As America marks its 250th anniversary, few historians have done more to shape the way we understand the nation's founding than Ron Chernow. The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer has brought towering figures to life through acclaimed books on George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Ulysses S. Grant, and more recently, Mark Twain. In 1876, as the United States marked its centennial amid lingering divisions from the Civil War, Philadelphia hosted a world’s fair unlike any the nation had ever seen. In 'Centennial: The Great Fair of 1876 and the Invention of America’s Future,' historian Fergus Bordewich explores how that six-month exposition introduced millions of Americans to transformative new technologies, global cultures, and a vision of modern progress.

New York State officials say a historic investment in childcare is helping move the state closer to universal access while also giving counties more resources to address long-standing waitlists.

As much of the Eastern U.S. experiences potentially record-breaking daytime temperatures, the nights are also staying unusually warm, leaving the human body no time to recover.