Articles by Kelli Ballard

Idaho became the 43rd state to join the Union on July 3, 1890. Before the Europeans arrived, the land was occupied by Native American tribes, namely the Shoshone to the south and the Nez Perce in the north. Its name… Read More

Hawaii is a very unique state. It is made up of a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. The famous author Mark Twain said it was “the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.”… Read More

Do you ever wonder why we study history, why learning about the past is a requirement in school? One of the most important reasons for studying the ways of our ancestors is that history repeats itself and learning about past… Read More

It’s a bird, it’s a plane … or is it a puppy or a wolf?  That is the question scientists are asking after finding an 18,000-year-old frozen puppy. The fossil was found near Yakutsk, in eastern Siberia, in the permafrost…. Read More

President Donald Trump surprised American troops in Afghanistan for Thanksgiving. He secretly left the United States and showed up unannounced in Afghanistan just in time to have Thanksgiving dinner with the soldiers. Trump spent about three hours there. He also… Read More

Technology has come a long way, but sometimes new inventions can tell us even more about the past than the future. Modern satellites have picked up images of one of the world’s oldest cities: Tell Brak. Although the area has… Read More

The Swedish teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg, has made quite a name for herself as she tries to promote the idea of climate change around the world. Recently, she was honored with a mural of her image in San Francisco,… Read More

A new species of ancient human has been found, exciting scientists and changing perceptions on human evolution. The researchers found 13 bones that date back to about 67,000 years ago. The bones come from at least three separate individuals and… Read More

Denver is the state capital of Colorado and is known as “the Mile High City.” It got its nickname because when the elevation is measured from the 15th step of the state capitol building’s west side, it is one mile… Read More

There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about President Donald Trump, Ukraine, and an unidentified whistleblower. A whistleblower is someone who “blows the whistle” or tells on someone for doing something wrong. An anonymous male CIA official… Read More

As Smokey the Bear used to say, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires,” and the evidence can be seen in the recent onslaught of fires burning their way through California. There are several theories, which we’ll explore, but first let’s… Read More

Sacramento is the capital city of California, but it wasn’t the first. There were several other capitals before the “River City” became the chosen one. John Augusta Sutter was born in Germany but raised in Switzerland. The governor of Alta… Read More