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History

The Roman-era ring depicts the goddess Minerva, who is adorned with a shield, helmet and spear.

Cool Finds

This 13-Year-Old Stumbled Upon a Roman-Era Ring While Hiking in Israel

The small artifact, discovered near an ancient farmstead, features an engraving of the goddess Minerva

The torch from the 2024 Summer Games in Paris was sold along with a torchbearer's uniform.

The Paris Olympics

2024 Olympics Torch and Torchbearer’s Uniform Sell at Auction

The sale’s big-ticket item, a torch from the 1960 Winter Games, did not end up selling

Researchers photographed and filmed the carvings underwater.

Cool Finds

Carvings of Ancient Pharaohs Unearthed in Nile River

The underwater expedition took place at a site that was flooded during the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s

The ancient wall was discovered in a forest in southern Italy.

Cool Finds

Roman Wall Built to Contain Spartacus’ Forces Discovered in Italy

Archaeologists think the Roman army constructed it to contain the revolting gladiator in 71 B.C.E.

The reconstructed Magan boat floating off the coast of Abu Dhabi

This Bronze Age Ship Replica, Made From Reeds and Goat Hair, Just Sailed 50 Nautical Miles

Researchers constructed the vessel using a list of materials found on a 4,000-year-old clay tablet

When researchers excavated part of the ball court, they found a mysterious structure beneath it.

Cool Finds

Researchers Unearth Mysterious Structure Beneath Maya Ball Court

Featuring painted stucco walls, the structure likely dates to between 200 and 600 C.E.

The explosion at Port Chicago on July 17, 1944, killed 320 people and injured 400 more.

Black Sailors Exonerated 80 Years After Deadly World War II Disaster

The Navy secretary officially cleared the 256 Black service members who were punished in connection with the explosion in Port Chicago, California

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, took a brief swim in the Seine River wearing a wetsuit and goggles on July 17.

The Paris Olympics

Paris Mayor Takes a Dip in the Seine Ahead of the Summer Olympics

The city spent $1.5 billion to improve water quality in the river, where several Olympic events are scheduled to take place

Preteen and teenage schoolgirls made these tiny paper cuttings in the 17th century.

Cool Finds

Paper Cuttings Made by 17th-Century Schoolgirls Discovered Beneath Floorboards

The fragile cutouts are going on display at Sutton House in London, which was once a boarding school for girls

The five-foot-tall bronze statue was installed in Peace Park in the '90s.

A Statue of a 12-Year-Old Hiroshima Victim Has Been Stolen

The monument to Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia in 1955, vanished from Peace Park in Seattle

Denver's historic train depot dates back to 1881. Today, it's a thriving community hub.

See Inside Denver’s 143-Year-Old Train Station

The transit hub, which just got an $11 million makeover, is deeply connected to the city’s history

The origins of the word "OK" have long been a subject of scholarly debate.

How One Man Discovered the Obscure Origins of the Word ‘OK’

From Civil War biscuits to a Haitian port town, theories about the word’s beginnings abounded

The sender carefully secured the ax heads inside a cardboard flapjack box.

Cool Finds

Someone Anonymously Mailed Two Bronze Age Axes to a Museum in Ireland

Officials are asking the donor to come forward with more information about where the artifacts were discovered

A plastic tarp covering part of the cathedral's spire caught fire on July 11.

Fire Extinguished at Rouen Cathedral, a Frequent Subject of Monet’s Paintings

The 12th-century structure and the artworks inside it sustained no significant damage

Museum officials hope to pass along cheesemaking traditions to younger generations.

You Can Now Visit France’s First-Ever Cheese Museum

The Musée du Fromage in Paris hosts tastings and teaches visitors about traditional cheesemaking practices

Luis Muro Ynoñán poses with a carving of a mythological bird-like creature.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth 4,000-Year-Old Ceremonial Temple in Peru

The structure appears to predate Machu Picchu, the country’s best-known archaeological site, by 3,500 years

After Ronald Reagan stumbled through his answers and closing statement at the first presidential debate in 1984, Walter Mondale closed the gap in the polls. This photo was taken at the second debate two weeks later.

History of Now

When a Debate Flop Raised Concerns About Ronald Reagan’s Fitness to Run for Re-Election

During the 1984 campaign, the 73-year-old president meandered his way through his first face-off against Walter Mondale, prompting questions about his mental acuity

A photograph of the Endurance stuck in ice before it sank to the bottom of the Weddell Sea in 1915

Wreck of Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ Gets New Protections

The vessel will be preserved beneath Antarctic waters inside a sprawling restricted zone

The blade, known as Durandal, was embedded in rock more than 30 feet above the ground.

Fabled Sword From Medieval French Folklore Disappears

Known as the “French Excalibur,” the blade is said to have hung from a rock face in the village of Rocamadour for 1,300 years

Researchers Kabria Baumgartner and Meghan Howey at the dig site

Archaeologists May Have Found Home Built by One of New England’s First Black Property Owners

Pompey Mansfield was an enslaved man who won his freedom, purchased land, constructed a house and became a prominent community leader

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