Saddam Hussein

On This Day: Iraq Invades Kuwait, Leading to Persian Gulf War

On Aug. 2, 1990, Iraqi soldiers invaded the Gulf state of Kuwait in the early morning hours, precipitating the start of the Persian Gulf...

Frozen in Time: A Look at Time Capsules

Time capsules allow their creators to freeze moments in time and communicate those moments to future generations. They encourage a dialogue with history, and...

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Today

The first installment of the serial “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” appeared in a periodical on June 5, 1851. The serial’s popularity was so immense that...

Three Kansas HS Students “Changed Poland and Changed the World”

Can students really change the world? In 1999, in connection with a National History Day project, three Kansas high school students wrote a play that drastically...

Understanding Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice this year will fall on December 21, but what exactly is a solstice? Learn more about how this astronomical event has been...

Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time?

Why do we fall back one hour in the autumn, and spring ahead one hour in the spring? Most U.S. residents dutifully set their clocks...

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Today, Memorial Day is part of the three-day weekend each May that signals the beginning of summer, and is marked by beach trips and...

On This Day: United States Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima

On Aug. 6, 1945, U.S. war plane Enola Gay dropped “Little Boy,” a 8,900-pound atomic bomb, on Hiroshima, Japan. Within eight days, Japan surrendered,...

On This Day: Congress Passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Authorizing Vietnam War

On Aug. 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution based on what is now widely believed to be faulty intelligence, plunging the...

Helpful Ways to Get Boys to Read

Nationwide, more boys than girls seem to be struggling with reading. Here are five tips from teachers, librarians, authors and literacy strategists to encourage...