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How D.C.'s Cherry Blossoms Almost Didn't Bloom
It was a gift of friendship more than 100 years ago that eventually led to the National Cherry Blossom Festival. NPR librarian Kee Malesky tells us how the first of D.C.'s most famous trees suffered a...
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The Civil War's First Death Was An Accident
April 14 marks the date 150 years ago that the first person was killed in the Civil War. But there's more to the story, and NPR's Kee Malesky has a special connection to it.(Image credit: Currier &...
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Lawn Jockeys: The Kentucky Derby's Earliest Stars
Chug that mint julep and grab a slice of Derby pie, because NPR librarian Kee Malesky is taking us to the races!(Image credit: Library of Congress)
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The First Supercomputer Vs. 'The Desk Set'
UNIVAC, short for Universal Automatic Computer, was put into service 60 years ago this week. NPR librarian Kee Malesky says librarians have a special relationship with electronic brains.(Image credit:...
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An American Rebellion, Sparked By Tough Times
People object to having the nation's debt on their shoulders, and they take to the streets to show their anger. The Tea Party in 2011? No, Shays' Rebellion in 1786.(Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty...
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How Many Gills In A Cubic Dekameter?
It's time to celebrate millimeters, kilograms, liters and hectares! it's National Metric Week, and the U.S. stands almost alone in its lack of affection for the Système international d'unités.(Image...
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How A Thousand Points Of Light Lit The National Tree
Lights sparkle around the nation as people celebrate the Christmas season. Those lights have also given American presidents reason to joyfully flip the switch on the national tree for nearly 90...
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How Swiss Guards And Sacred Geese Saved Rome
From Gauls to Goths to soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire, many outsiders have tried to destroy the Eternal City, with varying degrees of success.(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
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Follow The Money: On The Trail Of Watergate Lore
Deep Throat whispered "follow the money" to reporter Bob Woodward during the investigation of Watergate, the third-rate burglary that brought down the Nixon administration. Or did he? An NPR librarian...
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Live Pigeon Shooting And Other Odd Olympic Games
The International Olympic Committee came up with some rather unusual sporting events for the 1900 Paris Games — including one that would probably be considered shocking today.(Image credit:...
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Feathers And Rubber Bands: A Golf Ball Story
Golf's top pros are in the final rounds of the 2012 PGA Championship this weekend in South Carolina, so let's take a look at the fascinating history of one fundamental piece of equipment.(Image credit:...
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Antietam 'Death Studies' Changed How We Saw War
In September 1862, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac clashed on the banks of Antietam Creek, just outside Sharpsburg, Md., in a battle that became the nation's bloodiest...
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The Strangely True Tale Of Johnny Appleseed
The man was as odd as his myth. Long-haired, barefoot and nature-loving, John Chapman traveled the Midwest in the early 1800s planting trees and creating orchards for future settlers.(Image credit:...
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She Was The Only Woman To Get The Medal Of Honor
In all of American history, just one woman has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor: Mary Edwards Walker, a physician during the Civil War. Congress later tried to take back the medal.(Image credit:...
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Close Out The Year With Some Best-Selling Last Words
As the year comes to an end, NPR librarian Kee Malesky shares closing lines from some great novels — those last few moments spent with a story that you love.
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How Many Gills In A Cubic Dekameter?
It's time to celebrate millimeters, kilograms, liters and hectares! it's National Metric Week, and the U.S. stands almost alone in its lack of affection for the Système international d'unités.
View ArticleClik here to view.
How A Thousand Points Of Light Lit The National Tree
Lights sparkle around the nation as people celebrate the Christmas season. Those lights have also given American presidents reason to joyfully flip the switch on the national tree for nearly 90...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Swiss Guards And Sacred Geese Saved Rome
From Gauls to Goths to soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire, many outsiders have tried to destroy the Eternal City, with varying degrees of success.(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino)
View ArticleClik here to view.
Follow The Money: On The Trail Of Watergate Lore
Deep Throat whispered "follow the money" to reporter Bob Woodward during the investigation of Watergate, the third-rate burglary that brought down the Nixon administration. Or did he? An NPR librarian...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Live Pigeon Shooting And Other Odd Olympic Games
The International Olympic Committee came up with some rather unusual sporting events for the 1900 Paris Games — including one that would probably be considered shocking today.
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