Hadley Meares's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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fairies

Who Were the Mysterious Moon-Eyed People of Appalachia?

Tales of strange, nocturnal people haunt the region—and so do theories about who they were, from a lost Welsh "tribe" to aliens.
October 22, 2024
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hollywood

How Gremlins Went From Fairy Stories to Warplanes to Hollywood Legend

Meet these slippery, mischievous reflections of our anxieties about technology.
October 24, 2023
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women's history

The Dramatic Life and Mysterious Death of Theodosia Burr

The fate of Aaron Burr's daughter remains a topic of contention.
March 9, 2022
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objects of intrigue

Dozens of Mysterious 'Reserve Heads' Were Sealed in Ancient Egyptian Tombs

Over 30 have been found, but their function is unclear.
June 4, 2018
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music

Need a Last-Minute Mariachi Band in L.A.? Go to This Plaza

Boyle Heights has long been a gathering place for gig-ready Mexican musicians.
May 16, 2017
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spies

The Brilliant MI6 Spy Who Perfected the Art of the 'Honey Trap'

During WWII, Betty Pack used seduction to acquire enemy naval codes.
September 8, 2016
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kickass women

The Medieval Prophetess Who Used Her Visions to Criticize the Church

Hildegard of Bingen fought the patriarchy from her cloister.
July 13, 2016
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resorts

At This Lost Alpine Resort, You Could Ski Among California's Orange Groves

Why choose a winter or summer vacation when you could have both at once?
June 30, 2016
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wedding day

Russia’s Centuries-Old Bride-Shows Were the Original Version of ‘The Bachelor'

Tsars need love, too.
June 14, 2016
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police

Meet ‘Deadshot Mary,’ a 1930s Undercover Cop Superstar

How one NYC policewoman became a media sensation.
May 25, 2016
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royalty

Why the Last Words of Anne Boleyn Remain a Mystery

What she said depends on who's telling the story.
April 14, 2016
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dolls

The Peculiar History of Celebrity Dolls

How a commemorative doll of Karl Lagerfeld is related to the Venus of Willendorf.
April 5, 2016
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garbage week

In Search of Ambergris, a Highly Prized Slurry of Squid Beaks and Whale Feces

Also known as the secret ingredient in Chanel No. 5.
March 18, 2016
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feminism

When Sipping Tea Was A Socially Ruinous Act

There's a revolution brewing in that pot of Earl Grey.
March 7, 2016
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us civil war

How First Ladies on Opposing Sides of the Civil War Forged an Unlikely Bond

February 22, 2016
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kickass women

The Women Who Rose High in the Early Days of Hot Air Ballooning

January 25, 2016
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pirate strongholds

Did the Utopian Pirate Nation of Libertatia Ever Really Exist?

December 14, 2015
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kickass women

The BFFs Who Ruled Silent Hollywood

December 2, 2015
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circus

The Many Lives of Maria Rasputin, Daughter of the 'Mad Monk'

November 4, 2015
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female explorers

The Daredevil Gal Pals Who Conquered the Sky

Harriet Quimby and Matilde Moisant were best friends and the first women licensed as pilots in the United States.
October 12, 2015
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secret society

Uncloaking the Origins of Collegiate Secret Societies

October 1, 2015
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female explorers

How Two 18th-Century Lady Pirates Became BFFs on the High Seas

Mary Read and Anne Bonny were the most feared pirate queens in the Caribbean.
September 9, 2015
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cheat week

I Spent 4 Seasons as Amy Poehler's Stand-In

August 19, 2015
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shrines

How Gandhi's Ashes Landed in Los Angeles

January 12, 2015