In 1769 a Hungarian civil servant named Wolfgang von Kempelen went to a magic show in Vienna. It wasn’t just any magic show, though. It was being performed in the court of Empress Maria Theresa, and Kempelen, who had training in physics and mathematics, had been invited by the empress herself to

The Mirabal sisters (also known as “Las Mariposas”) were Dominican revolutionaries and activists. Three of them, Patria Mirabal (1924–60), Minerva Mirabal (1926–60), and María Teresa Mirabal (1935–60), engaged in resistance activities against Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship, leading to their brutal

The humble potato is native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes and was cultivated by the Incas as early as 1,800 years ago. Although the Incas domesticated hundreds of types of potatoes, the invading Spaniards only brought a handful of varieties back with them to Europe during the second half of the

Held in Monterey, California, on June 16–18, 1967, the Monterey Pop Festival was the first commercial American rock festival. Dunhill Records executive Lou Adler and John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas organized the festival around the concept of the successful Monterey Jazz Festival and

In 1432 the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck—with help from his brother Hubert—completed his masterpiece, Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, which was later put on display in St. Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The enormous work—measuring approximately 14.5 by 11.5 feet (4.4 by 3.5 meters) and weighing

The Mughal dynasty was a line of Muslim rulers of Turkic-Mongol origin who reigned over much of northern India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. Thereafter it continued as a greatly reduced and increasingly powerless entity until the mid-19th century. Evidence of the emperors’ rule

Among his many literary achievements, Edgar Allan Poe is credited with creating the genre of detective fiction with his 1841 story The Murders in the Rue Morgue, paving the way for fictional sleuths from Sherlock Holmes to Nancy Drew. It is fitting, then, that the author’s own death in 1849 remains

Naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are unlikely to win any beauty contests in the animal world, but they have some amazing abilities. Naked mole rats belong to a group of about a dozen species of burrowing African rodents called blesmols. They have strong blunt heads with incisor teeth that

The National Museum of Modern Art at the Pompidou Centre in Paris is one of the world’s most important museums housed in one of the world’s most iconic buildings. This list includes just 15 of the museum’s tens of thousands of artworks by a diverse range of artists. Earlier versions of the

As more consumers weigh the environmental and health consequences of traditional funeral practices, green burials have naturally been attracting more interest. Unlike ordinary burials, which often involve embalming fluids, concrete vaults, and nonbiodegradable caskets and/or grave liners, green

As massive social, technological, and economic changes continue to unfold over the coming decades, our single greatest challenge will be to compose a new civilizational story line that will guide the evolution of our species. Just as religious narratives led humanity through the agrarian era, and

Starting a new job? Bring a pen and perhaps a financial plan. You’ve got a few forms to fill out and decisions to make. Even if it’s not your first new job, the W-4 form isn’t what it used to be, and there’s a brand new I-9 as of August 2023. Do you have a strategy for your company 401(k) (or

In the first decades of the 21st century, a new space race emerged between India, China, and Japan. This infographic shows where the missions went or are planned to go and a timeline of past and future missions. Spotlight, new space race, infographic, Earth, Mars, Moon, asteroid, China, India,

The Nightmare, oil painting that was created in 1781 and is Swiss-born artist Henry Fuseli’s most famous painting, as well as a landmark in the development of the Romantic movement. It has become an iconic image that is familiar in popular culture and much parodied. Fuseli studied theology in

Millennium Dome, massive construction project and tourist attraction in Greenwich, London, England. It was initiated to house an exhibition for the approach of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium ce (the official start of which was January 1, 2001). The central structure is the largest dome in

The Odyssey, upcoming epic action film from writer-director Christopher Nolan that is set to be released on July 17, 2026. The film is a screen adaptation of the epic poem the Odyssey, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. The eagerly anticipated film will be the first that Nolan has released

The Office, British sitcom series that was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and aired on BBC Television between 2001 and 2003. The show follows the daily work life of employees at a regional branch of a fictional paper supply company that is threatened with downsizing. The series was

The Office, popular American television situation comedy series following the daily lives of a group of employees working at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network from 2005 to 2013. Although The Office

The Old Testament Trinity, tempera icon created about 1410 by Andrey Rublyov, who is regarded as one of the greatest medieval Russian painters of icons and frescoes. The Old Testament Trinity is perhaps the most revered and valued icon in Russia. Rublyov is thought to have received his training

In 2017, our family tree got a little taller: an international team of scientists identified well-preserved fossils of a primitive sea creature that they say is the oldest known ancestor of a wide range of animals, including humans. The microscopic creature—named Saccorhytus after its baglike body

