Why Is the Letter ‘X’ Used for a Kiss?

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Author Nicole Villeneuve

June 6, 2024

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The letter “X” has ambiguous linguistic roots, and has carried various meanings in different contexts. “X” marks the spot of buried treasure on a map, represents a variable in mathematics, or can be used to select a choice on a ballot. Nowadays, it’s also commonly used as a symbol of affection and endearment — especially when it’s paired with “O” to form “XO,” signifying kisses and hugs. But how exactly did “X” come to represent a kiss, and when did that originate?

The origins of "X" being associated with a kiss can be traced back to the Middle Ages. In an era when literacy rates were low and formal education was a rare privilege, people who couldn’t write would sign documents with an "X" instead of their name. When people signed with an "X," it wasn't merely a mark; it was a symbol that carried the weight of an oath. To validate their intentions and their "signature," people were also known to kiss the "X."

How the letter "X" transitioned from a kiss in the name of sincerity to a kiss of romance or affection isn’t clear. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the earliest known use of that meaning to a 1763 letter by British naturalist Gilbert White. In the letter, White signs off, "I am, with many a xxxxxxx and many a Pater noster and Ave Maria, Gil White." This interpretation, however, has been challenged: Stephen Goranson, a researcher at Duke University, instead suggests that the "X" likely represented blessings, not kisses, given its use alongside religious phrases such as "Ave Maria." Indeed, an "X" was historically used as a symbol of the Christian cross. "X" is also the first letter in the Greek word for Christ, Χριστός — hence the well-known abbreviation for Christmas, "Xmas."

Some linguists suggest an 1894 letter from Winston Churchill to his mother demonstrated a pioneering use of the letter "X" as a symbol for a kiss. The letter reads, “Please excuse bad writing as I am in an awful hurry. (Many kisses.) xxx WSC.” But in additional research, Goranson uncovered other uses of "X" as a symbol for a kiss as early as 1880. An even earlier example dates back to 1878. In Florence Montgomery's novel Seaforth, she describes letters ending with “the inevitable row of kisses; sometimes expressed by x x x x x, and sometimes by o o o o o.” Marcel Danesi, a professor of linguistic anthropology and author of The History of the Kiss!: The Birth of Popular Culture, suggested the association began earlier. He wrote that as the Renaissance era saw an increase of secularism, and with the 18th-century rise of the concept of romantic love, the symbolic "X" gradually expanded beyond its initial utilitarian function to become a gesture of affection.

An easier explanation could simply be the shape of the letter — that it looks like a pair of puckered lips. A linguistic interpretation, meanwhile, might suggest that the use of "X" for a kiss is rooted in its phonetic resemblance to the sound of the word “kiss,” mainly the soft, percussive "ks" sound made when pronouncing "X." The letter is still often written on its own as a sign-off; sometimes a double “XX” will do, and, of course, "X" frequently gets paired with an "O." (Even less is known about the origin of "O" as a symbol for a hug. It’s been suggested that the letter simply looks like a pair of arms wrapped around someone else; as with "X," however, there are other theories as well.)

While the exact reason may never be clear, using an "X" for a personal touch has certainly permeated global communications, and has been perpetuated and reinforced through the rise of digital messaging. Today, the letter "X" is ingrained as a shorthand for affection, and despite its ambiguity, it remains a constant symbol in our ever-evolving language.

The Strangest Mass Hysteria Events in History

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Author Bennett Kleinman

May 30, 2024

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History is dotted with instances of mass hysteria, a perplexing phenomenon in which large groups of people are struck by the same physical or mental affliction without any apparent explanation, from uncontrollable movement to widespread paranoia. Given the uncertainty as to what causes these curious events, contemporary doctors have remained baffled as to how to prevent or cure them. Though there are some theories, plenty of questions remain, in some cases hundreds of years after the incident took place. Let’s take a closer look at some of history’s strangest instances of mass hysteria, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

Dancing Plague of 1518

In 1518, the city of Strasbourg (in modern France) was overcome by a mysterious “dancing plague” that affected some 400 residents. It all began in July of that year, when a woman known as Frau Troffea began spontaneously dancing in the middle of the street. After a week of boogying solo, Troffea was joined by several dozen others who also developed the sudden urge to dance. The group only grew larger throughout the rest of the summer, expanding to several hundred people who danced until they collapsed from exhaustion, or in rare instances, suffered a fatal heart attack. Much as the event began without any explanation, the dancing epidemic a inexplicably started to wane by September, and the city returned to a state of normalcy.

Physicians at the time attributed the dancing ailment to “hot blood,” saying the only cure was for people to dance it out of their system until they no longer felt the urge. Other townsfolk believed they had been cursed by St. Vitus, the patron saint of dance, and were doomed to dance for eternity. But looking back, modern historians have several theories as to what caused the unusual event. Some believe it was induced by a combination of general stress and the side effects of new, untreated diseases such as syphilis. Another theory points to a fungus known as ergot, which is found on bread. If consumed, ergot can manifest itself in victims as spontaneous convulsions that may look like dance moves.

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Salem Witch Trials

Between February 1692 and May 1693, more than 200 innocent people were accused of practicing witchcraft in the colonial town of Salem, Massachusetts. These accusations gave way to a mass hysterical event known today as the Salem Witch Trials, which was caused by a combination of xenophobia, religious extremism, and sexism.

The paranoia began at the house of Puritan minister Samuel Parris, whose 9-year-old daughter, Betty, along with her 11-year-old cousin, Abigail, began making unintelligible noises and convulsing. Other girls in town began exhibiting similar symptoms, claiming that it may have had something to do with being pinched and pricked by various residents who were seen to be of ill repute due to discrimination. This led to several women being accused of practicing witchcraft, including a beggar named Sarah Good, an elderly impoverished woman named Sarah Osburn, and an enslaved Indigenous woman named Tituba. While Good and Osburn maintained innocence, Tituba “confessed” to serving the devil. This confession was likely untrue and only made to avoid further punishment, but it emboldened the town to pursue further accusations.

As mass hysteria swept across Salem, dozens of women were brought before panels and tribunals for questioning, and 19 people were executed. The courts were only disbanded after the wife of Governor William Phips was accused of witchcraft, as it was Phips who had established the courts to begin with.

