History
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How Alphonse Mucha Designed the Nation State of Czechoslovakia
When the country gained its independence after World War I, artist Alphonse Mucha was called upon to help design an important part of any country's identity - its money
August 21, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
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
Top 10 Chanelisms: Coco’s Wise Words to Mark Her Birthday
Today the French fashion designer's observations seem wise, clever or amusingly dated
August 20, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
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
Going Nuclear Over the Pacific
A half-century ago, a U.S. military test lit up the skies and upped the ante with the Soviets.
August 15, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
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
Confidence in Water Leads to Confidence in Bagels
The latest look into the impact of New York's water supply on its bagels yields a new potential factor: pride
August 13, 2012 |
By Jeanie Riess
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
The Demonization of Empress Wu
"She killed her sister, butchered her elder brothers, murdered the ruler, poisoned her mother," the chronicles say. But is the empress unfairly maligned?
August 10, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
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
New Wrinkle in Tarbosaurus Kerfuffle
The man who prepared an illicit tyrannosaur specimen claims that the dinosaur is rightly his
August 09, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
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
