Wonder is everywhere. That’s why, every other week, Atlas Obscura drags you down some of the rabbit holes we encounter as we search for our unusual stories. We highlight surprising finds, great writing, and inspiring stories from some of our favorite publications.

The Man Who Raced to Tell the World That Mount Everest Had Been Climbed

by Peter Frick, Outside

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest. News of the accomplishment was carried to base camp by a London Times reporter where it was handed to a courier named Ten Tsewang Sherpa who ran to Kathmandu, 200 miles away, to tell the world of their success. His story has never been told.

Secret in the Walls: Hidden Letters Reveal Love, Lust, Scandal in 1920s Baltimore Society

by Tim Prudente and Stokely Baksh, Baltimore Banner

Sixty-seven faded love letters, hidden in the walls of a Baltimore house, turned into a city-wide quest to uncover a century-old love affair.

How Viking-Age Hunters Took Down the Biggest Animal on Earth

by Andrew Chapman, Hakai Magazine

An archeological site known as Hafnir on the Skagi Peninsula in northwestern Iceland is littered with whale bones dating back to at least the 12th century. Archaeologists now suspect medieval Icelanders may have hunted enormous blue whales centuries before the invention of exploding harpoons and steam-powered ships.

Who Is the Mummy Stored in a High School Library?

by Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine

For more than 100 years, Grafton High School in New South Wales, Australia, had been home to a mysterious mummified head. No one knows quite where it came from or just what to do with it. And no one knows who it was—but scientists are finally trying to figure that out.

Mysterious Structure Near Egyptian Pyramids Baffles Scientists

by Owen Jarus, Live Science

An L-shaped structure has been discovered underground in the western cemetery of Giza near Egypt’s famed pyramids. Scientists first spotted the seemingly manmade structure using remote sensing technology, and excavation is now underway to determine its former purpose.

Archaeologists Dug Up a Vanished Texas Town and Found 10,000 Artifacts

By Pam LeBlanc, Texas Monthly

The declaration that created the Republic of Texas was signed on March 2, 1836, in Washington-on-the-Brazos, a town that once stood on the banks of the Brazos River. Archeologists are now unearthing—and rebuilding—the long-gone settlement known as the “birthplace of Texas.”

The ‘Best of the Best’ Lowrider Cars Are Going on Display

by Richard Guzman, Los Angeles Daily News

Lowriders are more than just cool cars; they are cultural icons. Some of the most famous of these tricked-out rides will be on display at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles until April 2025.

Rent a Piece of the Panorama of the City of New York

by Katherine Donlevy, New York Post

The Queens Museum’s 9,335-square-foot, to-scale model of New York City is also a real estate opportunity. Museum supporters can “adopt” a building for as little as $100 and a story—the museum is collecting visitors’ tales of the city through interactive digital displays.