In summer 1950, polio hit tiny Wytheville, Virginia with brutal force. The first case struck 20-month-old Johnny Seccafico in late June. Soon after, the town of just 5,500 people had 184 cases—one in ...

Wolf Island Road stands out among these haunted thoroughfares. Travelers have reported sightings of ghostly figures and eerie sounds, such as those of a phantom procession. The road itself seems to ...

1. It’s Illegal to Tap Your Foot to Music in a Tavern Yes, really. A long-standing law bans patrons from keeping time to music in restaurants and bars—so don’t even think about bobbing your head to ...

Ohio: the Buckeye State, where college football is a religion, the weather can’t make up its mind, and the legal code is just as unpredictable. From outlawed fish intoxication to a genuine fear of ...

Welcome to the 19th-century French Quarter shop where modern U.S. pharmacy was born. Back in 1816, when snake oil and magic potions ruled, Louis Dufilho Jr. became the first guy in America to pass a ...

Oklahoma: where the wind comes sweeping down the plain—and so do some absolutely bizarre laws. Known for its cowboy culture, tornado drills, and more roadside pecan stands than you can count, the ...

Stone Mountain wasn’t just a big rock in Georgia. It was the heart of an empire. In 1887, the Venable brothers bought this mountain for $48,000 and changed American building forever. Soon, their ...

North Carolina: where the barbecue debate burns hotter than the summer sun, and the laws are just as smoky and strange. Sure, it’s home to beautiful mountains, sandy shores, and college basketball ...

In 1941, two men dug into Arizona’s past and found a gold mine of history. Emil Haury, with his Harvard degree, teamed up with Julian Hayden, who learned archaeology in the field. They cut through 12 ...

New York: where the pizza’s legendary, the people are bold, and the laws… well, some of them seem like they were drafted during a 3 a.m. subway ride. From no- masking rules in bowling alleys to ...

Nebraska: where the skies are big, the corn is king, and the laws are… a-maize- ingly weird. While the Cornhusker State is known for wide-open spaces, friendly folks, and college football so intense ...

Southwest Airlines is about to become a very different airline. Starting January 27, 2026, passengers will get assigned seats for the first time in the carrier’s 53-year history. The familiar A, B, ...