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The History Of The Global Economy Since 1,000,000 B.C.
I construct estimates of world GDP over the very long run by combining estimates of total human populations with largely-Malthusian estimates of levels of real GDP per capita.PopulationI take my...
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Archeologists Have Found A Trove Of Hidden Paintings At The Ancient Temple Of...
Each year, millions of visitors flock to Angkor Wat, an ancient temple in modern-day Cambodia. There, they marvel at the 900-year-old towers, a giant moat and the shallow relief sculptures of Hindu...
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9 Peculiar Events From The Past 500 Years Of Finance
If you are like most people, you learned history in classes that largely covered facts related to dates, places, and people ... and you probably couldn’t wait until the school bell rang.Sadly,...
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11 Shockingly Accurate Predictions From Nostradamus
French apothecary and purported prophet Nostradamus may have his skeptics, but you can't deny his ideas have staying power.He wrote his first book, "Les Propheties," in 1555, and publishing companies...
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These Charts Reveal How Best-Selling Novels Have Changed Over Time
If you've ever wondered how best-selling authors went from Elinor Dashwood to Bella Swan, math — believe it or not — can help.Tyler Vigen, the statistician who brought us hilarious spurious...
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A Rare Look At The Ornate Interior Of The Woolworth Building
The nine-story penthouse at the iconic Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan is expected to hit the market for a record $110 million.The new unit is one of 34 apartments being developed by Alchemy...
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These Crossword Clues Nearly Gave Away The D-Day Invasion
Seventy years ago, the British Intelligence agency MI5 flew into a panic when agents noticed that key code names from the top secret D-Day operation were appearing in The Daily Telegraph's crossword...
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Here's The Incredible Cover Letter Leonardo Da Vinci Wrote In The 1480s
Even a Renaissance man is occasionally on the job hunt.Such was the case back in the 1480s, when a young Leonardo da Vinci was coming up in Florence.Born the lowly son of a notary, da Vinci couldn't...
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Here Is The Original Associated Press Report From The D-Day Invasion
EDITOR'S NOTE:The newsflash came on a slip of paper in a red-and-white striped courier pouch: "EISENHOWERS HEADQUARTERS ANNOUNCES ALLIES LAND IN FRANCE."The Associated Press had some two dozen writers...
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How The 'Friday The 13th' Superstition Got Started
Fear of Friday the 13th, also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia, plagues our society. The diagnosis brings together "Frigg," a Norse goddess and Friday's namesake, and "triskaidekaphobia," fear of the...
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Side-By-Side Photos Show The Evolution Of New York City
If a picture is worth a thousands words, then amateur photographer Cora Drimus' latest project speaks volumes about the history of New York City.Drimus created the video "Once Upon a Time in New York"...
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Here's The Story Behind How 'Under God' Was Added To The Pledge Of Allegiance
As red-blooded Americans, we all know the Pledge of Allegiance. Most schools require students to recite it before the day's classes begin. But the 31-word passage has evolved over time. Most people...
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23 Awesome Pictures Of LA's Skateboarder Scene In The 1970s
Skateboarding culture exploded in Los Angeles in the 1970s, and photographer Hugh Holland was on hand to capture the freewheeling lives of the city's skateboarders starting in 1975.Holland's "Angels"...
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Pretty Much All Carrots Used To Be Purple
The modern day orange carrot wasn’t cultivated until Dutch growers in the late 16th century took mutant strains of the purple carrot and gradually developed them into the sweet, plump, orange variety...
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BEFORE THE CRASH: Here's What It Was Like When 'Everyone' In America Was Rich
Looking back on it now, the years leading up to the Lehman collapse seem like a dream.This was the era when:-- Your friend who had majored in English went to work for an investment bank.-- Your parents...
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The 12 Mathematicians Who Unlocked The Modern World
Mathematics is an increasingly central part of our world and an immensely fascinating realm of thought.But long before the development of the math that gave us computers, quantum mechanics, and GPS...
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An Extra Period In The Declaration Of Independence Might Change Our...
The Declaration Of Independence made the United States an autonomous country 238 years ago this Fourth of July.But the document's official transcript, produced by the National Archives, might contain a...
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There Is One Incredibly British Thing About 'The Star-Spangled Banner'
As American cultural heritage goes, there may be nothing more American than our flag and national anthem. And on the Fourth of July, we're acutely aware of that.But if you look back at the history of...
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The Beautiful Evolution Of The American Flag
The first officially recognized version of the American flag, from 1776, had 13 stars — in a circle. Although even before the U.S. became an autonomous nation, Americans had a banner to display their...
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BEFORE THE BOOM: 45 Vintage Photos Of Macau Before It Became A Gambling Mecca
Macau is home to the biggest, most lavish casinos in the world.Among the crazier facts about Macau recently: growth has averaged around 19% for a decade; in 2006 Macau’s casino revenues surpassed...
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