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The Year in Wonder 2021

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William "Dangerous Dan" Fairbairn's "pistol house" was a new type of training for Americans preparing for a new kind of war.
islands

A Year in Wacky History, from Renaissance “Hell Banquets” to Georgia’s Muddy Spring Rites

Our favorite history stories inspire your sense of wonder.
Sarah Durn December 30, 2021
A satellite image from May 2021 shows Lake Menindee, the largest of a nine-lake system in Australia, refilling after years of drought. By late August, the lake had reached nearly 90 percent capacity.
nature

Our Year's Favorite Scenes Where Nature Gets Abstract

Every one of these pretty pictures holds a complex story about the world we live in.
Winnie Lee December 29, 2021
Online collaboration cracked an alchemical code
the year in wonder 2021

Our Most Defiantly Hopeful Stories of 2021

Even in hard times, people continue to discover, innovate, and protect.
Anne Ewbank December 29, 2021
Malcham Cave in Israel has claimed the title of the world's longest.
the year in wonder 2021

In 2021, Wonders Came in All Shapes and Sizes

From tiny castle towns to big, beefy koalas, we discovered some superlative delights around the globe.
Gemma Tarlach December 29, 2021
Ziaulhaq Ahmadi cracks open mud bowls full of grapes.
food

Gastro Obscura's Most Popular Articles of 2021

Plus our spiffiest newsletter.
Alex Mayyasi December 28, 2021
In the Mütter Museum's renovated exhibit, each skull is now labeled first with the name of the individual (if known). Previously, such information was considered secondary to ailments and cause of death.
medical museums

Darwin’s Squeaky Beans and 139 Victorian Skulls: Our Favorite 2021 ‘Secret Lives of Museums’ Stories

Let’s sneak into where museum visitors can’t.
Sarah Durn December 28, 2021
Monsieur Bonheur’s dozens of tattoos suggest a well-traveled life, but much of him is a mystery.
visual

Our Year's Illustrated Journeys Through Mysterious Tattoos, Hell Banquets, and More

Let our artists draw you in.
Winnie Lee December 28, 2021
A new mural in West Oakland, California, teaches an often-overlooked part of the history of the Black Panther Party: the women who fueled the movement.
history

From Reclaimed Foodways to Joyous Murals, 2021's Must-Read Black History Tales

We revisit some of the year's stories of resistance, ingenuity, glamor, joy, and home runs.
April White December 27, 2021
Spotted skunks perform an impressive handstand to appear twice their size and ward off would-be predators.
vampires

Our Favorite Headlines of the Year Offer Skunk Stunts and Sandwich Scandals

Wild wordplay and curious questions from 2021.
Michelle Cassidy December 27, 2021
Instant winter magic happens when a woman throws hot water into the air. The water immediately condenses into ice crystals at temperatures -16 degrees Fahrenheit, in Shenyang in northeastern China, on January 8, 2021.
photography

Divers, Fireworks, and a Big Floating Violin Highlight Our Year in Wondrous Photos

Peculiar moments worthy of a double-take.
Winnie Lee December 23, 2021
Researchers found that transporting rhinos upside-down was easier on the animal than moving it on its side.
animals

Flying Rhinos and Divine Tigers: Atlas Obscura’s Year of Awe-Inspiring Critters

Looking back on 2021's stories about amazing animals and the people helping to protect them.
Gemma Tarlach December 23, 2021
During Cambodia's Pchum Ben festival, offerings are made to hungry ghosts.
maori

From Cambodia’s Hungry Ghosts to Assam’s Mobile Theaters, Our Favorite Indigenous Stories of 2021

Perseverance and ingenuity from around the world.
Sarah Durn December 22, 2021
A decellularized apple transformed into an artificial ear (right).
volcanoes

Our Favorite Science Projects of the Year, From Fake Leopards to a Torture Orchard

A look back at the ingenious ways scientists advanced our understanding of the world in 2021.
Gemma Tarlach December 22, 2021
A lion dance performer during Lunar New Year in Kuala Lumpur.
games

Our Search for the World's Best Bragging Rights in Some of Its Most Unusual Competitions

For every talent, there must be a champ. Are you ready for Pêl-Law, lion dancing, or marbles?
April White December 21, 2021
You have to hear the Great Stalacpipe Organ to believe it.
caves

On the Atlas Obscura Podcast, Deserts Boom, Names Are Sung, and Silence Rules

We're celebrating the first year of our daily podcast with some episodes that really just sound amazing.
The Podcast Team December 20, 2021
Investigators never recovered the "Irish Crown Jewels" stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907.
mystery

Shipwrecks, Stolen Jewels, and Skull-Blasting Are Some of This Year's Best Mysteries

These unfinished tales still flummox historians, scientists, artists, and chefs.
April White December 20, 2021
Banteay Srei, a 10th-century Hindu temple near Angkor.
books

From Killer Clams to Roman Emperor-Detectives, Atlas Obscura's Year in Books

Our excerpts are great reads and invitations to new worlds.
Samir S. Patel December 17, 2021