The creation of the Ekecheiria, the Olympic truce, lies within the traditional story of the founding of the ancient Olympic Games. Two warring kings of the area around Olympia, Iphitos and Cleomenes, joined with the Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus in an agreement to hold the Games and to enact and

Beginning with the 2006 draft, the NBA instituted a new requirement: players would be eligible to be drafted into the world’s premier basketball league only if they met two criteria: (1) at least one year had elapsed since the player graduated from high school and (2) the player turned 19 in the

Explore other Botanize! episodes and learn more about orchids and fungi. Melissa Petruzzello: Welcome, listeners! Thanks for tuning in to Botanize! I’m your host, Melissa Petruzzello, Encyclopædia Britannica’s plant and environmental science editor. Today we are going to be talking about orchids,

In the long history of the relationship between Native Americans and the European settlers and their descendents who so widely displaced North America’s Indigenous people, there has been much injustice and tragedy. Stories of violence and broken treaties, mendacity, mistreatment, and massacres have

The Painter’s Studio, oil painting created in 1854–55 by French artist Gustave Courbet. The most mysterious of his paintings, this relatively early work initially garnered the praise of Eugène Delacroix alone. When this painting was rejected for the Universal Exposition, Courbet opened his own

The paradox of thrift is a concept developed by legendary economist John Maynard Keynes. He noted that, during a recession, individuals tend to save money so they can manage through a tough time—when what the economy needs is for people to spend and invest. After all, historically, recessions, and

Did you take out parent PLUS loans to help finance your child’s education? Although these loans offer one way to pay for college, they might be one of the last resorts. Loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment (IDR) options are generally limited with parent PLUS loans unless you take specific

The Mimi of Nachtigal and the Mimi of Gaudefroy-Demombynes, both of whom speak a Maban language of the Nilo-Saharan language family, are identified by the names of their first investigators: Gustav Nachtigal and Maurice Gaudefroy-Demombynes, respectively. The name Mimi sometimes is applied to a

Outside of the tropics, the spring season is a time of renewal as buds and leaves begin to sprout on trees and other plants, insects and other animals emerge from their winter slumber, birds return from their warm-weather refuges near the Equator, and the pace of outdoor cultural events picks up in

The fires of industry have long been stoked with sweat and toil. But often, they claim an even higher human price. Britannica examines 10 of the world’s worst industrial disasters. This list was adapted from a post that originally appeared on the Britannica Blog. list, encyclopedia, britannica,

the personal is political, political slogan expressing a common belief among feminists that the personal experiences of women are rooted in their political situation and gender inequality. Although the origin of the phrase “the personal is political” is uncertain, it became popular following the

The Phantom of the Opera, award-winning stage musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricists Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name. A romantic melodrama, The Phantom of the Opera premiered in London’s West End on October 9, 1986, and began

The Philadelphia Museum of Art was founded in 1876 as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art; it adopted its current name in 2025. Today its collection consists of more than 240,000 artworks. This list focuses on just 12 of its paintings. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these

From the oral culture of its distant past to its vibrant present and buoyed by its scholarly discourses, Yoruba philosophy is best understood as a folk philosophy, a set of narratives and cultural practices that attempt to explain the causes and the nature of things affecting the corporeal and the

Holocaust: Artistic responses to the Holocaust: …adaptation of Władysław Szpilman’s autobiography, The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939–45 (1999); The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (2013), a short documentary focusing on the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor at the time of the film’s release; and Saul fia (2015;…

The history of the United States would not be the same without George Washington. During the American Revolution he was commander in chief of the American colonies’ military. He was the first president of the United States and set the precedent for a peaceful transition of power. His face is on

Each year, by early February, our household’s tax documents start rolling in: W-2s, investment statements, 1099s, and more. They’re mostly electronic, but a few still come to the mailbox. As soon as the last piece is in place, we assemble it all and start plugging it into our tax software. Within

The Princess Bride, is an American romantic comedy adventure film released in 1987 that was produced and directed by Rob Reiner. It was adapted for the screen by author William Goldman from his 1973 novel entitled The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure,

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, (1904–05), thesis by Max Weber that asserts a connection between success in capitalist ventures and the accidental psychological consequences of Calvinist Christian doctrines, especially predestination. Weber began his thesis by noting the

The Protestant Heritage, Protestantism originated in the 16th-century Reformation, and its basic doctrines, in addition to those of the ancient Christian creeds, are justification by grace alone through faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the supremacy of Holy Scripture in matters of faith

