National Geographic History

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FROM THE EDITOR

National Geographic History

Ground Zero Shipwreck Mystery May Soon Be Solved • The Museum of the City of NewYork has launched a new investigation into the remains of a vessel found beneath lower Manhattan in 1916.

THE BUDDING BIG APPLE

MANHATTAN, ISLAND OF WRECKS

Arsinoe II: The Story of a Survivor • Having witnessed the murder of her two sons at the hands of her half brother, this queen fled to Egypt, where she was worshipped as a goddess.

AS FAIR AS HELEN OF TROY

SIBLING DEITIES

THE CULT OF ARSINOE

The Virgin of Guadalupe, Symbol of Mexico • In 1531 an apparition of Mary near Mexico City prompted many Indigenous people to convert to Catholicism. The Virgin of Guadalupe would later become a symbol of Mexican identity.

FROM CHAPEL TO BASILICA

HERE IT IS TOLD…

MARY’S MEXICAN MIRACLE

The Miracle of Tepeyac • This triptych, painted by the Valencian artist Senén Vila in the late 17th century, depicts the apparitions of the Virgin to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, a Mexican macehual (laborer). The work is in the Museum of the Americas, in Madrid.

Māori Rebels Battle the British in New Zealand • In the 1860s, New Zealand’s Indigenous people rose up against the British colonists who had seized their ancestral lands and deprived them of their way of life.

PILLARS OF THE KINGDOM

The Treaty of Waitangi: Lost in Translation?

ALERT TO DANGER

The Fearsome Hauhau Warriors

Fashion for Eternity: The Egyptian Bead Dress • A relic forged over 45 centuries ago, which has since been painstakingly pieced back together, links ancient elegance to a modern sense of style.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

BEADS AND BURIALS

MASTABA TOMBS

EGYPTIAN FINERY

THE SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCA • In the 15th century, the rulers of the Inca Empire ventured north of their capital, Cusco, to build a series of impressive fortifications, terraces, and royal residences—including Machu Picchu—in the Urubamba River Basin.

THE INCA EMPIRE

MACHU PICCHU, JEWEL OF THE SACRED VALLEY

AN INCA AGRICULTURAL CENTER

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT 250 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE • On July 4th, the United States of America celebrates its semiquincentennial. Fifty-six signatures marked the genesis of a nation that would go on to play a defining role in world history.

A NEW DAWN FOR AMERICA

COFFEE TALK

THE BRUTAL THEFT OF INDIGENOUS LANDS

A VAST NATION OF IMMIGRANTS

DEPARTMENT STORES

MYTHS, FACTS, AND FIRSTS • The United States’ annual celebration of independence has become synonymous with flags, fireworks, cookouts, and the summer heat. But the patriotic holiday wasn’t always celebrated this way. In fact, there are quite a few Fourth of July myths, facts, and firsts that should be brought to light.

A VERY AMERICAN CENTURY

YOUTHQUAKE!

20TH CENTURY INVENTIONS • The U.S. was once called “The Great Experiment” so it’s no surprise that ingenuity has become synonymous with the American dream. Since before 1776, American inventors have been making their mark on the ways we communicate, practice medicine, travel around the world, and live our daily lives.

A NEW MILLENNIUM BEGINS

The Making of the French Riviera • This sunkissed coast, birthplace of the modern resort, has served as a retreat for generations of artists and aristocrats alike. As French author Paul Morand wrote in 1929, “it...