History
Follow the latest History news, videos, and analysis from ABC News.
February 8, 2025 at 4:40 AM

Classified JFK assassination files could be released soon. Here's why

JFK assassination files are one step closer to possible public release per a President Trump executive order to declassify them.
February 8, 2025 at 4:40 AM
President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and others smile at the crowds lining their motorcade route in Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963.
February 6, 2025 at 6:58 AM

AI and scientists unite to decipher old scrolls charred by the Vesuvius volcano

U.K. scientists say they have made a historic breakthrough by making the first image of the inside of a scroll carbonized by a volcanic eruption 2,000 years ago
February 6, 2025 at 6:58 AM
This undated image made available by Vesuvius Challenge shows an X-ray scan of part of papyrus scroll PHerc.172, showing the word 'disgust', one of hundreds of papyrus scrolls found amid the remains of a lavish villa at the Roman town of Herculaneum, which along with neighboring Pompeii was destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. (Vesuvius Challenge via AP)
January 30, 2025 at 4:20 PM

The oldest evidence for lead pollution comes from ancient Greece

Researchers have found the oldest known evidence of lead pollution dating to around 5,200 years ago in ancient Greece
January 30, 2025 at 4:20 PM
FILE - A woman poses for a photo in front Caryatid statues that prop up the porch of the 5th century B.C. Erechtheion temple, as at the background is seen smoke from a fire , during a hot, windy day at Acropolis hill, in Athens, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
January 23, 2025 at 10:08 PM

2,000-year-old Greek marble statue found discarded in the trash, police say

Greek authorities investigating the statue's mysterious appearance say it dates back to the Hellenistic period between 323 B.C. and 31 B.C.
January 23, 2025 at 10:08 PM
A statue from the Hellenistic period found in an area of ​​Thessaloniki, Greece.
January 22, 2025 at 7:01 PM

New Orleans official gives update on historic snowstorm on Gulf Coast

Collin Arnold, New Orleans Homeland Security Director, talks about the once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm that hit the Gulf Coast this week.
January 22, 2025 at 7:01 PM
VIDEO: New Orleans official gives update on historic snowstorm on Gulf Coast
1 month ago

Local landmarks lost and damaged by raging Los Angeles fires

As fires continue to burn through Southern California, some of the region's landmarks have been burned or destroyed by the blazes.
1 month ago
A Berkshire Hathaway office is left in smoldering ashes during the Palisade fire in the Palisade village area of the Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 8, 2025.
2 months ago

Prehistoric mastodon jaw found in backyard of New York home

A backyard in Orange County, New York, became the site of an incredible discovery of a complete mastodon jaw -- the first find like it in New York in more than 11 years.
2 months ago
A backyard in Orange County, New York, became the site of an incredible discovery of a complete mastodon jaw -- the first find like it in New York in more than 11 years.
2 months ago

Neanderthals likely began 'mixing' with modern humans later than previously thought

Scientists have pinpointed a time frame in which Neanderthals began "mixing" with modern humans, based on DNA of early inhabitants of Europe.
2 months ago
Around 45,000 years ago, individuals from Ranis in Germany and Zlatý kůň in Czechia likely traveled together across the open steppe landscapes of Europe.
2 months ago

Remembering Motorcycle Mary

Mary McGee, who became the first woman to compete in grueling motocross races in the U.S. and internationally, died this week at age 87.
2 months ago
VIDEO: Remembering Motorcycle Mary
3 months ago

Capt. Lacie Hester shot down an Iranian fleet of drones. She earned the Silver Star

The Air Force's first female airman received the Silver Star for her role in shooting down dozens of Iranian drones headed to Israel.
3 months ago
U.S. Air Force Capt. Lacie Hester, 494th Fighter Squadron F-15E weapon systems operator, is congratulated by fellow decoration recipients after receiving the Silver Star during a ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, England, Nov. 12, 2024.
3 months ago

Malcolm X's family files $100 million lawsuit, claims cover-up of his murder

Malcolm X’s daughter and her lawyers announced they filed a $100 million lawsuit against the US government on Friday for the assassination of the Black resistance leader.
3 months ago
Malcolm X gestures during a speech at a rally.
3 months ago