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The Hammersmith Ghost

In December 1803, a great panic struck the community of Hammersmith, a small town just outside London. Multiple locals claimed that a ghost cloaked in a white shroud had been confronting and terrorizing residents, and it was said that the ghostly specter would appear right as the church bell struck one in the morning. Locals believed the spirit was that of a villager who had died by suicide the year before, and that his tortured soul was destined to haunt the town. Residents cowered in fear at the idea of this apparition; there was even one instance where a spooked carriage driver thought he saw the ghost before abandoning his passengers and fleeing on foot. There are other reports of women fainting to death at the sight of the purported ghost, though there was no evidence that the spirit actually existed.

Eventually, some residents of the community got their hysteria in check and determined the ghost was most likely someone in a sheet who was intentionally scaring people as a prank. Others, however, maintained that a spirit was causing havoc from beyond the grave. One such believer was Francis Smith, who one evening mistook bricklayer Thomas Millwood — who wore an all-white outfit for his profession — for the supposed ghost, and shot Millwood dead in the street. Smith went on trial and was convicted of murder, yet he still garnered sympathy from townsfolk who were hysterical with fear. Smith’s sentence was reduced to one year of imprisonment, leading to a series of debates about whether someone could be held liable for a crime based on mistaken beliefs, as Smith committed the crime only after being deluded into believing there was a ghost in the neighborhood.

The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

Mattoon, Illinois, is a small town that was overcome by widespread panic in 1944, when reports of a “Mad Gasser” swept over the community. On September 1, a woman named Aline Kearney was overcome by a “sickening, sweet odor” that resulted in the temporary paralysis of her legs. Kearney’s husband arrived at the house shortly after and claimed to see a tall man wearing dark clothing and a tight-fitting cap standing outside the window, whom he chased until the mysterious man disappeared. Kearney’s condition returned to normal after 30 minutes, but this was just the first of many similar disturbances to come. After word spread of the Kearney incident, other townsfolk claimed they also suffered paralytic symptoms after smelling unusual odors. The panic grew to the point where chemical weapons experts were brought into the community. Armed gangs also began roaming the streets to try to find the “Mad Gasser” and bring them to justice.

There were many theories as to the identity of the mysterious menace, ranging from a chemistry teacher to an escaped Nazi prisoner of war. But in the end no assailant was ever found, and it’s highly unlikely that one ever even existed. Many of the anecdotal gassing incidents were fueled by mass hysteria, as one woman was simply overcome by odors from a spilled bottle of nail polish. It’s also theorized that years of wartime-related stress, combined with reports of chemical weapons being used overseas, added to the overall sense of communal anxiety in Mattoon.

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Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic

Laughter is the best medicine, but it can also be a most perplexing symptom. In 1962, a laughter epidemic struck students at a girls’ boarding school in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The mysterious giggles first appeared in January in a town called Kashasha, where three students began hysterically laughing from completely out of nowhere. Despite efforts to calm the girls, their perpetual howling was contagious, as dozens of other students also began experiencing laughing fits that lasted anywhere from a few hours to 16 days.

Doctors were unable to explain the phenomenon, and the root cause remains unclear even today. Some historians believe that the laughter was a visceral reaction to living in such a strict cultural environment, but that theory is far from certain. With no idea about how to quell unstoppable laughter, the school had no choice but to temporarily close in March, but that decision only led to more problems. As the girls returned home, they mysteriously “infected” each of their communities with the same insatiable urge to laugh uncontrollably. Laughter spread like wildfire throughout the country, leading to 14 separate school closures and affecting more than 1,000 people. It took roughly two years for the epidemic to completely dissipate, and thankfully, nobody suffered any long-term medical effects during that time.

Surprising Daily Habits of U.S. Presidents

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Author Bennett Kleinman

May 30, 2024

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Being president of the United States leaves little time for anything outside the demands of the office. Nearly every minute of the commander in chief’s day is spent serving the country, be it attending cabinet meetings and press briefings or meeting with foreign leaders. But even with this jam-packed schedule, the 45 people who have served as POTUS found time for their own hobbies and interests. For some presidents, that meant regular fishing trips or nightly dinners with the first family; for others, it meant something more unusual. Here are some surprising daily habits of former U.S. presidents.

John Quincy Adams Skinny-Dipped in the Potomac

While serving as James Monroe’s secretary of state prior to his own presidency, John Quincy Adams frequently bathed nude in Tiber Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River that once flowed just south of the White House. In a July 1818 diary entry, Adams wrote that he would wake every morning between 4 and 5 a.m., walk 2 miles over to the creek, and enjoy a swim, sans clothing. Adams continued skinny-dipping in the Potomac during his presidency, swimming between 20 minutes and an hour each day. He did, however, eventually cut back per the advice of his physician, who spent years warning Adams about overexerting himself. But in 1846, 17 years after leaving office, a 78-year-old Adams returned to the Potomac for a final skinny-dip before his death less than two years later.

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William Howard Taft Ate Steak Every Morning

William Howard Taft is notorious for being one of the more portly presidents in history, so it should come as no surprise that he consumed a substantial breakfast each morning. Taft began each day with a doctor-prescribed workout with a personal trainer in his private quarters, which he followed with breakfast at precisely 8:30 a.m. His usual meal consisted of a 12-ounce steak, plenty of buttered toast, and coffee loaded with large amounts of cream and sugar. You’d never find eggs on Taft’s plate, however, as they were one of the few foods he despised. As Taft got older, he eventually cut back to just a 6-ounce serving of steak for breakfast.

Calvin Coolidge Rode a Mechanical Horse

Calvin Coolidge’s time in office was unique for many reasons. He became president unexpectedly after the death of Warren G. Harding, and he was such a big animal lover that many unusual creatures occupied the White House during his term, including donkeys and raccoons. But one of Coolidge’s more notable quirks was his untraditional take on staying fit and healthy. Coolidge had a mechanical horse installed inside the White House that he rode three times a day in order to lose weight and improve his liver function. After the press caught word of this mechanical horse, Coolidge was teased relentlessly by his fellow politicians. To avoid further ridicule, he switched to an electric vibration machine that purportedly reduced the waistline.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Collected Stamps

Franklin D. Roosevelt had been fond of stamps since childhood, though it wasn’t until the 1930s, during his presidency, that stamp collecting coincidentally took off as a nationwide trend. With stamp fever sweeping the nation, the White House often published photos of FDR admiring and examining his stamps. Roosevelt was said to spend time every single day adding to and looking through his collection, and he even joined stamp clubs, participated in stamp auctions, and sketched out prospective designs.

