In the bitter winter of January 1692, Arctic air hovered over the coastal community, trapping the snow-capped village in a perpetual state of bone-chilling temperatures. But within the bleakness, a new kind of fear also settled over Salem. The trouble began in the parsonage. One morning...

Beyond the front iron gates and down a path, impeccably lined with trees, stands an impressive fortress with magnificent masonry, precise rows of oversized windows, and a dignified clock tower visible for miles. The landscape surrounding this edifice is spectacular, featuring verdant lawns...

Warm, humid, salty air hovered over the city like a blanket. The unsuspecting small coastal community was bustling with energy and possibility; the town was alive with the sound of creaking ship masts, and vendors, and on Market Street, new shops and businesses were settling in as the economy...

It’s summer again. The sun is bright and strong and slipping into spring, into long, warm, lazy days filled with relaxation and gathering of friends and family. It is a time of fun and play, picnics, and baseball in the park. But it was not to be. Swimming pools were empty. The parks were...

From a poor young girl living in Ireland in the aftermath of the Great Famine, Mary Mallon is in search of a better life. At age fifteen, she escapes to the United States and seeks to begin a new life in a different world. Mary will eventually find work as a cook for several affluent families...

At 10:30 p.m. Johnny Bull reached the top of the vertical shaft and cut through the last few inches of soil. He breathed in heavenly fresh air. The March night was cold and crisp and only the stars were out. Finally, after 11 months of grueling digging, patience, and anxious waiting, the night...

On a small farm in Iowa, from the age of seven Norman would rise before dawn and work the fields. He and his two younger sisters would raise cattle, pigs, and chickens; he would fish and hunt and tend to the corn and oat fields. It was grueling labor, and he hated it. In 1933, Norman left the...

In the mid-1800s a dreaded illness swept through the tropical regions of the globe. Malaria was a prevalent and often deadly parasite. It caused fever, chills, headaches, even confusion, seizures, and sometimes death. A cure needed to be found but this quest would lead to an unexpected discovery...

In the early 1800s, long before it officially became a town, Centralia, Pennsylvania was rich with anthracite coal—the hardest and most energy-dense form of coal. This resource was a catalyst for industrial growth during America’s expansion. Coal wasn’t just a fuel; it was an essential...

In London, in the summer of 1928, as usual, a misty haze fell over the city. It was early September, and warm, damp humidity lingered over the lush countryside. In Paddington, drizzle clung to the air as Alexander Fleminga well-known scientistclimbed the stairs to the second floor of St. Marys...