News

An overhead view of the Erie Canal in autumn.

One of America’s great early engineering achievements, the Erie Canal turns 200 years old in 2025.

Official White House portrait of President John Tyler by George P. A. Healy.

John Tyler was born in 1790. He took office in 1841, after William Henry Harrison died. His last living grandchild, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, just passed away, on May 25, 2025.

Two songs conquered the map, and they come from very different eras.

From the long legs of the jerboa to basically everything about the duck-billed platypus, evolution has taken some weird turns.

Clearwater, Florida‘s views put it at the top of the list.

From Clearwater, Florida, to Davis, California, these U.S. cities offer beautiful drives that make commuting a lot more bearable.

Pizza Hut is reimagining BOOK IT! for the smartphone age.

Pizza Hut revamps its iconic BOOK IT! program with a new app that rewards kids’ reading progress with free pizza.

Costco keeps limited hours for a reason.

The popular warehouse chain won't let customers in until 10 a.m. Early birds want answers.

Trader Joe’s reclaims the top spot in Axios’s ranking of America’s most reputable companies, narrowly beating out Patagonia and Microsoft.

Grievances from the days of yore.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

This scene probably wouldn’t be enough to claim ownership of the moon in space court.

The question of who has a claim to the moon and its resources is less a speculative fiction subject and more one for lawyers. Specifically, space lawyers.

Jon Voight, Lee Marvin, and Charlton Heston.

From the Hollywood heavyweight that director Steven Spielberg turned down to the actor who said no so he could go fishing for real.

The little pinprick spots on apples, pears, and potatoes are called lenticels, and they’re very important.

This Carnarvon flapjack octopus is tiny, but it can withstand intense pressure thousands of feet underwater.

The Carnarvon flapjack octopus flattens its body like a pancake and uses its Dumbo-like fins to swim.

Discover some of history's most hilarious—and unforgettable—controversies that were caused by farts, including regime changes in Ancient Egypt and more.

This insect was found for the first time since 1980.

A rare grasshopper once believed to be extinct has been spotted for the first time since 1980—but habitat loss may threaten its future.

While they’re ubiquitous in pop culture, there’s one place where you won’t find great white sharks, and that’s behind glass.

See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

It’s time to play Tune Twist, where we translate the lyrics of popular songs into multiple languages and then back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?