curiosities

LIFE Goes to a Magicians' Convention in 1947

By Liz Ronk and Olivia B. Waxman

The Man Who (Maybe) Invented River Tubing

By Lily Rothman and Liz Ronk

Yoga's 20th-Century Evolution Captured in Classic Photographs

By Lily Rothman and Liz Ronk

Celebrate National Hugging Day With History's Most Enthusiastic Huggers

By Eliza Berman
More in curiosities

Celebrate Pickle Day by Floating in a Giant Vat of Pickles

That's exactly how the inaugural National Pickle Week was celebrated in 1949

By Eliza Berman

Vintage Tips on Mustache Maintenance from the London Handlebar Club

This could get hairy

By Eliza Berman

How to Make a 10-Foot Pizza for National Cheese Pizza Day

What better way to celebrate than with a gigantic cheese pizza?

By Eliza Berman

How to Plan a Successful Underwater Wedding

Perhaps the best way to stand out is to stand underwater

By Eliza Berman

When American Children Donned Castro Beards for Playtime

On July 26, 1953, the Cuban Revolution began. Six years later, it inspired a fashion trend among America's youth

By Eliza Berman

How to Make Summer Watermelon Punch for a 1940s Party

For adults of drinking age, the spiked watermelon has long been a beach party staple.

By Eliza Berman

These Mysterious Photos Might Just Solve Your Headache Problem

Ah, the classic conch shell trick

By Eliza Berman

Here’s How a Man Should Strip, According to Advice From the 1930s

With 'Magic Mike XXL' hitting theaters this week, a look back at the proper method of undressing according to LIFE Magazine in 1937

By Eliza Berman

This Is How Women Once Described the Ideal Husband

Blue-eyed and tall, educated and secure, and helpful around the house

By Eliza Berman

The Undying Conspiracy of John Wilkes Booth's Body

A few have maintained that Lincoln's assassin escaped capture and lived in exile in Texas

By Eliza Berman

Meet the Award-Winning Seeing-Eye Cat

Baby the Persian cat won a medal of honor for his service in 1947

By Eliza Berman

Classic Photos of Celebrities on the Phone

Three decades of world leaders and the Hollywood elite cradling receivers to their ears

By Eliza Berman

April Fools' Day Inspiration From the 1940s

It may not have been April, but for these WWII veterans practical jokes were a solemn duty

By Eliza Berman

This Is What It Looks Like When 152 Black Cats Audition for a Movie

“As far as anyone could remember,” LIFE wrote, “it was the biggest invitation to bad luck ever seen in one place.”

By Eliza Berman

Here is Every Single One of Barbie’s Outfits From 1963

Happy 56th birthday to America’s most beloved—and controversial—doll

By Eliza Berman

How Sword Swallowing Contributed to Modern Medicine

On World Sword Swallower's Day, practitioners of the ancient art raise awareness that their tradition is more than a circus sideshow

By Eliza Berman
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