It was one the largest epidemics in American history: 30,000 people paralyzed over a few months in 1930. A dogged... more

Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance—a wonder of the modern age, due to its role in stopping the fires... more

Rickets was once a devastating disease: up to 90 percent of the children showed symptoms in some cities, including bent... more

Leonard Darwin had a lot to live up to. He was the son of the legendary Charles, and several siblings... more

A young woman in the mid-1900s couldn’t take an at-home pregnancy test. Instead, she sent a vial of urine to... more

After scientists had a handle on how many chromosomes humans have, other researchers began exploring whether certain ailments might be caused... more

It seems like a simple question: how many chromosomes do human beings have? But getting an accurate count proved surprisingly... more

The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation... more

It’s the 80th anniversary of the Dutch Hongerwinter during World War II, which led to widespread starvation, and an inadvertent... more

After 40 years of studying snakes, Karl Schmidt finally suffered his first bite. And when he did, he kept a... more