150 Years Ago: General Tom Thumb Gets Married
The remarkable thing about P.T. Barnum performer Charles Stratton wasn’t his height but his heart.... More
About: Jeff Nilsson
Jeff Nilsson is the director of Post archives and a website editor. He is a specialist in American History, with graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, University of New Mexico, and Eastern Michigan University. He writes our website's weekly Retrospective feature, and is directing the program of digitally converting the magazine's 190 years of issues.
Posts by Jeff Nilsson:
No More Saturday Mail?
The U.S. Postal Service has had its ups and downs before. One thing's for certain: we're not changing our name.... More
Groundhog Day: Behind the Burrow
Don't trust the weather predictions of this hibernating marmot. According to a classic Post article, the critter is a surly, hoggish nuisance, and possibly the... More
The Post’s Civil War Half-Time Report
In 1863, Post editors rewrote the war to put the Union Army and Navy in a more positive light.... More
They Socked It To Us
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, which premiered 45 years ago, revolutionized TV comedy.... More
Revealing Incidents From the Life of Young Richard Nixon
Do a handful of anecdotes from Nixon’s youth explain what happened at Watergate?... More
Predicting How Women of the Future Would, and Would Not, Dress
A 1901 fashion forecast that proved right; a 1964 prediction that was all wrong.... More
50 Years Ago: Bear Bryant Sues the Post for a Football-Violence Article
Even before the Alabama coach sued the Post over its “College Football Fix” story, he was seeking damages for an article about his team’s increasing... More
How the 1950 Home Looked in 1900
A 1900 Post article predicted central heating and cooling at a time when 98 percent of American homes still relied on coal or gas.... More
Jimmy Stewart’s Finest Performance
Watching It’s A Wonderful Life, you’d never guess what Jimmy Stewart had been doing for the previous three years.... More
75 Years Ago: Snow White’s Premiere
Disney's first feature-length animated film almost didn't make it to the screen.... More
The Big-Screen Hobbit in its Underground Days
As the 75-year-old Tolkien classic hits the big screen, we recall the days when it was still just a relatively unknown, cult classic for college... More
The True Spirit of Thanksgiving
A 1948 Post article questions what we know about the holiday that started as a three-day picnic and Pilgrim sporting event. ... More
How Rudolph Valentino Invented Sex Appeal
The 1921 release of The Sheik drove American women to distraction.... More
50 Years Ago: ‘Don’t Blame Your Parents’
In a November 17, 1962 Post article, Dr. Lathbury says it's time we stopped using our parents as scapegoats for the messes we make of... More
How America Learned to Love Modern Art
Many Americans were introduced to modern art at The Museum of Modern Art, reports the Post, but advertising gave them a continuing education in contemporary... More
50 Years Ago: November 10, 1962
James Meredith writes about the challenge of being the first black American enrolled at the University of Mississippi.... More
