The first electric car? 1899! La Jamais contente. This car and other rare self-propelled antique vehicles can now be seen in car museums.

What is the best way to explain the horrors of the Holocaust to nine-year-old children? France’s Holocaust memorial has taken measures to avoid disturbing children by placing the most graphic photographs out of their line of sight and by offering a tour specifically designed for younger viewers. The idea is for children to learn about this dark moment in our history without being overwhelmed.

Lazare Ponticelli was the last of the “Poilus” — French infantry soldiers who served in World War I. Ponticelli, who was actually an Italian immigrant to France, first served in the French Foreign Legion and then eventually, the Italian army. He died in 2008 at the age of 110.

What was life like for the poilus, the French soldiers of World War I? In sum, much, much harder than our lives. Subjected to bullets, bombs, death, and all the atrocities of war, these soldiers fought bitterly to protect their homeland, and one another.

In New Caledonia, the last French colony, two societies continue to coexist: the descendants of the white colonists known as "Caldoches," and the native Kanaks, whose numbers were decimated by the colonists beginning in 1853.

In 1988, New Caledonia was on the verge of a civil war as the native population, the Kanaks, rebelled against economic injustice and demanded their independence. A violent incident on the island of Ouvéa prompted the French government to intervene and even bring in a SWAT team. More violence ensued as negotiations failed.

New Caledonia is still part of France and has not gained its independence despite lenghthy negotiations between loyalists and separatists. Now that the Kanak population is a minority, independence seems unlikely. For more info on New Caledonia, check out these links: https://bit.ly/3cnZgzs, https://bit.ly/2EWfOBG, https://bit.ly/2SyqOrw.

Where does Santa Claus come from? Santa's history begins in the third century in the city of Myra in Turkey, then to the Netherlands, then finally to America and back to Europe. But where Santa lives still remains a mystery...

The Paris Commune was one of the first extensively photographed revolutionary movements. In its infancy, photography wasn't able to capture motion, but professionals from both sides understood the power of images and used them to convey their own visions of the events.

The first massively photographed insurrection, the Paris Commune, which began on March 18, 1871, revealed the extraordinary power of images, both close to reality and subtly manipulated.

At its peak, under Napoleon, the French territory was three times as large as it is today thanks to the emperor's very successful military campaigns. What was his secret?

How did Napoleon conquer and then lose nearly all of Europe in a span of just fifteen years? Find out in the second part of this series.

How did Molière become so successful? The French playwright, whose plays are still being performed today, did not just rely on his talent as a writer—he knew how to drum up publicity for himself as well.

Molière wasn't afraid of his plays causing a scandal—in fact, he often orchestrated scandals in order to drum up publicity. Find out more about his marketing genius in this video.

In 1983, the Marche des Beurs highlighted the problem of anti-Arab racism in France. Forty years on, the country is still feeling its effects.