20th Century History

"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold."
-- Quote by Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind

For more: History Quotes, Helen Keller Biography

Eleanor Roosevelt was always serious. When she was young, her mother even used to call her "Granny," a name that upset little Eleanor. When she was older, Eleanor put that seriousness to good use.

When she was First Lady of the United States, Eleanor decided that there should be more to that position than just being a good hostess at the White House. Instead, Eleanor Roosevelt became a champion of equal rights for women and minorities. She also became actively involved in her husband's work by traveling all around the country in his name. When her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away, she at first thought to end her career. Luckily she changed her mind and became a delegate to the newly created United Nations.

In the first half of the twentieth century, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most revered women in the world. Learn more about this amazing woman by reading this biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life."
--Quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States and delegate to the United Nations

For More: History Quotes, Eleanor Roosevelt Biography

Harry Houdini, the great escape artist, made his living creating increasingly risky death-defying stunts that usually involved handcuffs and frequently involved water. But how did this great magician get his start? Why did he pretend to be a spirit medium? How many movies did he appear in? How did he die? Find all this out plus more in this biography of Harry Houdini.

During naval exercises on August 12, 2000, the Russian Oscar-II class nuclear submarine, the Kursk, sank in the Barents Sea. While several countries offered help try to rescue any survivors, Russia initially refused. Find out what happened to the Kursk.

They said it would end by Christmas. They were wrong. World War I, also known as the Great War, lasted for five bloody years. Learn more about how WWI began, how it was fought, and how it finally ended.

"My chief task has been to conquer fear. The public sees only the thrill of the accomplished trick; they have no conception of the tortuous preliminary self-training that was necessary to conquer fear. No one except myself can appreciate how I have to work at this job every single day, never letting up for a moment. I always have on my mind the thought that next year I must do something greater, something more wonderful." -- Quote by Harry Houdini, magician

For More: History Quotes, Houdini Biography

As the 75th anniversary of the disappearance of Amelia Earhart approaches (July 2012), a renewed search for the whereabouts of Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, have begun. Recently, an image of the remote island of Nikumaroro has revealed what looks like a part of an airplane's landing gear. A new search will begin in July 2012.

For more about this story, see this Washington Post article.

"[Women] must pay for everything.... They do get more glory than men for comparable feats. But, also, women get more notoriety when they crash."
-- Quote by Amelia Earhart

For more: History Quotes, Amelia Earhart Biography