These “lucky 13” articles, ranging in subject from pandemic history to the global future, especially resonated with our readers.
Alta
To select our favorite articles of the past year, we considered web traffic, social media interactions, reader feedback, and which pieces are most likely to be read in the decades to come. Here are some of our top picks from 2020.
The Tomb of the Unknown ‘Wetback’
JOHN GILHOOLEY
Fate leads a journalist to discover a long-forgotten grave in Orange County—and the sad secrets it keeps. By Gustavo Arellano
COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, ON BEHALF OF THE USC LIBRARIES SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.
As executive director of the Los Angeles Urban League, Floyd C. Covington made a difference in the lives of the African American workers he fought for—not only in the workplace, but in housing, in education, and at the voting booth. By Catherine Womack
A recent London transplant, Tales of the City writer Armistead Maupin tells Will Hearst why he left his beloved San Francisco, what his next big book might be, and how much he likes his new surroundings (spoiler: a lot). By Will Hearst
Long before Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly were inmates, 19 “subversive” men were incarcerated at the notorious prison. This is the story of the largest band of American Indians ever held on the Rock. By Laurie Ann Doyle
One of the biggest trees in the world—the Boole—is thriving despite a devastating logging in Converse Basin, a massive sequoia grove 60 miles east of Fresno. The bigger mystery is why it was named for the man who supervised the forest’s destruction. By Matt Jaffe
Danish beauty Inga Arvad was a scoop-driven journalist courted by royalty, the Nazis, and a young John F. Kennedy—before finding peace in the West. An unlikely tale of reinvention, redemption, and enduring love. By Geoffrey Gray
Alta's editor at large searches for a deeper connection with her autistic son—and with a divided country—on a 15-day journey along Route 66. By Mary Melton
Production for The General involved guns, bombs, fires, and the blowing up of a bridge in a tiny Oregon town. When the filming was over, the comedic legend’s career was in tatters. Forty years later, the movie was hailed as a masterpiece. By Julian Smith
Wayne Thiebaud shook up the art world in 1962 with paintings that were joyous, confectionary, and uniquely Californian. Since then, he’s worked steadily, producing sought-after pieces noted for their originality and impact on American art. On the eve of his 100th birthday, the artist says he’s “trying to learn to paint” and put a smile on people’s faces. By Jessica Zack
