An oral history of the day everything changed

PLUS, Magic: The Gathering's incredible trading world, attaining 'boss lady status', and mastering the marathon at 44. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 04.26.20 Wednesday, March 11, proved to be unlike any other day in American history—the pivot point on which weeks of winter unease about the looming novel coronavirus turned in a matter of hours into a sudden, wrenching, nation-altering halt to daily life and routine. For this week's installment of Covid Spring, WIRED collected the stories and memories of more than 30 people who lived March 11's drama firsthand, from the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange and a basketball arena in Dallas to Capitol Hill and the airports of Europe. It's an oral history of the day that everything in American life changed—launching us into an uncertain future of unknown duration. Garrett Graff | Contributing Editor, WIRED   BACKCHANNEL An Oral History of the Day Everything Changed BY GARRETT M. GRAFF On March 11, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic seemed to crystallize in the national consciousness. Americans look back on the turning point.   BACKCHANNEL The Stockbrokers Of "Magic: The Gathering" Play for Keeps BY CECILIA D'ANASTASIO The market for the popular strategy game's cards has started to resemble Wall Street, complete with speculation, arbitrage, and yes, insider trading.   FOOTSTEPS To Run My Best Marathon at Age 44, I Had to Outrun My Past BY NICHOLAS THOMPSON After 20 years of long-distance competition, I ran my fastest. All it took was tech, training, and a new understanding of my life.   BACKCHANNEL One Woman's Instagram-Fueled Ascent to 'Boss Lady Status' BY DAVID SAX For New Orleans entrepreneur Jesseca Dupart, social media isn't just a tool for building her business—it's a platform for inspiring other black women to do the same.    BACKCHANNEL Wait, What's the Deal With Sunscreen? Does It Work or Not? BY GEORGE ZAIDAN Scientists understand the chemistry perfectly well, but whether it actually prevents cancer? The answer's not so simple.   BACKCHANNEL Uncovering Operation NEPTUN, the Cold War's Most Daring Disinformation Campaign BY THOMAS RID Rumored Nazi treasure, a dark Bohemian lake, an unsuspecting TV crew—and a brilliant spy.   SPONSORED CONTENT Stay In & Start Streaming with CuriosityStream. Educate and enlighten the whole family with thousands of documentaries and non-fiction shows. Use code WIREDBACK to sign up for just $12 for a whole year! GET WIRED   Get unlimited access to our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.   Subscribe to support our journalism.   Exclusive offer: 1 year for $10 $5     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions