American History

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How to Win Inauguration Weekend: There’s an App for That

One man won the election, but with free tours and insider information, you can still win the weekend. Plus hours, eating spots and where to rest your feet

Illustration from Illustrated London News, April 8, 1865.

Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball

What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?

Monopoly Tokens Are Being Updated, And Your Favorite One Could Get the Ax

On February 5, players may have a Monopoly identity crisis as one of the classic Monopoly pieces is sent to jail for good

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VIDEO: The Story Behind the Emancipation Proclamation

You've seen Spielberg's "Lincoln," now hear director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Lonnie Bunch talk about the forces behind the January 1, 1863 order and the eventual abolition of slavery

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Ongoing Drought Could Send the Chicago River Flowing in Reverse

Low water levels in Lake Michigan could cause the Chicago River to start flowing the other way

The “Greensboro Four,” above immortalized on their North Carolina A&T State University campus, fought racial segregation by refusing to leave a local retail store when the staff would not serve them coffee. Learn to protest like a pro this weekend at the American History Museum.

Events January 11-13: Civil Disobedience, Farm-Fresh Foods and Arabic Calligraphy Lessons

This week, protest racial segregation in the 1960s, discover DC's "slow food" movement and learn to write in Arabic

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You Can Now Buy Space Shuttle Launch Facilities

Haven't you always wanted to own a launch pad?

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There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts

The crew of Apollo 15 placed a small aluminum sculpture on the moon to memorialize those astronauts had died

Reconstruction of Cable Car 520 Showing Partial Disassembly of Car | April 28, 1967.

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About San Francisco’s Cable Cars

Ever since they became a part of the city’s transit system, they have been iconic mainstays of its cityscape

Pianist Sarah Fridrich performs this weekend at Luce Unplugged.

Events January 4-7: Talk Back to Historic Figures, Weave the Mayan Way and Unplug with Musicians

A professor from the 19th century will take your questions, a Mayan weaver will craft a keepsake and an Indie group will keep you in the groove

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One Small Question About Armstrong’s Giant Leap for Mankind: When Did He Come Up With That Line?

Did Neil Armstrong come up with his now-famous quote long before he landed on the Moon?

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Contributors

The Anacostia Community Museum has organized the exhibit “Reclaiming the Edge: Urban Waterways and Civic Engagement.”

Spotlight

Love Chicken Nuggets? Thank Cornell Poultry Professor Robert C. Baker

In 1963, this professor of poultry science came up with the first chicken nuggets

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You Know You Want To Snoop Around Marilyn Monroe’s Secret FBI File

Freshly un-redacted FBI files paint Monroe as a bit of a communist

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Smithsonian’s Very Own Maestro David Baker is All That’s Jazz

David Baker, the leader of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, steps down, leaving a soaring legacy in his wake

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What Will You Be Watching for on Watch Night?

With end-of-year watch and see anxieties lurking, it's important to know that the Watch NIght was a wait for news of freedom

The Inkwell used by Lincoln, the Proclamation draft and Lincoln's pen.

How the Emancipation Proclamation Came to Be Signed

The pen, inkwell and one copy of the document that freed the slaves are photographed together for the first time

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This Nostalgic Private Collection Has 1,713 Photos of Old-Fashioned Cans, Jars and Clippings

Flickr user Roadsidepictures offers hundreds of images of vintage product packaging spanning most of the 20th century

The March on Washington was organized in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation to call on the country to fulfill its promise.

How Change Happens: The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington

At the 150th and 50th anniversary of two historic moments, the African American History and Culture Museum and American History Museum team up

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