From Pompeii to King Tut's Tomb, discover some of history's most interesting archaeological discoveries and sites. Voynich Manuscript Since its discovery in 1912 (discovery meaning a book dealer bought it and realized its significance), the Voynich manuscript has baffled scientists, historians and cryptographers everywhere. The languages aren’t ones that are commonly used, and many of them have no translation available today. Even codebreakers from both World War I and World War II tried and failed to decipher its meaning.

On the southern leg of the P.T. Barnum's tour, Anna Haining Swan would meet Martin Van Buren Bates. Soon after, they would enter the record books. Getty ImagesLeft: Anna Haining Swan, standing next to her average-sized parents. Right: Martin Van Buren Bates standing next to an average-sized man. Anna Haining Swan was born in 1846, in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. Her parents were both of average height and weight, so imagine their surprise when their daughter was born weighing 16 pounds.

These photos prove that Japanese cherry blossoms are one of the simplest and most beautiful blooms in the world.The Moya Team Nothing beats the simple beauty of a cherry blossom in full bloom. While most varieties of the tree do not produce fruit, their pinkish-white flowers are admired by people all across the world. In Japan, cherry blossoms represent the beauty and fragility of life, a symbolic notion that has existed for centuries, as seen in ancient Japanese paintings and mythology.

From the Navajo to the Eskimo, these colorized turn-of-the-century photos of Native Americans wearing their sacred masks provide a revealing look at their unique cultures. Navajo person wearing a mask made out of leather with basket cap and fur ruff. Masks were and still are made by Native Americans using a variety of materials, from leather to spruce. Edward Curtis/Library of Congress, Frédéric Duriez/Media Drum World Sisiutl, one of the main dancers in the Qagyuhl's winter dance ceremonies.

When it was first built in 1821, the Eastern State Penitentiary stood as the future in prison reform. Now, the fortress stands in decay. Eastern State Penitentiary is a former American prison located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can visit it today.Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images shinyasuzuki/Flickr The Penitentiary was meant to revolutionize the prison system and actually inspire penance in its inmates through solitary confinement. But this didn't happen between overcrowding and corrupt guards.