Tag along on the third installment of the Secret Smithsonian Adventures, this time jumping into the birth of our nation with ‘It’s Treason, by George!’ Read More
‘It’s Treason, by George!’: Secret Smithsonian Adventures’ Third Installment
Tag Archives: History
We the People: 8 Resources for Constitution Day/Citizenship Day
How will you celebrate this year’s Constitution Day/Citizenship Day? Read More
History, Visualized in ‘Colonial Comics: New England: 1750-1775’
The second volume of ‘Colonial Comics,’ stories from the United States New England Colonial era in comic form, is an enjoyable and eye-opening trip to the past. Read More
Rediscover America’s ‘Lost States’
‘Lost States’ tells the story of dozens of states-that-never-were through hilarious, informative, and interesting narratives. Read More
On Historical Diversity and Writing Fiction: An Interview With Historian E.H. Kern
Historian E.H. Kern has some thoughts. Behold—here they are. Read More
‘The Card Catalog’: Preserving Yesterday’s Archival History
In today’s information society, the world is sometimes literally at our fingertips. We can access documents, photos, videos, and even livestreams, instantly, from countries and cultures all over the world. But it didn’t used to be this way. If we wanted to learn about an obscure country or advancement in science, we would head to the local library. And our first stop there was the card catalog. Read More
‘Explorers’ Notebooks’ and ‘Countries That Don’t Exist’: Two Books to Help You Explore the World
While the best way to see the world is in person with your own eyes, the next best thing is to look at and read accounts of people who have been there. And the history of some areas can only be learned from books, as they are countries whose time on this Earth was temporary, or still in flux. Chronicle Books has published two books that will help you see the world in a different light, all from the convenient location of your armchair. Read More
Myke Cole: On Historical Diversity and Writing Fiction
Gentleman, scholar, author, Hunter, and cat whisperer Myke Cole talks historical diversity and fiction with GeekMom Shiri. Read More
Learn About Cities Two Ways From Lonely Planet Kids
Take a trip around the world or just down the street with these two captivating titles about cities from Lonely Planet Kids. Read More
Happy Valentine… er Wolf-entines Day?
Every year the same thing happens: the evergreens come down, the hearts go up. Time to party with the wolves! Read More
‘ReDistricted’: Combining Comics and the History of D.C.
Matt Dembicki is the editor of ‘ReDistricted,’ an online anthology of historical comics about Washington, D.C. Read More
‘Timeline’ Gets All Your Dates in a Row
‘Timeline’ is a cute card game that’s all about getting your dates in a row. Read More
‘Brides and Bribes’: Cunning, Intrigue and Deception
Can you use cunning, intrigue and deception to become the most powerful person in Genoa? Find out by playing ‘Brides and Bribes’. Read More
History Books for Kids: Rad Women and Bayeux
Karen shares two books perfect for young fans of history, and excellent last minute holiday gifts Read More
A Hamil-ton of Gifts for Your A. Ham Fan
Shopping for gifts for a Hamilton fan? (Or yourself–we won’t tell.) We have plenty of ideas! Read More
As Un-American as Apple Pie
Apples from Kazakhstan, wheat from Iraq, and lard from Spain. Is there anything from America in an American Apple Pie? History and food nerds need to share this at your Thanksgiving feast. Read More
Continue the Journey with ‘Letters of Note: Volume 2’
Following in the steps of his earlier compilations, Shaun Usher continues to bring us letters from famous and not-so-famous, but all important, people. Read More
100 Engineering Achievements That Changed History
Some discoveries, events, or innovations have significantly changed the course of history. Antibiotics. The bubonic plague. The printing press. Our history and present day would be quite different if things like these had never happened. Read More
Talk Like a Pirate: Family History Time
Talk Like a Pirate Day is merely a starter for the Language of My Foremothers. Talking the talk is fun, but knowing your heritage is even better. Read More
‘Timeline’ and ‘CardLine’: Quick Games That Teach You Something
