traditions range from waking people up with Christmas songs in the middle of the night to sculpting massive radishes to burning effigies to ward off bad spirits from the year just ended. In the five centuries since Spanish colonizers arrived in […]

Puerto Rico’s 65th Infantry Fought Bravely in Korea—Then Had to Fight for Redemption

The Borinqueneers, the U.S. military’s only all‑Hispanic unit, saw their sacrifice and achievements overshadowed by a trumped‑up court martial.

A Timeline of US‑Cuba Relations

The United States and Cuba share a long, complex history—first as allies and trade partners, and later as bitter ideological enemies. For four centuries after the arrival of Christopher Columbus, Spain ruled Cuba as its main colony in the Caribbean, but the U.S. long coveted the island just off its southern coast. America provided major […]

The World Trade Center, by the Numbers

When the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers opened to the public in 1973, they were the tallest buildings in the world. Even before they became iconic features of the New York City skyline, they reflected America’s soaring ambition, innovation and technological prowess. The towers’ eye‑popping statistics amply illustrate that ambition: They rose a quarter‑mile in […]

The Most Influential Classic Shows from TV’s ‘Golden Age’

Pioneering shows from the 1950s, like ‘I Love Lucy,’ would help shape the medium for decades to come.

6 Black Heroes of the Civil War

Whether as soldiers, spies, recruiters or medical personnel, African Americans made crucial contributions to the Union cause.