Why President Coolidge once pardoned a raccoon

Thanks-Giving Square, Central France's first megalith, and more. Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser. November 28, 2019 Pardoned Raccoon In November of 1926, a woman sent President Calvin Coolidge a raccoon for Thanksgiving dinner. Eating raccoon was commonplace throughout much of early American history, a tradition older than Thanksgiving itself, so he surprised newspapers by pardoning the furry critter. The varmint has since disappeared from most modern dinner tables, but not all of them. Read More → DALLAS, TEXAS Thanks-Giving Square Downtown Dallas’s Thanks-Giving Square is a meditative and serene urban garden set 15 feet below ground level and features a spiral ceiling that contains one of the largest horizontally mounted stained-glass windows in the world. Read more → Found: Central France’s First Megalith Long before William the Conqueror or the cultivation of wine, prehistoric communities in France left their mark by erecting standing stones. Now, roadwork in Puy-de-Dôme, between the cities of Bordeaux and Lyon, has revealed an ancient stone structure that redraws the map of megalithic Europe. Read more → Atlas Obscura Trips Expedition Amazon Join us next March for a week full of adventure and learning deep in the Peruvian Amazon. Led by two expert biologists, you’ll get up close with native wildlife, hike the jungle at night, and learn first-hand about rainforest conservation efforts. Learn more → From the archives The Australian Island That Celebrates Thanksgiving Norfolk Island, an Australian island hundreds of miles from the mainland, has a long history of cultural melange, with many speaking a combination of Tahitian and 18th-century English, called Norfuk. They also celebrate unique holidays, such as Bounty Day, and, strangely enough, an American-inspired Thanksgiving. Read more → Give Kids the Gift of Wonder Inspire curiosity with an illustrated guide to 100 of the world’s most mysterious wonders, in 47 countries, on every continent with The Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid. Shop Now → ZHARKENT, KAZAKHSTAN Zharkent Mosque This unique wooden mosque in Kazakhstan resembles a Chinese pagoda and is said to be built without the use of nails. Read more → Visit AtlasObscura.com · View in Browser · Unsubscribe · See All Newsletters 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222