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History

The theme of this year's creepy doll contest at the History Center of Olmsted County is "Circus After Dark."

The Creepy Doll Contest Is Back—and It’s Time to Cast Your Vote for the Most Terrifying Toy

Step right up and see the spooky circus dolls—from creepy clowns to frightening fortune-tellers—in a Minnesota museum’s vintage toy collection

A woman enters the secret annex at the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam. The new exhibition in New York will be the first full-scale replica.

Walk Through a Full-Scale Replica of the Secret Annex Where Anne Frank’s Family Took Shelter During the Holocaust

Featuring more than 100 original artifacts, a new immersive exhibition in New York City will explore the young Jewish diarist’s life and legacy

Aerial view of Government Point, located within Point Conception State Marine Reserve and the newly designated Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

A New Marine Sanctuary Off California Will Be Co-Managed by Indigenous Peoples

NOAA designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary this month, following a decade of advocacy by supporters. The protected site will be finalized after a 45-day review period

The infant's skeleton was excavated in 1998 in a cave in Puglia.

New Research

An Ice Age Infant’s 17,000-Year-Old DNA Reveals He Had Dark Skin and Blue Eyes

The baby boy’s recovered genome suggests he’s related to a famous Ice Age population

Kansas City has more than 100 barbecue restaurants, plus the World Series of Barbecue competition and the Barbecue Hall of Fame.

The World’s First Barbecue Museum Is Coming to Kansas City

Opening next spring, the new venue will have exhibits and a barbecue bean-themed ball pit play area for kids

This digital reconstruction of the Armenian church's now-degraded walls shows its original shape.

Cool Finds

This Newly Discovered, Octagonal Building in Armenia Is One of the World’s Oldest Christian Churches

The structure—also the earliest of its kind in the Asian country—dates to around 350 C.E.

The newly discovered jade dragon artifact, as seen from different angles

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Mysterious Jade Dragon Artifact at a 5,000-Year-Old Tomb in China

Hundreds of artifacts have been unearthed at a burial mound in the city of Chifeng, but researchers are particularly intrigued by the six-inch-long object

The right lower side of the submarine's conning tower, a raised platform where the officer in charge would have been stationed

Shipwreck Hunters Find Lost World War II-Era Submarine That Vanished With 64 Crew Members Onboard

The HMS “Trooper” likely sank after hitting an underwater German mine off the coast of an island in the Aegean Sea in 1943

The researchers examined eight Iranian swords in their study.

New Research

These Iron Age Swords Were Smuggled Out of Iran and Modified to Increase Their Value on the Black Market

Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers discovered modern glue, drill holes and even a fragment of a drill bit in the pastiches

The lions have been housed as taxidermy specimens at the Field Museum in Chicago since 1925.

Two Lions Went on a Man-Eating Spree in 1898. Now, DNA Evidence Reveals Their Diets

The notorious predators, nicknamed the “Man-Eaters of Tsavo,” terrorized railway workers in Kenya for roughly nine months

Andrew Irvine, back left, stands beside George Mallory and other members of the British Mount Everest expedition in 1924.

Famous Explorer’s Remains Discovered on Mount Everest Offer Clues in a Century-Long Mystery

In 1924, Andrew “Sandy” Irvine joined George Mallory’s expedition to the world’s highest peak. Now, Irvine’s recently found foot and boot hint at what might have happened on that ill-fated undertaking

Matthew Vincent, Josh Gates and Pearce Paul Creasman digging in front of the Treasury building in Petra, Jordan

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Petra Discover Secret Tomb Hiding Beneath a Mysterious Structure Featured in ‘Indiana Jones’

The recent excavation beneath the Treasury has revealed 12 complete human skeletons and a trove of grave goods dating back 2,000 years

Hiroshima was left in ruins after American troops detonated a nuclear bomb on August 6, 1945.

Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors Who Fight for Nuclear Disarmament

The grassroots organization, Nihon Hidankyo, was lauded for “demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again”

Visitors photograph the Trevi Fountain, which is lit up at night.

Rome’s Trevi Fountain Will Get a Much-Needed Cleaning—and a Controversial New Entry Fee

During the restorations, visitors will be able to see the famous site via a temporary walkway, which officials will use to study the flow of foot traffic

The memorial artwork hadn't been seen since the 1970s, when it was placed on a replica of Kennedy's gravesite in Upperville, Virginia.

Untold Stories of American History

A Secret Sculpture Built for John F. Kennedy’s Grave Vanished in the 1970s. Half a Century Later, the Mystery Has Been Solved

The bronze wreath immortalized the moment when the members of the Honor Guard removed their hats and placed them on the president’s grave during his burial

The woman's remains were contained in two painted coffins, one stacked inside the other.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Intricately Decorated Coffins Belonging to the Only Daughter of an Ancient Egyptian Governor

The 4,000-year-old burial chamber featured hieroglyphs referring to the woman, known as Idi, as the “lady of the house”

The blast left a large crater in the taxiway at Miyazaki Airport.

An American Bomb Left Over From World War II Explodes at an Airport Taxiway in Japan

No one was injured in the blast, and authorities are investigating why the ordnance detonated after so many years underground

Winston Churchill loved Claude Monet's paintings, which he looked to as inspiration for his own art.

A Monet Masterpiece That Hung in Churchill’s Home Is Now Free of Grime From Cigar Smoke

The newly restored “Charing Cross Bridge,” which once hung in the politician’s drawing room, is now on display at London’s Courtauld Gallery

Agafia Lykova was born while her family was living alone in the wilderness. She is the only surviving member of the family.

This Russian Family Lived Alone in the Siberian Wilderness for 40 Years, Unaware of World War II or the Moon Landing

In 1978, Soviet geologists stumbled upon a family of five in the taiga. They had been cut off from almost all human contact since fleeing religious persecution in 1936

Guests play a throwback "Donkey Kong" game with an oversized controller at the Nintendo Museum.

Nintendo Switches Things Up With a New Museum That Embraces Nostalgia and Celebrates Gaming History

The Kyoto museum will feature interactive exhibits, gaming artifacts, workshop spaces and oversized controllers inspired by iconic video games

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