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History

One of the many stands vending orange cider at the fair.

The Hottest Drink of the 1893 World's Fair Was an Artificial Orange 'Cider'

"You're drinking something that some guy just cobbled together out of Lake Michigan water and food dye.”

Anne Ewbank March 25, 2024

When planning for the total solar eclipse, look for safety lenses that meet an international safety standard known as ISO 12312-2.

How to View an Eclipse Safely

Don't be like Sir Isaac Newton, who nearly blinded himself during an eclipse.

Hessom Razavi March 25, 2024

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Beyond the Moai

AO Puzzles March 25, 2024

Herndon, Virginia

Laura Ratcliffe Hanna Family Cemetery

Across from a hotel parking lot, a Confederate spy rests under a large tombstone with her Union Veteran husband behind a copse of trees in a small, well-maintained cemetery.

The Easter egg tree custom, pictured here in Saalfeld, Germany, has gained some ground in the United States.

7 Unexpected Easter Traditions

Why hide eggs when you can hang them on a tree?

April White March 22, 2024

The Majestic Theatre

The elaborate façade of this old Cantonese opera house celebrates the building's history and the love story that founded it.

Brussels, Belgium

Birthplace of Audrey Hepburn

One of Hollywood's most iconic actresses was born in an upscale Brussels neighborhood in 1929.

Belgrade, Serbia

Znak Pitanja (?)

Belgrade’s oldest restaurant has a rather unusual name.

Stockbridge, England

Danebury Hillfort

One of the most studied Iron Age settlements in Europe.

Edro III Shipwreck

Edro III Shipwreck

While most shipwrecks are submerged, this ship in Cyprus ran ashore.

Trouvelot's 1870s lithograph of the northern lights attracted the interest of astronomers—and led to a job offer at the Harvard College Observatory.

How Invasive Moths Improved 19th-Century Astronomical Illustrations

After accidentally introducing invasive moths to North America, amateur entomologist Étienne Léopold Trouvelot turned his eyes to the skies and changed science.

Vittoria Traverso March 20, 2024

Has your favorite Girl Scout cookie been cut from the roster?

The Truth Behind the Girl Scout Cookie Graveyard

Even popular cookies can end up permanently cut from the roster.

Anne Ewbank March 18, 2024

In some Indigenous traditions in North America, people run toward solar eclipses, chasing away the Sun's attackers; others stay inside and avoid the event.

native americans

Indigenous Solar Eclipse Stories From Across Turtle Island

From rodents of unusual size to flaming arrows, communities across North America share solar eclipse traditions.

Roxanne Hoorn March 14, 2024

The Respected Oxford Professors Who Say They Time Traveled

Two Victorian academics believed they saw Marie Antoinette at Versailles.

Chris Wheatley March 12, 2024

A partially eclipsed sun seen through a large camera during the 1927 solar eclipse over Giggleswick, England.

To Study the Sun's Corona, Scientists Have Long Chased Eclipses

The Sun's dazzlingly bright photosphere makes it impossible to study the corona—unless the Moon is in the way.

Barbara Ryden March 12, 2024

The eclipse of 1878 as observed from Wyoming.

How the 1878 Eclipse Almost Killed the Father of American Meteorology

Today’s National Weather Service might be very different if Cleveland Abbe had died on Pikes Peak.

Eric Grundhauser March 11, 2024

An 1851 diagram of eclipses and the theory of the tides.

Eclipse Maps Entered a Golden Age Thanks to Edmond Halley

In the 18th century, the English astronomer created a new appreciation for these celestial events.

Sarah Laskow March 11, 2024

A highway rest stop has become a gulab jamun hot spot.

The Indian Village That Revolves Around Gulab Jamuns

More than two dozen shops in Maigalganj sell this famous dessert.

Teja Lele March 11, 2024