Harry Truman Enjoyed Vigorous 5 a.m. Walks and Morning Bourbon

A morning stroll is often a relaxing activity, but Harry Truman’s daily strolls were conducted at a rather brisk pace. The 33rd president began every morning at 5 a.m. by putting on a suit and tie and stepping out for a 2-mile walk. But rather than a slow saunter, Truman preferred walking at a rate of about 120 steps per minute, equivalent to the pace of a traditional quick march in the U.S. Army. Upon returning to the White House, the president would down a shot of bourbon — at the advice of his doctor — eat a light breakfast, and begin his work day. Truman also spent many days in his hometown of Independence, Missouri, where he began his morning routine a little later, around 7:30 a.m. Those days would start with a shot of bourbon and a glass of orange juice, followed by a brisk walk around the neighborhood.

John F. Kennedy Smoked Four to Five Cigars Every Day

Some people enjoy a cigar after their wedding or the birth of a child, but cigars were more than an occasional indulgence for John F. Kennedy. JFK famously smoked four to five cigars every day, adding up to more than 4,000 cigars during his presidency alone. His preferred brands included Monticello and Upmann, the latter of which were Cuban cigars. This of course caused an issue when the United States implemented a trade embargo against Cuba in the early 1960s, but Kennedy planned ahead. One day in 1961, he called press secretary Pierre Salinger into his office and instructed him to purchase 1,000 Upmann Petit cigars by the following morning. Salinger went from shop to shop around Washington, D.C., and returned to the Oval Office with 1,200 cigars to satisfy the request. Shortly after, Kennedy signed a ban on Cuban products being sold in the U.S.

Lyndon B. Johnson Held Meetings in the Bathroom

Lyndon B. Johnson was an untraditional politician in many ways, not least of which was his habit of holding meetings with advisers while he was seated on the toilet. This was part of what became known as the “Johnson treatment,” a method of persuasion that relied on flattery, bullying, and other unusual tactics to win political victories. While walking down the hall, LBJ would regularly wander into the bathroom and tell his advisers to follow him inside so the meeting could continue. He even had telephones installed in various White House bathrooms, and also instructed aides to stand outside the shower to hold conversations while he bathed. On many mornings, LBJ began the day by inviting aides into his private bedroom, where he would conduct official business while still in bed with his wife, Lady Bird Johnson.

Ronald Reagan Constantly Snacked on Jelly Beans

Ronald Reagan was a heavy pipe smoker for much of his life, until he decided to quit in 1966 at age 55. In order to help satisfy his oral fixation and kick the habit, Reagan snacked on Goelitz Mini Jelly Beans (which later became Jelly Belly). Reagan was such a devoted fan of these candies that Goelitz sent a 3.5-ton shipment of special red (very cherry), white (coconut), and the newly created blue (blueberry) jelly beans to Washington, D.C., for his first presidential inauguration in 1981. After moving into the White House, Reagan always had jars of jelly beans within arm’s reach, as he snacked on them no matter where he was conducting business. In fact, the president issued a standing order of 720 bags of jelly beans every month — that’s 306,070 individual beans — to be distributed throughout many government buildings in the nation’s capital.

5 Things You Forgot Happened During the Cold War

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Author Tony Dunnell

May 30, 2024

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Not long after the end of World War II, George Orwell published his essay “You and the Atom Bomb.” In it, he considered the repercussions of the Atomic Age following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the political implications of a world “which was at once unconquerable and in a permanent state of ‘cold war’ with its neighbors.” It wasn’t the first use of the term “cold war,” but it was the first in reference to the precarious state of global affairs in the aftermath of the first nuclear strikes.

The Cold War began in 1947 as an ideological and geopolitical battle for global influence between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies (the Western Bloc and Eastern Bloc). It reached its peak with the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962, when the world faced the very real and terrifying threat of a global thermonuclear war.

The Cold War lasted for almost 45 years, ending with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. In such a prolonged period of tension and intrigue, some details are easily forgotten. Here are some of the most fascinating but at times overlooked events that took place during the period, from political tantrums about Disneyland to one man who may very well have saved the world.

Nikita Khrushchev Wasn’t Allowed To Visit Disneyland

In September 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev embarked on a state visit of the United States. It didn’t take long before Khrushchev — a famously irritable man — started to complain. Initially, while visiting the Agricultural Experiment Station in Maryland, he allegedly complained that the pigs were too fat and the turkeys too small. A few days later, following a tour of the 20th Century Fox Studios in Hollywood, he had a prickly argument with studio head Spyros P. Skouras regarding the merits of communism.

His anger peaked, however, when he was told he would not be allowed to visit Disneyland as the crowds created too much of a safety hazard. Khrushchev was furious. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure at not meeting Mickey and friends, stating, “I would very much like to go and see Disneyland. But then, we cannot guarantee your security, they say. Then what must I do? Commit suicide? What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there or something? Or have gangsters taken hold of the place that can destroy me?” Thoroughly riled, he left Los Angeles the next morning.

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The FBI Built a Tunnel Under the Soviet Embassy in Washington

In 1977, the Soviet Union began building a new embassy in Washington, D.C. Fears immediately arose within the United States Intelligence Community that the new embassy could serve as a hub for Soviet spying activities, including eavesdropping on communications from the White House and the U.S. Capitol. In response, the U.S. began digging a tunnel underneath the embassy from a nearby building — in what was known as Operation Monopoly — from which they could monitor Soviet communications. Construction began in 1977, but the secret tunnel didn’t become fully operational until the early ’90s. The whole project was a huge and costly failure, partially due to the clandestine activities of Robert Hanssen, a double agent in the FBI. In 2001, Hanssen was arrested on charges of spying for Russia, at which point Operation Monopoly became public knowledge. It's not entirely clear when the double agent informed Russia of the tunnel’s existence.

