Ashley Ross

Recent Articles

5 Things I Realized Re-reading Harry Potter as an Adult

After 20 years, the books felt fresh and new and exciting

By Ashley Ross

The Feminist Message of the New Beauty and the Beast Has Always Been Part of the Story

The tale as old as time once resonated with French women who couldn’t choose their own husbands

By Ashley Ross

What History Says About 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

One expert on the history of monsters sees J.K. Rowling returning to an ancient notion of what a "fantastic beast" can be

By Ashley Ross

How Harry Potter Fans See the Presidential Election

Trump is Voldemort and Clinton is Hermione

By Ashley Ross

A Brief History of Divorce in America: From Legal Rarity to Dark Comedy

The legal concept of "irreconcilable differences" dates to 1969

By Ashley Ross

What You Need to Know About the History of America’s Prisoners of War

This is how the treatment of POWs has changed over the course of American history

By Ashley Ross

The Surprising Way a Supermarket Changed the World

It’s been 100 years since Piggly Wiggly, America’s first supermarket, opened its doors

By Ashley Ross

Fantasy Football Season Is Starting. Here's How the Phenomenon Began

The hugely popular fan phenomenon got its start in Oakland, Calif., in the early 1960s

By Ashley Ross

The Couple That Changed Gymnastics: 3 Decades of Karolyi Highlights

Martha and Bela Karolyi trained and worked with 28 Olympians since training Nadia Comaneci leading up to her perfect 10 in the 1976 games

By Ashley Ross

Why This Is Harry Potter’s Most Important Birthday Yet

The book is being released in an entirely new era of content consumption and communication

By Ashley Ross

Father's Day Took Years to Catch On. Here's Why

Father's Day was created in 1910, but it didn't get official federal recognition until 1972 when Richard Nixon stepped in

By Ashley Ross

The Surprising True History Behind Flag Day

The holiday is a product of three wars: Revolutionary, Civil and Great

By Ashley Ross

Looking Back on Your Old Diary Is a Thing

What you should know before you revisit your past

By Ashley Ross

What to Do If You Dislike Your Friend’s Significant Other

When to say something and when to keep your feelings to yourself

By Ashley Ross

How Memorial Day Became a 3-day Weekend

“This loss of memory and shift into recreation and leisure is a trend in American history"

By Ashley Ross

The Surprising True History Behind Cinco de Mayo

The celebrations can be traced back to the Civil War

By Ashley Ross

Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs Can’t Believe His Own Story

The Tony-nominated actor never saw his legacy shaping up this way

By Ashley Ross

How the Women of Waitress Are Changing Broadway Behind the Scenes

The show features Broadway’s first all-female creative team

By Ashley Ross

Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs Talks Thomas Jefferson's Troubling Legacy

The actor discusses history on the 273rd anniversary of the politician’s birth

By Ashley Ross

The History That Lurks Behind Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Taj Mahal Visit

An infamous picture of Diana sets the tone for the trip

By Ashley Ross
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