Lists and Stories

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  7 Iconic Buildings in Havana The Old Havana district of Cuba’s capital was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982, but there’s much else to see in Havana. Here are just seven of the city’s iconic buildings. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You...
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  7 Important Dates in Jupiter History When ancient astronomers named the planet Jupiter for the Roman ruler of all the gods and heavens, they had no idea of the planet’s massive dimensions. But the name proved appropriate: Jupiter is larger than all the other planets combined. Here are seven notable dates in humankind’s history of...
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  7 Important Dates in Mercury History Until the last part of the 20th century, Mercury was one of the least-understood planets. Find out how these seven dates have helped learn more about the smallest planet in the solar system. list, Mercury, space, solar system, astronomy, space exploration, planetsA transit is when one astronomical...
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  Big Bugs and Colossal Crabs: 7 Invertebrates of Unusual Size We’re not talking about obese bureaucrats here. The creatures on this list literally lack spinal columns…and yet attain relatively massive proportions. Before you reach for the bug spray, consider this: despite their startling gigantism, none of these organisms are harmful to humans (unless unduly...
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  6 Lakes That Are Drying Up In general, rain, snow, and other types of precipitation fall in different amounts in different environments. Deserts receive little rain; however, rainforests receive vast amounts by comparison. Between these two extremes lie grasslands, steppelands, and large forested areas. Once precipitation...
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  7 Massachusetts Bay Colonists to Know The Pilgrims, the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and Thanksgiving are familiar elements of the history of Plymouth colony, the first permanent settlement by Europeans in New England. However, the area that would become the state of Massachusetts was also the site of another colony that played a huge...
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  7 Masterpieces of Painting in Vatican City Vatican City is an independent nation-state—the smallest in the world—with a staggering collection of artworks. Here are just seven paintings you shouldn’t miss. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these paintings first appeared in 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Stephen...
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  7 Monarchs with Unfortunate Nicknames We have all heard of the great monarchs of history: Alexander the Great, Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, etc. But what about those who weren’t quite so great? Certain rulers had the bad luck of acquiring some outspoken enemies who used unflattering adjectives—and even, in one case, a...
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  7 More Domestic Animals and Their Wild Ancestors Your goldfish’s ancestors weren’t gold. Your hamburger’s ancestors are extinct. Rabbits were first domesticated so monks could eat their fetuses. Step inside for a whistlestop tour of some of the weirder facts about animal domestication. If you missed the first installment of this list series,...
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  7 Must-See Buildings in Brussels Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the seat of the European Union. That makes it a hub of international governance and business, and the city shows its cosmopolitanism through its architecture. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See...
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  7 Nobel Prize Scandals The Nobel Prizes were first presented in 1901 and have since become some of the most-prestigious awards in the world. However, for all their pomp and circumstance, the prizes have not been untouched by scandals. Slights, questionable winners, and perceived conflicts of interest are among the...
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  7 Notable Paintings in Switzerland Swiss cultural life shows strands of German, Italian, and French influence, among others, but its uniqueness is particularly apparent in its art and artists and its museums and other art venues. Here are just seven paintings from that milieu. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these paintings...
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  7 Notorious Women Criminals Female pirates? Murderers? Gangsters? Conspirators? Yes. Throughout history women have had their share in all of it. Here is a list of seven notorious female criminals of the 17th through early 20th century who wreaked havoc on land and sea. list, crime, criminals, women, history, pirates, thieves,...
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  7 of History’s Most Notorious Serial Killers Strictly speaking, a serial killer is someone who murders at least two people in separate events that occur at different times. While “serial murder” is not formalized by any legal code, the crimes of serial killers have often been seized on by the media and the public consciousness—especially in...
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  Horsing Around: 7 of the Weirdest Racehorse Names in History The naming of racehorses is governed in the U.S. by the Jockey Club. They have the difficult task of deciding which names are permissible and which are not. Names must be unique (unless they are deemed old enough to be used again—some famous names, like Seabiscuit, are off-limits forever), and in a...
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  7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants They may look harmless enough, but plants can harbor some of the most deadly poisons known. From the death of Socrates by poison hemlock to the accidental ingestion of deadly nightshade by children, poisonous plants have been responsible for human deaths throughout history. Get to know some of the...
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  7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks Travel by sea has always carried an element of risk. Accidents, human error, harsh weather, and actions during wartime are among the things that could send a ship to the bottom. While some nautical disasters such as the sinking of the Titanic have captured the popular imagination, others—some of...
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  7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Festivals If you’re a thrill seeker, here are seven festivals and celebrations from around the world that will get your blood pumping. list, celebration, festivals, holidays Deck the halls, or deck each other? You may associate Christmas with Santa Claus or peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, but in some...
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  7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Lizards and Turtles To many people, lizards and turtles are bizarre-looking creatures. Many lizards are considered menacing because of their seemingly expressionless faces combined with their claws and teeth, whereas turtles are thought of as slow-moving, docile creatures. Most lizards, in reality, are harmless to...
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  7 of the World’s Most Poisonous Mushrooms Although only a few of the 70-80 species of poisonous mushrooms are actually fatal when ingested, many of these deadly fungi bear an unfortunate resemblance to edible species and are thus especially dangerous. Read on to learn more about these terrifyingly lethal mushrooms. list, mushrooms, fungi,...