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Mathias Rust Flew to Moscow With a Message of Peace

In May 1987, a 19-year-old amateur pilot named Mathias Rust decided to illegally navigate through Soviet airspace — and what was then the largest air defense system in the world. He took off from Helsinki in a single-engine Cessna and flew 550 miles to the center of Moscow, where he promptly landed next to Red Square, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin. It was a stunning achievement, not only because of the real risk of being shot down, but also because Rust had only 50 hours of flying experience.

The West German teenager was driven by a noble cause. He explained how he wanted “to build an imaginary bridge between West and East,” and how he thought “every human on this planet is responsible for some progress and I was looking for an opportunity to take my share in it.” He carried with him a 20-page world peace manifesto that he planned to deliver to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Rust was arrested immediately after landing, and later sentenced to four years in prison (he served 14 months before being released). How far Rust managed to advance peace is impossible to say, but his daring flight did result in a swathe of high-profile firings and demotions, including the Soviet defense minister and the commander of the country's air defenses.

The Black Sea Bumping Incident

The idea of two Russian frigates deliberately ramming into two American ships sounds like something that could spark a wider conflict. But the Black Sea bumping incident of 1988, in which that very thing occurred, was resolved fairly amicably — and fortunately, considering the Cold War tensions of the time. The incident occurred when the cruiser USS Yorktown and the destroyer USS Caron sailed close to the Crimean coast, partly to challenge the Soviet claim of a 12-mile territorial water limit. (The U.S. argued there was only a 3-mile international limit on the respective territorial waters.) The two vessels were shadowed by two Soviet frigates, one of which, the Bezzavetnyi, had previously warned the Yorktown it would “strike their ship with own” if the Americans entered Soviet territory. It was not an empty threat. The Bezzavetnyi closed to within 50 feet of the Yorktown before slamming up against it. The second Soviet frigate did the same to the Caron. Thankfully for all involved, there was no direct intention to sink either ship, no weapons were fired, and no wider escalation ensued.

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Stanislav Petrov May Have Saved the World

If it weren’t for Stanislav Petrov, the Cold War — and potentially the trajectory of human life on Earth — could have come to a devastating end. Petrov, a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces, was on duty on September 26, 1983, when his early-warning satellite system detected what appeared to be five approaching U.S. nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles. Had he followed Soviet military protocol and reported an incoming American strike, he likely would have set in motion a full nuclear retaliation. Instead, Petrov kept calm and reported a false alarm, reasoning that if the United States really wanted to start a nuclear war, it would launch far more than five missiles. Petrov was correct, and the false alarm was later discovered to have been the result of the Soviet satellite warning system confusing the sun’s reflection off clouds for incoming missiles. By keeping his cool, Petrov potentially prevented a full-scale nuclear war.

Why Do We Say ‘Bless You’ When Someone Sneezes?

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Author Kristina Wright

May 22, 2024

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Sternutation, the medical term for sneezing, is a sudden, forceful, involuntary burst of air through the nose and mouth. It can be triggered by irritants in the nose or throat, environmental allergies, or viral upper respiratory infections. Some people even experience photic sneezing, which is sneezing in response to bright light, such as sunlight. The condition is formally known as autosomal dominant compelling helio ophthalmic outburst syndrome. That’s right, ACHOO syndrome.

Regardless of the reason for a sneeze, the polite response is commonly “bless you” or “God bless you.” Unlike with other bodily functions, particularly the closely associated cough, it is considered poor manners to let a sneeze go unanswered. Saying “bless you” is such an expected social custom that not saying it can lead to an awkward and uncomfortable silence, which might explain why a singular sneeze can garner several blessings from people nearby. The question is, why exactly is the phrase “bless you” the standard response to a sneeze?

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A Prayer To Protect the Soul

For most of history, and before the advent of modern medicine in the late 19th century, life could be brutally brief. Globally, the average life expectancy of a newborn in 1900 was just 32 years. By 2021, the number had more than doubled to 71 years. Death took many forms, but infectious diseases, including bubonic plague and influenza, could wipe out entire communities in a matter of months. So any outward sign of illness, such as sneezing, was reason for concern — and in turn, prayer.

The tradition of saying “God bless you” after a sneeze is often attributed to Pope Gregory I, also known as Pope Gregory the Great, in the sixth century. He supposedly bestowed such blessings during a bubonic plague outbreak, as it was thought that sneezing signaled imminent death from the disease. But the social custom of verbally acknowledging a sneeze predates Pope Gregory by at least several hundred years. In his 77 CE work Natural History, Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder mentioned the custom of offering a salutation after someone sneezes. “Why is it that we salute a person when he sneezes,” he pondered, “an observance which Tiberius Caesar, they say, the most unsociable of men, as we all know, used to exact, when riding in his chariot even?” The fact that Pliny didn’t know the meaning of the tradition suggests it had been around long enough for its origins to be lost.

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Pliny may not have had the answer, but others have offered explanations for why a sneeze garners a blessing. One common theory stems from the ancient beliefs that sneezing made it possible for evil spirits to enter the body, or could momentarily expel the soul from the body, leaving it vulnerable to evil spirits or illnesses. People also used to believe that a person’s heart stopped during a sneeze. In all cases, saying “God bless you” was a prayer to God to safeguard the sneezer’s soul and protect them (and anyone in their proximity) from harm.

Sneeze Responses Around the World

Today, saying “bless you” remains the typical response to a sneeze in the U.S. and the U.K., as well as other English-speaking parts of the world (generally due to colonization). But other countries and cultures have different customary responses. Most typical responses in European countries translate as some version of the word “health,” such as “salud” in Spanish-speaking countries, “salute” in Italy, and “gesundheit” in German-speaking regions. (“Gesundheit” is also popular in the U.S., thanks to the influx of German immigrants in the early 20th century.) In Latin American cultures, the first sneeze will garner the usual response of “salud,” while a second and third sneeze will earn the sneezer wishes of “dinero” (money) and “amor” (love). On the other hand, sneezing usually elicits no response at all in most of East Asia, unless it’s excessive, in which case the typical response is to inquire after someone’s health.

