Penelope Singh articles

Jimmy Hoffa was a man of deep contradictions even before he became America’s greatest mystery. A union leader devoted to the well-being of his truckers, he nonetheless had a reputation for ice-cold snubs, red-hot power grabs, and a willingness to go even lower than his enemies. But in the end, those enemies brought about a legendary downfall.

Today, Vincent van Gogh is a household name. Even those who have no interest in art are familiar with him. However, the reality of his life couldn’t have been more different. Van Gogh struggled not just to make a name for himself, but with emotions he couldn’t control—and in the end, those emotions cost him everything.

Discover the ordinary 20th-century jobs that disappeared almost overnight, from switchboard operators and milkmen to projectionists and keypunch operators, and learn how technology transformed everyday work forever.

Some words have become so common that the people that originated them have been long forgotten.

Eugene Debs ran for president in 1920, from his cell in federal prison for violating US sedition laws in his opposition to American involvement in WWI.

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin as a labor-saving device, but it led to a massive increase in the use of slaves.

Although never completing a formal education, Benjamin Franklin constantly learned about everything he could, using his natural wisdom to make waves in colonial America. Not only did he regularly show his intelligence and ingenuity in his studies and experiments, but also an unyielding courage in establishing US independence. The mix of these qualities made him possibly the most respected Founding Father—even in his time.

Ulysses Grant was settling into post-presidential life when he came face to face with financial ruin.

Some things Americans once did in public without a second thought would raise plenty of eyebrows today. From smoking in hospitals to sharing drinking cups with complete strangers, everyday life followed a very different set of social rules not all that long ago. These forgotten customs show just how much attitudes toward health, safety, manners, and personal freedom have changed over the years.