American History
You Can Now Buy Space Shuttle Launch Facilities
Haven't you always wanted to own a launch pad?
January 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
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
January 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
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
January 04, 2013 |
By Jeff Greenwald
Events January 4-7: Talk Back to Historic Figures, Weave the Mayan Way and Unplug with Musicians
A professor and gentleman 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
January 03, 2013 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
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?
January 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Vegas Hotspot That Broke All the Rules
America’s first interracial casino helped end segregation on the Strip and proved that the only color that mattered was green
January 2013 |
By Kevin Cook
Love Chicken Nuggets? Thank Cornell Poultry Professor Robert C. Baker
In 1963, this professor of poultry science came up with the first chicken nuggets
December 31, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
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
December 31, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
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
December 21, 2012 |
By Joann Stevens
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
December 19, 2012 |
By Joann Stevens
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
December 2012 |
By Louis P. Masur
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
December 14, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
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 to shed new light
December 14, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Events December 14-16: Ai Weiwei’s Ceramics, Mayan Calendar and Stradivari’s Instruments
This weekend, learn about the contemporary artist's use of historic objects, why the world didn't end and just what's so special about Stradivari in concert
December 13, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Before the Civil War, There Were 8,000 Different Kinds of Money in the U.S.
It wasn't until after the war that the U.S. started to really use the dollar
December 12, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
How To Get an Ancient Lizard Named After You: Get Elected President
Simply get elected president, and you'll have a fair chance of some newly discovered creature inheriting your moniker
December 11, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Smithsonian Curators Offer Up a Holiday Gift Guide for History Lovers
The best of history reads from Lincoln's true thoughts on slavery, to the White House dinner that shocked a nation, to California's hip-hop scene
December 11, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Environmentalists Want To Keep Oil Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Wait, What?
Oil companies want to pull their rigs from the Gulf, but environmentalists are saying "no"
December 10, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