How 5 Classic Magic Tricks Work

Sawing magic trick explained — Credit: Illustration courtesy of Madison Hunt

Author Bennett Kleinman

May 22, 2024

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As far back as the first millennium BCE, ancient Mesopotamians relied on the concept of magic as a guiding principle. They used magic in rituals to ward off evil demons, and as an explanation for perplexing natural phenomena. Over many millennia, as our scientific understanding of the world advanced, “magic” evolved into a form of entertainment, popularized by legendary sleight-of-hand artists and illusionists such as Harry Houdini. Today, your typical magic show leaves the audience feeling awe-inspired and wondering how the tricks are done. Well, wonder no more — this is how five classic magic tricks actually work.

Sawing a Person in Half

It’s impossible to know for certain when a magician first sawed their assistant in half, but one of the earliest recorded instances of the trick was performed by British magician and inventor P.T. Selbit in London in 1920. He debuted the trick to the shock of onlookers, as he seemingly sawed a woman in a box in half and then put her back together, allowing her to leave the box unharmed. In the summer of 1921, Selbit toured the trick throughout the United States, where he encountered pushback from other illusionists claiming to have invented the trick.

While there are several variations of this illusion, depending on the magician’s personal style, one of the most common methods involves two assistants — one that the audience sees and another hidden inside the box. The trick begins by unveiling a long, thin box, with an assistant already hidden inside, tucked away and contorted at the end where the other person’s feet will be. Then the magician opens the box and invites the other assistant to climb inside and lay down. Once they do, they also contort themselves in a way that leaves an empty middle section to cut through. At this point the magician closes the box, and one assistant pops their head out while the hidden assistant pops their feet out.

Credit: Illustration courtesy of Madison Hunt

With the two safely separated, the magician takes a saw and cuts through the middle of the box, seemingly slicing their assistant in half. The magician then separates the halves of the box while the head and feet continue to move for added effect.

To end the trick, the magician wheels the boxes back together, says a few magic words, opens the lid, and allows one assistant to climb out unscathed while the other pulls their feet back in and remains hidden inside the box.

Pulling a Rabbit Out of a Hat

The origins of this iconic trick are also murky. One theory points to a Swiss magician in the late 1800s named Louis Apollinaire Christien Emmanuel Comte, known as the “King’s Conjurer.” He performed magic in the courts of three kings of France: Louis XVIII, Charles X, and Louis-Philippe. The rabbit trick was also popularized by Scottish magician John Henry Anderson, who performed the illusion in theatrical spectacles in the 19th century.

The trick is simple in concept, but requires tremendous skill nonetheless, especially when working with an unpredictable live animal. The simplest way to perform the illusion is with a top hat and table, both of which contain a secret hidden compartment that the magician can reach through. A rabbit is hidden inside a container and placed underneath the table, behind a tablecloth, before the act begins.

To perform the trick, the magician simply places the top hat on the table with the open side facing upward, reaches through both secret compartments, and “magically” pulls out his hand holding a live rabbit.

Performers who are more talented with sleight of hand can also complete this without a gimmicked (altered) top hat or surface. This allows the audience to inspect the hat beforehand to make sure it’s authentic. Magicians performing the trick this way will secretly hide a rabbit on their person, either in their pocket or up their sleeve. Then in the blink of an eye, they tip the hat toward themselves, slide the rabbit in, and pull it out for all to see.

Linking Rings

In this trick, a magician manages to link multiple metal rings together, despite each individual ring being seemingly impenetrable. Some claim that the trick originated in ancient China, though those claims lack hard evidence. Among the earliest confirmed performers of the trick are an 18th-century French magician known as Philippe, as well as a Chinese magician named Ching Ling Foo who toured America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This trick is usually done with four rings, three of which are gimmicked. One ring is your standard metal ring, one has a small gap that’s imperceptible to the audience, and the remaining two rings are actually pre-interlocked.

Using a series of quick sleight of hand motions, the magician takes all four rings in their hand and counts them out in front of the audience, making sure to obscure the fact that any are gimmicked or already linked together. Then they take one of the loose rings and tap it against the interlocked rings several times. In a quick motion, they drop one of the interlocked rings so that it hangs, making it appear like they just linked those two rings together.

Next, they take the ring with the hidden gap in it and forcefully link it with the two rings that were already interlocked, thus linking three rings together.

Lastly, they take the normal ring and tap it against the ring with a gap in it before locking those rings together in one quick and fluid motion. At that point, all of the rings are locked together.

Cups and Balls

Many formative musicians considered the cups and balls trick to be one of the most basic yet essential components of any magic routine. In his book Modern Magic, Professor Hoffman (the pseudonym of English author Angelo John Lewis) called the trick “the groundwork of all legerdemain,” a word referring to the act of skillfully using one’s hands.

Essentially, this illusion makes it appear as if balls are “magically” passing through solid cups onto the table. The trick requires three cups and four balls; three balls are visible to the audience and one remains hidden the entire time. It doesn’t matter what kind of cups or balls are used, though sleek metal cups and colorful balls are often preferred by professional magicians for their visual appeal.

The magician begins the trick by placing three balls on the table, equally spaced apart, as well as a stack of all three cups with the open ends facing upward. What the audience doesn’t know is that the secret fourth ball is hidden between the top and middle cups.

The performer then takes the cups and places one behind each ball. They place the first cup behind the leftmost ball, then the middle cup — which contains the hidden ball — behind the middle ball. When doing this, the magician brings the open end toward their torso and keeps it hidden so that the audience doesn’t see that there’s a ball inside. Finally, they place the last cup behind the rightmost ball.

Once the cups are placed, they take one of the balls atop the middle cup (which has a secret ball underneath) and stack the other cups on top. They snap their fingers, lift the cups, and reveal the hidden ball as if it had passed through the cup.

They then repeat this exact process another time to reveal two balls underneath, and a final time to reveal three balls underneath. All the while, a single ball always stays hidden within the stack of cups.

Metamorphosis

Harry Houdini achieved global popularity thanks in no small part to one of the most popular tricks in his routine, Metamorphosis, which he performed with his wife Bess. However, the trick was actually created by English magician John Nevil Maskelyne, who built a special trunk in the mid-1800s to perform it. The trick involves a magician placing their restrained assistant inside the box and then standing on top of the box. Two other assistants then pull up a cloth to obscure the box, and the magician and assistant magically swap places. But how is it done?

