6 Most Interesting Stories Behind Time Capsules

This one is for the book lovers out there. One of the most interesting stories behind time capsules comes from the Scottish artist Katie Paterson who started the Future Library in 2014 and won’t be ready until 2114. The project started in 2014, where every year a new author will be invited to submit a novel, poem, or written text to the project. This will continue for 100 years. In 2114, the entire collection will be published all at once. 

To prepare for this masterpiece, 1,000 trees have already been planted outside of Oslo, Norway to supply the paper for what’s to come. None of the entries will be available to read until 2114, and writers are forbidden to reveal anything about their works other than the title. Margaret Atwood submitted the first manuscript in 2014, David Mitchell provided the second, then Sjon, Elif Shafak, Han Kang, Karl Ove Knausgard, ocean Vuong, Tsitsi Dangarembga, and Judith Schalansky, in order.

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One of the most interesting stories behind time capsules comes from Osaka, Japan with their Expo ‘70 capsule. The electronics giant Panasonic constructed a kettle-shaped capsule designed to remain unopened for 5,000 years, an insane length. 

The main container was filled with a protective layer of inert argon gas to protect its contents, but the project leaders also built a second “control” capsule that will be periodically opened, inspected, and cleaned to ensure its survival and help keep the project’s memory alive. The first opening took place in 2000, and the rest will occur in 100-year intervals. The collection consists of films, seeds, and microorganisms as well as a ceremonial kimono.

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Some of the oldest time capsules were opened recently, with one being almost 220 years old (we’ll get to that one later). But what about a time capsule that is still being opened to this day? The Helium Monument is not only a beautiful structure, but a time capsule. One of the most interesting stories behind time capsules is this entry built in Amarillo, Texas back in 1968. 

The monument serves as a reminder of the importance of conserving our natural resources and the strong cooperative effort between industry and government. The capsule opened after 25 years represents man and his dependence on natural resources, with the 50-year mark, opened in 2018 representing industry and its use of natural resources. Another part of the capsule will open in 2068, and lastly in 2968.

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At the beginning of the 1900s, a group of men gathered underground beneath the Paris Opera House and stowed 24 original opera records in lead and iron time capsules in hopes of offering those in the future a sneak peek at the vocal techniques of their time. While instructions said not to open them for 100 years, in 1912 they added 24 more records and two more containers to the trove since French officials predicted radical changes in recording technology. 

Unfortunately, during that period, half of the archive was broken into and stolen somewhere along the way, but in 2007, the rest were opened and moved to the National Library of France which has one of the most interesting stories behind time capsules.

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While there is a debate on whether the box discovered is a time capsule or not, as there isn’t an end date, many have heralded this find as the oldest known time capsule which was done by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. In 2014, a repairman fixing a water leak at the Massachusetts State House uncovered a brass box that the two former Sons of Liberty had placed in the cornerstone of the building back in 1795. 

It was already opened once in 1855 for cleaning and additional artifacts, but when historians unlocked it once more, they found preserved artifacts including newspapers, coins dating back to the 1600s, a page from the Massachusetts Colony Records, and a copper medal with an image of George Washington.

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The Century Safe holds one of the most interesting stories behind time capsules and was the world’s first planned capsule debuted in 1876 by New York magazine publisher Anna Deihm. The Century Safe was assembled at the U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. 

The iron box was stuffed with 19th-century relics including a gold pen and inkstand, a book on temperance, a collection of Americans’ signatures, and snapshots of President Ulysses S. Grant and other politicians. The velvet-lined safe was sealed in 1876 and was nearly forgotten until it was later discovered, restored, and unlocked in 1976.