During World War II, more than 1,000 women — the first to fly U.S. military aircraft — contributed to the war effort in the wild blue yonder.
Back in the day
Lady of the River
How one Durham woman helped save the Eno River.
Ain’t That a Kick?
In the 1930s, a Craven County man invented the country’s first “self-kicking machine,” a roadside attraction that became so popular it was even visited by celebrities.
Making the Honor Roll
In 1902, African American educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown founded a groundbreaking school in Sedalia. Today, her legacy lives on.
Ring in the Old
Rodanthe residents have long celebrated a second Christmas — Old Christmas — on January 6, with, ahem, unusual traditions.
The Gift of Light
Christmas shopping can be challenging, but back in the first half of the 20th century, North Carolinians got a helpful hint from a most unlikely source.
Back in the Day: The Mother of Invention
North Carolinian Beulah Henry was hailed as the female counterpart to Thomas Edison, and has been credited with more than 100 inventions.
Back in the Day: A Whale of a Tale
In 1928, a massive carcass of a sperm whale washed ashore in Wrightsville Beach — and that was just the beginning of the trouble.
Back in the Day: When the Circus Came to Camp
Legendary circus showman P.T. Barnum’s great-granddaughter founded Rockbrook Camp for Girls in Brevard — and turned a famously tiny chair into a can't-miss attraction among campers.