The Zodiac Killer letters & cryptograms turned the case into an intricate puzzle that has confounded investigators for over half a century.
Vintage newspapers
A rancher near the Roswell crash site sparked the UFO conspiracy theory when he saw flying discs that disappeared and reappeared. Before long, UFO-mania took over the country.
Listen up: You might think our Victorian forebears did everything with grace and elegance, but have you considered that may be fake news? In reality, the dames of high society were basically just influencers.
Felix the Cat cartoon: How the world’s first famous feline charmed the world in the 1920s and beyond
Felix the Cat was a black and white cartoon character who first appeared on movie screens way back in 1919. Created by Pat Sullivan and
Christopher Reeve’s accident was a shock to the nation, but he survived — then he got to work in pursuit of a better life for others in his situation
The original Freaky Friday – 1976 was a role reversal movie that captivated audiences with its charming storyline and witty humor.
With its perfect combination of moist zucchini, crunchy nuts, and fragrant spices, your family is going to love this mouth-watering zucchini nut bread recipe.
Everyone knows the pastel little Valentine’s Day sweets that say Hug Me, Cutie and more. Where did those candy heart sayings come from? Look back here!
When Florence Nightingale died, tributes poured in from around the world — including ones from American sources like this one.
In this interview from the 1960s, actor Dustin Hoffman – newly nominated for an Academy Award – explains why he decided to star in a Broadway play, Jimmy Shine.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a fanciful children’s movie from the ’60s, starred Dick Van Dyke as a crackpot inventor who builds a magical flying car. This classic musical has stayed in the hearts and minds of millions.
We found a treasure trove of letters to Santa dating back to the 1930s (and they are adorable!). Come see what kids were asking for back in the day.
These cookies — and other very similar ones — have many names! Besides pecan fingers, you might find them called German or Austrian vanilla crescent cookies (vanillekipferl), Viennese crescent cookies, sand tarts, pecan crescents, or powdered sugar cookies.
These nutty retro pecan pie cookie bars offer all the sweet devastation of the traditional pecan pie filling, but the crust is a cookie-type base that any novice can produce.
Try this classic chocolate-orange dream cookies recipe from 1994 – an orange-flavored chocolate chip treat that’s similar to the popular white chocolate-orange dream cookies!
Spreckels Mansion – aka The Sugar Palace – was a completely over-the-top late Victorian home, was the luxurious residence of one of San Francisco’s wealthiest men at the time. Take a look back at the original version of this house!
Here’s what it was like to see The Doors in concert back in the 60s & 70s, when the young Los Angeles quartet was strange and poetic and energetic – and on fire.
Look back more than 100 years to see how women wore some popular vintage hats from the early 1900s, and you will get an idea of just how important they were to society back in the day.
The Black Dahlia murder – the savage killing of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short in January of 1947 – was one of the biggest news stories of the 20th century, and continues to fascinate people to this day.
Check out some of the ways home builders incorporated decorative concrete block designs into the walled terraces and indoor design features of mid-century modern homes.
Want to host a throwback celebration, with ideas straight out of the early 1900s? Here’s a menu describing each of the fourteen courses served at a formal dinner party, plus other hosting tips for an event with true Edwardian style.
Tales of courage about people who died on the Titanic fascinate us to this day. Here are stories about some of the ship’s most prominent passengers.
There is no more sordid or cynical chapter in IG Farben’s entire ugly history than the story of the concentration camp it built and ran for itself.
Imagine getting paid to think up the wildest retro-futuristic space-age inventions. Back in the 50s and 60s, that’s what commercial artist Arthur Radebaugh got to do.
The insights and inventions of Dr George Washington Carver – which he gave freely to the world – revolutionized the South, and helped millions out of poverty.
Look back at these D-Day pictures and remember that a German nation with super-race delusions once actually planned to conquer the world.
