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National Geographic

THE CREATION OF THE REMARKABLE MISHAP

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we sip brandy with the Titanic’s inventors, honor MLK 55 years after his assassination ... and explore sunny California. Plus, scroll down to play “Can You Guess It?”

The Titanic in the Harland and Wolff shipyard

PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTA FEW, RALPH WHITE/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Godlike. Powerful. Extraordinary.

The word Titanic meant all those things before a luxury liner with that name suffered a horrific disaster at sea.

Titanic soon meant other things. Hubristic, perhaps. Sinkable? Definitely. How did that happen? And what can we learn, 111 years later?

Read the full story here.

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A first-class room on the Titanic

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTON LOGVYNENKO, HARLAND AND WOLFF

Not a shilling was spared for the Titanic’s interior build out, which boasted a heated swimming pool, cafés with palm trees, a squash court, and luxury first-class rooms (pictured). Still, it all went down when the “unsinkable” iron and steel ship (top), did, in fact, sink. Read more.

Related: Why the shipyards that built the Titanic still influence Belfast

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Mathew Morris in a trench

PHOTOGRAPH BY DARREN STAPLES, REUTERS/REDUX

Here’s how England’s ‘lost king’ ended up beneath a parking lot (Above, the trench where King Richard III's remains were found)

Eat these foods to keep your brain strong and healthy

What to know about the two ancient empires that shaped Passover

What happens to our senses as we age?

Does losing weight lead to better health? Not necessarily. Here's why.

Meet NASA’s new moon crew

How Caterina Sforz defied powerful popes to defend her lands

This is what archaeology is telling us about the real Jesus

Here's your inside guide to Palm Springs, California

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Martin Luther King, Jr.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CENTRAL PRESS/GETTY

55 years ago: On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. (pictured above) was assassinated in Memphis. For years, his memory was used by people wanting to show progress in race relations. Had he lived, says historian Komozi Woodard, King’s image might have shifted like Nelson Mandela’s did in South Africa. Maybe, Woodard says, “Dr. King may have successfully run for president as Mandela did.”

Related: Who was the civil rights leader? Plus, see where streets around the world have his name.

EXPLORE KING'S LEGACY

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

A woman with her pet rats

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES

Hear us out: Words often not associated with rats: empathic and kind. But these night-crawling, alleyway-scurrying rodents may be more like us humans than we care to realize. On World Rat Day (yes, that's a thing), learn more about how in some places around the world, rats are revered and protected. (Above, Amanda Arnold holding some of her 20 pet rats photographed by Nat Geo Explorer Charlie Hamilton James.)

Related: How rats show kindness and kinship

CAN YOU GUESS IT?

Siamese fighting fish

PHOTOGRAPH BY VISARUTE ANGKATAVANICH

A flower? A skirt? Some fungi? Can you guess what’s pictured above? Hint: It’s of the half-moon variety, named for the contour of its tail.

Today's soundtrack: The Moment, Kenny G

Did this newsletter bring you joy? We hope so, especially because it was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. We'd also love to hear from you: [email protected]. Keep shining!

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