In today’s History newsletter: How to flirt like the Victorians, the treasures that change what we know about the Celts, and see historic photos celebrating the Fourth of July. 

But first: Was Alexander the Great poisoned?

PHOTOGRAPH BY SERGIO ANELLI / MONDADORI PORTFOLIO, GETTY IMAGES

In 323 BCE, Alexander the Great had been drinking at one of his many all-night banquets when he suddenly fell ill. 13 days later, he was dead—yet six days after his death his body showed no signs of decomposition. To the ancient Greeks, it was a sign that he was more god than man. To the historians and scientists that followed, it was a mystery. Now, a Stanford historian may have found a potential culprit.

More stories:
— Were Alexander the Great and Hephaestion more than friends?
— How Alexander the Great's daddy issues reshaped the world

ALAMY/CORDON PRESS 

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE PICTURE ART COLLECTION / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

In the spirit of the Fourth of July, revisit how the Founding Fathers made their case for freedom, and how the Declaration of Independence convinced Americans to cut ties with a king. 

BEFORE YOU GO: Did Mount Vesuvius’ ash cloud really transform a brain into glass?

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter, edited and curated by Jennifer Baik and produced by Alisher Egamov. Catch our latest Photo of the Week every Sunday—and sign up here to get our future adventures in your inbox.