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How did the Kentucky Derby get started? Now, the famous Louisville horse race is the first part of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, but when it started, people didn’t know how important and iconic the Derby would eventually become. Here’s a look back at its history.
Remember vintage TV dinners — shiny foil trays filled with delicious-looking dinner delights, waiting in the freezer for a special night? Plus find out the history of TV dinners!
What’s the history of Groundhog Day — February 2 each year — and what is the connection to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? Find out here!
Here’s a look back at 100 years of vintage Fostoria glass – from candelabra to stemware, in clear crystal or a rainbow of colorful hues – that people have been using and collecting for generations.
These vintage tips to identify antique silver come from the 1940s – and include diagrams, descriptions and photos of lots of vintage silverwork.
How was vintage July 4th celebrated in the past? It varied a lot over the decades, but early on, there was cannon fire, great communal feasts in the village green, and all kinds of noisemakers and thundering sounds.
Juneteenth is a celebration of Black freedom. The celebration fell out of favor for decades, and has made a couple of comebacks. Find out more here!
Since his death more than 150 years ago, people have wanted to know more about our 16th president, and one way to do that is by looking closely at pictures of Abraham Lincoln.
Old toys collectively reflect the fun & creativity that drove playtime way back when, and we have collected dozens of photo examples for your nostalgic enjoyment!
Many well-known serial killers don’t quite compare to the exploits of Herman Webster Mudgett, alias Dr H H Holmes, perhaps one of the most fiendish mass murderers in American history. See diagrams of his infamous murder house, and images of his victims.
In her short, but impactful life, Patsy Cline managed to change the landscape of country music forever. Read on for feature stories and photos about the famed singer, both before and after her death.
Reel-to-reel tape recorders hit the commercial market in the 1940s — and their evolution was boosted by the financial support of none other than Bing Crosby, who saw great potential in the technology.
Join us as we explore the fascinating history of George Washington’s life – a true testament to the power of determination, leadership, and an unwavering belief in the potential of a young nation.
The story of the Titanic sinking is a tragedy that has captivated audiences for over a century. Despite the passage of time, our fascination with the event and its aftermath has hardly diminished.
The man behind the famous Hell Gate Brewery, George Ehret, wasn’t just a business success — he was a success as a human. Find out more about his story!
Did a lie and nine blank cartridges win independence for America? The war ended at Yorktown. It was there, on October 19, 1781, that Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. Find out more of the story here!
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.
Olc cash register history goes back to the Victorian era, and were used to both streamline accounting, and to keep cashiers from stealing money. Find out more here!
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!
Here, see what experts then were saying a century ago about how the height of women has changed over the years. They suggested that women were indeed growing taller – and modern data backs that up.
This is a detailed account of what would come to be known as The Battle of the Wilderness, which was the first battle of Grant’s
These vintage images of the 19th century San Francisco skyline vividly portray how the California city by the Bay changed over a few short decades in the 1800s. Take a look back at how the city grew and grew and grew.
Mosey on over and meet William Cody, who was known in these parts for his Buffalo Bill’s Wild West & Congress of Rough Riders of the World exhibitions. Yee haw!
If you’ve been on social media and have been seeing the term ‘sea shanties’ a lot lately, get the basics here about these old songs that have been around for centuries.
When the old Victrola record players were first introduced, those turntables were some cutting-edge tech. Here’s a look at the history of the famous Victor Talking Machines!
The dance music of the Edison Phonograph is irresistible. It offers the most fascinating waltzes and spirited two-steps of the world’s, great composers as well as the popular dance music of the hour.
Many of today’s Halloween costumes and the tales of pirate treasure we all know can be traced back to the life and times of the very real person, Captain Kidd. But where is his treasure?
What’s the history of golf balls? The first ones were made of leather of untanned bull’s hide – but golf balls have changed a lot over the years. Here’s a look!
Here is one theory about how the Liberty Bell was cracked, according to an old man who confessed to breaking the famous bell when he was just a boy.
Even today, there are ships buried under downtown San Francisco that you might walk over, on land reclaimed from the Bay thanks to the Gold Rush.
What is a mansard roof home – or a Second Empire-style house? Find out here, and take a look at more than 20 beautiful examples!
What’s the history of avocados – and where did these funny-looking things come from? Get the amazing avocado’s story here, and find out about their earlier name.
