History

410 Stories

This colorful mystery of Ancient Egypt was just solved in Washington state

Scientists at Washington State University not only discovered how to recreate the color known as "Egyptian Blue," they also found this ancient pigment has potential modern uses that its inventors may not have realized.
- Natalie Akane Newcomb
What the eruption of Mount St. Helens reveals about kite-flying spiders

May 18, 2025, marks the 45th anniversary of Mount St. Helens' eruption — a catastrophic event that transformed the landscape and killed 57 people. From this devastation emerged an incredible scientific calculation about millions of spiders traveling through the sky.
- Brandi Fullwood
Seattle’s 135-year-old ‘irrational’ love affair with Bartell Drugs draws to a sad close

We learned recently that all of the remaining Bartell Drugs stores will close this year unless Rite Aid finds a buyer. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm reached out to local historian Feliks Banel to mark the sad final chapter of a remarkable business story. They talked about what led to the moment in 1890 when 22-year-old pharmacist George H. Bartell Sr. bought a drug store in Seattle, and what happened next.
- John O'Brien
How do the Los Angeles fires compare to the Great Seattle Fire? We mapped it out

The Palisades and Eaton fires have burned over 37,830 acres as of Tuesday afternoon. That’s a burn area 300 times larger than that of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.
- Teo Popescu
Seattle's historic Georgetown Steam Plant still burns for the arts

The Georgetown Steam Plant used to generate power for Seattle's trolley system. Now, it's serving as a source of inspiration for arts organizations.
- Joshua McNichols
Long-time Seattle DJ reflects on 40 years of 'Purple Rain' and his friendship with Prince

How does one collect 100,000 albums? If you're Kevin Cole, you spend 50 years in radio, and a lot of your childhood in the local record store.
- Angela King
Why did WSU just name its newest crop 'Bush wheat'?
- Anna King
Celebrating Tulsa's 'Black Wall Street' by rebuilding Seattle's Central District

Here's something you may not know about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, K. Wyking Garrett told a crowd of Black business owners this week. Three years after it was destroyed, people there built it back, stronger than before. And it could happen in Seattle’s Central District, too, he says.
- Joshua McNichols
How did Rainier beer become legendary? Three Tacoma filmmakers tell the tale

"Rainier: A Beer Odyssey" tells the story of Rainier's iconic advertising campaign and the way the brand was shaped by Seattle of the 70s and shaped the city in return. The documentary premiers at SIFF May 13.
- Clare McGrane
Blooming in Seattle: Mayor Harrell’s family history of change, challenge, and flowers

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s favorite flower is a red classic rose. “As my mother used to tell me, if you are going on a date you can’t go wrong. And of course, that’s my mother’s name,” Harrell said.
- Natalie Akane Newcomb

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