Since its founding in 1801, the University of South Carolina, its students and alumni have been profoundly affected by wars, most notably the Civil War, WWI, WWII and the Vietnam War. As Memorial Day draws near, it is a fitting time to remember. 

Decades ago, an illustrator named Robert L. Ripley presented tales of the strange, the bizarre and the unexpected — and challenged the public to 'believe it or not!' In that spirit, here are three such tales from the University of South Carolina's past.

USC desegregated 60 years ago, admitting three Black students whose enrollment made headlines. But what about the students who would follow immediately in their footsteps, continuing the university's desegregation? Two men who were part of the small, second wave of Black students in 1964 recall their experiences. 

Ever made a meal out of a few appetizers? In today's episode, we’re serving up three bite-sized stories from the centuries-old history of the University of South Carolina. 

In the past 100 years, USC has been a member of four athletics conferences. Here's a quick primer on the whens and whys of each affiliation and a look back at the university's 21-year stretch as a football independent. 

The state of South Carolina has a surprisingly rich history of Jewish presence dating back more than three centuries. It's not surprising, then, that the University of South Carolina would have its own history of Jewish life on campus. 

USC students in 1977 buried an eclectic assortment of items in a time capsule that was unearthed in 2001 for the university's bicentennial celebration. That same year, another more elaborate time capsule was buried on the Horseshoe with a scheduled opening of 2051. Here's a sneak preview of what's inside. 

USC alumni and students have been singing the university alma mater for more than 110 years. But what, exactly, is an alma mater and how did USC end up with one?

For two centuries, social dances have been knitted into the fabric of the campus social scene at Carolina. Waltzes, the One-step, shag and hip-hop—the style of dance changes but the beat goes on. 

When The Gamecock student newspaper began publishing in 1908, there were only 300 students on campus to read it. Since then, the award-winning paper has published myriad stories about campus life and helped launch the careers of innumerable writers and journalists.