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Legend

Couples kissed beneath the arch for luck, according to local legend.

Couples Have Been Kissing Under the Lovers’ Arch in Italy for Years. On Valentine’s Day, It Collapsed Into the Sea

The iconic rock formation crumbled after days of raging storms. Local officials are calling for new initiatives to help slow coastal erosion in the region

A romanticized 1975 depiction of Daniel Morgan's riflemen at the Battle of Bemis Heights in Saratoga, New York, on October 7, 1777

America's 250th Anniversary

How a Relentless, 484-Mile March From Virginia to Massachusetts Fueled the Legend of the Dashing Frontier Rifleman

In the early months of the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan and his soldiers raced north to join the Continental Army during the so-called Beeline March

Many of the coins are from the United Kingom, but some are from as far away as the United States and Asia.

Tourists Are Stuffing Coins Into the Cracks of the Giant’s Causeway, Damaging the Iconic Site in Northern Ireland

Authorities are urging visitors to stop wedging pocket change between the basalt columns, which are cracking and crumbling as the coins expand

An ancient vase depicting the death of Talos, the bronze automaton created by the god Hephaestus to guard the island of Crete

History of Now

Was Talos, the Bronze Automaton Who Guarded the Island of Crete in Greek Myth, an Early Example of Artificial Intelligence?

The mythical sentry was depicted as thinking like a human and showing some human-like tendencies

The goose briefly made a nest in a juniper planter next to the center-field seats in Wrigley Field's bleachers.

Meet the Chicago Cubs’ Newest Feathered Fan: a Canada Goose That Built Her Nest in Their Baseball Stadium

After the ballpark sent a crew of “geesekeepers” to protect her over the weekend, the bird appears to have moved on. But she earned a place in the hearts of Cubs fans—and in the team’s long history of animal-related lore

A depas goblet excavated from the ruins of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s

Cool Finds

Who Drank Wine in Ancient Troy? New Research Suggests Just About Everyone

Chemical analyses revealed wine residue on both expensive goblets and common cups unearthed among the legendary city’s ruins

An oarfish surfaced in Playa El Quemado, Mexico, earlier this month.

Cool Finds

See a Deep-Sea Oarfish Caught Alive on Video in a Rare Encounter on a Beach in Mexico

In Japanese folklore, appearances of these elusive marine creatures dubbed ‘doomsday fish’ are believed to foreshadow earthquakes, though scientists found no strong relationship between these events in a recent study

This gold ring features an engraving of Venus Victrix, or Venus the Victorious, a Romanized aspect of the goddess associated with imperial power and romantic conquests alike.

Cool Finds

Exceptionally Well-Preserved Gold Ring Featuring ‘Venus the Victorious’ Unearthed on Ancient Road in France

In addition to the 1,800-year-old piece of engraved jewelry, archaeologists discovered a trove of Carolingian coins, medieval pottery and more

Sculptures of Grýla, mother of the 13 Yule Lads, and Skyrgámur, a Yule Lad fond of Icelandic yogurt

Before the Yule Lads Evolved Into Icelandic Versions of Santa Claus, They Terrorized Children Into Following the Rules

Today, the 13 brothers are said to leave presents in well-behaved youngsters’ shoes. But they used to be depicted as frightening monsters

King Arthur's Hall in Cornwall was named for the legendary leader of the Round Table.

New Research

Historians Thought This Was a Medieval Site Linked to King Arthur. It Turned Out to Be a Mysterious Monument Built 4,000 Years Earlier

Researchers have excavated King Arthur’s Hall, a rectangular enclosure in southwest England, and determined that it dates to at least 3000 B.C.E.

The mythical beasts have fired up cultures around the world.

From China to the Mediterranean and More, Here’s How Different Cultures Envision Dragons

In some parts of the world, the mythical creatures are monsters. In others, they’re more benign beings

Researchers uncovered this fresco of Helen of Troy and Paris in a newly excavated Pompeii dining room.

Cool Finds

‘Spectacular’ Frescoes of Helen of Troy, Apollo and Zeus Unearthed Among the Ruins of Pompeii

Found in an ancient dining hall, the artworks depict characters associated with the Trojan War

Discovered by a metal detectorist in the village of Wólka Nieliska, the badge is about an inch wide.

Cool Finds

A Medieval Pilgrim May Have Carried This Basilisk Pendant to Guard Against Evil

Found in Poland, the “pilgrim’s badge” was likely worn by a Christian traveler hundreds of years ago

The cabin features traditional Lapland decorations.

You Can Spend the Night in Santa Claus’ Cabin—and Help Sort His Mail

Airbnb is offering one family a chance to spend three festive nights in Rovaniemi, Finland

Hugh Gray's famous 1933 photo of a creature he believed to be Nessie

Loch Ness Monster Lovers Come Together for Biggest Hunt in 50 Years

Volunteers will convene in the Scottish Highlands armed with drones, hydrophones and other technologies

The silver-screen version of Namor has a reimagined backstory, reigning over Talokan, a Mesoamerican-inspired underwater civilization, instead of the legendary Atlantis. 

The Mesoamerican Influences Behind Namor From ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

The sequel to the 2018 Marvel blockbuster features a Maya-inspired antihero played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta

The 1,600-year-old mosaic in Rastan, Syria

See the Stunning 1,600-Year-Old Mosaic Unearthed in Syria

Archaeologists found the artwork beneath a building in Rastan

Fragments of the Hercules statue (left) and an archaeologist excavating the artwork (right)

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Greece Unearth ‘Larger-Than-Life’ Statue of Hercules

The team discovered the 2,000-year-old artwork in Philippi

Andrew Dominik's Blonde doesn't purport to be historically accurate. Instead, like the Joyce Carol Oates novel it's based on, the film seeks to be spiritually faithful to the image Monroe embodied.

Women Who Shaped History

Who Was the Real Marilyn Monroe?

“Blonde,” a heavily fictionalized film by Andrew Dominik, explores the star’s life and legend in a narrative that’s equal parts glamorous and disturbing

Catherine de' Medici was the mother of three kings.

Based on a True Story

The Many Myths of Catherine de’ Medici

A new Starz series, “The Serpent Queen,” dramatizes the life of the much-maligned 16th-century ruler

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