Damn Interesting • Obscure true stories from science & history

Created

Curated

A Possible Future

An attempt to secure the future of the site, with an unfortunate quantity of moist metaphors.

Twenty

The authors, editors, illustrators, and podcasters of Damn Interesting mark the 20th year (so far) of making interesting stuff.

Aerial photograph of Bellewstown racecourse.

There Once Was a Man Called Curley

A would-be priest's audacious plan to win his money back from the bookmakers.

Omiword, a Word Game

Introducing Omiword, a free daily word puzzle from the makers of Damn Interesting.

Much Ado About Adenoids

The largest and strangest riot in New York City’s history.

A Trail Gone Cold

Against the odds, a tiny Icelandic town speaks of a local Black ancestor. Geneticists and historians combine forces to uncover the man’s eventful life.

Breaking a Bit

After a rough August, we're taking a much needed break. In the meantime here is a word game we made.

Giving the Bird the Bird

A Brief Note From an Ex-X User.

Journey to the Invisible Planet

The tangled history of humanity’s search for the solar system’s uncharted planets.

From Where the Sun Now Stands

When the U.S. Army came for their land in 1877, the Nez Perce tribe complied. But tensions boiled over, and Chief Joseph led as they ran for their lives.

The Ancient Order of Bali

In 1970s Bali, a sudden rice crisis prompted an unexpectedly far-reaching scientific discovery.

This is Dang Interesting

To whom it may concern, we now have a (mostly) profanity-free mirror site.

Lofty Ambitions

In 1933, British WWI vet Maurice Wilson hatched an unorthodox plan to reach the still-untouched summit of Everest.

The Rube’s Dilemma

A great pitcher’s great temptation.

Devouring the Heart of Portugal

In 1924 a bankrupt businessman in Portugal launched an audacious international scheme to become one of the wealthiest men in the world.

The Mount St. Helens Trespasser

Robert Rogers, a man obsessed with trespassing, sets his sights on Mount St. Helens in the spring of 1980.

Hunting For Kobyla

The true story of a runaway Nazi, a determined sleuth, and a chase around the world.

The Unceasing Cessna Hacienda

In 1958, one heavily modified airplane flew out of Las Vegas with a single objective: Don’t land.

The Kingpin of Shanghai

From the depths of poverty, Du Yuesheng rose through Shanghai’s underworld to become one of the most influential, and overlooked, figures in modern China.