History

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November 23, 2023

West Point Opens 200-Year-Old Time Capsule and Uncovers Six Silver Early American Coins

West Point is known as a prestigious military academy, producing many of the nation's generals since its founding in 1802. Known officially as the United States Military Academy, it can also count two American presidents among its alumni. Such a long history is sure to come with good and bad moments, and even a few surprises. Recently, renovations uncovered a box hidden in the base of a statue of a Revolutionary War hero.

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November 17, 2023

Antique Map Acquired at Estate Sale Turns Out to Be an Extremely Rare 14th-Century Portolan Chart

Over the last few years, we've heard about mind-boggling finds in thrift stores and estate sales.

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November 6, 2023

42 New Sites Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

This year, UNESCO has added 42 new sites to the UNESCO World Heritage list, bringing the total up to 1,199...

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October 23, 2023

AI Is Used To Share What Ancient Languages Sounded Like

Most students study at least one other language in school. While most learn French or Spanish—popular languages that are commonly spoken today—some may choose to study a “dead language” like Latin. Learning an ancient language, however, can be a strange endeavor for many people, since in many cases, it is unclear what the pronunciation was for words.

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October 18, 2023

These Rare Daguerrotypes Are the Earliest Surviving Photos of Iran in the 1850s

When photography was still in its infancy, an Italian recorded what some of Iran's most spectacular sights in rare daguerreotypes.

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October 8, 2023

The Oldest Restaurant in the World Has Been in Operation for 300 Years

Many of the dishes we enjoy today are the result of age-old recipes being passed down from generation to generation.

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October 1, 2023

There Are Only Three Known Photographs Taken When the U.S. Supreme Court Was in Session and They’re All From the 1930s

As a rule, cameras are not allowed in the courtroom when the U.S. Supreme Court is in session. One would think that this has become harder to enforce over time, considering that everyone has a camera on their phone these days. However, amazingly, there are only three publicly known photographs.

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September 24, 2023

Rare 1885 Photo Captures the First Licensed Women Doctors of India, Japan, and Syria

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, about 36.3% of active physicians in the U.S. are women.

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September 8, 2023

Salvaged ‘Survivors’ Staircase’ Is a Symbol of Salvation for Those Who Fled 9/11 Attacks

A set of stairs known as the Survivors’ Staircase are part of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in...

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September 6, 2023

Rare Collection of Photos of Doomed Arctic Expedition Explorers Will Be Up for Auction

Exploring the unknown can be a risky business. For the 129 members of the Franklin Expedition in 1845, led by Sir John Franklin, adventure turned deadly. All are known or thought to have perished in the icy landscape of the Arctic, leaving behind an enduring mystery as to what exactly happened.

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