The stock market has historically risen over time, but it also goes through significant cycles of bull and bear markets. And if you know the basics of trading options, you know that put and call options may be used to—among other things—speculate on the market’s direction. Put options in particular

The Quad, informal security grouping comprising four countries—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. Originally formed in 2007, it became inactive the following year. The Quad was revived in 2017 and has been active since. Its stated goal is “to support an open, free, and inclusive

In the 2010s Australia’s Indigenous population constituted approximately 3 percent of the country’s total population, with some 745,000 people identifying themselves as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. This total represented a considerable increase over the comparable

The Rape of Europa, oil painting created in 1559–62 by the Venetian artist Titian. It is a superb example of Titian’s late style and demonstrates his full power as a painter. The oeuvre of Titian was subject to a number of shifts in import and sensibility over the course of his career. Whereas the

For those of us who got our introduction to Dr. Frankenstein and his monster from the movies, reading Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus for the first time can be a surprising experience. The 1931 Universal Studios film is a classic in its own right, but it doesn’t

The Red Studio, oil painting created in 1911 by French artist Henri Matisse. It is a challenging painting that has confounded critics and viewers and is regarded as a foundational piece of modern art. Matisse is known as the great colourist of the 20th century, and The Red Studio is one of the best

As rock and roll made its way to continental Europe in the late 1950s, several nightclub owners in the red-light district of Hamburg, West Germany—the Reeperbahn, named for the street that was its main artery—decided that the new music should supplant the jazz they had been featuring. British

The Renaissance was a period in European history when new ideas about art and science were developed and when new technologies, such as paper and gunpowder, were widely adopted. It began in Italy during the 14th century, and it marked the end of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance’s influence spread

The Republic, one of the most important dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, renowned for its detailed expositions of political and ethical justice and its account of the organization of the ideal state (or city-state)—hence the traditional title of the work. As do other dialogues from

The central premise of Hamnet, director Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed 2025 film adaptation of author Maggie O’Farrell’s celebrated 2020 novel of the same name, is simple: William Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet as a way to cope with his overwhelming grief in the wake of the death of his 11-year-old son,

In the 1980s and ’90s, the Sistine Chapel underwent a long and elaborate restoration scheme sponsored by a Japanese television corporation and carried out by top Italian and international experts. The cleaning removed centuries of grime, dust, and candle smoke from the frescoes and revealed

Are you ready for retirement? You’re in the homestretch when the kids have flown the coop, your mortgage has been paid down (or if you’re lucky, paid off in full), and you’re thinking a pullback from the labor force might be in your future. Choosing an annuityIn search of retirement income

The Rev. Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, painting created in about 1795 by Scottish portraitist Sir Henry Raeburn that has become one of the best known and most iconic artworks in the National Galleries of Scotland. The painting, often called The Skating Minister, is a departure from

The “Summer of Love” in the United States took place alongside rising racial tensions in many of the country’s cities. Nearly 160 riots occurred across the United States in the summer of 1967. While young white Americans traveled to California and other locations to push against one set of cultural

The Rise of Andrew Jackson, This detailed original account of the life of Andrew Jackson written for Encyclopædia Britannica by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler, authors of The Rise of Andrew Jackson: Myth, Manipulation, and the Making of Modern Politics (2018), describes how the seventh

The Industrial Revolution, the period in which agrarian and handicraft economies shifted rapidly to industrial and machine-manufacturing-dominated ones, began in the United Kingdom in the 18th century and later spread throughout many other parts of the world. This economic transformation changed

George H. Thomas was a Union general in the American Civil War (1861–65), known as “the Rock of Chickamauga” after his unyielding defense in combat near that stream in northwestern Georgia in September 1863. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in 1840, Thomas served in the

Although the animals that live in rainforests on different continents can differ significantly, the environments they live in are very similar. These environments, therefore, exert similar pressures on the evolution of the animals living in each. As a result, unrelated species may be similar in

From precolonial times to the early 21st century, the role and status of women in Nigeria have continuously evolved. However, the image of a helpless, oppressed, and marginalized group has undermined their proper study, and little recognition has been granted to the various integral functions that

Repurchase agreements (“repos”)—and their counterparts, reverse repos—are somewhat complex transactions that are based on a simple premise. To temporarily obtain money, one party sells an asset with the promise to buy it back at a specified time and price. The other side buys it with the promise

Have you ever wondered whether it’s possible to withdraw some of your 401(k) savings before you turn 59 1/2 without paying a penalty? The happy answer is yes, thanks to the so-called rule of 55. Of course, as with all things that involve retirement plans (and the IRS), you need to understand the

