Dave Roos

1 week ago | history.com | Dave Roos

Before train lines were extended to Cave City in the 1880s, well-heeled travelers made the long journey to Mammoth Cave by stagecoach. “It was a resort for the wealthy back in the 19th century,” says David Kem, author of The Kentucky Cave Wars: The Century that Shaped Mammoth Cave National Park.

2 weeks ago | history.com | Dave Roos

Powerful Quake, Low PopulationIt’s estimated that the Fort Tejon earthquake of 1857 was a magnitude 7.9 or 8.0—equal to, if not greater than, the legendary California earthquake of 1906 that nearly destroyed San Francisco. The Fort Tejon quake was the last true “big one” to occur along the southern stretch of the San Andreas Fault, which ruptured along the surface for more than 215 miles. The powerful earthquake lasted nearly three minutes.

3 weeks ago | history.com | Dave Roos

The ancient office of the pope is rich in symbols and insignia. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty ImagesPublished: April 23, 2025Last Updated: April 23, 2025In the Roman Catholic Church, the pope is the sucessor to St. Peter, who was given authority by Jesus to establish His church on Earth, according to the New Testament. The pope is the Bishop of Rome and the chief pastor of the Roman Catholic Church, which claims nearly 1.4 billion adherents worldwide.

3 weeks ago | history.com | Dave Roos

Visiting great museums is like stepping into a time machine. For the cost of admission, you admire priceless art and artifacts from every age of history and all corners of the globe. But the art and antiquities market has always been tainted by theft, looting and colonial-era crimes. And for too long, museums (and museum-goers) failed to ask questions about how remarkable objects were acquired.

4 weeks ago | history.com | Dave Roos

Some of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries are cases of high-profile people who disappear, with few or no clues as to what happened to them. Here are nine historic vanishing accounts that defy explanation. Charles ‘Black Bart’ Boles, aka the ‘Gentleman Bandit’In the late 19th century, one of the most famous stagecoach robbers was Black Bart, who was also known as a “gentleman bandit.” Black Bart—whose real name was Charles E.