Tag: history
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....
New documentary looks at development of skateboarding culture in East Germany
During the Cold War, all things Western were either forbidden or held in deep suspicion among officials east of the iron curtain. Yet, somehow, the culture of skateboarding that cropped up in California made it into East Berlin, where it thrived. A new documentary looks at that evolution....
Congress considering measure to preserve atomic labs as National Parks
America's nuclear heritage has few sites open to the public. But since the Cold War ended, several sites have fallen out of active use. After narrowly avoiding being torns down, there's a movement to open them to the public as National Parks....
Historic violins, long lost to history, get new life in France
While they're not exactly the originals, a pair of European men has set out to recreate the 24 violins in the orchestra that Louis XIV danced to in the late 17th and early 18th century. Unlike modern violins, they have a wide variety of sounds and styles....
In tough economy, London Olympics share common bond with 1948 games
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the 1948 Olympic Games in London occurred at a time of widespread austerity. Countries across the world were just beginning to recover from the war and, like today, trying to figure out how to strengthen their economies. ...
Olympic sports include a diverse history that may surprise you
From croquet to speedboating, from tandem bicycling to painting, yes painting, the Olympic sports you're familiar with haven't always been part of the program. And some you may never have guessed once handed out gold medals....
Latest Amelia Earhart expedition comes up empty
An expedition that aimed to find signs that Amelia Earhart's plane crashed off Gardner Island came back empty-handed. But the researchers still believe in their theory....
VIDEO: First American woman in space, Sally Ride dies
Sally Ride changed the world for American women, becoming the first woman to go into space. She endured probing and embarrassing questions about what it would be like to be a woman in space. She died Monday at her home in San Diego....
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