Events
Momentous and notable cultural and historic occasions as well as holidays and celebrations
On the Solstice, People in the Tropics Cast No Shadow
Today, on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the planet tilts the furthest towards the sun. At noon on the Tropic of Cancer, 23° 26′ North, the sun will be at a 90 degree angle from the Earth—directly overhead. Like the can in the picture above, nothing standing on the ground there [...]
June 20, 2012 |
By Sarah Laskow
Today is Juneteenth, the Most Important Holiday No One Knows About
Today is Juneteenth! That’s the day we solemnly remember one of the greatest horrors in American history, or not, since it’s not an official holiday. Although Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it didn’t impact slaves in Texas for more than two years, until June 19, 1865. As Kenneth C. Davis wrote last [...]
June 19, 2012 |
By Sarah Laskow
How Canada Celebrates the War of 1812
The Rodney Dangerfield of wars in the United States, the 19th-century conflict is given great respect by our Northern neighbors
June 18, 2012 |
By John Hanc
The Legend of Dolley Madison’s Red Velvet Dress
Before the burning of the White House, the First Lady saved some red draperies. Could she have made a dress from them?
June 15, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Document Deep Dive: The Musical History of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Was the national anthem really set to the melody of a drinking tune? Take a closer look at the original manuscript of Francis Scott Key's song
June 13, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Fritz Haber’s Experiments in Life and Death
The German chemist helped feed the world. Then he developed the first chemical weapons used in battle
June 06, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The War of 1812: 200 Years Later
What is there to remember about the battles long relegated to footnote status? More than you might think!
June 01, 2012 |
By Smithsonian magazine
“I Was Looking Forward to a Quiet Old Age”
Instead, Etta Shiber, a widow and former Manhattan housewife, helped smuggle stranded Allied soldiers out of Nazi-occupied in Paris
May 25, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
A Restored Version of Let There Be Light Available Online
Here's your chance to see a haunting and long suppressed WWII documentary about PTSD
May 25, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
Team Hollywood’s Secret Weapons System
During World War II, Hedy Lamarr raised $7 million in one night by kissing war-bond buyers. But she and the Hollywood composer George Anthiel also designed a radical new torpedo-guidance system
May 23, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the War of 1812
Why did the country really go to war against the British? Which American icon came out of the forgotten war?
May 22, 2012 |
By Tony Horwitz and Brian Wolly
Hitler’s Very Own Hot Jazz Band
American troops tuning in to wartime German radio broadcasts found themselves listening to one of Hitler's strangest experiments: the swinging sounds and virulently pro-Nazi lyrics of Charlie and His Orchestra
May 17, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
Document Deep Dive: A Firsthand Account of the Hindenburg Disaster
Frank Ward was a 17-year-old crewman when he saw the infamous disaster, but his memories of that day are still strong, 75 years later
May 02, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Gripping Photos of Fallen Soldiers’ Bedrooms
A photographer's images of domestic tranquility pay tribute to U.S. service members
May 2012 |
By T.A. Frail
Found: Letters from the Hindenburg
A new addition to the Smithsonian collections tells a new story about the legendary disaster
May 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Robben Island: A Monument to Courage
To visit the brutal prison that held Mandela is haunting, yet inspiring
May 2012 |
By Scott Johnson
Should LBJ Be Ranked Alongside Lincoln?
Robert Caro, the esteemed biographer of Lyndon Baines Johnson, talks on the Shakespearean life of the 36th president
May 2012 |
By Ron Rosenbaum
Closing the Pigeon Gap
A hundred years ago, the British Empire looked enviously at the efficient carrier pigeon networks established by its European rivals. Yet during the First World War, Allied birds outperformed their rivals and saved thousands of lives–all thanks to the efforts of one London pigeon fancier.
April 17, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
Five Men Who Hated (or Loved) the Number 13
On this Friday the 13th, read about these famous people from history who had a close connection to the supposedly unlucky number
April 13, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Full Steam Ahead! Our Roundup of All Things Titanic
Learn about the doomed voyage, the science behind the disaster and the passengers who survived
April 04, 2012 |
By Smithsonian.com