The Sandman, comic book series published by DC Comics from November 29, 1988, to January 31, 1996. Written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by multiple artists, the title’s original 75-issue run has greatly influenced both the comics medium and the fantasy genre in general. The series focuses on the

One of the luckiest breaks I ever got—totally underappreciated at the time—was marrying into a family of “savers” (one of the five archetypes in our Money Personality quiz). That came in handy when, as a 40-something, I found myself at a career crossroads at the same time I was dealing with the

If your kids—including adult children—still need you at the same time your aging parents need support, you’re likely part of the sandwich generation. Many adults, particularly those in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, find themselves giving time, mental and physical energy, and often financial resources to

When an alien microbe begins feasting on starlight, a frantic, galactic scramble to save humanity ensues in Project Hail Mary (2021), a science-fiction novel by Andy Weir. If you’ve read the book or watched the 2026 film adaptation, starring Ryan Gosling, you’ll know that there’s a lot of real

The Scottish Episcopal Church, independent church within the Anglican Communion that developed in Scotland out of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In 2020 the church claimed a membership of 31,200. The development of Protestantism in Scotland went through confusing periods, with control

On April 2, 1863, during the American Civil War, American photographers William D. McPherson and J. Oliver, who were active in Louisiana during the 1860s, documented the physical brutality of American chattel slavery when they created an image of the severely scarred back of a formerly enslaved

The Sea, The Sea, novel by British writer Iris Murdoch. Published in 1978, it was her 19th novel and her only work to win the Booker Prize. The Sea, The Sea is written in the first person, narrated by Charles Arrowby, a noted and self-satisfied thespian who retires from London to a dilapidated and

At the beginning of Elizabeth II’s reign, colour-coded maps provided a quick guide to the far-flung colonial possessions of Europe’s empires. By the 1960s and ’70s, however, nationalist independence movements had helped bring about widespread decolonization of British, French, Dutch, Belgian, and

The Roman Catholic Church has seven holy sacraments that are seen as mystical channels of divine grace, instituted by Christ. Each is celebrated with a visible rite, which reflects the invisible, spiritual essence of the sacrament. Whereas some sacraments are received only once, others require

“I am not what I am,” wrote William Shakespeare (1564–1616) in not one but two plays. These words are spoken by the scheming Iago in Othello (1603–04) and by the disguised Viola in Twelfth Night (1600–02). For some, the implications of duplicity and obscured identity in the line could well apply to

The Shard, skyscraper in London that was designed by architect Renzo Piano and completed in 2012. Piano took its inspiration from church spires and ships’ masts, but the Shard’s appearance better resembles the shaft of a stiletto switchblade. At a height of 1,016 feet (309.6 meters) with 95 stories

Empowered by the Clean Air Act of 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quickly established air quality standards to protect public health and the environment. Focusing on six “criteria” air pollutants—sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, and

As king of England from 1509 to 1547, Henry VIII may have presided over the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation and incorporated Wales within the realm of England, but he is largely remembered for having six wives. The six queens can be hard to keep straight, and many

The Sleeping Gypsy, oil painting created in 1897 by French naïve artist Henri Rousseau. This work is perhaps the most important of the period when Rousseau began to receive recognition as an artist and is one of the most famous images of the modern era. Rousseau was entirely self-taught and did not

What, if anything, justifies the authority of the state? What are the proper limits of state power? Under what circumstances, if any, is it morally right to overthrow a state? Within Western political philosophy, one of the most influential approaches to such questions asserts that the state exists

Your age when you start taking Social Security has a big impact on how much you receive in benefits each month. That’s because the Social Security Administration (SSA) pays a different amount depending on whether you start at age 62; at age 67 (that’s the full retirement age, or “FRA” for anyone

In February 1919 two teams of astronomers from the Greenwich and Cambridge observatories set out for Sobral, Brazil, and Príncipe (an island off the coast of Africa), respectively, with sophisticated equipment that would allow them to photograph a solar eclipse as it cut across South America, the

The Spiritual Exercises, a structured yet flexible program of Christian spirituality that was developed in the 16th century by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), a Roman Catholic religious order. Comprising meditations, contemplative practices, and prayers, the

It happens: At a certain point—maybe after the birth of a child, a layoff, or an illness—one spouse might have to stop working for a time. The good news is that a hiatus from the workforce doesn’t have to derail that spouse’s retirement savings. An unmarried person who doesn’t work cannot

The Starry Night was painted by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in 1889 during his stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. Van Gogh observed the night sky from his barred bedroom window and became preoccupied by the challenges of painting a nighttime landscape.

