American History
Bioluminescent Worms Welcomed Columbus to the New World
Before Columbus made landfall in the New World 520 years ago today, glowing green worms engaged in a mating dance may have welcomed him first
October 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The U.S. Air Force’s Plan To Build a Flying Saucer
Newly-released schematics show the plans for a failed flying saucer
October 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Events October 9-11: Short Films, Chef Demonstrations and a Shanghai Quartet
This week at the Smithsonian, daily screenings, the best of American cuisine and new arrangements of Chinese folk songs
October 08, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Why Pencils Are Way Better Than Pens
Count Wolfgang, head of a huge pencil company, explains why pencils are wonderful
October 05, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Skydiver Plans to Break the Sound Barrier by Jumping From 120,000 Feet
Carried aloft by a giant helium balloon, Felix Baumgartner will free-fall from the stratosphere
October 05, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The First Anchorman Ever Was Not Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite is widely referred to as the world's first anchorman. But a man named John Cameron Swayze might have beat him to the punch
October 04, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Ruby Slippers Head to London
Get a peek at the iconic shoes from the Wizard of Oz before they head to the Victoria and Albert Museum for a temporary exhibit
October 04, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Events October 5-7: Mrs. Judo, Staring at the Sun and Chamber Society Music
This weekend, a 99-year old judo legend, a scientist who studies the sun and a season-opener with the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.
October 04, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Eight Lessons for the Presidential Debates
What are the key dos and don'ts the candidates should remember when campaigning for the White House?
October 03, 2012 |
By Kenneth C. Davis
California Bans ‘Cure The Gays’ Therapy
In California, it's no longer legal to try to cure homosexual youth
October 01, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Great New England Vampire Panic
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
The World’s Most Famous Filing Cabinet
After Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, the notorious Plumbers broke into his psychiatrist’s office, looking for a way to discredit him
October 2012 |
By Owen Edwards
The CIA Burglar Who Went Rogue
Douglas Groat thought he understood the risks of his job—until he took on his own employer
October 2012 |
By David Wise
Kennedy After Dark: A Dinner Party About Politics and Power
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
The Regular Referees Are Back So We Can Start Hating Them Again
The regular N.F.L. referees have reached a deal and will return to officiating American's favorite contact sport
September 28, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
At American History, Meet the Composer of the Spanish Language National Anthem
From the Amazon River Basin to Madison Avenue, the woman behind the Spanish translation of the Star-Spangled Banner united the Americas
September 27, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
It’s Now Legal for Early American Astronauts to Sell Their Space Toothbrushes
A new law lays out the details of who owns souvenirs from the early space era
September 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Your State Border Might Not Be Where You Think
The boundaries of your state might not be as solid as you imagined
September 26, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
High School Students Hit a Forty Year Low on the SAT Reading Section
Over 50 percent of test takers scored below the level that would indicate college success, and scores from every single racial group but one (Asian) declined
September 25, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Are Science Museums Going Extinct?
Will science museums survive when the topics they cover are invisible or impossibly far away?
September 24, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
