The untold story of England’s warrior queen

A striking monument, “America’s Birth Certificate,” and more.
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	November 22, 2022

England’s Warrior Queen

Queen Henrietta Maria arrived on English shores as a 15-year-old French bride. Eighteen years later, she was a warrior queen. During the 17th-century English Civil War, Queen Henrietta Maria was, it seems, all that stood between King Charles’s sure defeat at the hands of Parliament. But despite all her prowess, history remembers Henrietta Maria as an evil seductress, who inspired Charles to war. Why did history malign her so?

Marshmallow Marketing

Often, when you dig into a sweet potato casserole, you’ll notice that it’s topped with toasted, sticky marshmallows. But marshmallows weren’t always ingredients; they first were delicacies in their own right as a popular Thanksgiving dessert in the early 1900s. As people began to think of marshmallows not just as standalone sweets but as ingredients, advertisers took note. Hence, the marshmallow topping.

Lucerne, Switzerland

Lion of Lucerne

Carved directly into the wall of a former sandstone quarry in Lucerne, the titular lion statue sees the regal beast dying from a spear wound which is marked by a shield bearing the mark of the French monarchy. The remarkably large monument was etched from the stone in 1820 and measures a jarring ten meters in length and six meters in height.

Atlas Obscura Courses

Design Your Own E-Textiles

Life is full of sensory information—of light, sound, and motion that can be captured with sensors and converted into digital data, fodder for tiny computers known as microcontrollers. In this exploratory seminar taught by interdisciplinary artist, educator, and tinkerer Linh My Truong, we’ll explore how to embed these circuits into wearable and soft objects in pursuit of crafting pieces ranging from elaborate LED cosplay outfits to midi controllers made of fabric.

Enroll Today→

Atlas Obscura Puzzles

Breaking the Grid

Among the challenges in Puzzle Communication Nikoli, the world’s most influential puzzle publication, perhaps none are more visually satisfying than Shakashaka, a dance of negative, white space turned 45 degrees from the starting grid. From a simple grid with numbers comes a surprising piece of modernist art. Many Nikoli puzzles are refinements of earlier puzzles, or lead to other ideas. But that’s not the case with Shakashaka—it has no precedent or antecedent.

Washington, D.C.

Waldseemüller’s 1507 World Map

The Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building houses the largest collection of maps in the world. One of the most notable items is the only surviving copy of Martin Waldseemüller’s world map from 1507. It is the first map to depict the Western Hemisphere as a distinct continent, surrounded by water and not connected to Asia. It also marks the first time “America” was used on a map to name the land mass, earning it the nickname “America’s Birth Certificate.”

Sponsored by Visit Seattle

A Seattle Spot For Everyone

From world-famous views to hundreds of hidden gems, whatever type of adventure you’re looking for, you can find inspiration throughout the Emerald City. From culinary corners bursting with bright flavors to stores fostering experimental music, here are local-approved spots to punch up your Seattle itinerary.

Don’t Ask Grandma

‘Secret Family Recipes’

Is that actually a secret family recipe, or was it copied from the back of a jar somewhere? In 2018, we asked Gastro Obscura readers to send in accounts of their own discoveries, expecting a (loving) investigation of grandparents lying about family recipes. But instead, what played out was a delightful look at the power of imagination, the limitations of originality, and the halo effect of eating a dish or dessert made by family.

Sour Orange Pie

Before Floridians made key lime pie their internationally-known dessert sweetheart, they baked pies using the juice of another tangy, local citrus. When the Spanish first arrived in the state during the 16th century, they brought assorted species of local flora from Europe. Before long, sour oranges, most often of the Seville variety, dotted the sunshine state’s landscape.

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