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literature

Podcast: Pushkin’s Duel

How a real-life confrontation seemed to mirror a literary masterpiece.
The Podcast Team February 15, 2023
Same-sex “smashes” or “crushes” — ranging from one-sided adoration to mutual devotion — were common at women’s colleges in Victorian America.
victorian

In the Victorian Era, Valentine’s Day Was a Celebration of Same-Sex Romance

Such "smashes" were encouraged when women were considered "passionless."
Anya Jabour February 14, 2023
Itinerary

The Secret History & Hidden Wonders of Charlotte, North Carolina

Between tree-lined streets and a boom town feel, Charlotte surprises with a deep-rooted history and plenty of must-see spots.
Methods for determining if love is true date back centuries. In the early 1900s, serious scientists and penny-arcade entrepreneurs alike tried to measure the emotion.
science

Inside a Decades-Long Quest to Measure Love

The journey of the "Love Tester," from serious-seeming science to the penny-arcade amusements.
April White February 10, 2023
Milepost 1523 is near the Cushman Street Bridge.
Fairbanks, Alaska

Alaska Highway's Milepost 1523

This mile marker stands at the unofficial end of a highway built to defend the United States from a Japanese invasion during World War II.
Glasgow, Scotland

The Scotia Bar

Glasgow's oldest pub has a proud literary tradition and possibly a ghost or two.
The Gate of Freedom Memorial at Devin. August 2022.
Devín, Slovakia

The Gate of Freedom Memorial

The memorial stands at the intersection of the rivers Morava and Danube.
Torre Federici from across Piazza della Torre
Sonico, Italy

Torre Federici

A family accused of witchcraft once called this medieval tower home.
Richard Dale Monument
Portsmouth, Virginia

Commodore Richard Dale Monument

Dedicated to a veritable Houdini among P.O.W.s who escaped imprisonment on five separate occasions.
The Tamil Bell, the broken crown of a ship's bell embossed with Tamil script, has fascinated and perplexed scholars for more than a century.
objects of intrigue

The Mystery of New Zealand's Tamil Bell, an Archaeological 'UFO'

The strange bronze artifact perplexed scholars for more than a century, including how it traveled so far from home.
Petrina Darrah February 8, 2023
The House of the Vettii, one of the most important historical sites in Pompeii, opened to the public in 2023 after 20 years of work to restore its frescos and the mansion itself.
museums

Revealing the Risqué Art of Pompeii’s House of the Vettii

Inside the two-decade-long effort to restore the mansion’s colorful frescos.
Amy Crawford February 7, 2023
Divers on the site of the <em>São José Paquete D'Africa</em> wreck off the northwestern coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
shipwrecks

Near Cape Town, the São José Shipwreck Is a Unique Symbol of A Painful Legacy

More than 200 enslaved people perished when the Portuguese ship sank in 1794.
Sam Jones February 6, 2023
Belgrade, Serbia

Spomenik Sibinjanin Janku

This statue of a 15th-century Hungarian military and political figure has become known for its resemblance to a particular cartoon knight.
history

Podcast: Marchand Dessalines

An entire town in Haiti memorializes one man and his historic revolution.
The Podcast Team February 6, 2023
film

Podcast: The Westgate With Rico Gagliano

The inside story of a flop that changed one theater's history.
The Podcast Team February 2, 2023
Written and Photographed by Matt Payne
railroads

Colorado Winter Wonderland

Pack your snowshoes and see the Centennial State like never before. We hand-picked a collection of unique Colorado destinations transformed by glistening frost and white snow.
Site Of Strawberry Studios, Stockport
Stockport, England

Strawberry Studios

Paul McCartney, Joy Division, and many others created era-defining music at this former recording studio.
Plaque marking the spot where Goebel was shot
Frankfort, Kentucky

Site of William Goebel's Assassination

The 34th governor of Kentucky was sworn into office while on his deathbed after being shot outside the State House.