In 2000, a massive fireworks accident damaged part of a Dutch city.

Roman gladiatorial games were often less lethal than popular culture suggests — gladiators were expensive to train.

Project Blue Book investigated reports of unidentified flying objects.

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s caused severe agricultural damage in the United States.

The marathon distance of 26.2 miles was standardized at the 1908 London Olympics to finish in front of the royal box.

Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender and co-owned a tavern before entering politics.

In Chinese mythology, dragons are benevolent creatures associated with water, rain, and imperial power — opposite to Western dragons.

Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, directly challenging Hitler's ideology of Aryan supremacy.

Sourdough bread is made from a 'starter' — a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria that can be maintained for decades.