Without the heroic efforts of two local South Pacific scouts, Lt. John F. Kennedy likely would never have made it to the end of World War II, much less the U.S. Presidency. Last spring, during an expedition to find the wreck of Kennedy's boat PT-109, the Kennedy family and the now elderly scouts were reunited. The emotional meeting cast new light on the islanders' historic role and the impact their brief meeting with Kennedy had on their lives.

A National Geographic expedition led by explorer Robert Ballard has found what is believed to be the remains of John F. Kennedy's PT-109. Experts from the U.S. Navy recently confirmed the May 2002 find is most likely the World War II patrol boat. PT-109 sank in the Solomon Islands when a Japanese destroyer sliced through it, setting into motion the survival odyssey that became a cornerstone of the Kennedy legend.

In an interview with National Geographic News, American author and freelance journalist Sandra Mackey discusses conditions in Iraq and the influence of its leader, Saddam Hussein.

Locked in the muddy bottom of the Missouri River are the remains of the stern-wheeled steamboat Montana, which sank 118 years ago. Scientists studying the wreck say it's revealing new knowledge about the riverboats that played a central role in America's westward expansion.

Ongoing excavation of the Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley has uncovered another surprise: ornate gold and diamond jewelry. A ring and a brooch were found among clothing remnants of the captain, Lt. George Dixon, but their use and significance is a mystery.

Even ancient Olympian athletes had performance-enhancing tricks. Two biomechanics experts have now explained how swinging hefty hand-held weights, or "halteres," gave Greek long-jumpers a competitive advantage.

Martin Buser is the defending champion and a four-time winner of the Iditarod dog-sled race from Anchorage to Nome. In an interview with National Geographic News, he explained what it takes to succeed in such a grueling sport and what keeps him committed. The Quest for Adventure lecture series, sponsored by Nature Valley, brings great explorers and adventurers to the National Geographic Society. If you missed this year's explorers, read the tale of their adventures.

How you look at skin is a matter of perspective. It's a major organ of the body, a map of early human migration, a canvas for cultural markings. For artist Spencer Tunick, it's a sea of colors that gives organic form to his photographs of crowds of naked people.

Anini, a district capital in northeastern India, is so far removed from the rest of the country that its inhabitants until recently had to rely on Indian Air Force helicopters to bring them food and other supplies. Now, a new state-of-the-art computer center has put the remote town on the "information superhighway."

The simple act of petting a dog can lift people's spirits. And when disaster strikes, teams of highly trained canines are sometimes called to the scene to help survivors deal emotionally with the situation.

More than a century ago, the U.S. Civil War ironclad Monitor sank in a violent storm off Cape Hatteras. Last summer scientists and divers raised the ship's gun turret to the surface. The artifacts and human remains found inside are opening a new window on history.

A vault in South Africa's Kruger National Park holds 36 tons of elephant ivory and rhino horn valued at about $3 million dollars. By international rules, South Africa cannot sell wildlife treasures. But that may change, as 160 countries at a CITES meeting decide whether to continue the ban on ivory.

While cruising the South Pacific in 1995, the author saw the northern side of Mount Yasur on Vanuatu and immediately thought: There is a virgin slope waiting to be carved. He recently returned to snowboard down the slope, and filmed the adventure for National Geographic Today.

As the National Geographic Society celebrated the lives of Ann Judge and Joe Ferguson at a memorial service in Washington, D.C., Thursday, condolences continue to be received from all over the world. The staffers and a group of geography students and teachers they were accompanying were killed last week when terrorists hijacked their aircraft and slammed it into the Pentagon.

Many readers worldwide have sent e-mails messages expressing their sorrow at the loss of two National Geographic staffers and three teachers and three students from Washington, D.C. who died in Tuesday's terrorist attacks. Traveling together to an educational field trip on the U.S. West coast, they were passengers in the plane that was hijacked and crashed into the Pentgon.