April White's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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world cup

5 Must-Read Football (or Soccer) Stories

Who needs the World Cup when we have so many con men, trendsetters, superstitions, and architectural rivalries?
December 6, 2022
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boats

How Did a World War II Boat End Up at the Bottom of a California Lake?

The discovery, retrieval, and mysterious history of a ‘ghost boat.’
November 23, 2022
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execution

Was This King Charles I’s Death Vest?

It is said the English monarch wore the sleeved waistcoat at his public execution in 1649.
November 17, 2022
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cursed objects

6 Cursed Objects, and the Legends Behind Them

Maybe it's best to just steer clear of white lighters, medieval books, and Robert the Doll.
October 26, 2022
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pandemic

The Real-Life Vampire Autopsies of the Victorian Era

When medicine and folklore collide, strange things happen.
October 14, 2022
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monster mythology

Five Vampire Stories You Haven’t Heard Yet

From Dracula’s Indian inspiration to just how long it would take these mythical bloodsuckers to annihilate humanity.
October 5, 2022
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laboratories

Can Science Solve the Mystery of the Concrete Book?

When a sledgehammer isn't really an option.
September 22, 2022
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fiction

Was This Letter Written by Sherlock Holmes?

If you are “Playing the Game,” the answer is elementary.
September 15, 2022
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library

There Maybe Could Possibly Be a Treasure Buried Under Portland, Oregon

At least according to a hand-drawn map of mysterious origin.
August 11, 2022
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authors

Seeking the Last Remnants of South Dakota’s ‘Divorce Colony’

How Sioux Falls became a controversial Gilded Age “Mecca for the mismated.”
June 14, 2022
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zeppelins

The Woman Who Taught the World How to Fly

Clara Adams was one of the first frequent flyers—a role as important to aviation history as the first pilots.
March 25, 2022
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secret agent women

The Mexican Revolutionary Who Fought for Freedom on the Battlefield and in the Barroom

Before she became a spy, Petra Herrera went undercover as a man.
March 11, 2022
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secret agent women

A Socialite’s Plot to Assassinate a Corrupt Official in Occupied Shanghai

Zheng Pingru’s scheme involved a fabulous fur coat and ended in tragedy.
March 10, 2022
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secret agent women

The Society Editor Who Just Walked Into Soviet Russia and Started Spying

Marguerite Harrison was the United States’ first female foreign intelligence officer.
March 9, 2022
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secret agent women

A Struggling Actress’s Greatest Role Was as a Real Civil War Spy

Pauline Cushman’s contributions to U.S. war efforts earned her the honorary title of “Major.”
March 8, 2022
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secret agent women

The Invisible, Afflicted Spy Who Led the U.S. Army Into Occupied Manila

As a woman with leprosy, Josefina Guerrero was ignored by Japanese forces as she carried messages of resistance in World War II.
March 7, 2022
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women's history

Writing a New History of Women

To celebrate Women's History Month, Atlas Obscura is telling stories that have been left out of the history books.
March 1, 2022
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racism

A New Home for Hundreds of Photographs by the Legendary Gordon Parks

Yale has acquired some of the Black photographer’s best-known images.
February 2, 2022
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clothing

The Archive That Treats Protest Buttons Like Rare Books

Hundreds of pins document a century of progressive causes and cool typography.
January 12, 2022
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newspapers

Meet the Woman Preserving 125 Years of Black History in Baltimore

The “Afro-American” is in her blood.
January 6, 2022
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the year in wonder 2021

From Reclaimed Foodways to Joyous Murals, 2021's Must-Read Black History Tales

We revisit some of the year's stories of resistance, ingenuity, glamor, joy, and home runs.
December 27, 2021
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the year in wonder 2021

Our Search for the World's Best Bragging Rights in Some of Its Most Unusual Competitions

For every talent, there must be a champ. Are you ready for Pêl-Law, lion dancing, or marbles?
December 21, 2021
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the year in wonder 2021

Shipwrecks, Stolen Jewels, and Skull-Blasting Are Some of This Year's Best Mysteries

These unfinished tales still flummox historians, scientists, artists, and chefs.
December 20, 2021
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wwi

How World War I Turned Soldiers Into Tourists

A new exhibit reveals the wondrous sights service members found away from the trenches.
November 8, 2021