Dave Roos

Boise, United States

Writer at Freelance

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Articles

The Mysterious Contents of the Voynich Manuscript

1 week ago | history.com | Dave Roos

In 1912, a rare book dealer acquired an ancient manuscript that he claimed would 'startle the scientific world.' Cryptologists are still trying to understand its pages. AFP via Getty ImagesPublished: May 27, 2025Last Updated: May 27, 2025In 1921, a London rare book dealer named Dr. Wilfred M.
Inside the Ruthless Kentucky Cave Wars

1 month 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.
San Andreas Fault: When Was the Last 'Big One'?

1 month 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.
5 Sacred Papal Symbols and Their Significance

1 month 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.
7 Cultural Artifacts That Were Repatriated

1 month 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.
9 People Who Vanished Without a Trace

1 month 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.
HISTORY

1 month ago | history.com | Dave Roos

In a recession, the financial toll on households and businesses is significant, but manageable. In a depression, it’s overwhelming. franckreporter/Getty ImagesPublished: April 09, 2025Last Updated: April 09, 2025Recession and depression are both terms for a contracting economy.
Humans Have Been Eating Eggs for Millions of Years

1 month ago | history.com | Dave Roos

Roughly 3.5 million years ago, a group of ape-like human ancestors called Australopithecus afarensis left 70 fossilized footprints in the volcanic ash of Laetoli, Tanzania. Near those remarkable footprints—discovered in 1978 by a team led by Mary Leakey—was another rare find: a clutch of fossilized bird eggs. The eggs belonged to a francolin, a species of terrestrial guinea fowl that roosts in trees, but makes their nests on the ground.
How Movie Theaters Got Their Start in America

Feb 27, 2025 | history.com | Dave Roos

At the turn of the 20th century, enterprising showmen were eager to exploit the emerging technology of motion pictures. In fact, the very first venues for showing motion pictures in America weren’t theaters, but “amusement halls” and penny arcades. In the late 19th century, the public often got its first taste of new technologies at coin-operated parlors.
America's Long History of Trying to Acquire Greenland

Feb 5, 2025 | history.com | Dave Roos

In 1868, Secretary of State William Seward went on a territory-shopping spree. A year earlier, Seward had negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. If Seward’s acquisition of Alaska hadn’t been politically branded as a “folly,” he may have gotten his wish to add Greenland (and Iceland) to the expanding United States.