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Death

Researchers excavated a crypt in Milan and found human remains containing evidence of cocaine use.

New Research

Europeans Were Using Cocaine in the 17th Century—Hundreds of Years Earlier Than Historians Thought

Scientists identified traces of the drug in the brain tissue of two individuals buried in the crypt of a hospital in Milan

One eagle fights another for a midshipman fish in a behavior called kleptoparasitism.

‘Pirate Seabirds’ Could Become a Pathway for Deadly Avian Flu to Spread to Australia, Study Finds

Kleptoparasitism, in which a bird harasses another to steal its food, might introduce avian flu to the continent, currently the only one without the severe H5N1 strain

Napoleon in Burning Moscow, Adam Albrecht, 1841

On This Day in History

To Strike Fear Into Napoleon’s Occupying Army, These Retreating Soldiers Burned Down Their Own City

When the blaze in Moscow subsided on September 18, 1812, the French—who had traveled hundreds of miles into Russia—were left without vital resources as a brutal winter approached

Sarah Emma Edmonds is often credited as one of the handful of hidden female fighters who participated in the Battle of Antietam. But her account doesn’t match up with the historical record.

Women Who Shaped History

This Female Civil War Soldier Participated in the Bloodiest Battle in American History and Spied on the South—or Did She?

Historians say that Sarah Emma Edmonds exaggerated many aspects of her wartime experiences. Still, she bravely served in the Union Army, becoming one of hundreds of women who fought in the conflict in secret

Electric taxis known as Electrobats drive through Manhattan in 1898. A similar vehicle fatally struck Henry Hale Bliss on September 13, 1899.

On This Day in History

On This Day in 1899, a Car Fatally Struck a Pedestrian for the First Time in American History

Henry Hale Bliss’ death presaged the battle between the 20th-century automobile lobby and walkers in U.S. cities

A Victorian era depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which took place on September 11, 1297

On This Day in History

How William Wallace of ‘Braveheart’ Fame Defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge

On September 11, 1297, the warrior vanquished the superior armies of Edward I, cementing his status as one of Scotland’s most iconic heroes

James Earl Jones famously lent his deep, sonorous voice to Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in The Lion King.

Darth Vader Didn’t Come Alive Until James Earl Jones Gave Him a Voice

The prolific American actor, who died on September 9, recorded his dialogue for the first “Star Wars” film in less than three hours

A 17th-century painting of the September 10, 1622, Great Genna Martyrdom, in which 55 Christians were beheaded or burned alive

On This Day in History

Why Japan’s Shogun Executed Dozens of Christians During the Great Genna Martyrdom of 1622

On September 10, 1622, Japanese officials burned alive or beheaded 55 missionaries and laypeople alike. The violence coincided with Japan’s push to expel all foreign influences

Healthy little brown bats in Mt. Aeolus cave in Vermont in 2012

The Surprising Link Between Bats Dying and Human Infant Mortality

A new study finds that when bats in U.S. counties were decimated by the deadly white-nose syndrome, human deaths followed closely behind

Health officials say there is an elevated risk for Eastern equine encephalitis infections in New England this year. Wearing insect repellant, covering skin outdoors and staying indoors between dusk and dawn can help prevent infection.

New Hampshire Resident Dies From Rare but Serious Mosquito-Borne Illness

It’s one of four cases of Eastern equine encephalitis reported in the U.S. so far this year—and the state’s first since 2014

Keepers say it was love at first sight for Sphen and Magic when they met for the first time in 2018.

Sphen, Australian Penguin of Famous Same-Sex Couple, Dies at Age 11

Sphen and his longtime partner Magic got together at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in 2018. They successfully hatched two foster chicks and became “international queer icons”

A waterspout photographed in the Adriatic Sea near Brac Island, Croatia, like the one implicated in sinking a yacht in Sicily this week. These sudden, violent storms are hard to predict and can occur more often in warmer waters heated by climate change.

A ‘Tornadic Waterspout’ Likely Sank a Billionaire’s Yacht Near Sicily. Here’s What That Means

Scientists say the extreme weather phenomenon could grow more common as climate change brings warmer water temperatures and more intense storms to the Mediterranean

Tutankhamun's tomb was one of the few royal Egyptian burials left largely untouched by ancient looters.

Discover the Hidden History of Tomb Robbing in Ancient Egypt

Criminals plundered the riches of Egyptian pyramids and underground burials, often within a few years or, in some cases, within a few hours of occupants’ interment

The Sodder children, from left to right: 14-year-old Maurice, 12-year-old Martha, 9-year-old Louis, 8-year-old Jennie and 5-year-old Betty

What Happened to the Sodder Children, the Siblings Who Went Up in Smoke in a West Virginia House Fire?

Authorities said the Christmas 1945 blaze was accidental, but the victims’ family believed otherwise, theorizing it was an act of arson designed to distract them while their loved ones were kidnapped

One of the ancient victims recently unearthed at Pompeii

Archaeologists Unearth Two More Vesuvius Victims at Pompeii

Recent excavations provide a glimpse into the choices a man and woman made in their final moments

The Mount Everest Base Camp, at 17,598 feet high, hosts climbers acclimating to the elevation before they make their ascent.

More Than 200 Dead Bodies Have Been Left Behind on Mount Everest, and Many Mark the Path to the Summit

Mountaineers who perished on the world’s highest peak have become landmarks for the living, though recovery crews have made risky expeditions to remove some of the corpses

The mummy was preserved with her mouth wide open.

Egyptian Mummy Dubbed ‘Screaming Woman’ May Have Died in Agony

The woman, preserved with an open mouth, went through an expensive mummification process 3,500 years ago

This bronze helmet found near Corinaldo, Italy, belongs to the Piceni civilization.

Cool Finds

Aristocratic Tomb Discovered in Italy Offers Clues to a Mysterious Pre-Roman Civilization

The burial site, rife with Iron Age artifacts like a chariot and a helmet, likely belonged to a Piceni prince

As well as frescoes of Cerberus, the guard dog of the underworld, the tomb was decorated with paintings of marine centaurs.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Crack Open a 2,000-Year-Old Coffin in Italy’s ‘Tomb of Cerberus’

The stone coffin likely contains the leader of the family that built the frescoed chamber in Naples

In the first century B.C.E., Fulvia, Octavia and Cleopatra competed for Mark Antony's heart.

Who Were Cleopatra’s Rivals for Mark Antony’s Love?

The Roman general’s third and fourth wives, Fulvia and Octavia, adopted varying strategies for luring their husband away from the queen of Egypt

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