American History
Events: Halloween at the Zoo, the Northern Lights, Quirky Couture and More
Monday, October 18: Northern Lights: A Message from the SunThe aurora borealis is a much-loved sight in a winter's night sky, this phenomenon has been the stuff of myth and legend. In tonight's lecture, solar physicist and senior adviser at the Norwegian Space Centre in Oslo Paal Brekke will give i...
October 18, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Anthems, Feathers and Pheon
Feather Forensics—Featured right now on the Smithsonian Science homepage is a video about identifying dead birds who have mostly been struck by airplanes, such as the Canada geese that brought a US Airways plane down into the Hudson River. The video is an interview with forensic ornithologist Carla...
October 13, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Writing New Chapters of African American History Through The Kinsey Collection
Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have been married 44 years. Since Bernard's retirement in 1991 from the Xerox corporation, the couple has traveled extensively, collecting art from around the world. But in an effort to uncover their own family history, the Kinseys began to delve into African American his...
October 13, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: Cute Lion Cub Pics, Kiwis and Hula Hoops
Name That Kiwi—On June 15, the National Zoo hatched a female brown kiwi, the second kiwi born this year. To pay homage to New Zealand, the flightless bird's motherland, they have decided to name the chick after the Maori, the indigenous people of the islands. They have chosen three Maori names, and...
October 06, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Learning About the Moores of Mims With NMAAHC Curator John Franklin
"I first heard about the Moores of Mims in the song," says John Franklin, director of partnerships and international programs at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.It seems I hear Harry Moorefrom the earth his voice still cries:"No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freed...
October 06, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
America's True History of Religious Tolerance
The idea that the United States has always been a bastion of religious freedom is reassuring—and utterly at odds with the historical record
October 2010 |
By Kenneth C. Davis
Weekend Events: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Gullah Culture
Friday, September 24: Performance: The Mexican Revolution2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Mexican Revolution and to mark the occasion, performance artist, activist and writer Guillermo Gómez Peña will perform a work inspired by the revolution that addresses the intersections of ...
September 24, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: High-Glam Band-Aids, More New Lion Cubs and Songs for Haiti
More New Lion Cubs! Three weeks ago, the National Zoo's 5-year-old lion Shera gave birth to four healthy cubs. This morning, Shera's sister Nababiep gave birth to three more lion cubs to add to the growing pride! Check out a clip of the new babies on YouTube.Happy Birthday, George Gustav Heye—This ...
September 22, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: Photoshop, Norman Rockwell, Remembering the Mexican Revolution and More
Monday, September 20: Introduction to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, 5-Session Evening CourseAttention photographers, artists, graphic designers, web designers, and computer enthusiasts wanting to learn Photoshop: the Resident Associate Program is offering an introduction to this industry-stand...
September 20, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Happy Birthday, Harley Davidson
On September 17, 1903, 21-year-old William S. Harley and his childhood friend Walter Davidson incorporated a two-man company that produced motorized bicycles out of a Milwaukee shed. Little did they know that the Harley-Davidson Motor Company would not only be one of two American motorcycle compani...
September 17, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
How The Green Book Aided African American Motorists
In the 1930s as automobiles became a fixture in American culture, millions of people took to the roads, causing hotels, restaurants and other roadside entertainment to flourish. But for African Americans, hopping in a car and taking a road trip was no simple endeavor. Having to contend with wide-sp...
September 14, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
This Just In: Free Wi-Fi on the National Mall
We here at ATM are pleased to relay an exciting announcement made by District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and District Chief Technology Officer Bryan Sivak today: new outdoor hotspots provide free Wi-Fi coverage on the National Mall, from 3rd Street to 14th Street!That's right. Anyone with a lap...
September 08, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Wednesday Roundup: Deep Divers, Curious Cabinets and Clogged Arteries
(Ed. Note -- This is our 1000th post. More to come later, but thanks to everyone for getting us this far!)It's a Big Year for Natural History—We've mentioned that the Natural History Museum turns 100 this year before, but as part of the celebration, they've been giving us a peek into their diverse ...
September 08, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
American History Museum Acquires John Isner's Tennis Racket
As the first rounds of the U.S. Open get underway in New York City, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History announces its acquisition of an exciting piece of tennis history—John Isner's tennis racket from the longest match ever played.The first-round standoff between 23rd-seed Isner a...
September 03, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Bidding Farewell to National Inventor's Month
Sadly, summer is whizzing by. August has come and gone, and we have yet to acknowledge National Inventors Month! So happy belated! We bring you our the Around the Mall Blog team's "Top Ten Inventions from the National Museum of American History's Collections." The museum, after all, is home to the ...
September 02, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Kermit the Frog and Friends Join American History Museum's Collections
Jim Henson, one of America's great powerhouses of imagination, has been gone from this earth for 20 years. Though not physically here to ply his puppeteering genius and expand his artistic horizons to who knows where, he is still with us by way of his creations. And who here doesn't know the cheery...
August 30, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The American History Museum Gets a Red Hat
"When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple / With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me."- "Warning," a poem by Jenny JosephWhen Sue Ellen Cooper of Tucson, Arizona, first read this line of poetry, she connected with it. She had a bright red fedora of her own, which she had purchased at...
August 24, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Celebrating 90 Years Since Women Won the Right to Vote
On this day in 1920, the ratification of the 19th amendment granted American women the right to vote. It's a freedom that many people—regardless of gender—seem to take for granted nowadays. (Especially after the 2000 election when a lot of voters began to question how much their ballot really matte...
August 18, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Conspiracies, Leopards and Chop Suey
Conspiracy Theories: For those who have always harbored a fear of the Bermuda Triangle, or suspected that aliens have contacted Earth, the Air and Space Museum is considering launching an educational program on aerospace conspiracy theories, of which there are many. This week, curator Roger D....
August 11, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Weekend Events: Latin Jazz, A Silent Movie with Live Music and the Hong Kong Film Festival
Friday, August 6: Made in Hong Kong Film Festival: The Pye DogIn this poignant crime drama, fate intertwines the lives of three strangers—a boy who refuses to speak, a gangster posing as a school janitor and a substitute teacher. This film is presented in Cantonese with English subtitles. Free. Fre...
August 06, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