First, a solid wooden crate is wheeled out on stage, and the magician bangs on all of the sides to show the audience it’s real and durable. The magician presents their assistant, asks the assistant to climb inside a large bag, and securely ties the bag at the top.

The bagged assistant is then placed inside the crate and the lid is placed on top. The entire box is finally secured with ropes or chains with the assistant inside.

While this happens, the assistant secretly opens a hidden zipper at the bottom end of the bag, allowing them to escape inside the box. They then pull on the rope through a secret hole in the bottom of the box, which makes the visible rope taut and makes it appear as if the box is securely fastened, even though there’s actually quite a bit of slack on the rope.

As the magician climbs atop the crate, a curtain is raised up by other assistants to shield the entire scene. While the curtain is raised, the magician climbs off the box, the lid is slid open, the freed assistant climbs out, the magician climbs in, and the lid is once again placed on top of the box.

With the two having swapped places, the curtain is dropped as the assistant dances about the stage, distracting the audience. While this happens, the magician zips themselves into the bag in the box, which is then opened by the two other assistants. They untie the bag, revealing the magician inside.

Why Is Greenwich, England, the Center of Time?

Greenwich Observatory — Credit: Print Collector/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Author Mark DeJoy

May 22, 2024

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The worldwide timekeeping convention, known as Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), is often still colloquially referred to by its historical name, Greenwich Mean Time. But how did Greenwich, a borough in southeast London, become the reference point for timekeeping all around the world? To answer that, we have to go back to the 17th century, during Europe’s age of exploration.

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Building Greenwich Observatory

In 1674, King Charles II of England assembled a Royal Commission to study the possibility of creating a more precise measure of longitude in order to improve ship navigation. The greater oceanic distances being traveled by trade ships meant that any inaccuracies were magnified, causing shipwrecks and other maritime disasters; an improved reference for longitude would enable better course-plotting. The commission concluded that accurately determining star positions (as reference points) would be an essential part of the calculation, and recommended establishing an astronomical observatory. In response, Charles II appointed astronomer John Flamsteed as Britain’s first Astronomer Royal in 1675. Meanwhile, Royal Commission architect and astronomer Christopher Wren chose the ruins of Greenwich Castle as the site for the observatory. This was due to its location on high ground in a royal park, as well as the presence of the castle’s foundation, which could be repurposed for the observatory. Construction was completed in about a year, and Flamsteed began his first observations in 1676.

Calculating Longitude

Flamsteed charted stars from Greenwich Observatory until his death in 1719. The catalog of nearly 3,000 stars he observed was published posthumously, first as the three-volume Historia Coelestis Britannica, and then the Atlas Coelestis, the largest and most accurate star atlas at the time. Flamsteed’s work was expanded on by Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne, who published Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris in 1766. These works contained the astronomical data needed to calculate longitude, with the help of celestial navigation tools such as the sextant and chronometer.

Using the sextant, which measures the angular distance between objects (such as the horizon and the sun), scientists could accurately observe the highest point of the sun: noon. The chronometer, a mechanical timepiece, was then set to precisely show the time at the Greenwich Observatory right at that moment. The difference between the time at Greenwich on the chronometer and local noon was translated to longitude: An hour of time difference was equal to 15 degrees of longitude (since the Earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours, or 15 degrees per hour). The lines of longitude were designated as east or west depending on whether the time at Greenwich was earlier or later than local time, respectively. This was the origin of Greenwich as a reference for timekeeping — at least, for British navigators.

The Many Prime Meridians

Unlike latitude, for which the equator is Earth’s natural midpoint, the pole-to-pole vertical meridians have no such natural reference point. As a result, the location of 0 degrees longitude — known as the prime meridian — is arbitrary, and before a universal standard was established, many countries considered the longitudinal line running through their most significant port city as the prime meridian. France set the longitude at Paris as the prime meridian; in Spain, it was at Cádiz; in Italy, it was at Naples. In the 19th century, there were no fewer than 11 different prime meridians chosen by each of the world’s biggest shipping nations. Since time and longitude are so integral to each other, this also meant that there was no standardized timekeeping between nations.

The lack of an international time standard wasn’t impactful in the slow-moving era of seafaring, but the development of fast-moving transcontinental railroads in the mid-19th century changed that. Transcontinental train travel meant that a train would be crossing several different irregular time standards in relatively short order, especially in Europe, which in turn meant that a crew would have to make specific time changes with each national border crossing. The longer the distance of the trip, the more irregular time changes would need to be made, increasing the chance for scheduling errors and accidents. A solution was critical.

The International Meridian Conference

In 1884, U.S. President Chester A. Arthur convened the International Meridian Conference. Delegates from 21 nations met in Washington, D.C., to determine a globally recognized location for the prime meridian — and with it, a worldwide standard for time zones. Delegates from France argued that the meridian should not be located in either Europe or the U.S., so that it would have “a character of neutrality.” But support for the meridian to be located in Greenwich, England, was overwhelming, because a vast majority of the world’s shipping was already dependent on nautical maps that used Greenwich as 0 degrees longitude. The vote for Greenwich was nearly unanimous; only San Domingo voted against, with France abstaining.

A time zone standard was set with a one-hour time change every 15 degrees of longitude, with Greenwich Mean Time as the reference point. The time zones called for every 15 degrees east of the prime meridian to be an hour earlier than the time at Greenwich, and every 15 degrees west of the prime meridian to be an hour later. However, though the decision was made, it wasn’t actually binding. It took more than 20 years for Greece, Holland, Portugal, Russia, and Turkey to implement the decision on the location of the prime meridian and corresponding global time zone standard. France, proud of its own astronomical heritage, continued to use the Paris Observatory as the prime meridian, and did not adjust its time relative to Greenwich Mean Time until 1911.

Credit: Alan Spencer Photography/ Alamy Stock Photo

An Updated Prime Meridian

In 1972, Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) replaced Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the global standard for timekeeping. The reference point for UTC remains 0 degrees longitude, but thanks to technological advances such as GPS, a more precise location for 0 degrees longitude was determined and agreed upon in 1984. The current prime meridian is known as the International Reference Meridian. It’s located only about 334 feet east of the previous prime meridian — still in Greenwich, England.

