How the Donner Party Worked
While stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains, members of the Donner Party resorted to cannibalism in an effort to survive the harsh winter of 1846. Learn more about the fact and fiction of the Donner...
12 Aug 200810min
How the Berlin Wall Worked
The Berlin Wall divided a country and a city, but it had a purpose. Learn more about its history and how JFK and Barack Obama fit into the picture in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more a...
6 Aug 20088min
How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work
On July 7, 2007, the new seven wonders of the world were chosen by more than 100 million voters. But whatever happened to the original seven? Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article, 'How the Seven W...
4 Aug 20089min
What's Mutual Assured Destruction?
During the Cold War, both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. stockpiled weapons, eventually holding enough power to destroy the world several times over. Yet neither side actually used these weapons. Learn mor...
30 Jul 20084min
Why was tax evasion the only thing pinned on Al Capone?
Al Capone was a king among criminals, and 'kept his hands clean,' maintaining plausible deniability by avoiding direct connections to illegal activity. He never paid taxes -- and this came back to hau...
28 Jul 20084min
Why did England and Spain fight over an ear?
When the Spanish Coast Guard caught English Captain Jenkins smuggling, they cut off his ear as punishment. Could this insult have sent two countries to war? Check out our HowStuffWorks article to lear...
23 Jul 20084min
Did Nero really play the fiddle while Rome burned?
In A.D. 64, a great fire consumed Rome for six days and seven nights. Some rumors speculated that Nero set the fire, and even played a fiddle as the city burned. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to...
21 Jul 20083min
Why was Davy Crockett king of the wild frontier?
Davy Crockett is one of America's great real-life legends. With a little help from Walt Disney, Crockett experienced a resurgence in popularity more than 100 years after his death. Check out our HowSt...
16 Jul 20083min
