Jessica Pearce Rotondi Archives ‑ History.com

Why Princess Diana’s 1995 BBC Interview Shocked the World

Princess Diana’s BBC interview with Martin Bashir, “An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales,” aired on November 20, 1995 on the documentary series “Panorama.” Filmed in Diana’s sitting room at Kensington Palace, the explosive interview made history because of the frank way Diana divulged intimate details of life as a royal and her marriage, […]

‘Annus Horribilis’: Why Queen Elizabeth II Called 1992 a Horrible Year

Queen Elizabeth II called 1992 her “annus horribilis,” or horrible year, in a speech marking the 40th year of her reign, saying: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis‘.” […]

7 Failed North American Colonies

The Spanish settlement of St. Augustine and the English colony of Jamestown were the first European colonies in North America. But before their success, many others failed. “The Spanish had hit it rich in Mexico and the Yucatán, and everyone else was convinced that they, too, could find the incredible riches that must be out […]

5 Objects Used in British Royal Ceremonies and Their Symbolism

When it comes to royal succession, ceremony is sacred. And for the British monarchy, a key element of ceremony are objects that have become imbued with symbolism over the centuries. During Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral and King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey, regalia are featured as the United Kingdom mourns its queen and prepares to […]

7 Mysterious Mass Illnesses That Defied Explanation

From a dancing plague to a laughing epidemic, the symptoms were clear—but the culprit was not.

Henry Kissinger’s Controversial Role in the Vietnam War

As advisor to President John F. Kennedy, then national security advisor (1969‑75) and secretary of state (1973‑77) to President Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger was responsible for making major decisions related to the Vietnam War. He kept the U.S. bombing of Cambodia a secret from Congress, but won the Nobel Prize for negotiating the 1973 Paris […]

Famous Amos: The Rise and Fall of a Cookie Empire

Wally Amos parlayed his aunt’s chocolate chip cookie recipe into a gourmet snack food juggernaut.

4 Myths About When Montezuma Met Cortés

The meeting of Aztec king Montezuma and Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on November 8, 1519, is one of the most consequential in history, affecting the welfare, beliefs and culture of millions of people living in the Western hemisphere. Yet for centuries, historians have relied on only one side of the story: the Spanish account. It […]

Why Did the Gilded Age End?

The Gilded Age dawned at the end of the Civil War. As railroads raced to connect the country, robber barons amassed fortunes in unregulated industries like oil and steel. Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” in a novel satirizing the corruption that lay behind America’s new prosperity. The name stuck, but the good times […]

When West Coast Cities Tried to Drive Out Their Chinatowns

The Tacoma Riot of 1885 and Seattle Riot of 1886 drew national attention to the burgeoning coastal cities in Washington territory for their forced expulsion of their Chinese populations by angry—and largely white—mobs. The actions were part of a brutal wave of anti‑Chinese violence that rocked the American West in the second half of the 19th century, displacing […]

What Caused the Korean War and Why Did the U.S. Get Involved?

The Korean War (1950‑1953) was the first military action of the Cold War. It was sparked by the June 25, 1950 invasion of South Korea by 75,000 members of the North Korean People’s Army. The line they crossed, the 38th parallel, was created in 1945 to separate the Soviet‑supported Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (today’s […]

9 Unexpected Things Navy SEALs Discovered in Osama bin Laden’s Compound

From al Qaeda emails to Disney films to pornography, the terrorist leader had a wide array of diversions in his Pakistan hideout.