In 1948, a young American pilot named Gail Halvorsen began dropping candy parachutes to the children of blockaded West Berlin. His unauthorized gesture grew into Operation Little Vittles, which dropped 23 tons of sweets and won hearts on both sides of the Cold War.
Explore the American Civil War through the intimate, real-time accounts of soldiers and civilians who recorded their experiences in letters and diaries. This article draws on the vast collections of primary sources—100,000 pages from 2,000 authors—to reveal the war’s human dimension.
Drawing on period newspaper accounts and scholarship, this article reconstructs how the national and local press covered the Black Panther Party from its 1966 founding in Oakland through the height of its influence, revealing a coverage marked by fascination, fear, and conflict.
Drawing on contemporary reports, this article reconstructs how American cities in 1918 enforced mask ordinances and other public health measures during the influenza pandemic, revealing both compliance and resistance, and the early evidence that these interventions saved lives.
Drawing on the pages of the nation’s newspapers, this article reconstructs how Americans experienced Prohibition as it unfolded—from the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the rise of bootlegging and the eventual repeal—through the words of the reporters and editors who lived through it.
George Pullman’s luxurious sleeping cars transformed American rail travel in the 1860s, but his company town and labor practices led to one of the most famous strikes in U.S. history. This article draws on contemporary accounts to explore how travelers, workers, and the public experienced the rise of the ‘palace car.’
Drawing on contemporary newspapers and personal diaries, this article explores how the 1918 influenza pandemic was known, reported, and misunderstood, revealing the fears, remedies, and language of the era.
Drawing on contemporary obituaries and news reports from the BBC and Al Jazeera, this article reconstructs the life and reign of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, from his early political career to his leadership through the Gulf War and his death in 2006.
Using photographs, executive orders, and personal records, this article reconstructs how Japanese Americans experienced forced relocation during World War II—a story of fear, loyalty, and injustice as documented by those who lived it.
Drawing on contemporary records, speeches, and personal accounts, this article traces how 1950s Britain moved from post-war rationing to the consumer boom, revealing the optimism, fears, and uneven realities of the era.