Tag: history
The French connection: New book provides sweeping history of Vietnam War
The Vietnam War ranks among the most contentious events in American history. But few experts agree on the specifics of when and how it started. In a new book on the war, historian Frederik Logevall takes a look at the decades preceding American involvement to better understand the making of America's Vietnam....
Cambodian TV show reunites families separated by Khmer Rouge
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia and began a four-year experiment in social reordering. To destroy traditional authority, the regime split families apart. Two million Cambodians perished, but some missing loved ones were never found. Now, a Cambodian reality show is reconnecting family members....
Poles looking for lost remains of hero of World War II resistance
Witold Pilecki volunteered to go to Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp that killed more than 1 million people, mostly Jewish, during World War II. He eventually escaped, and fought the Germans during the Warsaw uprising. After the war, though, he was killed by fellow Poles when he challenged the Communist government....
Paul Ryan continues tradition of talking tough about the size of government
As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan is perhaps best known for his austerity-driven budget proposal. By choosing Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has signaled his commitment to reducing the size of government. But will tough talk be enough for them to win the election?...
New study looks at why ancient South American culture mummified its dead
Along the Atacama Desert, the Chinchorro people chosen to mummify their people, rather than simply bury them. Scientists have for years wondered why. A new study suggests it's all because of climate change....
U.S. launches program to clean up Vietnam-era Agent Orange contamination
The United States used millions of gallons of Agent Orange herbicide across Vietnam during the war there, in an effort to destroy the foliage that was giving its enemies cover. But, in the process, it contaminated the soil with dioxin and other chemicals that have persisted and continue to cause birth defects and health problems to this day....
Retired Air Force colonel attempts to document every bomb U.S. ever dropped
The United States had detonated millions, if not billions, of tons or ordnance in training and in combat since the dawn of air warfare. They've been dropped from Europe to Asia, from Africa to the Pacific islands. Now, Air Force Lt. Col. Jenns Robertson (Ret.) is trying to document each of those bombs....
American veteran of Spanish Civil War remembers life under suspicion of communism
98-year-old James Benet left the United States in his 20s to fight on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War. The Republicans were backed not only by foreigners, like Benet, but also by Mexico and the Soviet Union. After his side lost, Benet came back to a United States where he was immediately viewed as a communist....
Italy turns to shoe company billionaire to pay for Colosseum rennovations
Italy's historic Colosseum has been showing its age in recent years. There are cracks in the walls and pieces have even been falling off. But, with Italy's budget in a crunch, the government had to turn to private funds, from Tod's owner Diego Della Valle, to fix it up....
As minorities flee, the Middle East loses its once rich religious diversity
The Middle East, once a region of great religious diversity, has seen a mass emigration of minorities in recent decades. It's now one of the most religiously monolithic regions in the world. One Middle East scholar says the trend is likely to continue as tensions there continue to grow....
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