Millions of people in San Francisco’s East Bay drive by the iconic Orinda Theatre every year, with its neon sign easily visible from the freeway. So what’s its story? Find out more about this California landmark here!
From pretty in pink to bold in black, teen girls put a lot of time and money into finding just the perfect now-vintage ’80s prom dress. Here’s a look at more than a hundred of the styles available back then!
Below are a few photos of actor/assassin John Wilkes Booth, along with some theater advertisements that appeared in newspapers during the years leading up to President’s Lincoln’s murder.
Here are some front pages of newspapers around the country, showing very first breaking Titanic news on the night she sank. There was very little information available at the time, and some news reports were, sadly, completely inaccurate.
Sambo’s Restaurants were popular in the ’60s and ’70s. But as much as people loved the diners, the company name was always a problem. Here’s why.
in 1929, gangsters linked to mobster Al Capone lured eight men into a garage in Chicago, lined them up facing the wall, then opened fire. Here’s the story, plus photos and diagrams.
Revisit the picture-perfect view of the ’50s with the Cleaver family, and their oh-so-retro daily ups and downs on the classic TV show, ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ You’ll also find out how Alfred Hitchcock was involved with this success story!
In the ’30s, Chicago gang leader Al Capone was imprisoned for income tax evasion, and served most of his time on Alcatraz, where he faced constant death threats.
The old Apple QuickTake digital camera was in stores from 1994 to 1997. There were three models – the 100, 150 and 200 – and offered a 640×480 image resolution.
Remember apple head dolls – the early American craft with folk art roots that became popular again in the ’60s and ’70s? Find out how to make these shrunken apple dolls, and more about the art of dollmaking.
If you love the tangy taste of pineapple, and have been hoping to find some delicious old-fashioned pineapple upside-down cake recipes, you just need to look back a few decades!
Despite a slow start, by the mid-’80s, REO Speedwagon’s hit singles ‘Keep On Loving You’ and ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ had topped the charts, and they were known across the globe. Here’s the story.
The Cadillac innovation mentioned herein was a two-speed rear axle, combined with a door-mounted, electrically-operated shifter which allowed the driver to change the rear axle
When the infamous zeppelin airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed as it was landing in New Jersey back in 1937, the spectacular disaster was caught on film and audio. Here’s how it went down.
To this day, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York on March 25, 1911, remains the deadliest industrial disaster in the city’s history,
On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 took off for the moon – a historic mission for Americans, and for people all around the globe. See vintage newspaper headlines from that day here!
Today’s toddlers ride in style in the sleek and racy, brightly-colored, low-slung plastic numbers like the vintage Big Wheel from Marx – that whiz, spin, skid, slide, race and even roar.
When it came to parenting the ’40s, were moms too easy on their kids? Was being a parent harder than the generation before? Here’s what people said in 1940.
In June 1919, a peace treaty with Germany was signed in France, and formally brought an end to the Great War, which we now call World War I.
Many critics were surprised that the ‘Emergency!’ TV show was a success. One factor for sure: actors Randy Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, who played paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto, made indelible impressions on viewers.
Dog Day Afternoon is considered one of the greatest movies of the 1970s, and features a stellar lead performance by Al Pacino. And as fictional as the premise sounded, it was based on a real story. Here’s the scoop..
Try these old-fashioned buttermilk coolers with easy recipes that are fast to make, delicious, and a cool alternative to plain fruit juice, soda, punches or milkshakes.
In 1927, dozens of people tried to break the coffee-drinking record. In just over a month, the cup count went from 71 to a San Francisco man who more than doubled that number.
In the summer of the ’80s and ’90s, vintage jelly shoes were the fashionable fad footwear. The popular jellies were made of plastic and came in vibrant, often translucent, colors… but they weren’t exactly made for comfort.
From the middle of the destruction after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, these detailed accounts of the damage were published in the city’s newspaper the very next morning.
The important events described here were the beginning of the end of the Civil War, though the official declaration was signed on May 10, 1865.
