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Meg Matthias
Meg Matthias
Encyclopædia Britannica Editor
BIOGRAPHY

Meg Matthias is Senior Video Production Manager at Encyclopædia Britannica. She produces all of Britannica's editorial video content, which ranges from live expert interviews to 2D animated explainers to financial advice. She is also an active writer and researcher passionate about prioritizing fresh, diverse voices in the educational space.

She holds a B.A. in English from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and currently lives in Chicago.

Primary Contributions (210)
All in the Family, Jean Stapleton (left) and Carroll O'Connor (right). "All in the Family" (1971-1979). (comedy) Quick Quiz: All in the Family
Maps of Magnitude 6.0 (M6.0) August 24, 2014 South Napa California Earthquake. Earthquake lies within a 70-km-wide (44 miles) set of major faults of the San Andreas Fault system. tectonic plates, San Francisco, Napa Valley Earthquake Earthquakes: Fact or Fiction?
King Henry VIII of England, 16th century. Quick Quiz: King Henry VIII
Pablo Picasso (right) with M. Ramier, owner of the Vallauris Pottery, shown viewing one of Picasso's pottery designs. 1948. Modern Art: Who Sculpted It?
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) swimming on the surface of a creek. Water Australia mammal monotreme The Weirdest Animals in the World Quiz
Martin Luther King, Jr. Did You Know? Martin Luther King, Jr.
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture. Fact or Fiction: Visiting the Moon
Elizabeth I (1533-1603), Queen of England, 1558-1603, The Rainbow Portrait 1600-1602 Quiz: Name These Historical Fashion Trends
Greek Orthodox Epiphany ceremony processes to the River Jordan, celebrating Jesus Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, 1937. Christian church festival celebrated on January 6. The Three Magi, The Three Kings, The Three Wise Men The Meaning of Epiphany Quiz
Books. Lord Alfred Tennyson. Lord Byron. Poetry. Reading. Literacy. Library. Bookshelf. Antique. Four antique leather bound books. Quiz: How Well Do You Understand Copyright?
NOAA satellite image of Hurricane Katrina taken onaugust 28, 2005. On August 28, 2005, Hurricane Katrina was in the Gulf of Mexico where it powered up to a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale packing winds estimated at 175 mph. What’s the Weather Today? Fact or Fiction
Sydney New Years Eve Fireworks The New Year: Fact or Fiction?
Old medieval wooden pirate military war ship with a cannon on the deck pointed out and aiming Spot the Difference: Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, and Buccaneers
Scoops of various kinds of ice cream. Fact or Fiction: Your Favorite Foods
NASA's Reduced Gravity Program provides the unique weightless or zero-G environment of space flight for testing and training of human and hardware reactions. NASA used the turbojet KC-135A to run these parabolic flights from 1963 to 2004. All About The Wright Brothers Quiz
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart rehearsing his 12th Mass with singer and musician. (Austrian composer. (Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) Quiz: Who Composed It?
Santa Claus reading the list, Christmas, north pole Jolly Old St. Nicholas Quiz
Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) (ad 50-54) the fifth Roman emperor (ad 54-68), stepson and heir of the emperor Claudius. Tyrannical, debauched and extravagant, he committed suicide in order to avoid being executed. Nero: Fact or Fiction?
Marble portrait bust of the emperor Gaius, known as Caligula. Roman Julio-Claudian period, 37-41 A.D.; 50.8 cm. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Caligula: Fact or Fiction?
Silhouette of detective investigate is following footprints Quiz: The Writing of John le Carré
Scenic landscape of apple tree on field with seasons changing from Summer to Winter, solstice Quick Quiz: Winter Solstice
Child sitting near Christmas tree at night at home reading “Oh, Christmas Tree!” Quiz
Playwright Arthur Miller works on a new play at his typewriter in the study of his New York apartment on July 21, 1959. How We Write Quiz
Judaism - Hanukkah. Jewish family lighting a candle on a menorah. Also called Festival of Lights or Feast of Lights. Happy Hanukkah Quiz
space debris in Earth orbit, dangerous junk orbiting around the blue planet True or False: All About the Earth
DNA helix in a futuristic concept of the evolution of science and medicine. Genes and Alleles: Fact or Fiction?