The Ongoing Search for Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart in airplane cockpit — Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images

Author Tony Dunnell

May 22, 2024

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In July 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan took off from Lae Airfield in New Guinea with the intended destination of Howland Island, a small strip of land in the central Pacific Ocean. The 2,556-mile flight, which should have taken about 18 hours, was just one stage in Earhart’s planned circumnavigation of the globe. But Earhart and Noonan never arrived at their destination. The aviators lost contact with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Itasca, which was anchored off the coast of Howland Island, and they disappeared. This marked the beginning of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century.

The search for Earhart and her missing plane has never ended, and public interest in the fate of the famous aviator remains strong. There are numerous theories — and conspiracy theories — as to what exactly happened to Earhart and Noonan, but a firm answer has yet to be given. Here are some of the key stages in the decades-long search for the pioneering aviator, from the initial sweep of the area to ongoing investigations using the latest technology.

The Initial Search

The last message that the Coast Guard cutter Itasca received from Earhart was on July 2, 1937, saying she was low on gas. Contact was then lost, at which point the Itasca, which lay at anchor off Howland Island, set out to search for Earhart. Not long after, airplanes joined the search from Hawaii, and the Navy battleship Colorado, which carried three observation seaplanes, departed for Howland Island. On July 12, the aircraft carrier Lexington, carrying 63 aircraft, assumed control of the effort. In total, the official government search lasted 16 days at a cost of more than $4 million. The search covered an area of the Pacific roughly the size of Texas, but nothing was found. The general consensus was that Earhart crashed into the ocean and the plane sank, killing both her and Noonan. But the lack of evidence and Earhart’s celebrity status caused the search for a definitive answer to continue.

The Private Search by Earhart’s Husband

When the official search for the aviators ended on July 18, 1937, Earhart’s husband and publicist George P. Putnam began financing additional search efforts. He started by following tips and advice from naval experts. As things became more desperate, he even turned to psychics in an attempt to find his wife. In October, Putnam acknowledged that any chance of finding Earhart and Noonan alive was gone. Later, in January 1939, Earhart was declared legally dead by the Superior Court of Los Angeles.

Credit: NASA Image Collection/ Alamy Stock Photo

The Nikumaroro Bones

While many historians and investigators believe that the simple “crash and sink” theory is the most likely explanation for Earhart’s disappearance, many other theories have been put forward. Some — such as the idea that Earhart and Noonan were captured by the Japanese military or secretly returned to the U.S. to live clandestine lives — are improbable. One theory that does have some legs is the idea that Earhart crash-landed on the uninhabited Gardner Island, now known as Nikumaroro. Three years after Earhart disappeared, a British official discovered 13 bones, along with male and female shoes, buried near the remains of a campfire on the island. At the time, the doctors who examined the remains believed they came from males. The bones were then lost, but the measurements survived. Modern forensic analysis of the dimensions of the bones suggests they could match Earhart’s frame, but there is no DNA evidence to prove the theory.

Credit: Historic Collection/ Alamy Stock Photo

Investigating Nikumaroro

Despite the lack of concrete proof, some experts find the Nikumaroro theory compelling. Since 1988, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has launched several missions to Nikumaroro in search of more evidence. As well as identifying the site where the bones were likely found, TIGHAR has found evidence of several campfires, as well as 1930s-era glass bottles — including one that might have contained a type of freckle cream Earhart likely used. TIGHAR continues to investigate Nikumaroro.

Searching the Ocean Floor

Two competing marine technology companies are currently engaged in a race to find Earhart’s plane. Nauticos surveyed an area of the ocean floor roughly the size of Connecticut in three separate expeditions in 2002, 2006, and 2017, but so far has come up empty-handed. Rival company Deep Sea Vision, meanwhile, scanned 5,200 square miles of ocean floor in a search costing $11 million — and it might have found something. In January 2024, the company released images from its cutting-edge Hugin 6000 underwater drone that seem to show the fuselage of an aircraft sitting on the seafloor at about 16,000 feet below the surface and less than 100 miles from Howland Island. But is this Earhart’s iconic Lockheed 10-E Electra? Only time — and a physical investigation of the wreckage — will tell. For now, the mystery continues.

How 5 Historical Figures Stayed in Shape

Teddy Roosevelt on a horse — Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images

Author Kristina Wright

May 16, 2024

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In an era dominated by high-tech home gyms and viral workout videos, the pursuit of physical fitness may seem like a distinctly modern preoccupation. But physical activity has long been an integral part of daily life. From ancient philosophers sculpted by rigorous training to intellectuals who advocated for the importance of diet and exercise as part of a holistic approach to well-being, history is filled with people who placed a premium on their physical fitness.

Here are five renowned historical figures who aren’t typically remembered for their athleticism, but whose commitment to exercise profoundly influenced their lives. The paths they took to stay physically fit varied widely, reflecting the diverse approaches people have taken to fitness throughout history.

Plato (427-348 BCE)

Plato, one of the three ancient Greek philosophers (along with Socrates and Aristotle) attributed with building the philosophical foundation of Western culture, was educated in both mental and physical pursuits. Like other Athenian boys, Plato was trained in a variety of physical activities, including gymnastics, wrestling, archery, boxing, and riding. His given name was Aristocles, but it may have been his broad-shouldered physique that earned him the name Plato, from “platos,” the Greek word for “broad.” Before turning to philosophy, Plato put his physicality to use as a skilled wrestler competing in the Isthmian Games, an event similar to the ancient Greek Olympics. “Lack of activity destroys the condition of every human being,” he wrote, “while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.”

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo da Vinci not only is recognized as one of the great artists of the Renaissance era, but also represents the archetype of the multitalented “Renaissance man.” Best known for his paintings, including the enigmatic “Mona Lisa” and the iconic “Last Supper,” Leonardo was fascinated with the human form, an interest that can be found throughout his artistic and scientific work. His belief that the human body represented a microcosm of the universe is reflected in his oft-reproduced “Vitruvian Man” sketches, which depict what he believed to be the ideal male body. In his own lifetime, Leonardo was known for his athleticism and strength, and his superior physical fitness can be attributed to a number of athletic pursuits, including fencing, riding, and swimming.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)

As a pioneer for women’s rights in the late 18th century, Mary Wollstonecraft was concerned about women strengthening their bodies as well as their intellect. She saw physical exercise as a means of empowerment and liberation from societal constraints and believed that physical activity not only strengthened the body but also cultivated mental fortitude and independence. “The woman who strengthens her body and exercises her mind will, by managing her family and practicing various virtues, become the friend, and not the humble dependent on her husband,” she wrote in her 1792 treatise A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft incorporated rigorous physical activity into her own life, which included taking long walks and horseback riding through the countryside.

