RELIGION

The Pope's Swiss Guards Are Now Outfitted in 3D-Printed Helmets

The Vatican's Swiss Guard has worn the same metal helmets since the 1500s. Now, after centuries of neck pain and burns from the Sun, they've switched to 3D-printed plastic.

Joan of Arc as painted by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

The Medieval Woman Who Made a Living Pretending to be Joan of Arc

Claude des Armoises earned cash and gifts while fooling the King of France himself—until it all came crashing down.

Galileo Galilei in an oil painting by an Italian painter, 18th (?) century.

15 Fascinating Facts About Galileo

Galileo Galilei, the father of modern astronomy, probably never dropped anything off the leaning tower of Pisa, and he didn't actually invent the telescope. But he did change history with his discoveries about the cosmos.

Benjamin Franklin, whose ghost was said to have contributed some of the instructions for the New Motive Power

When 19th-Century Spiritualists Believed a "God Machine" Would Save Humanity

John Murray Spear said the spirits told him how to create a perpetual motion machine. But things didn't go quite according to plan.

Inside Our Lady of the Airways Chapel at Boston Logan International Airport

Why Do So Many Airports Have Chapels?

They weren't created for nervous fliers. They weren't really created for fliers at all.

Basilica of St. John Lateran, where the Cadaver Synod was held

The Time the Church Put a Pope's Corpse on Trial

It's been called "one of the grisliest events in papal history"—for good reason.

It’s a fish-filled Christmas Eve tradition.

7 Facts About the Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, or 'Festa dei Sette Pesci,' is a delectable blend of the sacred and secular, the old world and the new.

For some Jewish families, a Christmas trip to a local Chinese restaurant is an annual tradition.

The Fascinating History Behind Why Jewish Families Eat Chinese Food on Christmas

As Gentiles feast on turkey and roast beef during the Yuletide season, why do many Jews opt for chop suey? While convenience is king, other ingredients play a part in this delicious story.

Frank Sinatra's Yarmulke Just Sold for Nearly $10,000

The singer would have celebrated his 103rd birthday today.

25 Questions about Hanukkah, Answered!

Facts about Hanukkah, including how to celebrate in space and where you can find a competitive dreidel game.

The Rise and Fall of 5 Claimed Mediums

Many believed that mediums were a connection to the other side. Instead, they were mostly con artists.

A Holy Crime: The Night Missionaries Smuggled One Million Bibles into China

In Communist-ruled China, a group of foreign faithful decided to smuggle in 232 tons of the Good Book.

Galileo Before The Papal Tribunal by Robert Henry. Hulton Archive, Getty Images

Newly Uncovered Galileo Letter Details How He Tried to Avoid the Inquisition

The letter may solve a centuries-long mystery.

The Florida Beach Town Where the Amish Go on Vacation

With the arrival of low temperatures and the slowdown of the farming season, thousands of Amish people in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania will pack their bags and head south to "The Amish Las Vegas."