"Napoleon on the Battlefield", France. French Emporeror Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon I: Fact or Fiction?
Cattle. Cow. Bovine. Livestock. Farm animals. Pregnant brown and white dairy cow. Can You Tell Which of These Things Were Named After People?
Children playing video games with virtual reality headsets in Bucharest, Romania gaming technology computer kids boy girl True or False: Video Games Through the Ages
Dinosaur hatchling fossil True or False: What Dinosaurs Ate
A child wearing a sheet for a Halloween ghost costume. Holiday Trick-or-treat Ghosts: Fact or Fiction?
Pirate Ship leaving the harbor at the milky way sunset for a long campaign against the loyal marines on the oceans True or False: What Makes a Pirate?
Ufo, alien, space over trees. Don’t Drink the Punch Quiz
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept Thanksgiving History Quiz
Internet http://www blue screen. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, media news television, crowd opinion protest, In the News 2009, breaking news What Do You Actually Know About the Internet?
Hedgehogs. Insectivores. Erinaceus europaeus. Spines. Quills. Close-up of a hedgehog rolled up. Unconventional Pets Quiz
Small, white rat (genus Rattus) on a glass table. (rodent, laboratory, experiment) The Black Death: Fact or Fiction?
Tate Modern extension Switch House, London, England. (Tavatnik, museums). Photo dated 2017. Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists?
Detail showing Alexander the Great from "Alexander and Porus" oil on canvas by Charles Le Brun; in the collection of the Louvre, Paris, France. Alexander the Great: Fact or Fiction?
Cleopatra hieroglyphic carving the Ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Wall of the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt. Cleopatra: Fact or Fiction?
People lighting traditional earthen lamps during the Hindu festival Diwali in India. flame All About Diwali Quiz
Two sea lion pups on rocky beach True or False: Can You Tell a Seal From a Sea Lion?
Close-up of a purple crocus plant, of the iris family (Iridaceae); location: Chicago, Illinois. (pollen, pollination, stamens, flowers, plants) Can You Identify These Poisonous Plants?
Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and more of the Sesame Street Characters. Quiz: How Do You Get To Sesame Street?
Aedes aegypti mosquito, a carrier of yellow fever, dengue, and dengue hemorrhagic fever. True or False: Biting Bugs
Flying bat Bats: True or False?
Suffragettes with signs in London, possibly 1912 (based on Monday, Nov. 25). Woman suffrage movement, women's suffrage movement, suffragists, women's rights, feminism. Quick Quiz: Women In The Voting Booth
Currency. Money. Cash. Dollars. Bills. Pile of ten, twenty, fifty, and hundred dollar bills. Quick Quiz: Determining Currency Exchange Rates
Sojourner Truth, c. 1870, photograph by Randall Studio. To earn a living, Truth sold her autobiography and portraits like this one. Here, her inscription, "I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance," emphasizes her financial acumen. Fast Facts About Abolitionism Quiz
Roofs of the Forbidden City, Beijing, China Can You Match These Architectural Masterpieces To Their Home Cities?
Artist paint brushes and watercolor paintbox on wooden palette. Instruments and tools for creative leisure. Creative background. Paintings art concept. Painting hobby. Back to school. Top view. Can You Guess If These Famous Paintings Are In New York City Or Not?
Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane), c. 1890. Head and shoulders portrait from a cabinet card by H.J. Myers. Quick Quiz: Around The World With Nellie Bly
Publicity still from the motion picture film "Nosferatu" (1922); directed by F.W. Murnau. (cinema, movies) Quick Quiz: 20th Century Monsters
Mexican Day of the Dead celebration at sunrise. ¡Feliz Día De Los Muertos! Quiz
Charles I of England. Off With His Head Quiz
That's the Story, Donald. Caption: Walt Disney reads the book "Alice in Wonderland," to a stuffed figure of Donald Duck, 1954. Cartoonists; Disney Company; picture books; cartoon characters True or False: Walt Disney
"Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (verso: The Potato Peeler)," oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1887. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 40.6 x 31.8 cm. Almost-Forgotten Artists Quiz
Publicity still from the television series "Happy Days" (1974-84) with (clockwise from lower left) Anson Williams, Don Most, Henry Winkler, and Ron Howard. Happy Days Are Here With This Quiz
British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac, c. 1976. (music) Introduction to Fleetwood Mac Quiz
Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius). The Most Dangerous Birds In The World Quiz
Salem Witch Trials. A women protests as one of her accusers, a young girl, appears to have convulsions. A small group of women were the source of accusations, testimony, and dramatic demonstrations. True or False: Famous Curses
Andy Griffith (left) and Ron Howard in the television series "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-1968). (comedy) The Andy Griffith Quiz
Sitcom. Comedy. From left: Susan Olsen, Barry White, Eve Plumb, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland in the television series "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974). A Very Brady Quiz
Pregnant woman holding headphones on her belly True or False: Pregnancy Myths
General view of Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California. (prisons, penitentiary True or False: Daring Escapes
American dramatist Eugene O'Neill, 1936. The Eugene O'Neill Universe Quiz
Actors Grace Kelly and James Stewart spy on the neighbors in director Alfred Hitchcock's sophisticated thriller Rear Window (1954). Publicity still. Stars' First Roles Quiz
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the television series "I Love Lucy" 1951-57. I Love Quizzes About I Love Lucy Quiz
Fruit. Grapes. Grapes on the vine. White grape. Riesling. Wine. Wine grape. White wine. Vineyard. Cluster of Riesling grapes on the vine. Wining and Dining Quiz
Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Jean-Francois Janinet, 1777. Color etching and engraving with gold leaf printed on two sheets, 30x13.5 in. True or False: Famous Misconceptions
"The Family of Carlos IV" oil on canvas by Francisco Goya, 1800; in the collection of the Prado, Madrid, Spain. Can You Name These Goya Paintings From Only A Description? Quiz
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture. Can You Match The Moon To Its Planet? Quiz
A Mad Tea Party. Alice meets the March Hare and Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll's "Adventures of Alice in Wonderland" (1865) by English illustrator and satirical artist Sir John Tenniel. Fictional Worlds Quiz
A scary old jack-o-lantern on black. Halloween pumpkin, trick or treat. Halloween holiday Quick Quiz: Pumpkin Carving
cat. orange and white persian cat with long hair, snarl, growl, teeth True or False Quiz: Cats Edition
Prohibition - Whisky is poured down a sewer during Prohibition in the 1920s in the United States. Quiz: Al Capone, Public Enemy Number One
Emily Bronte from a painting of a family group by Branwell Bronte. ca 1820-1848 Quick Quiz: Wuthering Heights
Close-up of limes. (citrus fruit; food) A Few Facts About Food Processing Quiz
Fallingwater by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, located near Mill Run, southwestern Pennsylvania, was built in 1935 and a National Historic Landmark. Quick Quiz: Can You Match This Frank Lloyd Wright Design To Its Description?