Well-preserved remains of saber-toothed kitten found frozen in Russian tundra

Scientists have discovered a pristine fossil of a mummified saber-toothed kitten that had been frozen in the Russian tundra for about 37,000 years.
3 months ago
A sabre tooth tiger is pictured in this illustration.
3 months ago

Survivor of Tulsa Race Massacre celebrates her 110th birthday

Lessie Benningfield Randle, one of the two last known living survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, celebrated her 110th birthday on Nov. 10.
3 months ago
Hughes Van Ellis, 100, Lessie Benningfield Randle, 106, also known as Mother Randle, and Viola Fletcher, 107, the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre and older sister of Van Ellis, attend the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival 2021 in Tulsa, Okla., May 28, 2021.
3 months ago

The alleged plot to steal Elvis’ Graceland

ABC News’ Josh Margolin explains how Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie Presley, was used in a fraud scheme to steal the King of Rock and Roll’s iconic Graceland home.
3 months ago
VIDEO: The alleged plot to steal Elvis’ Graceland
4 months ago

Members of 'Little Rock Nine' reflect on 70 years since Brown v. Board of Education

The "Little Rock Nine" were the first African American students to attend Little Rock Central High School following Brown v. Board.
4 months ago
Nine Black students attending Central High School are shown leaving the school under protection of Federalized Arkansas National Guardsmen, Oct. 9, 1957, in Little Rock, Ark.
4 months ago

Tropicana Hotel imploded after 67 years on Las Vegas Strip

The historic hotel and casino in Las Vegas was imploded in a controlled blast overnight to make way for a new ballpark for the Las Vegas Athletics.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Tropicana Hotel imploded at 67 years
4 months ago

US WWII bomb explodes at Japanese airport

A U.S. bombshell, likely dropped during WWII, exploded near a runway at a Japanese airport, causing nearly 90 flight cancellations.
4 months ago
4 months ago

US WWII bomb explodes at Japanese airport

A U.S. bombshell, likely dropped during WWII, exploded near a runway at a Japanese airport, causing nearly 90 flight cancellations.
4 months ago
VIDEO: US WWII bomb explodes at Japanese airport
5 months ago

A Vietnam War pilot vanished over 50 years ago. His remains have just been identified

The remains of a Vietnam War pilot who went missing while flying over the jungles of Vietnam in 1972 have finally been found and identified more than 50 years later.
5 months ago
The remains of a Vietnam War pilot who went missing while flying over the jungles of northern Vietnam in 1972 have finally been found and identified more than 50 years after his disappearance, officials said.
5 months ago

Fossil site found by happenstance likely to produce several new dinosaur species

A new species of dinosaur has been identified more than a decade after a large number of ancient skeletons were found in Spain
5 months ago
A new species of titanosaur -- a type of large, long-necked dinosaur -- has been discovered near Cuenca, Spain.
5 months ago

New species of titanosaur identified amid group of ancient skeletons found in Spain

Researchers expect to find more fossils and more new species from the same site.
5 months ago
New species of titanosaur identified amid group of ancient skeletons found in Spain
5 months ago

Titanic photo expedition reveals 'significant' changes to shipwreck, new discoveries

Among the discoveries in the July mission, was a "significant" change to the Titanic's silhouette.
5 months ago
 New images of the Titanic from a recent RMS Titanic, Inc expedition shows for the first time a portion of the railing on the ship’s bow has fallen off.
5 months ago

New images of Titanic revealed

A recent underwater expedition revealed the railing on the ship’s bow has fallen off after 112 years as well as images of the Diana of Versailles statue that was on display in first class.
5 months ago
VIDEO: New images of Titanic revealed
5 months ago

4-year-old boy accidentally smashes 3,500-year-old jar at museum

A 4-year-old boy accidentally smashed a Bronze Age jar during a visit to a museum in Israel on Friday, the museum said.
5 months ago
A Bronze Age jar is seen smashed at the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel, Aug. 23, 2024.
6 months ago

A rare landing on the south pole of the moon led to this scientific discovery

There was once a magma-filled ocean on the south pole of the moon, scientists recently discovered after analyzing lunar soil.
6 months ago
Fields of dark rock left by volcanic eruptions, mistaken for huge seas, were named "maria." Some of them make up the Man in the Moon's face.
6 months ago

