curiosities

How Did The Liberty Bell Crack? Inside The Incredible History Of America’s Most Famous Relic

How and why the Liberty Bell cracked is difficult to determine, but there are many theories that explain the origin of the iconic symbol's beloved flaw.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jul 4, 2023

How Did The Liberty Bell Crack? Inside The Incredible History Of America’s Most Famous Relic

How and why the Liberty Bell cracked is difficult to determine, but there are many theories that explain the origin of the iconic symbol's beloved flaw.

By Kaleena Fraga • July 4, 2023

Xin Zhui And The Story Of The Stunningly Intact Lady Dai Mummy

Even after 2,200 years, the mummy of ancient Chinese noblewoman Xin Zhui a.k.a. Lady Dai remains so well-preserved that there's hair on her head and blood in her veins.

By John Kuroski • Jul 2, 2023

Xin Zhui And The Story Of The Stunningly Intact Lady Dai Mummy

Even after 2,200 years, the mummy of ancient Chinese noblewoman Xin Zhui a.k.a. Lady Dai remains so well-preserved that there's hair on her head and blood in her veins.

By John Kuroski • July 2, 2023

The Unbelievable Life Of August Willich, The Prussian Revolutionary And Communist Who Fought For The Union In The American Civil War

From renouncing his Prussian nobility to challenging Karl Marx to a duel to fighting wars on multiple continents, August Willich's life story is truly one of a kind.

By Lisa Hornung • Jun 29, 2023

The Unbelievable Life Of August Willich, The Prussian Revolutionary And Communist Who Fought For The Union In The American Civil War

From renouncing his Prussian nobility to challenging Karl Marx to a duel to fighting wars on multiple continents, August Willich's life story is truly one of a kind.

By Lisa Hornung • June 29, 2023

Deadly New Zealand Cyclone Unveils Fossils Of Two Enormous, Extinct Marine Predators

The 80 million-year-old fossils, belonging to an Elasmosaurus and a mosasaur, were discovered in the Maungataniwha Native Forest on New Zealand's North Island.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 23, 2023

Science News

Deadly New Zealand Cyclone Unveils Fossils Of Two Enormous, Extinct Marine Predators

The 80 million-year-old fossils, belonging to an Elasmosaurus and a mosasaur, were discovered in the Maungataniwha Native Forest on New Zealand's North Island.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 23, 2023

Inside The Enduring Myth Of The Loch Ness Monster And The Most Convincing Sightings From History

A marine creature from Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most famous cryptids in history — but is it actually real?

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 20, 2023

Inside The Enduring Myth Of The Loch Ness Monster And The Most Convincing Sightings From History

A marine creature from Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most famous cryptids in history — but is it actually real?

By Kaleena Fraga • June 20, 2023

The Grim History Of Oubliettes, The Medieval Dungeons Where Prisoners Were Left To Die

Used during the Middle Ages, oubliettes were pit-like prisons where doomed victims were left to slowly starve or go mad.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 17, 2023

The Grim History Of Oubliettes, The Medieval Dungeons Where Prisoners Were Left To Die

Used during the Middle Ages, oubliettes were pit-like prisons where doomed victims were left to slowly starve or go mad.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 17, 2023

What Is The Meaning Of Humpty Dumpty? Inside The Origins Of The Popular Nursery Rhyme, From Rude Slang Words To King Richard III

The meaning of Humpty Dumpty has remained mysterious for centuries, but there are some possible historical explanations for the nursery rhyme.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 15, 2023

What Is The Meaning Of Humpty Dumpty? Inside The Origins Of The Popular Nursery Rhyme, From Rude Slang Words To King Richard III

The meaning of Humpty Dumpty has remained mysterious for centuries, but there are some possible historical explanations for the nursery rhyme.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 15, 2023

‘Vampire Grave’ With Over 400 Skeletons Discovered Near 18th-Century Church In Poland

Many of the skeletons appear to have been dug up and decapitated — in order to keep these suspected vampires from rising out of the grave.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 12, 2023

News

‘Vampire Grave’ With Over 400 Skeletons Discovered Near 18th-Century Church In Poland

Many of the skeletons appear to have been dug up and decapitated — in order to keep these suspected vampires from rising out of the grave.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 12, 2023

Kryptos, The CIA Sculpture With A Coded Message That No One Has Been Able To Solve

More than three decades after the installation of Kryptos, three of its four coded messages have been cracked — but one remains a mystery.

By Austin Harvey • Jun 9, 2023

Kryptos, The CIA Sculpture With A Coded Message That No One Has Been Able To Solve

More than three decades after the installation of Kryptos, three of its four coded messages have been cracked — but one remains a mystery.

By Austin Harvey • June 9, 2023

New Facial Reconstruction Of King Tut Offers Revealing Look At The Egyptian Boy King

The new facial reconstruction of King Tut, which used new technology and drew on old research, suggests that the young Egyptian pharaoh had the face of a "delicate" student.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 9, 2023

News

New Facial Reconstruction Of King Tut Offers Revealing Look At The Egyptian Boy King

The new facial reconstruction of King Tut, which used new technology and drew on old research, suggests that the young Egyptian pharaoh had the face of a "delicate" student.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 9, 2023