Beer glasses on dark table Oktoberfest Quiz
M101 (NGC 5457, The Pinwheel Galaxy). Hubble Space Telescope image of face-on spiral galaxy Messier 101 (M101). Largest most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy that has ever been released from Hubble. Created from 1994-2003 Women in Space Quiz
Ronald Reagan and "General Electric Theater," 1954-62. The Road to the Presidency Quiz
Bernese mountain dog laying on grass. For the Love of (Purebred) Dogs Quiz
Silhouette of detective investigate is following footprints Nancy Drew and the Case of the Online Quiz
Edgar Allan Poe 1848. Photo of daguerreotype by W.S. Hartshorn 1848; copyright 1904 by C.T. Tatman. Edgar Allan Poe, American poet, short story writer, editor and critic. Edgar Allen Poe Poe’s Scary Stories Quiz
wasp. Vespid Wasp (Vespidaea) with antennas and compound eyes drink nectar from a cherry. Hornets largest eusocial wasps, stinging insect in the order Hymenoptera, related to bees. Pollination Creepy Crawlies Quiz
Dogs of different breeds - two border terriers, dachsund, hybrid dog, border collie (mammals, mutts, pets, purebreds, Canis lupus familiaris). All About Pets Quiz
Sundew. Drosera. Droseraceae. Drosera capensis. Cape sundew. Insect-eating plants. Carnivorous plants. Close-up of a cape sundew plant. Carnivorous Plants Quiz
Chef Julia Child displays a salade nicoise she prepared in the kitchen of her vacation home in Grasse, southern France. August, 1978 Julia Child's Kitchen Quiz
Gulliver in Lilliput. Lemuel Gulliver, set ashore after a mutiny, regains consciousness and finds himself a prisoner of the Lilliputians. From Gulliver's Travels, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts by Jonathan Swift. Jonathan Swift Quiz
Close-up profile view of American aviator Amelia Earhart sitting in the cockpit of a helicopter. Earhart wears a bomber jacket and flight goggles on her head. Quick Quiz: Amelia Earhart's Last Flight
Currency. Money. Cash. Dollars. Bills. Pile of ten, twenty, fifty, and hundred dollar bills. Money, Money, Money Quiz
Chicago skyline at sunset, Illinois Can You Match The Famous Building To Its City? Quiz
Close up of saltwater crocodile as emerges from water with a toothy grin. The crocodile's skin colorings and pattern camouflage the animal in the wild. Can You Tell An Alligator From A Crocodile? Quiz
Sumatran tiger (panthera tigris sumatrae) in water “Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!” Quiz
Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society. Charlotte Brontë Quiz
Fruit. Grapes. Grapes on the vine. White grape. Riesling. Wine. Wine grape. White wine. Vineyard. Cluster of Riesling grapes on the vine. Quick Quiz: Champagne
A patient having surgery in 1898. History of medicine, history of surgery, surgical history. History of Lobotomy Quiz
Artist paint brushes and watercolor paintbox on wooden palette. Instruments and tools for creative leisure. Creative background. Paintings art concept. Painting hobby. Back to school. Top view. Quick Quiz: Can You Name the Artists of These Paintings from a Description?
Polish-born French physicist Marie Curie poses in her Paris laboratory; undated photo. Radium Girls Quiz
Solar system illustration. (planets; sun) This Day in History Quiz: September 23
Spotted hyena or laughing hyena (Crocuta crocuta), South Africa. (scavenger; African animal, mammal). Weird Animals Quiz
King George V of Britain, c. 1910, shortly after his accession to the throne Quick Quiz: Weird British Royalty
Viola Davis accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "How to Get Away With Murder"at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. “And The Emmy Goes To…” Quiz
Still from the film Deliverance, 1919. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. View shows Keller in the cockpit/front seat of an airplane.
How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?
Niagara Falls view from Ontario, Canada
Who Was the First Person to Survive Niagara Falls in a Barrel?
King George V of Britain, c. 1910, shortly after his accession to the throne
How Did King George V Really Die?
Frowning little girl. Angry annoyed
Is Body Language Universal?
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (Massacre de la Saint-BarthAlemy in French) in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants), during th
How Did the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day Start?
Juneteenth Parade at Malcolm X Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 22, 2019. (emancipation, slavery)
What Is the History of Juneteenth?
El Morro fort in old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, West Indies.
Why Is Puerto Rico’s Political Status So Complicated?
Skyline Barcelona at sunset, Spain
Is Castilian Spanish Spoken with a Lisp?
Invasion of alien spaceships at sunset, illustration.
