American History
Comic Phyllis Diller, the Betty Friedan of Comedy, Dies at 95
A collection of the standup comic's jokes, costumes and even her signature prop–the cigarette holder–reside at the American History Museum
August 20, 2012 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Today We Celebrate the Short, Unhappy Life of H.P. Lovecraft
"Weird fiction" fans toast today to the birth of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, aka H.P. Lovecraft
August 20, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Better, Faster, Taller – How Big can Buildings Really Get?
The race for the tallest structure in the world has been with us since humans built structures, and today it is going strong. But where's the limit?
August 20, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
There Is No Such Thing As “The” United States Constitution
"There is no unique, tangible, singular, definitive Constitution," says information scientist Joe Janes
August 17, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Julia Child Loved Science but Would Hate Today’s Food
It's her 100th birthday today, and while the master chef loved science she would have hated today's laboratory produced food
August 15, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!
Child's kitchen is back at the American History Museum in time for what would have been her 100th birthday
August 15, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Celebrate Julia Child’s 100th Birthday with the Smithsonian
The American History Museum has a full day of screenings, book signings and special events for the famous chef's birthday
August 13, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
How Lincoln’s Assassination Launched the Funeral Industry
The doctor who embalmed Abraham Lincoln changed the way Americans think about funerals.
August 13, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Events August 14-17: Green Jobs, Julia Child’s 100th Birthday and Live Jazz
This week at the Smithsonian, learn about emerging green jobs, celebrate Julia Child's birthday and unwind with a tribute to Thelonious Monk
August 13, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Why People Won’t Leave the Town that Has Been On Fire for Fifty Years
For the residents of Centralia, Pennsylvania, the fire that has been burning beneath their town for fifty years is part of what makes it home.
August 10, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Meet the First Woman to Referee an NFL Game
Shannon Eastin, the first woman to ever referee an NFL game, got her stripes last night.
August 10, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The History of the Exclamation Point
Everyone likes to complain that we're using too many exclamation points these days. Here's where the punctuation came from.
August 09, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Archaeologists Discover 1000-Year Old Hyper-Caffeinated Tea in Illinois
Unearthed from a site near modern day St. Louis, Missouri, archaeologists found tea residue in pottery beakers that dates back to as early as 1050 A.D.
August 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Iconic American Buffalo are Actually Part Cow
Though plains bison are icons of America's cowboy past and rugged West, new research findings show that most of the mighty buffalo have common cow ancestors from the 1800s.
August 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Old School Games Make a Comeback – How Arcades and Rubik’s Cubes Are Becoming Cool Again
In Brooklyn, you can drink beer while you do just about anything at some themed bar. Shuffleboard, darts, pool, mini-golf, horror movies, steampunk, old school arcade games; you name it and you can find it. And now the hipsters have an unlikely ally: Rubik’s cube obsessives. Together, this not-so-odd couple is bringing back the games [...]
August 08, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Landing Curiosity on Mars was Way Harder and Way Less Expensive than the Olympics
Landing a car-sized rover on a distant planet using a sky crane is really hard, and really awesome.
August 06, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Only Footage of Mark Twain in Existence
This silent film footage was taken in 1909 by Thomas Edison at Mark Twain's estate
August 06, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
170 Years of America’s Evolution In One Animated Gif
In one click, the drifting lines and changing colors take you through 170 years of history.
August 03, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Old-Timey Olympians Show How Things Have Changed
Clendenin's photos evoke the feeling that for all the changes seen by the modern Olympic games, the athletes themselves could easily be transposed across time.
August 01, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Read a 2007 Essay in Smithsonian by Gore Vidal, Last Writer of His Kind
Why more writers should be as fearless, and as prickly as Vidal.
August 01, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
