Matthew Sherrill

Photograph courtesy Christopher Hooks. Ten long years ago, an act of Congress established the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, a bipartisan group in charge of overseeing the nation’s two-hundred-fiftieth-birthday celebrations. Things have not gone smoothly for the commission, which has been characterized largely by ideological conflict, defamation lawsuits, and allegations of employment discrimination.

Photograph by Niki Segnit Puy du Fou is a popular theme park occupying some 140 acres in a rural region of western France. Eschewing traditional amusement park rides in favor of elaborate historical stage shows and immersive “period villages,” the park attracted an astonishing three million visitors last year. The French newspaper Le Figaro has proclaimed it the best theme park in the world. But it might also be the most controversial, as Nat Segnit points out in his article for the May issue.

Photograph by John Clayton Lee Last year, a Japanese sumo wrestler named Onosato became the seventy-fifth athlete to be awarded the sport’s highest honor: the title of yokozuna, or grand champion. His achievement was a particular cause for celebration among many Japanese sumo fans, given that the sport, despite its historical Japanese roots, has been largely dominated by Mongolian wrestlers for decades.