423 Items Tagged

Mystery

William Selig's 1898 short film <em>Something Good-Negro Kiss</em> is considered one of the earliest black films depicting black intimacy on screen.

7 Unforgettable Stories for Black History Month

Meet some of the artists, archivists, students, and descendants rediscovering and preserving the past.

April White February 22, 2023

For decades, few knew the origins of the mysterious Kay's Cross in Kaysville, Utah, so all manner of ghost stories grew up around it.

2022 Was a Great Year for Mysteries

Our favorite head-scratchers, from a frightening stone to a curious cow's tooth to maybe, just maybe, buried treasure.

April White December 21, 2022

Robertsport, Liberia

Robertsport Ghost Ship

After several weeks of radio silence, this abandoned oil tanker washed up on a remote beach in Liberia.

British pop singer/songwriter Maisie Peters's favorite book, Donna Tartt's <em>The Secret History</em>, inspired an obsession with New England winters.

How 'The Secret History' Conjures Haunting New England Winters

For me as a singer-songwriter, there’s just something alluring about that frigid, seasonal darkness.

Maisie Peters December 1, 2022

When James Dunsdon discovered the now-rare Higgins boat on the shores of Shasta Lake, it sat above the water line, almost as if it had just made a beach landing during a World War II invasion.

military history

How Did a World War II Boat End Up at the Bottom of a California Lake?

The discovery, retrieval, and mysterious history of a ‘ghost boat.’

April White November 23, 2022

The cottage where Michael Cleary murdered his wife, Bridget, still stands in Ballyvadlea in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is shown here in an 1895 photograph.

The Haunting True Story of Bridget Cleary’s “Changeling” Murder

There's more to this 19th-century crime than the dark side of fairy lore.

Sarah Durn October 21, 2022

Few knew the origins of the mysterious Kay's Cross in Kaysville, Utah, and ghost stories grew up around it.

The Strange, Awful Truth Behind Utah's Eerie Stone Cross

It's more bizarre than the urban legends.

Greg Christensen October 20, 2022

Denver, Colorado

Meow Wolf Convergence Station

A multiversal transit station located right below a highway interchange.

objects of intrigue

Solving the Mystery of the Seated Man

This rare portrait can now be credited to Harlem Renaissance artist Richmond Barthé.

Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing October 14, 2022

Above the rumored abandoned 76th Street Station

Queens, New York

76th Street Subway Station

Out of a labyrinth of abandoned tunnels and stops, this Queens subway station is arguably the most mysterious—if it exists at all.

Blue Apples

Rennes-le-Château, France

The Blue Apples Of Rennes-le-Château

The way that light hits a stained glass window on a specific day is one of many "clues" to a mysterious treasure.

Art historians enlisted the help of Argonne National Laboratory to study artist Wolf Vostell's <em>Betonbuch</em> (<em>Concrete Book</em>).

Can Science Solve the Mystery of the Concrete Book?

When a sledgehammer isn't really an option.

April White September 22, 2022

An illustration (1930-1945, exact date unknown) of the original Palace of Depression and its creator, George Daynor.

How Rebuilding New Jersey's Palace of Depression Became a Family Legacy

Built from recycled materials by an eccentric con artist in the 1930s, the curious creation was demolished—and then reborn.

Michelle Harris August 23, 2022

These two seagrass fairy circles, each about 17 feet (five meters) wide, are located in the harbor of Old Grimsby, in the Isles of Scilly in England.

Decoding the Mystery of Seagrass Fairy Circles

Whether you call them gaps, rings, or fairy circles, these unexpected formations in seagrass beds are keeping scientists guessing.

Richard Pallardy August 22, 2022

tktk

A Caribbean ‘Cow’ Tooth Could Solve the Mystery of the Chincoteague Ponies

A surprise discovery from Haiti may finally reveal how some famous feral horses got to a distant barrier island.

Gemma Tarlach August 16, 2022

Heart.

Secret Cobblestones of Hide-and-Seek Alley

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

Sally Lunn's

This restaurant's specialty is "a major enigma for food historians."

Podcast: Plain of Jars

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team July 28, 2022