Killed almost 430 years ago, 5 Catholic friars will soon be one step from sainthood
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Five Spanish missionaries are being elevated one step away from sainthood nearly 430 years after they were killed in present-day Georgia. The Catholic Diocese of Savannah will hold a beatification ceremony Saturday for the five Franciscan friars. They were killed in 1597 by Indigenous people they had traveled to the New World to baptize, in what historical records say was a dispute over polygamy. Pope Francis decreed the missionaries as martyrs in 2025, capping decades of research and bureaucratic review. The diocese expects 10,000 people to attend the special Mass in Georgia.
'Dixie' map that divided the US into North and South fetches nearly $1 million at auction
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — After a brief bidding war, the manuscript map that helped divide the United States into North and South, free and slave states, sold for $950,000. Lauren Brunk of Brunk Auctions in Asheville, North Carolina, said Thursday that 45 bidders battled for just under three minutes to own the hand-drawn survey of the Mason-Dixon Line, finished in 1768 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. Bidding started at $400,000. And while it didn’t fetch the hoped-for $1.2 million high estimate, Brunk says it was a very high price for an American map. She says the buyer asked to remain anonymous, at least for now.
Make no bones about it, the giant skeleton has become an American Halloween fixture
It reared its bony head in 2020, during that first, chaotic pandemic year that was rife with grief and fear but also toilet paper hoarding and questionable lockdown-inspired purchases. Behold Skelly, the 12-foot, 90-pound skeleton, on sale for $299 from Home Depot, just in time for Halloween — at least, if you can get your hands on one. Many did, because this is America. And when we get sad, stressed or bored, we shop, drowning our collective anxieties in things that we definitely don’t need but most certainly want.
The roof of a water tower in Manhattan where a rare family of barn owls nested has been removed
The roof of a water tower atop a building in Manhattan’s Upper West Side that was home to a family of celebrity barn owls has been removed. The barn owl family was discovered weeks ago and captivated New Yorkers, drawing crowds of people in the street eager to get a glimpse of the elusive birds, including nature photographers. It is believed to be the first documented instance of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history. The news of the removal of the water tower's roof has prompted criticism, including from state Sen. Erik Bottcher.
A lasting impression: How I got a Rembrandt tattoo that will last a lifetime
AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam is hosting "The Poor Man's Rembrandt Project" again this fall. The pop-up allows visitors to get tattoos of Rembrandt's designs from renowned tattoo artist Henk Schiffmacher, also known as Hanky Panky. Schiffmacher believes Rembrandt's simple and beautiful drawings are perfect for tattoos. The project offers people a way to own a replica of Rembrandt's art without the high price of a painting. Schiffmacher has been a respected figure in the tattoo community for decades, known for his dedication to preserving tattoo heritage and his work with celebrities.
'Dixie' map that divided US into North and South is going up for auction
It’s perhaps the most consequential map in American history, and it could be yours. The hand-drawn chart of the Mason-Dixon Line that eventually divided the free and slave states is up for auction. Originally intended to settle a border dispute between the colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania, Charles Mason's and Jeremiah Dixon's survey became synonymous with the fundamental divisions that exploded into civil war four decades later. Late publisher Malcolm Forbes outbid the Library of Congress for the map in 1982, paying $360,000. Lauren Brunk of Brunk Auctions estimates it could fetch up to $1 million at Thursday's sale.
A popemobile exhibition at the Vatican features the vehicle popes have used since 1930
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is opening a celebration of the popemobile. The now-iconic vehicle has allowed popes to get close to the faithful at home and abroad for nearly a century. The Vatican Museums unveiled a preview of the exhibition on Wednesday commemorating “A Century of the Popemobile.” It features eight Mercedes-Benz versions of the car that popes have used since 1930. Pope Leo XIV is a big car lover. He separately met with top Mercedes-Benz executives and thanked them for their partnership with the Holy See. The Chicago-born pope noted in his remarks that the advances in automotive technology had accompanied the advances and evolutions of papal travel. The exhibition officially opened to the public Thursday.
Ahead of Rome tipoff, basketball powerhouse Villanova embraces 'Pope Leo effect'
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Villanova University is deepening its ties to the Vatican, thanks to its famous alumnus, Pope Leo. The pope graduated from Villanova in 1977 with a degree in mathematics. The pope is part of the Augustinian order that founded the university near Philadelphia. Villanova is now finding new ways to connect with his papacy. On Sunday, Villanova's basketball teams will play Notre Dame in Rome. The event follows a recent sustainability conference that Villanova held in Rome. Villanova has seen a 10% increase in applications since Pope Leo's election. Some school officials call it the “Pope Leo effect.”
Marigolds anchor Día de los Muertos altars, believed to guide spirits home
Throughout history, flowers have carried cultural significance around the world, but few flowers hold as powerful a place in remembrance as the marigold, especially on Nov. 1 and 2, when Latino communities celebrate Día de los Muertos. The flowers are used to decorate altars and shrines that hold candles, photographs, favorite foods and the personal belongings of departed loved ones. Their strong scent and bright orange or yellow color are believed to guide the spirits back to their families. Marigolds are easy-care annual plants typically grown from summer through autumn, which makes them well-suited for the weeks leading up to the holiday.
A dinosaur fossil that looks like a mini T. rex just sold for a giant $47 million
NEW YORK (AP) — A dinosaur that looks like a miniature T. rex is now one of the world's most expensive fossils. The rare skeleton of a Nanotyrannus sold for $47.3 million to a mystery buyer at auction in New York City. Sotheby’s auction house had expected it to fetch anywhere from $6 to $9 million. The price tag for “Jodi,” as the skeleton is nicknamed, makes it the second-priciest set of dinosaur bones ever sold. This summer, a T. rex fossil known as “Gus” sold for a record $50.1 million. Some scientists have opposed such private sales, saying they should go to museums or other institutions for study and public display.
