History

June 5, 2025

Research Reveals That Ancient Trade Routes Delivered Domestic Cats to China

With increasing urbanization, countries like China have seen pet ownership skyrocket, and cats have become especially popular. One of the nation’s most well-known native cats is the líhuā māo, or “leopard cat patterned cat,” a breed featured in Chinese folklore and now called the Dragon Li. This breed, developed from a common landrace of cats in China, raises a natural question: how did cats first arrive in the region?

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May 26, 2025

Need Help Making a Decision? Do as the Ancient Persians Did and “Drink” About It

Throughout history, cultures have developed methods of decision making that we might consider… unconventional. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, ancient Persians had a unique approach. They would deliberate on important decisions while inebriated, and once they sobered up, they would revisit their choices. The same process was applied to the opposite order. If something was decided while an individual was sober, they would then drink and consider it again.

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May 19, 2025

Harvard Paid $27 for a Copy of the Magna Carta, Turns Out To Be a Rare Original

In 1946, Harvard Law School scored what it viewed as a great deal when it paid $27.50 for a copy of the Magna Carta. Almost 100 years later, that bargain turned out even better than they imagined, as scholars have just revealed that the “copy” is actually a rare original. This makes it just one of seven created after King Edward I's 1300 declaration. Interestingly, Harvard has its digitization project to thank for the discovery.

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May 7, 2025

30,000 Ceramic Red Poppies Flow Across the Tower of London’s Lawn

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, 30,000 ceramic poppies have returned to the Tower of London. Originally part of the 2014 Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red public art installation, they will remain on view until November 11, Armistice Day. Ceramic artist Paul Cummins created 888,246 red ceramic poppies for the 2014 installation, one for every British or Colonial service person killed during the First World War.

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My Modern Met

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