The Weekender: A famous figures quiz, spiking airfares and longevity lessons from a tortoise
Plus, five Anne Carson books to start with.
The Weekender
October 10, 2026

The New York Times turned 175 last month. To celebrate the occasion, journalists across the newsroom have been spelunking through the paper’s archives, offering thoughtful reflections on the ideas and stories the paper has recorded. And, a few challenges. This week’s: Can you name 16 famous figures from history just by looking at their photos and The Times’s descriptions of them? Take the quiz below, and see how you stack up against other players.

Also in this edition, we’ve got a giant tortoise and giant trolls. But first, Anne Carson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature this week, so let’s start with some of her most beloved books. I’ll see you next weekend(er).

— Farah

A person with gray hair wears bright yellow glasses and a patterned red scarf. They are looking slightly upwards against an orange background.

Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency, via Associated Press

START HERE

New to Anne Carson’s books? Here’s what to read first. →

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The New York Times

TAKE THE QUIZ

Can you name these 16 figures from history? →

Wearing a red t-shirt Lee Colker leans forwards against a wall on his forearms. An ipad screen sitting on a wooden shelf is seen behind him.

Jeff Swensen for The New York Times

GUIDELINES

It can keep cancer in remission. Why is no one talking about it? →

Clara Wu Tsai at the Barclays Center.

Thea Traff for The New York Times

COURTSIDE

The billionaire co-owner of the Liberty and the Nets wants to leave her mark on Brooklyn. →

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The New York Times

NOW YOU SEE IT

This photo is an A.I. fake. Can you tell? →

A assorted amount of halloween decorations and candles next to a purple backdrop.

Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter

BOO

Most Halloween décor is junk. These items will charm you year after year. →

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Gianluigi Guerica/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A LESSON IN LONGEVITY

At 194, Jonathan the tortoise knows about aging. →

An illustration of a couple walking side-by-side. Another couple is walking ahead of them, holding hands in the foreground.

Marta Monteiro

ASK THE THERAPIST

A reader asks: “My fiancé won’t touch me. Should I still marry him?” Get our columnist Lori Gottlieb’s answer. →

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WHIMSY IN THE WOODS

These giant trolls are helping transform an Adirondack mill town. →

Barbed wire in the foreground. Many yellow planes with "Spirit" on their tails are parked on a tarmac before a building.

Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

THE FRUGAL TRAVELER

Is this why airfares have spiked? →

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Vivian Dehning; photographs by Annie Flanagan for The New York Times

For two sisters, a “biological age test” measured more than their DNA. →

From the comments

The sisters featured in this story joined our reporter to talk with readers about their experiences. You can read more and share your reactions here.

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This edition of The Weekender was edited by Farah Miller and Kellina Moore. Reach our team at weekender@nytimes.com.

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