Worldcrunch
Luna al-Shibl, a media advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was killed in a car crash in Damascus. But many didn’t believe the official account of her death given the Syrian regime’s long history of targeting opponents inside and outside Syria.
Manufactured in Wetzlar, Germany, for almost 100 years now, Leica cameras are sometimes worth more second-hand than new. Around them, a global community of passionate enthusiasts has begun in recent years to grow again.
Updated July 10, 2024 at 12:15 p.m. The Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior was bombed on this day in 1985. The bombing was carried out by agents of the French intelligence service, specifically the “Action Service” division of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE). What was the motive behind the Rainbow Warrior bombing? The French government […]
July 6, 2024 at 11:10 a.m. Frida Kahlo was a renowned Mexican artist known for her distinctive and vibrant self-portraits. She was born on this day in 1907. Kahlo is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. What was Frida Kahlo’s childhood like? During her childhood, Frida contracted polio, which left […]
Updated July 5, 2024 at 12:35 p.m. Algeria gained independence from France on this day in 1962. What was the Algerian War of Independence? The Algerian War of Independence was a conflict that took place from 1954 to 1962 between Algerian nationalist groups and France. The war was fought with the goal of ending French […]
Updated July 2, 2024 at 11:30 p.m. On this day in 2018, rescue divers found 12 boys along with their soccer coach trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex in Thailand. How did the rescue divers locate the boys and their coach in the cave? The rescue divers used a combination of methods to […]
For centuries, European colonial powers and Arab traders kidnapped millions of Africans as slaves. Local tribes in Benin and other West African countries often helped and became rich themselves. Now the descendants of the slave traders are coming to terms with this troubling history.
Updated June 17, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. U.S. retired football star and celebrity O.J. Simpson was arrested on this day in 1994 for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. The two victims had been found dead five days earlier. How did O.J. Simpson’s arrest happen? After the murders, […]
As citizens across the EU prepare to elect a new parliament, Italian author Viola Ardone remembers her late grandmother who, despite an elementary education and lack of political interest, never missed an election.
The image, taken by Robert F. Sargent on June 6, 1944, captures the courage and the frenzy of that historic moment.
Updated June 5, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. The famous tank man photo is an iconic image captured during the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, China, on this day in 1989. The photo depicts an unidentified Chinese man standing in front of a column of tanks, blocking their path. Who took the tank man photo? The […]
From Ukraine to the South China Sea, images of war are highly reminiscent of the horrors of the past. As the world marks 80 years since the Normandy landings of World War II, geopolitical analyst Dominique Moïsi wonders if history is bound to repeat itself.
Updated June 2, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. On this day in 1979, Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła in Poland, visited his home country for the first time as pontiff, marking a crucial moment in Polish history. And beyond… Why was Pope John Paul II’s visit to Poland significant? Pope John Paul II’s visit […]
Sunnis were historically resistant to have this sacred text translated from Arabic — but especially into Persian, the language of a nation sometimes viewed as reluctantly Muslim. What does that mean today under the Sharia law of the Islamic Republic.
Just north of Berlin, a luxurious villa that used to belong to top Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels has become a real estate headache. What should become of it?
There’s the obvious stops. And then there’s the off-the-beaten path venues and activities — all recommended by an Istanbulite travel journalist!
Updated April 29, 2024 at 1:15 p.m. In April of 1975, as North Vietnamese troops approached the southern capital of Saigon, U.S. President Gerald Ford ordered the evacuation of all Americans from the country. How did the fall of Saigon happen? After years of conflict, the North Vietnamese army launched a final offensive on South […]
Updated April 25, 2024 at 11:450 p.m. On this day in 1945, Allied troops entered Milan and other major Italian cities, signaling the end of fascist rule and the Nazi occupation. The Italian resistance movement played a significant role in the liberation of the country. What was the fascist regime in Italy? The fascist regime […]
Updated April 24, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. The Armenian genocide began on this day in 1915, when the Ottoman government arrested and deported hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople (now Istanbul). What led to the start of the Armenian genocide? The Ottoman government had long been hostile towards the Armenian population, who […]
For the past 30 years, the number of wolves has steadily increased in France — great news for biodiversity but not for farmers, who are accusing the predator of attacking and killing their livestock. The topic, which has become explosive, is symbolic of a very contemporary divide in the country.
Donald Trump is not creating the U.S. malaise any more than Putin is creating the Russian malaise or Netanyahu the Israeli identity crisis. But all three illustrate the inescapable risk if a “me-first” attitude is taken to an extreme degree by individuals who’ve accumulated power.
Hitler wielded much of his power through his public discourses, yet a serious academic edition of his speeches has never been published. An unprecedented project led by Germany’s Institute of Contemporary History and the National Broadcasting Archive aims to better understand how he wielded power through rhetoric.
