Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?
The mysterious automobile was found in a hangar on the USS “Yorktown,” which has been resting on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean since 1942
Archaeologists in Peru Discover Graves of Men, Women and Children Killed in Battle, Then Buried With Honor
The 24 members of the mysterious Chuquibamba culture were interred with valuable grave goods
How Well Did the Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Actually Work?
Historians think the 2,000-year-old device was used to predict the positions of celestial bodies. A new digital simulation suggests that its gears may have frequently malfunctioned
Glowing ‘Milky Seas’ Have Baffled Sailors for Centuries—New Research Brings Scientists One Step Closer to Solving the Mystery
Historical accounts of vast ocean waters glowing in the dark go back hundreds of years, and researchers are still trying to determine exactly what triggers the phenomenon
Long-Lost ‘Merci Train’ Given to New Jersey After World War II Has Been Found
To thank America for its support during the war, France sent a boxcar stuffed with gifts to each state. But in the late 1950s, New Jersey’s disappeared without a trace
Mathematicians Solve Decades-Old Geometry Problem About Spinning a Needle That Had Long Puzzled the Field
A new proof solves the “Kakeya conjecture” in three dimensions, opening up a new set of possibilities for mathematics, from computer science to cryptography
Can A.I. Resurrect a Delacroix Mural That Was Destroyed in a Fire More Than 150 Years Ago?
A new project called Digital Delacroix is training cutting-edge technology on the French painter’s style to unravel the lost artwork’s secrets
Archaeologists Unearth Rare Reminder of Britain’s Brief Reign Over the ‘Nation’s Oldest City’
The find offers archaeological evidence of the 20-year interlude when the British ruled St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded by the Spanish in 1565
Learn the Secret Histories of These Fascinating CIA Artifacts, From Pigeon Cameras to Cufflink Compasses
With the launch of its new website, the CIA Museum is bringing its sprawling collection of spy artifacts out of the shadows and into the public eye
Could This Prehistoric Burial Site Have Influenced the Construction of Stonehenge?
Researchers say that Flagstones, a large circular enclosure in southern England, dates to around 3200 B.C.E.—which means it predates Stonehenge by several hundred years
Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Clay Puppets With Open Mouths and Detachable Heads That ‘Resemble Modern Toy Dolls’
The figurines were discovered in a largely unexcavated site in El Salvador. Some 2,400 years ago, they were controlled by strings that passed through their necks
Eagle-Eyed Experts Say They’ve Solved the Mystery of a Missing Masterpiece—Half a Century After It Was Stolen
Brueghel’s famous 17th-century painting “Woman Carrying the Embers” vanished from a Polish museum in 1974. Fifty years later, it’s been rediscovered at a museum in the Netherlands
This 18th-Century Sketch by a Renowned English Portraitist Was Hiding in a Dumpster in New York
The tiny drawing by artist George Romney depicts Henrietta, Countess of Warwick. It will be sold at an upcoming auction in London
Can You Identify the Mystery Photographer Who Captured Thousands of Captivating Images of 1960s San Francisco?
Discovered in an abandoned storage locker, the 2,042 processed color slides and 102 rolls of black-and-white film depict key moments in the city’s history
The QWERTY Keyboard Will Never Die. Where Did the 150-Year-Old Design Come From?
The invention’s true origin story has long been the subject of debate. Some argue it was created to prevent typewriter jams, while others insist it’s linked to the telegraph
The Enduring Mystery of the Somerton Man, One of Australia’s Most Puzzling Cold Cases
The discovery of a body on Somerton Beach in 1948 sparked theories that the dead man, now believed to be Carl Webb, was a Soviet spy, a ballet dancer or a jilted lover
Why Were These Women Buried With More Than 270,000 Beads?
At a 5,000-year-old tomb in Spain, researchers found what is likely the largest known collection of beads ever discovered at a burial site
How Britain’s Secret Decoy Ships Outfoxed German U-Boats During World War I
Divers recently discovered the wreck of a German submarine and the Royal Navy Q-ship that sank it in February 1917
Why an English King’s Traitorous Brother Was (Allegedly) Drowned in a Barrel of Wine
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, spent his life engaged in a power struggle that pitted cousins and siblings against each other. He was executed for treason on this day in 1478
When Al Capone’s Henchmen Marked Valentine’s Day With a Bloody Massacre
The infamous mob assassination, which took place on this day in 1929, resulted in the deaths of seven men linked to gangster George “Bugs” Moran
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