Historic Events
Wars, important political and economic occasions, catastrophes and social movements of the past
Fort Sumter: The Civil War Begins
Nearly a century of discord between North and South finally exploded in April 1861 with the bombardment of Fort Sumter
April 2011 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
How Col. Ellsworth’s Death Shocked the Union
It took the killing of their first officer to jolt the North into wholeheartedly supporting the Union cause
March 31, 2011 |
By Adam Goodheart
The Destruction of Charleston in the Civil War
Photographs from the 1860s reveal how Union bombardment and a blazing fire devastated much of the South Carolina city
March 23, 2011 |
By Ray Gordon and Molly Roberts
Connie Sweeris, Ping-Pong Diplomat
A 1971 table tennis competition between the U.S. and China laid the groundwork for a foreign relations breakthrough
March 21, 2011 |
By Jeff Campagna
Civil War Artifacts in the Smithsonian
The museum collections house many items from the Civil War, including photographs, uniforms and personal diaries
March 04, 2011 |
By Smithsonian.com
Holding on to Gullah Culture
A Smithsonian curator visits a Georgia island to find stories of a shrinking community that has clung to its African traditions
March 2011 |
By Erica R. Hendry
On the Trail of Harriet Tubman
Maryland’s Eastern Shore is home to many historical sites and parks devoted to the heroine of the Underground Railroad
February 02, 2011 |
By Jeanne Maglaty
Warsaw on the Rise
A new crop of skyscrapers symbolizes the Polish capital's effort to rebuild its downtrodden image
February 2011 |
By Rudolph Chelminski
George Washington: The Reluctant President
It seemed as if everyone rejoiced at the election of our first chief executive except the man himself
February 2011 |
By Ron Chernow
Revisiting Samuel Eliot Morison's Landmark History
The famous historian's eyewitness accounts of the Navy during World War II—now being reissued—won't be surpassed
February 2011 |
By James D. Hornfischer
A New Look at Anne Frank
Two comic book veterans—who authored the graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Report—train their talents on the young diarist
January 25, 2011 |
By Jamie Katz
Danville, Virginia: Hallowed Ground
The town's Civil War cemeteries deepened Ernest Furguson's view of history as a young boy
January 2011 |
By Ernest B. Furgurson
Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama
For the past 50 years, the commander in chief has steadily expanded presidential power, particularly in foreign policy
January 2011 |
By Robert Dallek
From Election to Sumter: How the Union Fell Apart
Historian Adam Goodheart discusses the tumultuous period between Lincoln’s election and the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter
November 15, 2010 |
By Brian Wolly
Remembering PT-109
A carved walking stick evokes ship commander John F. Kennedy's dramatic rescue at sea
November 2010 |
By Owen Edwards
Capturing Warsaw at the Dawn of World War II
As German bombs began falling on Poland in 1939, an American photographer made a fateful decision
November 2010 |
By Mike Edwards
Is the Tsunami Warning System Broken?
Survivors of the Mentawai Tsunami say they had no warning that a giant wall of water was headed their way
October 28, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Ten Inventions That Inadvertently Transformed Warfare
Some of the most pivotal battlefield innovations throughout history began as peacetime inventions
September 19, 2010 |
By Mark Strauss
In Haiti, the Art of Resilience
Within weeks of January's devastating earthquake, Haiti's surviving painters and sculptors were taking solace from their work
September 2010 |
By Bill Brubaker
Harriet Tubman's Amazing Grace
A hymnal owned by the brave leader of the Underground Railroad brings new insights into the life of the American heroine
September 2010 |
By Owen Edwards
