American History
How the Women of the North Platte Canteen Fed Six Million Soldiers During World War II
Volunteers based out of a Nebraska train station offered American troops encouragement and free food, including birthday cakes and popcorn balls
103-Year-Old Artificial Christmas Tree Sells for Over $4,000
The tree was originally purchased for 8-year-old Dorothy Grant in 1920
Father and Daughter Discover 152-Year-Old Shipwreck While Fishing in Green Bay
Tim and Henley Wollak found what is likely the wreck of the "George L. Newman," which sank during the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871
Meet a Dozen Lesser-Known Christmas Characters, From Mr. Jingeling to Uncle Mistletoe
Created as department store marketing tools, many of these seasonal figures became beloved holiday traditions
The Many Myths of the Boston Tea Party
Contrary to popular belief, the 1773 protest opposed a tax break, not a tax hike. And it didn't immediately unify the colonies against the British
'Home Alone,' 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and More Join the National Film Registry
Twenty-five films were chosen based on their "cultural, historic or aesthetic" importance
How 'Schindler's List' Transformed Americans' Understanding of the Holocaust
The 1993 film also inspired its director, Steven Spielberg, to establish a foundation that preserves survivors' stories
What the Color Purple Means to Oprah Winfrey
A new Shawn Michael Warren portrait of the legendary talk show host is now on view at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
Anchor From 1906 Shipwreck Found in Florida
The steamship "St. Lucie" went down in a hurricane, killing 26 passengers on board
You Can Recreate the Iconic 1932 'Lunch Atop a Skyscraper' Photo
Visitors will be safely strapped in as they sit atop a beam hundreds of feet above New York City
The Black Sailor Whose Heroic Actions During a Shipwreck Made Him an Instant Celebrity of the Roaring Twenties
Lionel Licorish earned accolades for rescuing as many as 20 passengers from the wreckage of the S.S. "Vestris"
Norman Lear Brought Big Issues to the Small Screen
At his peak, the television icon, who died at 101, reached more than 120 million Americans with shows like "All in the Family"
Unraveling Ulysses S. Grant's Complex Relationship With Slavery
The Union general directly benefited from the brutal institution before and during the Civil War
The 'Comet of the Century' Failed to Impress, but It Wasn't Such a Disaster After All
Highly anticipated before its arrival in late 1973, Kohoutek became an interplanetary punchline. But astronomers may have gotten the last laugh
How Sandra Day O’Connor Brought Compromise to the Supreme Court
The first woman justice to serve on the nation's highest court died on Friday at age 93
The Formerly Enslaved Black Bordello Queen Who Built a Notorious Business Empire
In 19th-century St. Louis, Madam Priscilla Henry earned a life-changing fortune—and scores of enemies vying for her crown
Why America Is Just Now Learning to Love Thaddeus Stevens, the 'Best-Hated Man' in U.S. History
The Pennsylvanian was one of America’s greatest heroes. Why hasn’t he gotten his due?
Smithsonian Scholars Recommend Their Favorite Books of 2023
Curators and staffers satisfied their endless curiosity with novels, short stories, biographies, art collections and journalistic reporting
The 19th-Century Novel That Inspired a Communist Utopia on the American Frontier
The Icarians thought they could build a paradise, but their project was marked by failure almost from the start
117-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Puget Sound
The S.S. Dix went down while ferrying passengers between Seattle and Bainbridge Island
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