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 Was Sci-Fi Passed Off as News
Corfu, Greece - April 23, 2016: The Olympic flame is symbolically passed from one torch to another after the official ceremonial lighting
How Does the Olympic Torch Stay Lit?
John F. Kennedy as a boy with his family
What Did We Call America’s Elite Before the “1 Percent”?
Pterodactyl Fossil. Pterodactilus Spectabilis
Why Are Pterodactyls Not Dinosaurs?
close up of 3d microscopic blue bacteria
What Was Life Like Before We Knew About Germs?
Alexander the Great on his deathbed
How Did Alexander the Great Really Die?
The Dionne Quintuplets, accompanied by Mrs. Olive Dionne and Brother Gustave Sauve, taking part in a religious music program at Lansdowne Park, during the five-day Marian Congress celebrating the centenary of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, June 1947.
How the First Surviving Quintuplets Became a Tourist Attraction
Female Bornean orangutan in tree. Ape, primate, animal.
How Do Monkeys and Apes Trim Their Fingernails?
Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere
Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?
Group of colorful apartments on Caminito Street, La Boca, Buenos Aries, Argentina.
How Do Countries Choose Their Capital Cities?
The Wedding of Victoria I, Queen of England and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in London, England. Vintage etching circa mid 19th century. The wedding was on February 10th, 1840.
Why Have So Many World Leaders Married Their Cousins?
The fierce snake (also known as the inland taipan, western taipan and Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is the most venomous snake in the world.
How Deadly Are Australia’s Animals?
Red blood cells in vein, circulatory system
What Was the Science Behind Medical Bloodletting?
Makeup cosmetics such as eyeshadows, lipstick, mascara and makeup accessories on white, wooden background, top view
Why Did We Start Wearing Makeup?
Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvieri).
Do Sharks Really Die if They Stop Swimming?
Four young strong women or girls standing together. Group of friends or feminist activists support each other. Feminism concept, girl power poster, international women's day holiday card. Illustration
Why Is Women’s History Month Celebrated in March?
Javan gliding tree frog or flying tree frog. Amphibian
What’s the Difference Between a Frog and a Toad?
New York City, USA, January 1, 2015, Atmospheric new year's eve celebration on famous times square intersection after midnight with countless happy people enjoying the party
Why Do We Drop a Ball on New Year’s Eve?
live foods for aquarium fish, fresh hatched brine shrimp (Artemia salina)
How One Shrimp Used Its Survival Skills to Become Both Best-Selling Pet and Astronaut
U.S. Women's National Soccer Team celebrates scoring goal during friendly game against Mexico as preparation for 2019 Women's World Cup in Harrison, NJ. USA won 3 - 0
Why Do Athletes Wear Numbered Jerseys?
Max Schreck as Graf Oriok "Nosferatu", Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922), directed by F.W. Murnau
Can Copyright Infringement Kill a Vampire?
Warren G. Harding, twenty-ninth president of the United States, date provided c. 1905 - 1945. (Warren Harding, presidents)
What Did It Look Like for a U.S. President to Condemn Racism in 1921?
Two zebras, Serengeti Naitonal Park, Tanzania.
Are Zebras White with Black Stripes or Black with White Stripes?
A human Inuit skull in a stone chambered cairn in Ilulissat in Greenland. These ancient graves are pre christian and are at least 2000
What Happens to Our Bodies After We Die?
Man with a headache
How Many People Actually Got Lobotomized?
American novelist and social critic Sinclair Lewis, circa 1905-45. First American winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1930.
Is Sinclair Lewis’s Most Famous Work Any Good?
Mother and juvenile chimpanzees on a tree branch. Taken in the wild in Africa.
Are Chimpanzees Cannibals?
Charles I of England.
Why Is Charles I Buried with Henry VIII and Jane Seymour?
British rock group The Beatles, waving to screaming fans en route to Boston, Massachusetts airport (from l to r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, on August 12, 1966.
Did the Beatles Really Say They Were More Popular than Jesus?