April Fools’ Day is an old, old holiday – and was even pretty ancient when this history was written back in the 1800s. Find out more about this day of fools here!
The most dramatic and best-known story of railroading in the United States is the connecting of the Atlantic and the Pacific by railroad in 1869, tying of the oceans together by rail across the heart of the United States
The ghosts and goblins, witches and spirits that are so much a part of every October now, have their roots in superstitions from many centuries ago. Here’s a look at the strange history of Halloween!
The first article here takes a look back at the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 100 years later, from 1905.
I am at loss for the proper word to use to describe what television has done with Haley’s book Roots. “Enhance” will not do, nor is “heightened” sufficient. There is no word that is adequate.
Son the crooks and turnings and devious wanderings of Old Boston landmarks and byways would be nothing more than a memory of the past.
The popular and highly-acclaimed ‘Little House on the Prairie’ TV series was based on the beloved books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, about the pioneer days.
The Boston Tea Party resulted from at least four important historical factors, and was, in fact, the catalyst for the Revolutionary war for independence.
See inside an old general store in Oregon that sold everything pioneers needed — from food to tools, shoes to stoves.
Find out about the lost silent film, ‘The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln,’ which was said to offer a vibrant, realistic look into the life of the beloved 16th President.
The chronicles of the Pilgrims, describing their arrival in Cape Cod Bay in December, 1620, refer to the first Christmas spent by them in America:
This widely-beloved cartoon music video for ‘I’m Just A Bill’ came out in 1975 as part of Schoolhouse Rock, a memorable series of animated shorts that ran with the Saturday morning cartoons.
How did America get its name? The man from whom the continents got their names was an especially fascinating character of the late 15th century.
An archaeologist discovered that the ‘buffalo wallows’ are actually the ruins of underground dwellings where lived a Native American/American Indian group that vanished thousands of years ago.
Here are images showing New York City’s growth from a frontier settlement known as New Amsterdam to the metropolis of the western world –through the Colonial times, and in the early days of US independence.
Did you ever think that every first or last name must originally have meant something? It originally meant something, and was intended to be applicable to the person who first bore it.
Who invented the sewing machine? That really depends on how much progress has to be made for something to be considered ‘invented.’ Find out more!
It is hard to believe that only two centuries ago, Chicago was a lonely marshland of trees and tall grass, a place with an abundance of wild onions, from which the Iroquois gave it its name, Chicagou.
19th century clothes: Fashion’s evolution in one century Shown by Dorothy Tennant, The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, California) August 17, 1902 The evolution of
In the legend of the unicorn, the beast is represented by heraldic usage as having the head and body of a horse, with the tail of a lion, and the limbs and hoofs of a stag; a twisted horn grows out from the center of its forehead.
Here’s a look back from 1964 at the career of “American folk hero” Thomas Edison.
Jazz has remarkable history as a fad (from 1919) Starting twenty years ago in New Orleans, it has swept from coast to coast and is
The secret past of drug addicts (1974) By Robert Kirsch — The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) November 8, 1974 “Every generation assumes that
This look into the origins of many common last names offers a peek into the past, and might even be some help in tracking down
So you’re a Johnson: About this surname It’s a mighty clan, outnumbered only by the Smiths. Meet some members worth claiming as kinfolk and a
Delmonico’s was a popular restaurant during the Victorian era, which expanded into ten different locations over the years. Not only was the eatery famous, it
Her mother had the byline on all the books in the hugely-popular Little House on the Prairie series, but many thought that Rose Wilder Lane
“Pretty” a variation of the name “Pratt” by Elanor Lexington Pratt is a name derived from the Latin pratum — a meadow. Platt has the
The history of the last name Jones In Wales, Jones is the most common of surnames, and throughout Great Britain and the United States more
The surname Price Price is a name of Welsh origin, one of the interesting names formed from the Welsh “ap” meaning “son of,” used before
The surname Carr The Carr family, members of which can boast that one of them came over in the Mayflower, and that five other members
The surnames Hinton & Hunton The theory is that the Hintons and Huntons were all originally of the same stock. Presumably Hunton was the older
How Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton recorded history (1893) The Herald (Los Angeles, California) December 17, 1893 “If you want to know how
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Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Now that you know, have fun looking around!
