This year marked JSTOR Daily’s tenth anniversary, so it’s been particularly rewarding to look back at our most popular stories of 2024. We’re extremely grateful for the enthusiasm and engagement of our readers, which is conveyed to us via email, social media, and data analytics. We seek out stories and writers that connect with our audience. Sometimes that’s a science (see: data analytics), sometimes that’s an art (see: photographs of ghosts). However we get there, we’re delighted that we seem to be delighting everyone, including ourselves. Enjoy this baker’s dozen of our most popular stories published in 2024!
Who Took the Cocaine Out of Coca-Cola?
June 3, 2024
The medical profession saw nothing wrong with offering a cocaine-laced cola to white, middle-class consumers. Selling it to Black Americans was another matter.
Can You Photograph a Ghost?
October 25, 2024
William Hope claimed to be able to document the visitations of ghosts. The controversial images he produced add to our understanding of the history of photography.
Cancún and the Making of Modern “Gringolandia”
September 20, 2024
Created from almost nothing, Cancún has become a tourist playground that both celebrates and obscures the history of the Yucatán and its peoples.
Why Some Spartan Women Had Two Husbands
February 16, 2024
In ancient Sparta, it was accepted practice for more women to marry and have children by more than one man.
Archimedes Rediscovered: Technology and Ancient History
October 16, 2024
Advanced imaging technologies help scholars reveal and share lost texts from the ancient world.
The Most Dangerous Woman in the World
March 9, 2024
“Chicago May” was a classic swindler who conned her way around the world in the early twentieth century. She was also a sign of hard times.
The Naked Quakers
September 9, 2024
Today, the international feminist group FEMEN uses nudity as part of its protests. But appearing naked in public was also a tactic used by early dissenters.
Foreign Magic in Imperial Rome
July 27, 2024
Roman ideas about witchcraft were often associated with distant regions, including India and the Kush kingdom in northeast Africa.
How Two Rebel Physicists Changed Quantum Theory
June 5, 2024
David Bohm and Hugh Everett were once ostracized for challenging the dominant thinking in physics. Now, science accepts their ideas, which are said to enrich our understanding of the universe.
Ghosts in the Machine
October 23, 2024
Forty years ago, Hollywood made gremlins loveable—portraying them as adorable, furry creatures. Their folkloric origins are far more sinister.
The Huts of the Appalachian Trail
June 18, 2024
Scattered along the Appalachian Trail, “primitive huts” built in various styles offer shelter, social space, and evidence of the trail's long history.
Bye-Bye, Russian Gas!
October 10, 2024
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy revolution, forcing European states to reconsider their dependence on Russian oil imports.
Saffron: The Story of the World’s Most Expensive Spice
March 29, 2024
Appearing in the written record as early as 2300 BCE, saffron can be traced in foodways around the globe, despite the finicky nature of its harvest.
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