Editors' Picks
Where Was the Birthplace of the American Vacation?
First in rustic tents and later in elaborate resorts, city dwellers took to the Adirondacks to explore the joys of the wilderness
The True-Life Horror that Inspired Moby-Dick
The whaler Essex was indeed sunk by a whale—and that's only the beginning
The Shocking Savagery of America’s Early History
Bernard Bailyn, one of our greatest historians, shines his light on the nation’s Dark Ages
Page 3 of 12
A new poem by George Green
November 2012
| By George Green
How a makeshift show business memory aid became the centerpiece of modern political campaigning
October 23, 2012
| By Joseph Stromberg
Steven Spielberg, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Tony Kushner talk about what it takes to wrestle an epic presidency into a feature film
November 2012
| By Roy Blount Jr.
Dino Brugioni explains how he and other CIA photo analysts located Soviet missiles just 90 miles away from the United States
October 10, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
For 80 years, the 11 ironworkers in the iconic photo have remained unknown, and now, thanks to new research, two of them have been identified
September 20, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
Jeopardy! Champion Ken Jennings takes you on a challenging adventure through the secrets of American history. Win a trip to Washington D.C. and a “Secrets of the Smithsonian” behind-the-scenes tour!
September 2012
| By Ken Jennings
The legend of the blood suckers, and the violence heaped upon their corpses, came out of ignorance of contagious disease
September 2012
| By Abigail Tucker
In this exclusive transcript from the JFK library, hear what he had to say just days after announcing his candidacy for the presidency
October 2012
| By Ted Widmer
October 2012 | By Michael Caruso, Editor in Chief
While researching a book on the Cuban missile crisis, the writer unearthed new spy images that could have changed history
October 2012
| By Michael Dobbs
Douglas Groat thought he understood the risks of his job—until he took on his own employer
October 2012
| By David Wise
After Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, the infamous Plumbers broke into his psychiatrist’s office, looking for a way to discredit him
October 2012
| By Owen Edwards
Two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, farmers became convinced that their relatives were returning from the grave to feed on the living
October 2012
| By Abigail Tucker
As the two parties bring together their faithful supporters, we look at those conventions in the past that truly made a difference in the country’s political history
August 27, 2012
| By Kenneth C. Davis
See how British cryptologists cracked the coded message that propelled the United States into World War I
August 21, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
When a powerful 1963 piece laid out the stark poverty in America, the White House took action
September 2012
| By Jill Lepore
September 2012 | By Michael Caruso
In a new book, political junkie Robert W. Merry shares his three-part test
August 13, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
One rogue shark. Five victims. A mysterious threat. And the era of the killer great white was born
August 07, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
A schoolgirl and a former traveling Bible salesman helped turn deodorants and antiperspirants from niche toiletries into an $18 billion industry
August 03, 2012
| By Sarah Everts
Records at the National Archives in London show how organizers cobbled together the 1948 "Austerity" Games
July 31, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
Michael Pupa's story, from orphan of Nazi Europe to American citizen, is a testament to the freedoms America offers
July 03, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
Mocked by their peers and kicked out of Harvard, the pioneering athletes were ahead of their time... and their competition in Athens
June 26, 2012
| By John Hanc
Ode to an ancient summer rite, excesses and all
July 2012
| By Michael Caruso
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National Treasures
The stories behind famous objects from the Smithsonian's collection
The stories behind famous objects from the Smithsonian's collection
The Tucker Was the 1940s Car of the Future
The World’s Most Famous Filing Cabinet
The Tacky History of the Pink Flamingo
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Document Deep Dives
A close look at documents that changed history
A close look at documents that changed history
Document Deep Dive: What Was on the First SAT?
Harry Truman’s Adorable Love “List” to His Wife, Bess
Document Deep Dive: Rosa Parks’ Arrest Records
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