Sarah Durn's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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sargassum

10 Photos of Seaweed Blobs That Will Blow Your Mind

As a supersized sargassum bloom heads toward Florida and the Caribbean, we take a closer look at past big blobs.
April 5, 2023
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warfare

Commander Liwayway and Other Filipino Women Who Fought During World War II

The “Huk Amazons” were military commanders, leaders, soldiers, spies, and more.
March 29, 2023
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artists

The Once and Future Luna Luna Art Amusement Park

Basquiat’s Ferris wheel, Dalí’s fun house, and other wild and whimsical designs are now being restored thanks in part to rap superstar Drake.
December 5, 2023
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glowing

How the Best Underwater Photography Reveals a World of Wonder

Welcome to the home of pink coral-scapes and fluorescent lizardfish.
March 23, 2023
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she was there

The Untold Stories of the Women Who Led Slave Revolts

Their inspiring acts of resistance were ignored or erased for centuries—until now.
March 9, 2023
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sheep

The Stark Beauty of Tushetian Shepherds’ Journey Across Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains

These stunning photographs reveal the determination and resilience of a centuries-old way of life.
March 2, 2023
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masks

In Venice, Carnival Is a Visual Feast of 18th-Century Splendor

Every February, millions of people flock to Venice for Carnival, but few know the festival’s true origins.
February 16, 2023
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she was there

That Time Eleanor Roosevelt Disappeared for 10 Days

She reappeared in World War II's Pacific theater where, for five weeks in 1943, she inspired troops and faced down air raids.
February 16, 2023
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folktales

What Is a Fairy Fort?

In Ireland, fears about disturbing the fair folk have saved thousands of these mysterious ancient structures.
February 2, 2023
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warrior queens

Meet Caterina Sforza and Other Warrior Queens History Forgot

From Italy’s fortress-seizing countess to Angola’s battle-hardened Queen Njinga, these women didn’t back down from a fight.
January 26, 2023
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giraffes

Kenya’s Maasai Mara Wildlife Reserve Is a Photographer’s Playground

At least while the lions behave.
February 6, 2023
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devils

Every January, This City in Ecuador Fills With Dancing Devils

Diablada de Píllaro is a rebellious but festive answer to a much older tradition begun by Spanish colonizers.
January 13, 2023
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secret obsessions

In 2022, Celebrities Spilled Their Secret Obsessions to Us

From ghost hunting to masala chai, singers, authors, and other influencers revealed their unexpected interests.
December 28, 2022
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mesopotamia

History’s First Named Author Was a Mesopotamian Priestess

Her name was Enheduanna.
December 22, 2022
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warrior queens

7 Trailblazing Women from Every Continent

In 2022, we traveled the globe to share the stories of powerful warriors, fearless activists, and more.
December 13, 2022
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twins

The Psychology Behind Why Identical Twins Inspire Fascination—and Fear

A history of othering, experimentation, and mystery.
November 22, 2022
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warrior queens

The Untold Story of Henrietta Maria, England’s Warrior Queen

The “she generalissimo” nearly won the English Civil War for her husband, King Charles I.
November 17, 2022
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she was there

The Secret History of Female and Nonbinary Occultists

A new book examines how supernatural beliefs have often offered a voice, visibility, and vulnerabilities.
October 25, 2022
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fairies

The Haunting True Story of Bridget Cleary’s “Changeling” Murder

There's more to this 19th-century crime than the dark side of fairy lore.
October 21, 2022
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ice castles

The Time a Russian Empress Built an Ice Palace and Forced Her Jester To Get Married In It

Cruel joke, power move, or both?
October 4, 2022
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subculture

Meet the Meteorite Hunters Who Rush In When Space Rocks Crash to Earth

For this community of “space cowboys,” entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts, a fireball streaming across the sky offers big risks and bigger rewards—and new tech is heating up the competition.
September 29, 2022
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otters

In Prehistoric Ethiopia, Otters Were as Big as Lions

But they didn’t eat our ancestors—probably.
September 21, 2022
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family

Remembering the 'Ice Widows' of a Doomed Antarctic Expedition

For more than a century, their stories were ignored—until now.
September 15, 2022
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queens

The Mughal Women Who Wouldn’t Stay in the Harem

From musket-wielding empress Nur Jahan to writer Gulbadan Begum, meet the influential women of the early-modern Muslim empire.
August 31, 2022