Americans Invent Some Pretty Creepy Stuff
Americans invent some pretty creepy stuff and, every Halloween, the US Patent and Trademark Office looks through its archives, digging up some of the strangest, scariest and, often unsettling, inventions to come through the agency. Americans celebrate Halloween every Oct. 31. Even though it’s a fun event that’s more about dressing up in costumes and going out […]
Why Largest US Ethnic Group Vanished from American Culture
People with German ancestry have long dominated the U.S. melting pot yet their stamp on American culture — once so proud and robust — seems to have all but disappeared. MORE ABOUT AMERICA People of German Ancestry Dominate the US Melting Pot This US Ethnic Group Makes the Most Money Why So Many […]
These Are New York City’s Most Treasured Interiors
Most people might think of buildings like the Empire State Building when they think of cherished landmarks, but interiors of structures — the spaces where we live, work and go for entertainment — can also be treasures worth saving for future generations. “Even though building exteriors are the most obvious things that we look at, […]
American Food Has Surprising Military History
Much of the food Americans buy at the grocery store has a secret military history. People in the United States eat more processed foods than anyone else in the world; foods like energy bars, frozen dinners and Cheeto snacks, the origins of which can be traced back to a military lab somewhere, according to food writer […]
Here’s Where Syrian Refugees Could End Up in US
Displaced Syrian refugees who settle in the United States will likely establish their new lives in areas already home to large Syrian communities, like California, Michigan and Arizona, according to a refugee assistance agency that works with the U.S. State Department. “Those would be likely places because there would be ethnic community language and culture […]
Here’s Proof American Cowboys Still Exist
Cowboy traditions and culture are rooted in the West and nowhere is that more apparent than at rodeos, hugely popular sporting events where horseback riding, livestock animals and fancy rope skills are on display. Thousands of cowboys and cowgirls compete to see who has the best rodeo skills. VOA reporters Caty Weaver, Ashley Thompson and Adam […]
See How US State Voting Patterns Have Shifted Since 1789
As the campaign for the 2016 presidential election gained momentum, U.S. businessman Donald Trump threatened to run as an independent if the Republican party did not treat him “fairly”. Third party candidates have been a part of most presidential elections. But since the 1848 election, when Whig party candidate Zachary Taylor defeated Democrat Lewis Cass, […]
VOA’s Route 66 Road Trip Along Iconic ‘Main Street’
Route 66 is the most famous road in the United States. Stretching nearly 4,000 kilometers from Chicago to Los Angeles, this historic highway is often called the “Main Street of America.” Route 66 marks its 90th anniversary in 2016. To celebrate, VOA reporters Caty Weaver, Ashley Thompson and Adam Brock are taking a road trip […]
Crowdfunding Raises 700K to Help Save Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit
Forty-six years after Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon, the spacesuit he wore on that historic mission is showing its age. But thanks to an online community of 9,477 donors, the suit is about to get a reboot. The public pitched in to help conserve the suit via the crowd-funding […]
1855 Slave Brochure Starkly Details Sale of Black Americans
One hundred and fifty-three years ago this September, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation declaring his intention to free all slaves in the rebellious states if the South did not end the fighting and rejoin the Union by Jan. 1, 1863. At that time, the country was embroiled in the U.S. Civil War, […]