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National Geographic

SOLVING ANNE BOLEYN’S CENTURIES-OLD SECRET

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we discover the secrets of Anne Boelyn's prayer book, learn how Iceland prepared for an eruption, explore the best of holiday mocktails, meet a Wicked good Doberman pinscher... and revisit the Titanic. Plus, Miyazaki's last film.

Anne Boleyn's scribbled prayer book

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS

To the naked eye, the margins of a doomed English queen’s prayer book looked blank.

A modern detective, using ultraviolet light (above), unlocked the secret of Anne Boleyn’s scribbled book—and of its mysterious disappearance after her execution.

It also revealed a chain of women who kept the book hidden for centuries. What was in the book? How did they hide it?

UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A hand with red nails holding a yellow mocktail.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTA SCHLUETER, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

Mocktails, like the Nino Melon (above) have some surprising health benefits—even for drinkers. Related: That cocktail before bedtime isn’t as helpful as you think

How Iceland prepared for a spike in seismic activity

A bonobo was separated from her sister for 26 years. She still remembers her

Ultra-processed food isn't just bad for your health—it messes with your mind

This iconic North American butterfly's annual migration patterns are under threat

What did childbirth look like when Jesus was born?

Can magnesium really help with sleep, anxiety?

The surprising perks of lucid dreaming

Matthew Perry died of ketamine. Is it too risky in treating depression?

Forget your carbon footprint—your climate shadow is what really matters

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A portrait of a Doberman pinscher on a grey background

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK

Meet Wicked (above)—the very good girl who was just named America's best working dog. The three-year-old female clinched the win at the American Kennel Club competition in Orlando.

Bred as guard dogs in Germany, the Doberman pinscher is an “incomparably fearless and vigilant breed,” according to the American Kennel Club.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Rusted prow (bow) of the R.M.S. Titanic ocean liner in the North Atlantic.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EMORY KRISTOF, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

On the anniversary of the release of James Cameron's blockbuster film, Titanic, we revisit the unearthing of the famous shipwreck by oceanographer and Nat Geo Explorer Robert D. Ballard. The sunken ocean liner was found during a secret Cold War Navy mission. (Pictured above is the rusted prow (bow) of the R.M.S. Titanic.)

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

LAST GLIMPSE

A blue porcelain dish with three white herons against a black background.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Behind The Boy and the Heron: A 1937 Japanese book and centuries-old folklore inspired the unexpected hit movie by master animator and director Hayao Miyazaki. Herons have been used in Japan to symbolize purity, transition, and a connection to the spirit world (above, a porcelain dish from the 1730s).

Today’s soundtrack: Fly, Sugar Ray

Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Nishita Naga, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. See you tomorrow!

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