Meet Gnatalie: Paleontologist discusses preparing new dinosaur species for display

Nate Smith talks about Gnatalie, believed to belong to the herbivore species of long-neck dinosaurs, before her Los Angeles debut.
6 months ago
Gnatalie is believed to belong to a previously undiscovered herbivore species of long-neck dinosaurs.
6 months ago

Exploring life at a Japanese internment camp through lens of a woman who was there

ABC News' Juju Chang travels to Camp Amache, a former Japanese internment camp, and speaks with Carlene Tinker, a Camp Amache survivor, about her experience as a prisoner there.
6 months ago
VIDEO:  Exploring life at a Japanese internment camp through lens of a woman who was there
6 months ago

Pompeii archaeologists discover remains of 2 bodies with 'cache of treasure'

The discovery was made in Region IX, Insula 10 in Pompeii, as a part of a larger excavation to secure the edge of the ancient site.
6 months ago
Archeologists discovered the remains of a man and a woman during the recent excavations of Region IX, Insula 10 in Pompeii.
6 months ago

Ed Helms talks new podcast season based on historical mistakes

ABC News' Trevor Ault speaks with comedian Ed Helms about season two of his award-winning podcast "Snafu," based on the burglary that exposed J. Edgar Hoover's secret illegal FBI program.
6 months ago
VIDEO: Ed Helms talks new podcast season based on historical mistakes
6 months ago

ABC News' Pierre Thomas visits plantation where his family was enslaved

ABC News is the "10 Million Names" project's exclusive media partner, which helped ABC News' Pierre Thomas trace his West Virginia roots.
6 months ago
Pierre Thomas' journey to uncover family history of enslavement.
6 months ago

Complex life forms may have existed 1.5 billion years earlier than believed: Study

A team of researchers challenged the belief that complex life forms first emerged on Earth 635 million years ago, saying life may have existed 1.5 billion years before.
6 months ago
The team’s research provides strong validation for the biological affinity of the lobate macrofossils whose validity has been widely debated in the scientific community.
7 months ago

After dinosaur skeleton 'Apex' sells for $44M, debate sparks over private buyers

A stegosaurus skeleton known as "Apex" was recently sold at auction for $44 million. It has sparked a debate over whether private buyers should be allowed to own fossils.
7 months ago
Press preview for 'Apex' The 150-Million-Year-Old Stegosaurus at Sotheby's auction house, July 10, 2024.
7 months ago

100 bottles of champagne discovered in 19th-century shipwreck

The shipwreck was discovered in the Baltic Sea, about 20 nautical miles off the Swedish coast, by a team of Polish technical divers from the group Baltictech.
7 months ago
Baltictech divers discovered a 19th-century shipwreck off the coast of Sweden.
7 months ago

Divers discover 100 bottles of champagne in 19th-century shipwreck

The shipwreck was discovered in the Baltic Sea, about 20 nautical miles off the Swedish coast, by a team of Polish technical divers from the group Baltictech.
7 months ago
The shipwreck was discovered in the Baltic Sea, about 20 nautical miles off the Swedish coast, by a team of Polish technical divers from the group Baltictech.
7 months ago

Early humans likely prompted the demise of woolly mammoths and other ancient species

Early humans may have played a significant role in the demise of one of the most iconic ancient species -- the woolly mammoth -- and others like it, scientists say.
7 months ago
The early Ice Age, when mammoths roamed the Earth and Man was arising, 1907.
7 months ago

Early humans likely prompted the demise of woolly mammoths: Study

The researchers used AI to track ecosystem changes through fossil records.
7 months ago
The researchers used AI to track ecosystem changes through fossil records.
7 months ago

Navy exonerates 256 Black sailors unjustly court-martialed in WWII Port Chicago blast

The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors who had been unjustly court-martialed following the World War II-era Port Chicago explosion that killed hundreds.
7 months ago
This view of the effects of the July 17, 1944 explosions looks north, showing the wreckage of Building A-7 (Joiner Shop) in the center and munitions pier beyond, at Port Chicago, Calif.
7 months ago

