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Mysteries

An illustration of the Mary Celeste in 1861, when the ship was known as the Amazon

On This Day in History

An Abandoned Merchant Ship Was Discovered Floating in the Atlantic in 1872. The Mystery of Its Missing Crew Was Never Solved

Speculation about what happened to the “Mary Celeste,” found empty on this day in 1872, was so rife that even famed author Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a sensational short story about it

Researchers used a line array of hydrophones towed behind a ship for three weeks in the 1980s. They collected data nonstop, listening to all the sounds in the ocean. One such sound was the enigmatic "quacking" that one expert now says might represent a conversation.

Mysterious, Repetitive ‘Quacking’ Noise in the Southern Ocean May Have Been a Conversation Between Whales

During a 1982 experiment, researchers recorded the unusual sound, termed “bio-duck.” Now, a researcher suggests they may have been listening in on animals talking to each other

The letter inside the glass bottle was dated September 4, 1892.

Cool Finds

Read the 132-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Found Hidden Inside the Walls of a Scottish Lighthouse

Engineers discovered the mysterious missive while working on repairs at Corsewall Lighthouse last month. Now, they plan to write their own note for future generations to find

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.

On September 4, 1967, six identical silver disks appeared at equidistant locations along a plumb-straight line that bisected southern England.

How British College Students Convinced Authorities That Flying Saucers Were Invading the U.K.

To raise awareness for a charity event, aspiring engineers planted six UFOs across southern England on a single day in 1967

The machine features a ceramic countertop and two parallel rollers—one that's covered with small nubs.

Cool Finds

Historians Say They’ve Solved the Mystery of a Curious 100-Year-Old Contraption Discovered in Storage

Staffers at the Dorchester County Historical Society in Maryland were baffled by the unusual machine, so they asked the public for help in determining its purpose

Father-and-son duo Sławomir and Szymon Milewski discovered the coins while searching for an ancient road.

Cool Finds

Father and Son Discover Rare Trove of 16th- and 17th-Century Silver Coins While Metal Detecting in a Polish Forest

Sławomir and Szymon Milewski were searching for an ancient road when they stumbled upon the cache of coins, which is worth more than $120,000

The penguin was malnourished after swimming thousands of miles from Antarctica.

Surfer Spots an Emperor Penguin on a Beach in Australia, Thousands of Miles From Its Antarctic Home

It’s not clear how the juvenile male ended up so far north, but experts suggest he was motivated by his appetite

Steve Lazarides at a media preview for the 2019 exhibition The Art of Banksy in Sydney, Australia

Banksy’s Former Manager Sells His Trove of Artworks and Other Objects Connected to the Anonymous Street Artist

Steve Lazarides’ personal collection of prints, original works, handwritten press releases and burner phones sold at auction for around $1.4 million

Sculpted monsters, open tombs and dramatic depictions of supernatural combatants make visiting the Sacro Bosco more akin to braving a Renaissance version of a haunted house.

Discover the Mysteries of Italy’s Park of Monsters, a 16th-Century Garden Filled With Strange, Colossal Stone Creatures

The Sacro Bosco’s meaning is the subject of debate, with scholars alternatively describing the sprawling complex as a memorial, an allegorical site or a tribute to ancient civilizations

A 2007 illustration of Arthropleura, the largest known arthropod, which grew nearly as large as a car. New research suggests previous visualizations of the animal's head were incorrect.

Fossils Reveal the Face of an Extinct Nine-Foot-Long ‘Millipede,’ the Largest Arthropod to Ever Live

Scientists in France solved the evolutionary mystery of this prehistoric monster, which resembles both the centipedes and millipedes of today

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

Oregon residents spotted a rare Arctic fox, which does not live in the region. Now, the animal is receiving care at a wildlife rehabilitation hospital.

Experts Don’t Know How This Mysterious White Fox Ended Up in Oregon, More Than 1,000 Miles Away From Home

Identified as an Arctic fox, the animal is believed to have been kept in captivity far from its native habitat in the tundra. Now, it’s receiving care from wildlife officials

Researchers found roughly 40 depressions on the lake bed of Lake Michigan within the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Mysterious Craters Discovered on the Bottom of Lake Michigan Could Hold Lessons About Early Life on Earth

Scientists aren’t sure how the circular indentations some 450 feet below the surface formed, but they hope to investigate further

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

Thousands of treasure hunters have tried to locate the owl statue.

Cool Finds

A Treasure Hunt for an Ornate Golden Owl Buried in France Has Ended After 31 Years

The quest drew thousands of curious participants hoping to solve a series of elaborate riddles—and win a bejeweled statue worth an estimated $165,000

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 24-karat gold spiral statuette is inscribed with a message pointing the finder to more than $87,000 worth of Bitcoin.

Cool Finds

A Treasure Hunter Just Uncovered the $100,000 Prize Hidden in the Massachusetts Woods

Two weeks ago, organizers of Project Skydrop stashed a golden statuette in a secret location somewhere in the northeastern United States

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