The Station nightclub fire, fire on February 20, 2003, that destroyed The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S., and killed 100 people. When it was announced that the hard rock act Great White would be headlining an evening of 1980s retro rock music at The Station, fans turned out

The battle for market share often takes place within a relatively saturated and competitive environment. So you might assume that business success and competitiveness go hand in hand—the more market share a company wants to win, the more it’ll have to fight for it. But this isn’t always the case.

Christmastime is a season rich with traditions that bring together family, faith, and culture and that emphasize themes of hope, joy, generosity, and goodwill. While Christmas was first established as a Christian festival of the birth of Jesus, the introduction of customs such as decorating trees

Across many cultures, humans have regarded blood as a substance associated with vitality, renewal, and life itself, centuries before blood transfusions became a viable medical procedure. The idea of restoring health through the transfer of blood predates modern medicine, initially existing more in

As you prepare for the high school homestretch, figuring out how to pay for college is perhaps the biggest thing to nail down. You’ve heard of the dream school, safety school, and that “reach” school that might push the acceptance boundary given your test scores, class rank, and other admission

Without a scientific explanation, the darkening of the Sun (or Moon) during an eclipse would be a startling event, to say the least. Throughout history, eclipses have been seen as a disruption of the natural order, and many groups have believed them to be bad omens. Many ancient (and not so

In 1981 U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan was shot during an assassination attempt. While he was incapacitated in the hospital, Secretary of State Alexander Haig famously declared, “I am in control here.” He also told reporters, “Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the president, the vice president, and

Suppose a company has a pile of long-term, fixed-rate debt, and they would prefer that some of it be of shorter duration and tied to a short-term interest rate. Meanwhile, the bank next door earns fixed-rate payments from loans it’s made, and pays depositors on a floating-rate basis. Wouldn’t it be

The Sweet Hereafter, Canadian dramatic film, released in 1997, about a lawyer (Ian Holm) who comes to a small town to sign clients for a lawsuit after a school bus accident. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival and received Academy Award nominations for best director (Atom

The Swing, oil painting created about 1767 by French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard. This is Fragonard’s most celebrated painting, as well as one of the best-known images in 18th-century art. It illustrates the elegance and playfulness of the Rococo style, which dominated French art during this

The Terminator, an American science-fiction, action-adventure film, released in 1984. It was directed and cowritten by James Cameron and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular Terminator, a nearly indestructible humanoid cyborg assassin sent back in time from the year 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah

the Smiths: Solo careers and controversies: …Marr joined Matt Johnson in The The, where his signature sound drove two of that band’s most successful albums—Mind Bomb (1989) and Dusk (1991). Marr teamed with Bernard Sumner of New Order in the supergroup Electronic. Although Marr and Sumner had initially conceived their partnership to be temporary, the success…

The Third of May 1808, oil painting by Spanish artist Francisco Goya that was completed in 1814. It evokes the horrors of war with great emotional force and is stylistically revolutionary. On March 17, 1808, the Revolt of Aranjuez ended the reign of King Charles IV of Spain and his wife, María

The trove of documents was astonishing. A deed was the first to emerge—a dull legal agreement made nearly 200 years earlier. Its paper and ink and wax seals were authenticated by people who knew these things. Enthusiasm followed, and so did more documents, all of about the same vintage: a receipt

Famous Jewish scientist Albert Einstein is well known for his discoveries in theoretical physics. But did you know he also had the opportunity to enter the political world? Following the death of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, in 1952, the Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister

In the 1st century BCE the Mediterranean Sea had a crime problem. Specifically, it had a pirate problem. The rugged region of southern Anatolia known as Cilicia Trachea (Rough Cilicia) was notoriously infested with seagoing bandits whose depredations terrified Romans. In 75 BCE a band of Cilician

This special report has been provided to Britannica by NewsGuard, which offers the service HealthGuard to fight online health care misinformation. It was written by John Gregory and originally published at newsguardtech.com. Chine Labbe, Kendrick McDonald, Anicka Slachta, Sophia Tewa, Edward

The Treachery of Images, oil on canvas painting by Belgian artist René Magritte, completed in 1929. It is considered a notable work of Surrealist art, as well as one of Magritte’s most famous paintings. Since 1978 it has been displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The Treachery

The Trinity, fresco created about 1427 in the Church of Santa Maria Novella by the early Renaissance Florentine artist Masaccio. It is likely to be the artist’s final work in Florence. The Trinity is often cited as the first major painting to use one-point linear perspective. Had Masaccio not died