Thanksgiving is already in the rearview mirror, but many of you are no doubt still recovering from everything you ate, hectic travel plans, and extra family time. We thought instead of our traditional Top 10 that focuses on stories specifically from this week, we’d gather some of the recent reader favorites to get you across the finish line. Whether it’s if Alexander the Great was actually poisoned, the ancient technique to remember (almost) anything, or how Indian streetwear became western pajamas, there’s something for everybody!

—William O’Connor, Newsletter Editor 

History presents the Whydah Gally's crew as swashbuckling sailors who looted a fortune before perishing in a storm. But before its days of piracy, the ship played a role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Today’s newsletter was edited and curated by William O'Connor and produced by Alisher Egamov. Let us know if you have suggestions and sign up here to get the Photo of the Week on Sundays.