Originally celebrated in the United States, to highlight the achievements and role of African Americans in the country’s history, the practice has found echo in recent years, in nations with a colonial past in Africa — including Italy — and in other places around the world.
Updated Jan. 9, 2024 at 1:10 p.m. The daguerreotype photo process, which gave the first photograph of a person, is announced at the French Academy of Science on this date in 1839. What is a daguerreotype? Invented by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, the daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process (1839-1860) in the history […]
Updated Dec. 31 2023 at 12:00 p.m. After a referendum held in March 1991, the creation of the post of president of Russia was created. Boris Yeltsin was elected Russia’s first president in an election of that kind. On this day in 1999, he resigned and was succeeded by Vladimir Putin. Why did Boris Yeltsin […]
Updated Dec. 30 2023 at 12:00 p.m. The portrait of Winston Churchill was taken in 1941 by Armenian-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as he was set to address the Canadian members of Parliament following action taken in World War II. Why is the Roaring Lion such an iconic photograph? The portrait shows […]
Updated Dec. 29 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Caused by Nazi bombing raids which set off a series of fires, the Second Great Fire threatened to destroy London. It was ultimately contained, symbolized by the saving of the famed St. Paul’s Cathedral. How did the Second Great Fire of London start? On the evening of December […]
Updated Dec. 28 2023 at 12:00 p.m. After serving in World War II as a Korean-contingent major in the Soviet Army, Kim Il-Sung became the first premier of the newly formed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Years later, he would become the nation’s supreme ruler. How did Kim Il-Sung become the first president of North […]
Updated Dec. 27 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Benazir Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan, and then leader of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections scheduled for January 2008 when she was shot, in a suicide terrorist attack. When Was Benazir Bhutto killed? After eight years in exile in Dubai and […]
Updated Dec. 26 2023 at 12:00 p.m. In 2004, a 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, triggering a tsunami and series of tidal waves that became one of worst natural disasters in recorded history. What triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami? The initial earthquake is among the strongest ever recorded, estimated to […]
Updated Dec. 23 2023 at 12:00 p.m. On this day in 1979, the Soviet Union intervened in support of the Afghan communist government in its conflict with anti-communist Muslim guerrillas during the Afghan War, after Afghanistan’s centrist government was overthrown by left-wing military officers led by Nur Mohammad Taraki. Why did the Soviets invade Afghanistan? […]
Updated Dec. 25 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Serving since 2015, Justin Trudeau is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. His father was serving in the same job when he was born on Christmas day. How did Justin Trudeau get into politics? He is the eldest son of Pierre Trudeau, Canada’s previous prime minister, […]
Updated Dec. 22, 2023 at 11:45 a.m. In 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen took the first X-ray ever. What was the first X-ray taken of? Röntgen’s experiments revealed that this new type of ray was capable of passing through most substances, including the soft tissues of the body, but left bones and metals visible. How did […]
Updated Dec. 21, 2023 at 12:15 p.m. It was 35 years ago that Pan Am Flight 103 was heading from London to New York City. Shortly after takeoff, a bomb that had been planted onboard detonated, causing an explosion while the plane was in flight over Scotland. How many people were killed in Lockerbie? All […]
Updated Dec. 20, 2023 at 12:00 pm On this day in 1973, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, the prime minister of Spain was killed in Madrid after a massive bomb exploded under his car. Why was Carrero Blanco killed? Carrero Blanco was killed in Madrid by the Basque separatist group ETA, targeted due to his support […]
Updated Dec. 19, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. The Russian diplomat Andrei Karlov served as an ambassador to North Korea, and then Turkey. On this day in 2016, he was assassinated while giving a speech in Turkey — the moment captured by an Associated Press photographer who’d been assigned to cover the speech. How was Andrei […]
Updated Dec. 18, 2023 at 12:25 p.m. The United Arab Emirates is a monarchy, and had never allowed elections in its political system. That would change on this day in 2006. Why did the Arab Emirates decide to hold elections? The aim was to increase political participation among Emiratis through a “political empowerment program”, which […]
Updated Dec. 17, 2023 at 11:35 a.m. On December 17th, 1976, Australian prime minister Harold Holt disappeared after going for a swim. He was never heard from again. How did Harold Holt go missing? The Prime Minister of Australia from 1966-1967, Holt was an avid outdoorsman and loved to swim in the ocean near to […]
Updated Dec. 15, 2023 at 12:40 p.m. Based on the novel by American writer Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936, the epic film “Gone With The Wind” hit the screens on this day 84 years ago today. Set in the Confederate South, it would go on to win multiple Academy Awards and command a 30-year […]
Updated Dec. 13, 2023 at 12:10 p.m. It was exactly 20 years ago that Saddam Hussein was captured by the United States military in the town of Ad-Dawr, Iraq. Why was the U.S. at war with Iraq? In 2003, a coalition between the United States and British forces initiated war on Iraq to depose Saddam […]