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Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

After a childhood plagued by severe asthma, President Theodore Roosevelt, known for being an outdoorsman and conservationist, pushed himself physically to maintain his health and build his physical strength and stamina. To that end, he pursued a number of challenging activities, including horseback riding, boxing, climbing, polo, swimming, tennis, and martial arts such as jiujitsu and judo. In fact, Roosevelt’s interest in martial arts led him to become the first American to earn a brown belt in judo. During his years in the White House, Roosevelt even had a boxing ring where he could train or spar with professional boxers, such as John L. Sullivan.

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Harry Houdini (1874-1926)

Harry Houdini’s name is synonymous with magic. The enigmatic illusionist’s awe-inspiring ability to escape from seemingly impossible situations captivated audiences, but behind his feats of illusion was a rigorous dedication to staying in peak physical condition. Before he became a world-famous magician, Houdini transformed himself physically through weight lifting, swimming, running, and boxing. As a magician, his training regimen included cold water plunges as well as exercises to enhance his dexterity, flexibility, strength, and breath control, enabling him to contort his body, navigate confined spaces, and hold his breath for more than three minutes.

The Most Popular TV Shows of All Time

Cast of “Cheers” — Credit: Aaron Rapoport/ Corbis Historical via Getty Images

Author Michael Nordine

May 16, 2024

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The way we watch television is changing, and so is the way we measure viewership: 2023 was the first year in which viewers who no longer pay for traditional TV such as cable service outnumbered those who still do. Cord-cutting is increasingly the norm as people flock to Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services. The small screen remains a favorite passive pastime all the same, with Nielsen ratings and other metrics showing why the following seven shows have proven so enormously popular with viewers around the world. All of them proved popular throughout their run, with individual episodes (often their finales) setting records for viewership.

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The Fugitive (1963-1967)

Before it was a Harrison Ford movie, The Fugitive was a wildly popular TV series. It took all 120 episodes — 90 broadcast in black and white, 30 in color — to reveal what really happened to the wrongly accused Dr. Richard Kimble (portrayed by David Janssen), and America was more than ready by the end. The series finale, “The Judgment,” set a record when 78 million people watched it, but The Fugitive’s place atop the ratings mountain didn’t last long. When the series ended in 1967, the show that eventually dethroned it was just five years from making its own debut on the small screen.

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MA*SH (1972-1983)

M*A*S*H aired 256 episodes throughout its 11 seasons, none of which drew more viewers than its record-shattering finale. When “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” aired on February 28, 1983, around 105 million viewers were there to see how the beloved series ended — the most of any television broadcast in American history at that point, a record that stood until Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. Nearly 60% of American households helped make it the most-watched episode of any TV show by tuning in, a record unlikely to be broken in the streaming era.

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Roots (1977)

Few series have become cultural phenomena to the same extent as Roots, the miniseries about slavery’s history and legacy based on Alex Haley’s novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. In addition to critical acclaim and a slew of accolades — the show won a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award, and nine of the 37 Emmys for which it was nominated — Roots broke Nielsen ratings records during the eight consecutive nights on which it aired, and every episode still ranks among the 100 most-watched episodes of all time. Roughly 51% of all American households gathered around their television sets for the finale, and an estimated 140 million viewers watched the show overall. It seems to have been all anyone could talk about in January 1977: “Theaters and restaurants emptied out during the show,” wrote TIME magazine’s Frank Rich two years later. “Hundreds of colleges started Roots courses; the National Archives in Washington found itself flooded by citizens’ requests for information about their ancestors.” In addition to a 1979 sequel, Roots also inspired a 2016 remake.

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Dallas (1978-1991)

Dallas was well known for its cliffhangers throughout its 13-year run, but none of them riled the country into a frenzy the way its third-season finale did. “A House Divided” premiered on March 21, 1980, and after it aired, everyone was asking the same question: “Who shot J.R.?” When that burning question was answered exactly eight months later, 76% of all television viewers in the U.S. were watching — meaning every other show broadcast combined for just a quarter of the night’s total viewership. That amounted to some 90 million people, a record that stood until the M*A*S*H finale. The cliffhanger’s massive success helped popularize the now-common practice of ending a season with unresolved questions, including the Simpsons spoof “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” It wasn’t just this one episode that drew viewers, however — Dallas was a ratings success throughout its run, with seasons 4 through 8 all ranked either first or second according to Nielsen.

Cheers (1982-1993)

It’s the place where everybody knows your name, and just about everyone in the country tuned in when Cheers aired the last of its 275 episodes. “One for the Road” received a Nielsen rating of 45.5, meaning 45.5% of all American televisions were tuned to the episode, with a total viewership of some 93 million. To this day, M*A*S*H is the only series finale to be seen by more people — even massive hits such as Seinfeld (76 million), Friends (52.5 million), and Game of Thrones (13.6 million) didn’t come close.

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The World of the Married (2020)

Traditional television viewership may be declining in the U.S., but it’s never been more popular in South Korea. Viewership records have been set and broken time and again over the last several years, as K-dramas have proved increasingly popular abroad as well. TV ratings are measured in terms of the percentage of households that tune in to a given episode, and the twisty relationship miniseries The World of the Married holds the current record in its home country. A full 28.37% of Korean homes (more than 14 million people) tuned in to the finale, breaking the previous record of 23.77% set by Sky Castle a year earlier.

Squid Game (2021)

South Korea is also responsible for Netflix’s most-watched series of all time: Squid Game, the global sensation that 142 million households pressed play on for a total of 1.65 billion viewing hours within four weeks of its release; the only other Netflix series to crack 1 billion viewing hours in that time frame are Wednesday and Stranger Things 4. Squid Game also won awards across the globe and has been renewed for a second season, which is expected to be wildly popular as well.

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