Historic Events
Wars, important political and economic occasions, catastrophes and social movements of the past
Myths of the American Revolution
A noted historian debunks the conventional wisdom about America's War of Independence
January 2010 |
By John Ferling
Remembering Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor continues to live through the artifacts on display throughout the Smithsonian Institution
December 07, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Holiday Delivery From the Graf Zeppelin
In 1934, a zeppelin originating in Germany and bound for Brazil carried a cargo of Christmas cheer
December 2009 |
By Owen Edwards
Ten Notable Apocalypses That (Obviously) Didn’t Happen
Apocalyptic predictions are nothing new—they have been around for millennia
November 12, 2009 |
By Mark Strauss
Memoirs of a World War II Buffalo Soldier
In a recently published memoir written over 60 years ago, veteran James Daugherty details his experiences as an African-American in combat
November 06, 2009 |
By Abby Callard
A Photo-journalist's Remembrance of Vietnam
The death of Hugh Van Es, whose photograph captured the Vietnam War's end, launched a "reunion" of those who covered the conflict
November 2009 |
By David Lamb
Emmett Till's Casket Goes to the Smithsonian
Simeon Wright recalls the events surrounding his cousin's murder and the importance of having the casket on public display
November 2009 |
By Abby Callard
How Arlington National Cemetery Came to Be
The fight over Robert E. Lee's beloved home—seized by the U.S. government during the Civil War—went on for decades
November 2009 |
By Robert M. Poole
The Rescue of Henry Clay
A long-lost painting of the Senate's Great Compromiser finds a fitting new home in the halls of the U.S. Capitol
November 2009 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
A Human Rights Breakthrough in Guatemala
A chance discovery of police archives may reveal the fate of tens of thousands of people who disappeared in Guatemala's civil war
October 2009 |
By Julian Smith
John Brown's Day of Reckoning
The abolitionist's bloody raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry 150 years ago set the stage for the Civil War
October 2009 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
The Legacy of America’s Largest Forest Fire
A 1910 wildfire that raged across three Western states helped advance the nation’s conservation efforts
September 17, 2009 |
By Timothy Egan
German POWs on the American Homefront
Thousands of World War II prisoners ended up in mills, farm fields and even dining rooms across the United States
September 16, 2009 |
By J. Malcolm Garcia
A Compass Saves the Crew
A WWII sailor's memento recalls the harrowing ordeal when his ship, the SS Alcoa Guide, was struck by a German U-Boat
September 2009 |
By Owen Edwards
Nikita Khrushchev Goes to Hollywood
Lunch with the Soviet leader was Tinseltown's hottest ticket, with famous celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin
July 2009 |
By Peter Carlson
For General Patton's Family, Recovered Ground
Famed World War II Gen. George S. Patton's grandson finds his calling in the ashes of his fathers journals
June 2009 |
By Benjamin W. Patton
Children of the Vietnam War
Born overseas to Vietnamese mothers and U.S. servicemen, Amerasians brought hard-won resilience to their lives in America
June 2009 |
By David Lamb
Before Rosie the Riveter, Farmerettes Went to Work
During WWI, the Woman’s Land Army of America mobilized women into sustaining American farms and building national pride
May 29, 2009 |
By Elaine F. Weiss
George Koval: Atomic Spy Unmasked
Iowa-born and army-trained, how did George Koval manage to steal a critical U.S. atom bomb secret for the Soviets?
May 2009 |
By Michael Walsh
Spies Who Spilled Atomic Bomb Secrets
As part of the Soviet Union's spy ring, these Americans and Britons leveraged their access to military secrets to help Russia become a nuclear power
April 20, 2009 |
By Marian Smith Holmes
