Scientists Are Trying to Make Whiskey Using Rye Seeds That Were Submerged in a Lake Huron Shipwreck for Nearly 150 Years
Divers, distillers and researchers recently recovered grain from the “James R. Bentley,” a wooden schooner that sank during a storm in 1878
Researchers Uncover the Oldest Record of Humans Using Fire in Tasmania, Almost 2,000 Years Earlier Than Previously Known
A new paper reveals how Aboriginal people changed the landscape by burning, demonstrating how similar practices could help manage modern bushfires
Ancient Egyptians Drank Psychedelic Concoctions From This 2,000-Year-Old Mug, Study Finds
Scientists have discovered traces of hallucinogens in a small vessel depicting an Egyptian deity that may have been used in ancient rituals
The Shocking Moment When a Group of Confederate Spies Plotted—and Failed—to Burn Down New York City
Southern operatives tried to light New York businesses on fire and bring the Northern city to its knees on this date in 1864
How Henry VIII’s Armies Defeated a Much Larger Scottish Force, Humiliating His Nephew, the King of Scotland
On this day in 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss left James V enfeebled and ill, clearing the way for his young daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, to claim the throne weeks later
Read Freddie Mercury’s Heartbreaking Announcement of His Diagnosis With HIV/AIDS, Released on This Date in 1991, Just a Day Before the Queen Frontman Died
Until Mercury released the statement, tabloid newspapers hounded the ailing singer, while only a smaller inner circle knew about the extent of his illness
Archaeologists Say These Mysterious Markings Could Be the World’s Oldest Known Alphabetic Writing
Found etched into clay cylinders in Syria, the strange symbols date to around 2400 B.C.E.—500 years before other known alphabetic scripts
A Little Girl Dropped a Message in a Bottle Into a Lake. Her Daughter’s Classmate Found It 26 Years Later
Makenzie Van Eyk wrote the letter as part of a class project in 1998, when she was in fourth grade. Recently, the note was discovered by a boy who goes to school with her daughter—who is now in fourth grade herself
These Ice Age Artworks Etched Into Rock 15,800 Years Ago May Be the Earliest Known Depictions of Fishing
Found in western Germany, the stone plaques feature etchings of fish trapped in grid-like nets, according to a new study
Italian Police Arrest ‘Clumsy’ Tomb Raiders Who Allegedly Posted Stolen Etruscan Artifacts on Facebook
The items include artistic urns, a bone comb and an ancient sarcophagus with a full skeleton inside
How British Authorities Finally Caught Up to the Most Notorious Pirate in History
On this day in 1718, the Royal Navy attacked and killed Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach, off the coast of North Carolina
Airbnb Plans to Host an Immersive ‘Gladiator’ Experience in the Colosseum, and Politicians in Rome Are Furious
The short-term rental giant will help pay for the Colosseum Archaeological Park’s educational programs in exchange for use of the monument
American Colonists Minted This Humble Silver Coin in 1652. It Just Sold for $2.52 Million
Settlers in Massachusetts needed cash, but England wouldn’t send any. So, they created their own mint in Boston and began making coins
Meet the Woman Who Was the First Female Senator and the Last Senator to Be an Enslaver. She Served for Just One Day
Rebecca Felton was sworn in on this day, and despite her short time in power, her legacy reveals deep contradictions in American history
A Rare Atlas of Astronomy From the Dutch Golden Age Goes on Display in England
The copy of “Harmonia Macrocosmica” dates back to the 17th century and includes ancient theories of the universe
Inside the Terrifying True Story of the Sperm Whale That Sank the Whale-Ship ‘Essex’ and Inspired Herman Melville’s ‘Moby-Dick’
Survivors of the whale attack drifted at sea for months, succumbing to starvation, dehydration—and even cannibalism
New Exhibition Unravels Sigmund Freud’s Complex Relationship With the Women in His Life and Work
“Women & Freud: Patients, Pioneers, Artists” spotlights the women who influenced the Austrian neurologist—and the field of psychoanalysis more broadly
See Every Nook and Cranny of St. Peter’s Basilica With This New, Stunningly Accurate 3D Replica
Microsoft and the Vatican used artificial intelligence to virtually recreate the historic Vatican City church
This Interactive Map Shows Which Indigenous Lands You Live On
The nonprofit behind the tool wants people to learn the history of the spaces they inhabit
An Ancient Tablet Inscribed With Nine of the Ten Commandments From the Book of Exodus Is for Sale
The marble slab, which dates to between 300 and 500 C.E., is the oldest-known stone tablet inscribed with the Commandments. Nobody recognized its significance until decades after its discovery
Page 34 of 327