I like to challenge myself by testing what I know, and if I get to learn something new in the process, all the better. That’s why I love trivia games. But straight trivia games (‘Trivial Pursuit’ and the like) aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. That’s why I look for games that add some other features or sophistication to the straight facts. Asmodee Games offers exactly that in its ‘Timeline’ and ‘CardLine’ games. Read More
‘Science Comics’: ‘Coral Reefs’ and ‘Dinosaurs’
Kids will be engaged and enjoy learning about dinosaurs and coral reefs with ‘Science Comics.’ Read More
‘Library of Luminaries’: Illustrated Biographies of Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf
Chronicle Books has begun a series of books about important people in history, in relatively short, beautifully illustrated volumes. Though not long, these books contain plenty of detail, painting pictures of the luminaries’ lives. Read More
Canadian Heritage Minutes Turns 25
25 years later, Historica Canada Heritage Minutes are as much a part of Canadian culture as maple syrup and hockey; both of which are profiled in this collection of short films. Read More
Go on an Adventure to Find ‘The Wrong Wrights’
The great folks at Smithsonian Books have begun a new series of graphic novels for the 9-12 age range called ‘Secret Smithsonian Adventures.’ The first book in the series, ‘The Wrong Wrights’ by Chris Kientz and Steve Hockensmith, and illustrated by Lee Nielsen, comes out this week, and I can tell you that it is an entertaining read. Here’s my slightly spoiler-y recap, but I’ll refrain from spoiling the really important stuff. Read More
Geekdad Passport: Bletchley Park
When it comes to World War II, much attention is placed on the battles that took place throughout Europe, sites of monumental confrontations and decisive victories. But some of the most epic battles were fought silently on the grounds of Bletchley Park, a British estate just north of London in the small town of Bletchley. Read More
A History of Computer Entertainment
Recently, at the Christmas party at work, talk turned to our first computers, and from there to the computer games we played back then. “Ah,” says one, “‘Defender of the Crown’ on my Amiga, that was something.” “‘Monkey Island,'” says another. “Those Infocom games,” says I. As we continue reminiscing, I realize that none of my colleagues is aware of ‘The Digital Antiquarian,’ who during the past years has thoroughly researched these and many more computer game classics. Read More
My Favorite Google Doodles from 2015
Google constantly ups the ante for doodles on their page. The Google Doodles began with static artwork replacing the iconic letters G-o-o-g-l-e, but they’ve lifted it to its own art form. For quite a while now, we’ve expected great things from the doodles. The pressure is on, and Google continues to deliver. Read More
Take a Trip to ‘American Places’
Traveling and American history are two of my biggest passions. So visiting locations that are important in history pretty much sums up glee for me. And William Zinsser, author of ‘On Writing Well’ among other books, pulls that all together in his book, ‘American Places.’ Read More
Hamilton: The Story of a Musical and My Six-Year-Old
Growing up, music and musical theater gave me a home and community. Hamilton is helping me gift my son an entrance into this community by using his musical as well as intellectual interests. Read More
Counter-Culture History, 1969-1972: ‘The Smith Tapes’
The 1960s were such a time of obvious change in the United States. Portions of society lost their innocence, while others were empowered. Music often made a statement, and drugs influenced lives. What was life like at the end of that decade, and at the turn of the 1970s? The boundless optimism of earlier in the ’60s had disappeared, and times, they were a’changin’. The best way to learn about a certain time is to go straight to the source. Read More
We Bought Our Sons a New Gaming System…and a History Lesson
Patricia’s sons asked about what it was like to play video games like Pong and Pac-Man in the 1980s. She and her husband decided to show them first-hand. Read More
Megan Lee’s Gorgeous Nerdy Science Art and Flashcards
I’ve had my eye on Megan Lee’s scientist art for quite some time. It’s the perfect mixture of simplicity, unity, and graphics, all with science history as the underlying theme. Most of the scientists she has profiled in art are at least somewhat known if not very well known. But for a few, I actually had to research who they were and what they have done. Read More
