Letters Archive

A frustrated farmer with 83 problems discovered that his 84th problem—wanting to have no problems—was the only one the Buddha could help with. This ancient wisdom shows how our resistance to challenges often causes more suffering than the challenges themselves.

For 120 years, every U.S. president elected in a year ending in zero died in office. This strange pattern, known as the Curse of Tippecanoe, began with a Native American leader's prophecy and wasn't broken until Ronald Reagan narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 1981.

At age 11, Malala Yousafzai's blog about life under Taliban rule helped the world understand complex events through a child's eyes. Her story shows how regular writing develops the fundamental skill of clear communication – a powerful ability that transforms both the writer and their understanding of the world.

When Napoleon III looked at the cramped, disease-ridden streets of Paris in 1853, he imagined something completely different wide boulevards where people could move freely and breathe clean air. Despite fierce opposition and displacing thousands of residents, his controversial 17-year transformation created the beautiful 'City of Light' that millions visit today, showing how sometimes the most beautiful creations emerge from difficult periods of change.

Franklin Roosevelt changed how we preserve presidential history by creating the first presidential library in 1939. Before this, many presidential papers were lost or destroyed, but now these libraries safeguard our national story through millions of documents, photographs, and artifacts.

Eight thousand years ago, people played games with sheep ankle bones instead of dice. This simple tool of chance evolved from animal remains to precise mathematical objects, showing how the perfect balance of luck and skill makes games exciting for everyone.

Six thousand years ago, Egyptians lined their eyes with black kohl that we thought was just for beauty. Scientists discovered this makeup actually killed bacteria and protected eyes from the desert sun, showing how ancient wisdom often hides practical solutions.

Scientists discovered that something as simple as chewing gum could improve memory by 35%. This unexpected finding from a British university shows how small actions can have surprising effects on how our brains work, offering a simple trick that might help during tests.