LONGFORM

The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure

For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

In space, it isn’t just number one and done.

To Boldly Go: The Science Behind Pooping in Space

Coming up with a practical way of replicating the earthbound poop experience took many years, many engineers, and a whole lot of ingenuity.

The Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, in March 1953.

How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People

Dame Sibyl Hathaway protected her people with the unlikeliest of weapons: Feudal etiquette, old-world manners, and a dollop of classic snobbery.

Robert Kennicott, pictured against Alaska’s Kennicott Glacier, was a key figure in the Smithsonian’s formative years.

Death of a Scientist: The Mysterious Demise of Smithsonian Pioneer Robert Kennicott

In 1866, Kennicott was found dead near the Yukon River. It would be 150 years before anyone knew why.

Welcome to Springfi ... er, Henderson, Nevada!

Home Sweet Homer: The Strange Saga of the Real-Life ‘Simpsons’ House in Nevada

The cartoon-inspired replica was given away in 1997—and was, as the eventual owner put it, “like living in a Crayola box.”

Even after reintegrating with white Americans, Olive Oatman bore the marks left by her adopted Native American family.

Olive Oatman, the Pioneer Girl Abducted by Native Americans Who Returned a Marked Woman

A Mormon teenager traveling through the American Southwest in the mid-19th century was abducted by Native Americans. Her life was never the same.

The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation

On January 30, 1925, Kentucky cave explorer Floyd Collins went underground—and didn’t come out. The epic effort to rescue him gripped national headlines and transformed into a battle between heroism and folly, selflessness and selfishness, life and death.

‘Guess Who?’ has been a hit for over 40 years.

The Surprising Origins of the ‘Guess Who?’ Game

The game of familiar faces has surprising connections to Anne Frank and fidget toys.

Rupert Holmes played piano on “Timothy,” a song he wrote about cannibalism.

When the Guy Behind “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” Wrote a Song About Cannibalism

Rupert Holmes hoped his controversial tune would get banned from the radio.

Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer

How “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” Became a Holiday Staple

The song embraced a darker, more humorous side of the holiday. Plus, the singer knew how to hustle.

14 Gifts That Changed the World

These gifts made a huge impact.

The Complicated, Controversial History of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

Each December, "Baby, It’s Cold Outside"—a ’40s-era American standard that some modern listeners hear as a depiction of sexual misconduct—invites a barrage of controversies, radio bans, and think pieces.

A group of 18th-century anatomists dissect a body.

Hidden Bodies: How a Harvard Chapel Renovation Unearthed Human Remains

What began as a routine renovation revealed Harvard's history of body snatching.

Just your average stroll with a baby carriage and knight's helmet.

Iron Man: The Weird Wager of Harry Bensley, Who Walked 2400 Miles in a Helmet

In 1908, a playboy made a bet he could walk around the world without being identified. Then things got weird.

An artist’s rendering of what Lucy may have looked like in life.

On the Origin of Lucy: How One Extraordinary Fossil Helped Alter Our View of Human Evolution

Lucy walked on her own two feet. Scientists weren’t expecting that.

R.L. Stine—the father of children’s horror lit.

It Came From the Kid Lit Section: Remembering the Children’s Horror Boom of the 1990s

Series like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps introduced '90s kids to horror at a young age.

Assault, Robbery, and Murder: The Dark History of “Bedsheet Ghosts”

Pretending to be a ghost was a popular pastime in 19th century England. But in London's neighborhood of Hammersmith, it could also get you killed.

Washington Irving, the Knicks' biggest fan.

The Disappearance of Diedrich Knickerbocker: How Washington Irving’s Clever Hoax Named the New York Knicks

‘Knickerbocker’ has many meanings. Without Washington Irving, it would likely only have one.

How David Bowie Helped Pave the Way For the Download Age

The groundbreaking artist made history in 1999 with his album ‘Hours’ when he sold it as an internet download before it hit stores: “Mark my words … we are not going back to record companies and through shops.”