Updated | War History

The Second World War Helped Launch Dick Van Dyke’s Acting Career

Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Sr. in 'Mary Poppins'

Is the fountain of youth real? A lot of movie fans seem to think it is. Actors like Paul Rudd, Jenifer Aniston and, of course,…

Why Do US Navy Sailors Have 13-Button Pants?

Portrait of a US Navy sailor standing with his arms crossed and wearing 13-button pants

Navies across the world have traditions, some dating back hundreds of years. Many are so old that their origins have long since been forgotten. However,…

Polish Scouts Risked Their Lives for the Resistance During World War II

Polish Scouts sitting atop a tank

Poland was one of the earliest casualties of the Second World War. After being invaded by Germany, the country’s government fled and went into exile…

Aloysius Schmitt: The US Navy Chaplain Awarded the Silver Star for Saving 12 Sailors at Pearl Harbor

Rescue crews standing atop the capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) + Military portrait of Aloysius Schmitt

Regardless of religious practices, chaplains are critical to military operations. They support troops, ensure religious needs are met and negotiate peace with local religious leaders.…

The FGM-148 Javelin is Feared and Incredibly Deadly – But How Does it Work?

US cavalryman firing an FGM-148 Javelin while sitting on the ground

The FGM-148 Javelin is part of a line of systems designed to allow infantry to deal with armored targets. This formidable weapon came into service…

The CIA Stole a Soviet Satellite During the Space Race

AI rendering of three CIA agents standing around a stolen Soviet satellite in a wooden crate

The Space Race was an amazing display of technological excellence, but it also doubled as a direct metric for the United States and Soviet Union’s…

Whisky War: The Most Polite Conflict In the History of War

Aerial view of Hans Island + Bottle of Canadian Classic whisky + Danish officers raising the Danish flag

Hans Island is a barren, uninhabited swath of land in the middle of the Kennedy Channel, in the Nares Strait, between Greenland and Ellesmere Island.…

Obscure Military Ranks That No Longer Exist

Little boy looking up at a Royal Marine drum major + Military portrait of Winston Churchill

As the name implies, military ranks are a means of identifying service member’s positions within the military hierarchy; a rank indicates a person’s authority, position,…

Surprising Facts About the Uniforms Soldiers Wore in World War I

Members of the 5th Battalion (Territorial), Gloucestershire Regiment, South Midland Brigade, South Midland Division running with their weapons

From spiked German helmets to steampunk-looking body armor, World War I saw its fair share of strange uniform choices. The conflict was fascinating, as it…

Marcus Luttrell’s Dog Was Shot, so the US Navy SEAL Went ‘John Wick’ on the Culprits

Marcus Luttrell standing among a crowd + DASY sitting on Marcus Luttrell's lap

In a move reminiscent of the John Wick films, retired US Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell took extreme measures to corner the men who’d murdered his…

8 Times the US Was Attacked on Home Soil During World War II

Fu-Go floating over land

Many Americans assume that, prior to 9/11, the US hadn’t suffered an attack on its own soil since Pearl Harbor in World War II. However,…

A Doctor’s Note Allowed Winston Churchill to Circumvent Prohibition in America

Winston Churchill standing in the middle of a crowd

In the relatively short history of the United States, the country has gone through turbulent, violent and just plain crazy times. One of the weirdest…