History

After being lost for centuries, Spanish gold coin from 1609 breaks European auction record

The unique 339-gram piece sold for 2,817,500 Swiss francs ($3.49 million).

|ByREUTERS
The Segovian Centen, the first 100-escudo coin weighing 339.35 grams of gold, struck by King Philip III in 1609, during a preview ahead of its sale starting at 2,000,000 Swiss francs ($2,478,000 USD) in Geneva, Switzerland, November 24, 2025.
Pre-historic giant sturgeon fish at Hilton Head.

Rare prehistoric Atlantic sturgeon washes ashore in South Carolina

A rare federally protected Atlantic sturgeon fish found in Hilton Head, South Carolina, is drawing attention from marine experts.

|ByANNA CLAIRE MILLER/TNS
Aeriel view of Givat Mordechai. The neighborhood founded by a Chicago pioneer has evolved into a modern mix of Religious Zionists, haredi, and secular residents.

Givat Mordechai: Where students, scholars, and history meet

A neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem that has evolved from a Mizrachi pioneer project into a hub for young families, students, and one of the haredi world’s most prestigious yeshivot.

|ByALEX WINSTON
Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore in conversation with journalist Matti Friedman at the National Library of Israel, in Jerusalem on Sunday, November 16, 2025.

What makes Jerusalem tick? Simon Sebag Montefiore, Matti Friedman talk past, present, future

Simon Sebag Montefiore and acclaimed journalist Matti Friedman delved into how Jerusalem – both city and symbol – functions as a stage for sweeping historical narratives.

|ByETHAN FREEDMAN

Saudi Arabia opens Ancient Kingdoms Festival 2025 in AlUla

The event is part of the AlUla Moments schedule, a government-supported initiative aimed at expanding cultural tourism and encouraging deeper engagement with the area’s archaeological heritage. 

NOVEMBER 22, 2025ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
3D reconstruction of the Late Iron Age western enclosure in Dumat al-Jandal walled oasis

This month in Jewish history: Operation Moses, Hanukkah, and Spinoza

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.

NOVEMBER 22, 2025BySTEVEN DRUCKER
ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS upon their arrival at an absorption center in Ashkelon, 1984.

Smooching through the ages: First kiss was 20 million years ago by early primates, scientists say

Platonic pecks are thought to be used to navigate complex social relationships or increase bonding.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByREUTERS
THE FAMOUS Victory over Japan Day kiss in Times Square, New York City, on August 14, 1945, captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt. The author says that a clear Israeli victory must be achieved in Gaza.

After wrongful treason conviction 130 years ago, France promotes Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu signed the motion following a unanimous vote by the lower house of parliament in July.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByFRAIDY MOSER
French Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus (1859 - 1935), falsely accused of selling military secrets to Germany and imprisoned on Devil's Island.

Dazzling Grand Egyptian Museum aims to be economic showstopper

Officials and analysts frame the Grand Egyptian Museum as a driver of jobs, research, and tourism revenue rather than merely a showcase.

NOVEMBER 16, 2025ByWASEEM ABU MAHADI/THE MEDIA LINE
A view shows the colossal statue of Ramses II at the entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum on November 8, 2025 in Giza, Egypt.

On This Day: Yasser Arafat, PNC, announce Palestinian Declaration of Independence in Algiers

November 15 is also the birthday of Arafat's successor as PA leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who was born in Safed during the British Mandate in 1935.

NOVEMBER 15, 2025ByJAMES GENN
Yasser Arafat raises his hand as he declares an independent Palestinian state during the PNC meeting in Algiers. November 15, 1988.

US National Archives releases Amelia Earhart records promised by Trump

Earhart's fate remains one of the most enduring mysteries of the past 88 years.

NOVEMBER 15, 2025ByREUTERS
Amelia Earhart

Before pugs or Great Danes: Doggie diversity in size and shape began at tail end of Ice Age

These findings contradict the notion that such diversity was mainly a relatively new phenomenon driven by selective breeding in recent centuries.

NOVEMBER 14, 2025ByREUTERS
A Pug dog called Harley, and star of the film "Patrick" poses for photographs at the film's premiere in London, Britain June 27, 2018.

Grapevine: Yitzhak Rabin: An appreciation

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

NOVEMBER 8, 2025ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
Portrait of Yitzhak Rabin

Letters from the dead: Letter written by WWI soldiers found in bottle off Australian coast

The letter penciled in 1916 finally reached the families of Malcolm Neville, 27, and William Harley, 37, decades after their death.

NOVEMBER 7, 2025ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Members of the Australian Lighthorse Association watch over an Anzac Day dawn service at Bogan Gate in western New South Wales. Members of the Australian Lighthorse Association watch over an Anzac Day dawn service in the western New South Wales town of Bogan Gate, located 400 km (249 miles) west of

Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany set to become first Arab head of UNESCO despite criticism

Enany, 54, was elected last month by UNESCO's 58-member Executive Board with 55 votes, beating Edouard Firmin Matoko of Congo-Brazzaville.

NOVEMBER 6, 2025ByREUTERS
Egypt's Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany speaks in front of the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu that was reopened after restoration work, in Dahshur, south of Cairo, Egypt July 13, 2019.