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History

Aside from the fact that the bell tower "sinks," one of the curious things about this tower is its distance from the main cathedral. Pictured here from a nearby park, the cathedral itself cannot be seen.

Laoag City, Philippines

The Sinking Bell Tower

It is believed that the historic tower is sinking at a rate of an inch a year, though no one is completely sure why.

Soldiers locked forever in combat

Sekigahara-chō, Japan

Sekigahara War Land

One of the bloodiest and most important battles in Japanese history is recreated with kitschy concrete statues.

The Jardin d' Acclimatation, illustrated in Le Monde in 1861, brought emus, goats, and exotic plants to Paris.

The Popular Victorian Clubs That Yearned To Fill Europe With Hippos

In the 19th century, dozens of Acclimatization Societies wanted to stock Europe with exotic beasts—and the colonies with tame ones.

Cara Giaimo December 8, 2016

Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade Aviation Museum

In the hinterlands of Serbia's capital, a giant reflective mushroom houses an aeronautical history of the former Yugoslav republic.

Working-class men dancing tango in Rio de la Plata in 1904.

Rock 'n' Roll and Military Dictatorships Almost Destroyed Argentine Tango

As rock music and military regimes began to rise, tango began to fall—was it all just a coincidence?

Mariana Zapata December 7, 2016

Louis XIV's globes.

Louis XIV's Globes

Two awe-inspiring globes from the reign of the Sun King hang from the ceiling of France's national library.

Queen Elizabeth with Lord Burleigh and Sir Francis Walsingham.

Queen Elizabeth I’s Vast Spy Network Was The First Surveillance State

One of her spies signed his reports with a familiar moniker: "007."

Natalie Zarrelli December 7, 2016

England's Peak District, where Rotherham does much of his research.

The Hidden Signs That Mark Britain's Ghost Forests

Weird tree shapes, specific plants, and other clues help environmental researchers spot where woods once were.

Cara Giaimo December 2, 2016

Standing in front of Bowers Mansion

New Washoe City, Nevada

Bowers Mansion

Historic home to one of the most famous women pioneers of the 19th century.

Gateway into St Olave's churchyard, dubbed 'St Ghastly Grim' by Charles Dickens.

essential guide

A History Buff's Guide to Medieval London

Eight places to see hidden remnants of the Middle Ages.

Meg Neal November 21, 2016

Metal base that supported the fountain bowl.

Fort Washington, Maryland

Remains of Truxton Circle Fountain

Remains of a historic fountain that was mysteriously lost in the demolition of a D.C. traffic circle.

Permanently Closed

Yenching Palace in Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Yenching Palace

The iconic D.C. restaurant where the Cuban Missile Crisis was negotiated, now a Walgreens.

The Interior

Little Metropolis Church

This gem is often wrongly overshadowed by the larger, newer Metropolis church in Athens.

Mausoleum with Statue

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum

Mausoleums, astronomy, and animatronic dinosaurs at this memorial to an assassinated American president.

A Brief History of the Cheese Curl, Junk Food’s Happiest Accident

It's more or less repurposed horse feed.

Ernie Smith November 14, 2016

Selected plates from Margaret Gatty's "British Sea-Weeds."

The Forgotten Victorian Craze for Collecting Seaweed

Victorian women were excellent at it.

Cara Giaimo November 14, 2016

Festival sign

Gordonsville, Virginia

Gordonsville Fried Chicken Festival

This Virginia town has been famous for its fried chicken since the 19th century.

Minority women in southern China were accused of poisoning northern men with a special poison made of venomous creatures.

The Legendary Chinese Poison Made by Forcing Snakes, Scorpions, and Centipedes to Fight

"Gu" was a mythological substance born from fear, with a dramatic backstory.

Lauren Young November 11, 2016