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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Thank the boy wizard for an uptick in owl demand.

New Research

Harry Potter Sparks Illegal Owl Trade in Indonesia

Hedwig made quite the impression—but her popularity is hurting real-life birds

In traditional British cuisine, chicken would be far more likely to be boiled than fried.

The First Printed Fried Chicken Recipe in America

A white Virginian woman named Mary Randolph was the first to publish it, but fried chicken’s Southern history is deeper than ‘The Virginia Housewife’

Michael Bond, Creator of Paddington Bear, Dies at 91

The author’s stories about a plucky, marmalade-loving bear sold more than 35 million copies worldwide

Americans went nuts for Queen Victoria less than 60 years after the American Revolution drew to a close.

Americans Caught ‘Victoria Fever’ For The British Queen’s 1838 Coronation

Such delicacies as ‘Victoria soap’ could be bought in America as a souvenir of the occasion

The new monument designed by Anthony Goicolea will honor the LGBT community and victims of the Orlando massacre.

NYC Unveils Design for New Monument to the LGBT Community

The monument will be built in the Hudson River Park, a historic LGBT site

A Broadway production of "1984" is so graphic, it has audience members fainting and vomiting.

A Broadway Production of ‘1984’ Is Making Audiences Faint and Vomit

Blood spatter, electrocution and strobe lights are all part of the experience

Artists like Van Gogh took full advantage of the new blue pigments invented in the 18th and 19th centuries, which some art scholars say revolutionized painting.

Creating a Full Palette of Blues

How the discovery of a new metal helped to change painting forever

Lock Dating to Revolutionary War Period Found at Michigan Fort

The 250-year-old lock was unearthed in a fur trader’s house at Michilimackinac Fort

President John F. Kennedy sits in the Oval Office with West Berlin's Mayor Willy Brandt in 1961. The Berlin Wall would be erected only a few months later.

Where the Myth of JFK’s ‘Jelly Donut’ Mistake Came From

The misinterpretation didn’t arise until years after his death

"The Room at the Top of the Stairs" by Fu-Sheng KU.

Asia’s First Major LGBTQ Exhibition to Launch in Taipei

The groundbreaking Spectrosynthesis is united by a single theme: the spectrum of light

New Zealand’s Iconic Pōhutukawa Tree May Have Roots in Australia

Fossils belonging to the pōhutukawa’s ancient ancestors were found on the coast of Tasmania

British Camp Hill Fort in Herefordshire

Cool Finds

Explore Ancient British Isles Hill Forts with a New Online Atlas

The atlas lists over 4,000 of the structures that dot the landscape, used as gathering spots for Bronze and Iron Age Britons

Trending Today

Famous Shriveled Toe Returned to Yukon Bar

The key ingredient in the Sourtoe Cocktail, the dried-out digit was mailed back on Thursday

Wearing white with a white headscarf to St. John's Eve is an important part of the celebration.

American South

Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau Created New Orleans’ Midsummer Festival

Mardi Gras may be the city’s biggest party, but St. John’s Eve is its most important religious festival

The Flamingo's 'Champagne Tower' was one of the first big pieces of neon on the Strip, seen in films like 'Viva Las Vegas.' It was installed in 1953 and removed in 1967.

The Stylish Flamingo Hotel Shaped the Las Vegas Strip

The Flamingo, still operating today, is the oldest hotel on the Strip

Bob Fosse was a mean dancer himself–here he is playing the snake in 1974's "The Little Prince."

Choreographer Bob Fosse Is the Forgotten Author of Modern Musicals

Fosse’s signature style influenced everything from Michael Jackson to today’s musicals

Today's Girl Scouts, tomorrow's cybersleuths.

Cool Finds

New Badges Will Make Today’s Girl Scouts Tomorrow’s Cybersleuths

Camping and cookie sales are just the tip of the iceberg for modern scouts

"My Family Is Lost," created by a teenage refugee, is on display at London's Oxo Tower.

London Exhibit Showcases Powerful Artwork Created by Teenage Refugees

“All I Left Behind. All I Will Discover” includes pieces by 80 teens who fled to the UK

The ruins of the al-Nuri mosque

Mosul’s Great Mosque of al-Nuri Destroyed by ISIS Militants

The 12th-century mosque’s leaning minaret was one of Mosul’s most recognizable landmarks

Image of Mount St. Helens plume found in a thrift store camera

Cool Finds

Camera Film Reveals Images of the Mount St. Helens Eruption

A photographer developed the film found at a Goodwill, revealing images of the ash plume from the 1980 eruption that killed 57

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