A weekly check-up of gender, medicine, and history in the news.

• What’s in your belly button? (Hint: ewww…gross.)
• The forgotten history of 20th century drugs.
• The history of female genital mutilation.
• The nautical roots of the modern tattoo. 
• The troubled history behind the stolen babies of Spain.
• 1860s fundraising efforts for emancipated slaves.
• 18th century woodworking shop discovered.
• 100 years later, scientists hope to solve the “Piltdown Man” hoax.
• Early Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale discovered.
• Archeologists discover ancient evidence of cheese-making. (Mmmm…ancient cheese.)
• What’s the best history book of 2012? You can vote on the finalists.
• Just for fun – Historical reenactors caught off-guard.
• The tragic story behind one woman’s struggle with persistant genital arousal disorder.
• Did slave labor play a part in creating the Smithsonian Castle?
• The War on Christmas – circa 1912.
• Controversial MLK inscription to be removed.
• Human-Neanderthal sex is a tricky thing to prove.
• The history of AIDS.