American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her fans may consider 13 a lucky number. However, millions of people worldwide do not share that sentiment. Things get even worse for the superstitious when the date, as will happen this week, coincides with a Friday. Some of the anxiety surrounding Friday the 13th can be blamed on the namesake movie series. However, the day was feared long before the film's hockey-masked villain, Jason Voorhees, made his debut in 1980....

Columbus Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October. It marks Christopher Columbus's arrival to the Americas. However, the US federal holiday, which will be observed on October 9 this year, has always been controversial....

North America's Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — were a hub of maritime activity in the 1800s. Thousands of ships used the inland waterways to move cargo and passengers between cities. Among them was a sailing ship named Trinidad that sank in Lake Michigan about 150 years ago. On September 2, 2023, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced that the remains of the long-lost boat had finally been found....

Nero, who ruled over the Roman Empire from 54 AD to 68 AD, was known for his love of the arts. The emperor had even purportedly built a private theater to rehearse his poetry and music. While its existence had been documented by many Roman historians, finding the structure had proved elusive. On July 23, 2023, a team of Italian archeologists revealed that they may have finally unearthed the "lost" theater....

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15th to October 15th. It honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans from 20 countries and territories worldwide. This includes all residents — or those with ancestors — from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America....

September 11, 2023, marks the 22nd anniversary of the boldest and deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil. The unprovoked act of violence was planned and executed by members of the Islamic extremist organization al-Qaeda. The tragedy killed 2,977 innocent people and altered life as we knew it forever....

The Hollywood writers strike marked its 100th day on August 9, 2023. The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 screenwriters, went on strike on May 2, 2023, after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). On July 13, 2023, the SAG-AFTRA, a union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors, joined the writers on the picket lines in solidarity....

Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and nineteenth. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On this day in 1865, America's last enslaved people — a group in Texas — learned they were free....

Fridays are always the best day of the week. But June 2, 2023, promises to be even more special. That’s because it also happens to be National Donut Day! This makes it your civic duty to indulge in the fried treat. Surprisingly, the holiday was not established by donut makers to increase sales. Instead, it was started by volunteers from the Salvation Army to raise funds to help those in need....

Americans will celebrate Memorial Day on May 29, 2023. The federal holiday is observed annually on the last Monday in May. It honors all military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This includes the men and women in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy....

Three amateur metal detectorists have inadvertently become part of Denmark's history by discovering two sets of hidden Viking treasures dating back over 1,000 years. Jane Foged-Mønster, Louise Stahlschmidt, and Mette Norre Bækgaard stumbled upon the trove while on holiday in Hobro, North Denmark, in late 2022....

The Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) has always been portrayed with its razor-sharp teeth jutting out of its jaw. They are visible even when its mouth is closed. The depiction is based on its closest relative - the crocodile. Also, scientists assumed that the dinosaur's teeth, which grew up to six inches (15.2 cm) long, were too large to fit inside its mouth....

On March 21, 2023, the Manhattan district attorney's office announced they were returning 20 looted antiquities to Greece. The artifacts are valued at over $20 million. They include a bronze container for human remains and a set of human and animal figures carved from marble. However, the most extraordinary is a rare Eid Mar coin celebrating the assassination of Roman politician Julius Caesar....

Archaeologists from New York University have unearthed over 2,000 mummified ram heads in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos. Located about 275 miles (442 km) south of Cairo, Abydos is one of Egypt's most important archaeological sites. It is home to numerous tombs, monuments, and temples....

St. Patrick's Day was originally celebrated in Ireland with religious services and feasts. However, the holiday, marked annually on March 17, has now evolved into a secular commemoration of Irish culture. Here is a brief history of the man behind the holiday and some fun St. Patrick's Day customs....

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins on March 12, 2023. On this day, most North Americans will "lose" an hour by moving their clocks forward sixty minutes. The simple action will allow residents to enjoy longer days in spring and summer....

Celebrated annually in March, Women's History Month honors the accomplishments of trail-blazing women throughout US history. This year's theme is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." It recognizes women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling. Here are three inspiring females who have used the power of the pen to make a difference....

Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, which stands 481 feet (147 meters) high, is the world's tallest pyramid. But the world's largest pyramid lies half a world away in Cholula, Mexico. Tlachihualtepetl, or the Great Pyramid of Cholula, is about 217 feet (66 meters) tall with a base of 1,476 by 1,476 feet (450 by 450 meters). The pyramid boasts a total volume of 157 million cubic feet (4.45 million cubic meters). This is almost twice that of the Great Pyramid of Giza....

A "replica" sword that had been gathering dust at Chicago's Field Museum for about a century was recently found to be an authentic artifact from the late Bronze Age. The 3,000-year-old weapon was found in the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, in the 1930s. It was given to the Hungary National Museum but later acquired by the Field Museum. Here, the sword was mislabeled as a copy and placed in storage....

The first phonetic alphabet — where each symbol stands for a certain sound — is credited to the Canaanites. They lived in the Eastern Mediterranean over 2000 years ago. Over the years, archaeologists have found some of these symbols on old pottery pieces. Now, they have discovered the oldest complete sentence written in this alphabet on an ancient lice comb....

Despite technological advances, modern concrete structures start to crumble in just 50 years if not maintained. This contrasts sharply with Italian monuments that remain standing after over 2,000 years. Now, an international research team has finally uncovered how Roman concrete wonders continue to survive to this day....

An auction of hundreds of artifacts from the California Gold Rush era fetched almost $1 million on December 3, 2022. The sale, held in Reno, Nevada, and online, was organized by Holabird Western Americana Collections (HWAC). It featured perfectly-preserved items from the sunken wreckage of the S.S. Central America, also known as the "Ship of Gold."...

WestJet Airlines is famous for its annual "Christmas Miracle" initiatives. In 2020, the Canadian company delivered care packages to those in need. In 2021, it helped reunite families for the holidays. This year, WestJet is focusing on giving back. Its "Miracle Miles" program gives passengers aboard select flights one dollar for every mile flown. They can donate the money to a charity of their choice....

An extreme sport like BMX (Bicycle Motocross) may not be the first thing that comes to mind to help overcome a mental health condition. However, that is precisely what enabled Nikita Ducarroz to fight her fears....