History & Archaeology

Memoirs of a World War II Buffalo Soldier

In a recently published memoir written over 60 years ago, veteran James Daugherty details his experiences as an African-American in combat
By Abby Callard

Also see: German POWs on the American Homefront

Nan Madol: The City Built on Coral Reefs

One of the oldest archaeological sites not on a heritage list, this Pacific state, like Easter Island, is an engineering marvel
By Christopher Pala

Flying With America’s Most Famous Female Aviators

Dozens of talented women preceded Amelia Earhart, and thousands have followed, and each has her own groundbreaking story to tell
By Patricia Trenner

How Arlington National Cemetery Came to Be

The fight over Robert E. Lee's beloved home—seized by the U.S. government during the Civil War—went on for decades
By Robert M. Poole

A Photo-journalist's Remembrance of Vietnam

The death of Hugh Van Es, whose photograph captured the Vietnam War's end, launched a "reunion" of those who covered the conflict
By David Lamb

Meriwether Lewis' Mysterious Death

Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered
By Abigail Tucker

Fabulous New Fossil of a Human Ancestor

Move over Lucy, and make room for Ardi, a newfound 4.4 million-year-old hominin
By Laura Helmuth

Ancient Greece Springs to Life

Athens’ New Acropolis Museum comes to America in an exhibition highlighting treasures of antiquity
By Jamie Katz

A Human Rights Breakthrough in Guatemala

A chance discovery of police archives may reveal the fate of tens of thousands of people who disappeared in Guatemala's civil war
By Julian Smith

Town in Idaho destroyed by 1910 forest fire

The Legacy of America’s Largest Forest Fire

A 1910 wildfire that raged across three Western states helped advance the nation’s conservation efforts
By Timothy Egan

John Brown's Famous Photograph

An 1840s image captures an extremist's fervor
By Owen Edwards

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6th Annual Smithsonian Photo Contest Winners

Out of more than 17,000 entries contributed from around the world, Smithsonian and its readers select the year's best

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Bodybuilders Through the Ages

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The Residents of Arlington Cemetery

While President Kennedy may be one of the best known gravesites in Arlington, there are many other notable Americans buried there

The Ju/'Hoansi Tribe in Action

Over the course of 50 years, John Marshall filmed the African tribe, tracking how their nomadic culture slowly died out

A Rare Look at Tucker Cars

Collector David Cammack owns three of the 43 remaining cars in existence designed by Preston Tucker

	A Rare Look at Tucker Cars Collector David Cammack owns three of the 43 remaining cars in existence designed by Preston Tucker
	The Residents of Arlington Cemetery While President Kennedy may be one of the best known gravesites in Arlington, there are many other notable Americans buried there
	The Ju/'Hoansi Tribe in Action Over the course of 50 years, John Marshall filmed the African tribe, tracking how their nomadic culture slowly died out
	High Lonesome Honga Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys blend bluegrass and klezmer during a performance in New York City
	The Raid on Harpers Ferry In one fateful night, John Brown brought the country closer to Civil War

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Sojourn in the Dordogne
Discover the ancient cave paintings, medieval architecture, and superior cuisine of the hidden gem of France

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In a recently published memoir written over 60 years ago, veteran James Daugherty details his experiences as an African-American in combat By Abby Callard

One of the oldest archaeological sites not on a heritage list, this Pacific state, like Easter Island, is an engineering marvel By Christopher Pala

Dozens of talented women preceded Amelia Earhart, and thousands have followed, and each has her own groundbreaking story to tell By Patricia Trenner

The fight over Robert E. Lee's beloved home—seized by the U.S. government during the Civil War—went on for decades By Robert M. Poole

A long-lost painting of the Senate's Great Compromiser finds a fitting new home in the halls of the U.S. Capitol By Fergus M. Bordewich

The death of Hugh Van Es, whose photograph captured the Vietnam War's end, launched a "reunion" of those who covered the conflict By David Lamb

Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered By Abigail Tucker

Closing in on 40 years By Carey Winfrey

Momentous or Merely Memorable By Alison McLean

Move over Lucy, and make room for Ardi, a newfound 4.4 million-year-old hominin By Laura Helmuth

Athens’ New Acropolis Museum comes to America in an exhibition highlighting treasures of antiquity By Jamie Katz

The abolitionist's bloody raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry 150 years ago set the stage for the Civil War By Fergus M. Bordewich

A chance discovery of police archives may reveal the fate of tens of thousands of people who disappeared in Guatemala's civil war By Julian Smith

A 1910 wildfire that raged across three Western states helped advance the nation’s conservation efforts By Timothy Egan

An 1840s image captures an extremist's fervor By Owen Edwards