Modern bodybuilding evolved in the 19th century

Arnold Schwarzenegger fueled a lot of the interest in strength training, beginning in the 1980s

This was notable because clinicians around the 1950s thought that lifting heavy weights was bad for health, dampening muscle-strengthening interest that dates back to the ancient Greeks. Beyond Schwarzenegger-inspired interest and the popularity of Venice Beach bodies, the weight training movement also later gained momentum due to accumulating scientific evidence and the rise of entities like Crossfit. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

The evolution of the Olympics from ancient Greece to the modern world

The Olympic Games have evolved from a sacred footrace in 776 BCE honoring Zeus to a global celebration of athletic excellence and unity. Ancient Greek city-states set aside their conflicts under a sacred truce for events like wrestling and chariot racing. Though the Games ended in 393 CE, Pierre de Coubertin revived them in 1896, adding modern elements like the torch relay and the inclusion of women. Watch 1440's breakdown of the historic event here.

The Greeks weightlifted using massive stones—but viewed muscles differently

Ancient Greek art is replete with humans with muscular physiques, but there is very little evidence they knew much about proper weightlifting. There are just a few stones with inscriptions hinting at their weightlifting use. This article exposes some of our modern assumptions about muscle development, suggesting the Greeks thought differently about strength than we do today.

A 15th-century university student documented a surprisingly detailed fitness plan

Modern fitness stems from the revolution in the knowledge we have of the human body, its cardiovascular systems, how muscles work, and more. Nonetheless, people through the centuries have had fitness regimes—including one university student whose fitness plan was preserved in an obscure document found between a manuscript.

Healthy adults should perform 'progressive resistance training'

That's the recommendation in March 2026 from the American College of Sports Medicine. They reviewed existing studies on the topic and concluded that resistance training with progressively more weight and repetitions improves muscle strength, size, power, endurance, gait speed, balance, and more.

Modern pro wrestling evolved from catch wrestling

Professional wrestling might be scripted, but its roots can be found in a competitive form that became popular in 19th-century England. Catch wrestling, or catch-as-catch-can, became popular among members of Lancashire’s working class. By the early 20th century, it was its own Olympic sport.

The origin story of the Paralympic movement and its founder, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann

Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympic movement, revolutionized the treatment of spinal injuries. His belief in the power of sports for rehabilitation led to the creation of the Paralympic Games, now celebrated every Olympic year. This in-depth article from The History Press details the life and achievements of Dr. Guttmann, and includes historical photos and videos of the veterans-turned-athletes whose lives he changed.

Running became more popular in the mid-20th century

Once considered a fringe activity, running eventually became an American interest. The trend was spurred in part by the 1966 book "Jogging," which was cowritten by Bill Bowerman, the cofounder of Nike.

Inside entrepreneur Bryan Johnson's race to live forever

Created by entrepreneur Bryan Johnson in 2022, the Rejuvenation Olympics asks participants to find ways, including exercise and dietary supplements, to slow their biological aging. But some of these tactics are extreme in cost or nature—such as Johnson's regular injections of blood from his teenage son.

Why Men's Legs Were Everything

From codpieces to cotton hose, here's the surprisingly loaded history of men's legs, and why 18th-century Europe couldn't stop staring at them.

The history of the gene: an interactive timeline

Humans didn’t need modern technology to figure out that kids tend to look like their parents. But what did humans believe about genetics before we knew about DNA or cells in general? Explore this interactive timeline to see how philosophers and scientists throughout the ages tried to explain how traits are passed from generation to generation.

The history of skull modification

The ancient Maya people sometimes modified their skulls to appear more conical. Body modification has been a human pastime for literal ages, from piercings to bindings and everything in between. Modifying one's skull shape may have been a way to symbolize status, beauty, belonging, or belief. The health impacts of such practices are still debated. This article explores the history and health impacts of skull modification, also known as artificial cranial deformation.

The ancient engineers inspiring modern building practices

Modern concrete structures need replacing every 50 to 100 years, so why are buildings by the Maya, ancient Rome, and ancient China still standing strong? This article details how scientists are looking into humanity's past for clues on how to craft long-lasting structures. Part of the problem is adopting old material recipes to hold up to modern demands.

View this timeline of polio milestones and vaccine development

Polio has a long history in art and medicine, dating back centuries. It includes a representation of an apparent polio survivor with a shriveled leg in ancient Egyptian art. See milestones in the history of polio in this timeline.

What we know about aurochs, the ancestors of modern cattle

The relationship between humans and cattle is invaluable and longstanding. Evidence suggests cattle's wild, larger, and now-extinct ancestors, the aurochs, were also linked to early humans. Similarly valuable for their milk and labor power, yet significantly more threatening due to their size, aggression, and speed, auroch domestication was slow and complex. Discover new information about the fascinating ancestors of modern cows and the potential of re-introducing the species with selective breeding.

The history of American summer camps

The modern summer camp was created in 1861 by a boarding school educator who wanted to teach his students military-grade self-sufficiency and discipline. Over the next century, the camp evolved, providing a solution for parents anxious about their kids' thin connections with nature and simplicity. This Atlas Obscura article traces the history from modest, independent operations to a sprawling seasonal industry.

The early years of the Met

The Met didn’t start out in the grand, sprawling grounds that it currently occupies. This episode of Hometown History, a podcast about lesser-known historical places and events, covers the early years of the venerable institution. Learn about how the vision and planning of a group of 19th century artists and philanthropists took the Met from a small collection in a humble brick building to the cultural powerhouse that it is today.

How yoga philosophy inspired Thoreau

In the 19th century, yogis traveling in America emphasized the practice as a philosophical one rather than a purely physical act. Like many Americans at the time, including his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau was intrigued by yoga's mysticism, once writing, "I cannot read a single word of the Hindoos without being elevated."

Cosmetic surgery during the Edwardian era

This 23-minute video explores cosmetic surgery in the United Kingdom during the Edwardian era, from about 1901 to 1914. Reconstructive surgery already existed by then, though it wasn't considered elective as it was used to repair damage suffered...

The first comic strip appeared in American newspapers in 1895

This video traces the evolution of the comic book from early newspaper strips to the Golden, Silver, and Modern Ages—highlighting milestones such as the debut of Superman in 1938 and Marvel’s humanized heroes of the 1960s and marking their rise as cultural icons.

Exploring World War I technology on the battlefield

Industrialization brought massive changes to warfare during the Great War. Newly-invented killing machines begat novel defense mechanisms, which, in turn spurred the development of even deadlier technologies. Nearly every aspect of what we would consider modern warfare debuted on World War I battlefields. Starting with soldiers on horseback carrying lances and ending in poison gas, machine guns, and aerial battles, this gallery shows the first tools of modern warfare.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Peptide research dates back to the late 1800s

Peptide science dates back to the late 1800s with some early peptide synthesis work, but peptides took off in the medical sphere after surgeon Frederick Banting and his colleague's isolation of insulin from dog pancreases in 1921.

Global life expectancy has more than doubled since the 1850s

The human species experienced a dramatic increase in expected lifespan over the past 150 years. Antibiotics, improved sanitation, and better worldwide food distribution are a few factors contributing to this rapid transformation. Use this interactive resource to explore longevity gains over time and compare these improvements across the globe.

Hear how the 2 religious clauses in the First Amendment have been tested and evolved over time

This podcast examines the evolution of the free exercise and establishment clauses, tracing their development from federal restrictions to state and local laws. Discover the believers who challenged the limits of religious freedom throughout American history.

The evolution of the baseball bat

Torpedo bats may be the latest, most powerful kind of baseball bat, but the instrument's history is long. This Smithsonian resource traces the bat's evolution from handmade objects forged by the players to mass-produced marvels of physics designed by companies like Louisville Slugger. Along the way, you'll see some interesting takes on the form, including bats referred to as "mushrooms" and "bananas."

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

The concept of phantom limbs, the perception that amputated limbs are still present, dates back to a French military surgeon in the 16th century.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

American dance legend Martha Graham, sometimes called 'the Picasso of dance,' refused to perform at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and conceived the piece 'Chronicle' in response to the experience.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

The animatronic shark from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' the first modern blockbuster, was a complex underwater apparatus called 'Bruce.'

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

Sears sold DIY house kits starting at $600 in its famous catalog from 1908 through the 1940s, resulting in roughly 10,000 'Sears and Roebuck houses' being built.

Children are now three times more likely to say they want to be a YouTuber when they grow up than an astronaut, with some even attending 'YouTube camps' that teach kids how to create content for the platform.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

Famed poet TS Eliot rejected the manuscript for George Orwell's political fable 'Animal Farm,' writing that its criticism of authoritarianism was not 'the right point of view.'