This dinosaur skeleton just became the most expensive ever sold at auction

A nearly-complete Stegosaurus skeleton, nicknamed "Apex", sold on Wednesday for record $44.6M at a Sotheby's auction in New York.
7 months ago
Press preview for 'Apex' The 150-Million-Year-Old Stegosaurus at Sotheby's auction house, July 10, 2024.
7 months ago

Artists draw inspiration from Disney during the Holocaust

Israeli Holocaust museum Yad Vashem will debut a collection of Disney-themed artwork this Monday.
7 months ago
Fourteen-year-old Henri Kichka created this painting of Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” just months before his entire family perished in the Holocaust.
7 months ago

Founders fought against 'elected king' when framing presidential powers: Historians

The Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity goes against all of the principles the Constitution's framers pushed for, historians and legal experts argued.
7 months ago
Signing of the Constitution of the USA. 1787.
7 months ago

Survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre call on Biden to open investigation into 1921 attack

Attorneys for the two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre are calling on President Joe Biden to open an investigation into the massacre.
7 months ago
Owner of Ben's Chili Bowl Virginia Ali and Queen Mother and Founder of the VFF Foundation, Viola Ford Fletcher attend the Oldest Living Tulsa Oklahoma Massacre Survivors Celebrated And Book Cover Revealing at The City Club of Washington on Feb.28, 2023 in Washington, DC.
7 months ago

Celebrating the American spirit in Minneapolis

"GMA" explores Saint Anthony Main, its history and gets a lesson in swing dancing.
7 months ago
VIDEO: Celebrating the American spirit in Minneapolis
7 months ago

Last 2 survivors from Tulsa Race Massacre move forward in reparations fight

The two remaining Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, Viola Fletcher, 110, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, continue to pursue reparations after the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their case.
7 months ago
VIDEO: Last two survivors from Tulsa Race Massacre move forward in reparations fight
7 months ago

Tulsa Race Massacre survivors call on Biden to open investigation into massacre

Attorneys for the two remaining survivors of the massacre are calling to open an investigation after the Oklahoma Supreme Court decided to dismiss the survivors’ lawsuit that sought reparations.
7 months ago
Attorneys for the two remaining survivors of the massacre are calling to open an investigation after the Oklahoma Supreme Court decided to dismiss the survivors’ lawsuit that sought reparations.
7 months ago

55 years later, Stonewall uprising veteran reflects on LGBTQ progress

The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, which opened to the public Friday, is the first LGBTQ visitor center in the National Park Service.
7 months ago
Stonewall Pioneer and Founding Partner of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center Mark Segal was 18 years old when he took part in the Stonewall Uprising in 1969.
8 months ago

What scientists learned from a skull of a Neanderthal child with Down syndrome

Fossils from the skull of a Neanderthal child that likely had Down syndrome shed light into the communal caregiving that likely aided in the child's survival.
8 months ago
Fossilized fragments from a Neanderthal child’s ear bear congenital malformations that are consistent with Down Syndrome, researchers say.
8 months ago

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson speaks out on racism he experienced playing in Alabama

Being back at Rickwood Field brought back painful memories for MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who detailed the racism he experienced there.
8 months ago
Baseball legend Reggie Jackson attends the 18th Annual Harold and Carole Pump Foundation Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Aug. 10, 2018 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
8 months ago

Ancient fossil of crocodile-like reptile discovered in Brazil

Parvosuchus aurelioi dates back 237 million years and is the first small, predatory reptile of its kind to be found in Brazil.
8 months ago
Parvosuchus aurelioi dates back 237 million years and is the first small, predatory reptile of its kind to be found in Brazil.
8 months ago

Paleontologists discover fossils of new crocodile-like reptile species

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of ancient crocodile-like reptile that once roamed the lands and waters of Brazil.
8 months ago
Artistic reconstruction of two individuals of Parvosuchus aurelioi in a Triassic landscape.
8 months ago

New horned dinosaur species discovered

Lokiceratops rangiformis lived about 78 million years ago, researchers said.
8 months ago
Lokiceratops rangiformis lived about 78 million years ago, researchers said.