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History / World History

Adhering to tradition is a way of life among the Zuni Indians of northwestern New Mexico, whether it's dryland farming or wedding ceremonies. "The Zuni's complex social web seems to hold people," says Dennis Tedlock. "Their religion and language provide...ethnic identity."

The Zuni Way

Though they embrace computers and TV, the secret of the tribe’s unity lies in fealty to their past

The Old Bailey (in 1809) was the venue for more than 100,000 criminal trials between 1674 and 1834, including all death penalty cases.

Digitizing the Hanging Court

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey is an epic chronicle of crime and vice in early London. Now anyone can search all 52 million words

Zuni or not, every woman is obliged to pitch in for the Sha'lako corn-grinding ceremony. During the religious festival, says Morell (far right), "people are expected to set aside all feelings of ill-will and hostility."

Mystery and Drama

Virginia Morell, author of “The Zuni Way,” on the mystical ceremonies of the Zuni pueblo

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Celebrating St. Patrick

On March 17, everyone’s green-even the Chicago River. Yet St. Patrick remains colored in myth

Teenager Chen Daidai and her mother, Hu Shuzhen, a part-time real estate agent, live in an apartment that the family owns in Wenzhou, a hub of manufacturing—and growing prosperity (from A Tale of Two Chinas)

China Rising

Rediscover five articles published between May 2002 and May 2006 that reveal another side of the emerging superpower

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Tea’s Time

The ancient drink makes a comeback

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The Past Informs the Present

In this Q & A, Caroline Alexander, author of “Faces of War,” discusses robotic faces and the timelessness of war stories

Samuel Johnson

Doctor Feelgood

Stricken by “vile melancholy,” the 18th-century critic and raconteur Samuel Johnson pioneered a modern therapy

In San Sebastián (where condos dot the beach), a real-estate boom reflects a region betting on long-term stability.

Peace at Last?

Though political tensions linger, terrorists agreed to a cease-fire this past March. Will it mean peace at last?

A group of men dressed as the communist militia from 1980s walk in Warsaw during the 24th anniversary of martial law, in 2005.

Poland’s War

Remembering martial law 25 years later

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What’s Up

Paper dolls, Josephine Baker and the Seven Years’ War

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Iraq Beyond the Headlines

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Tumult in the Philippines

A timeline of the country’s conflicts

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Soft Power

Some promising endeavors on Pacific islands

Though concerned about terrorism, Amirah Ali Lidasan (in Cotabato City) of the Moro-Christian People's Alliance, opposes U.S. aid, saying it undercuts Philippine sovereignty.

Waging Peace in the Philippines

With innovative tactics, U.S. forces make headway in the “war on terror”

These whale-oil lamps were found in the Arabia, along with bullwhips, doorknobs, pickles and more.

Time Capsule

A riverboat’s telltale contents included 133-year-old pickles. Want one?

After his son David located the Arabia under 30 feet of mud, Bob Hawley (pictured) dug in.

Pay Dirt

When self-taught archaeologists dug up an 1850s steamboat, they brought to light a slice of American life

Preservationists (including Allimam Achahi, far left, and Abdel Kader Haidara) are trying to rescue the city's rare manuscripts from centuries of neglect. "They must be protected," says Haidara.

The Treasures of Timbuktu

Scholars in the fabled African city, once a great center of learning and trade, are racing to save a still emerging cache of ancient manuscripts

Election flyer/poster distributed on behalf of Richard Nixon's campaign for Congress, 1946

An Interview with William E. Leuchtenburg, author of “New Faces of 1946”

William E. Leuchtenburg discusses the 1946 elections and how politics have changed

Federal wildlife biologists announce on November 6, 1981, that a black-footed ferret, a mammal feared extinct, has been discovered alive and well and living in Wyoming. The 2 1/4-pound male, found at home in a prairie dog burrow, is fitted with a radio collar and released. By 2006, captive breeding and reintroduction helps the wild population rebound to some 700 animals in five Western states.

November Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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