An Illustrated History of American Money Design
It’s not just paper. From the first notes issued by the Continental Congress to the latest star-spangled bills released…
The Weird, Sketchy History of Internet Cafes
Internet cafes started as coffee shops where you could check email. But over the years, people turned them into dens…
Gizmodo Staffers Confess Their Family Secrets for Secret History Week
It’s been an amazing week of secret histories on Gizmodo, and we wanted to finish up by sharing our own secret…
The Gruesome History of the Galapagos Islands' Nietzsche-Fueled Homesteader Death Showdown
The Galapagos Islands are best known for their giant tortoises, but they’re also the site of one of the most bizarre…
The Absurd History of Nike Air Technology
Like many soul-searching 1990s adolescents, I was obsessed with Nike Air technology. I’d pore over the latest…
Princesses, Slaves, and Explosives: The Scandalous Origin of Vaccines
The history of inoculation may sound a little dry, but it’s really an epic tale of human trafficking, semi-illicit…
The Caves that Held a Secret Hungarian Aircraft Factory During World War II
In 1944 and 1945, the Allies were attacking the last supporter of Nazi Germany. Tens of thousands of tons of bombs were…
What Drives an Astronaut to Strike?
Astronauts work incredibly hard, putting in long hours in unnatural, difficult conditions. But sometimes they get…
The Secret History of Whiteness
What the hell does it mean for a person to be white?
Badass Historical Chemists: The Woman Behind Antoine Lavoisier
Antoine Lavoisier is deservedly considered one of the great chemists in history. We might not know of his experiments…
The Reservoir That Made the World Pay Attention to California's Drought
Do you remember where you were when you first realized the severity of the drought in the Western US? I would guess…
This Chemist Discovered How to Salvage Useless Photos with a Dash of Radioactivity
When NASA hired chemist Barbara Askins to salvage the photos they were getting back from astronauts, they never…
The US Military Used Lasers to Shoot Down a Drone in 1973
Lasers are the future of warfare. So it might come as a surprise to many Americans that the US military first used a…
Half the World's Natural History Specimens Might Have the Wrong Name
The next time you visit a natural history museum, don’t believe everything you see. At least that’s according to Oxford…
It's Secret History Week on Gizmodo and io9
You’ve heard the official histories of your country, your computers, and your shoes. But do you know what really…
Australia's Secret History as a White Utopia
Today, the majority of Australians take pride in being part of a multicultural, multiethnic society. But much like the…
How did the First Crewed Orbital American Spaceflight get its Name?
When John Glenn blasted off in Friendship 7, he created history as the first American to orbit our planet. But how did…