Time
The past, present and future divided into geologic and historic eras, significant historic and cultural events, and centuries and decadesDiscover Smithsonian articles as they relate to the past, present and future.
Albania Has No Idea What to Do With All of These Leftover War Bunkers
Albania's 700,000 war bunkers aren't going anywhere soon, so locals are turning them into hostels, animal sheds and make-out spots
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Six Centuries Ago, Chinese Explorers Left This Coin Behind in Africa
Emperor Yongle was perhaps best know for starting the initial construction of Beijing's Forbidden City, but he also sent huge fleets of ships, under the command of admiral Zheng He, out across the ocean to faraway lands
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The U.S. Is Stocking Drugs for a Hypothetical Smallpox Bio-Attack
In the event of a bio-terrorism smallpox attack, at least 2 million Americans will be able to get treatment, though we can all receive vaccinations
March 14, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Cannibals of the Past Had Plenty of Reasons to Eat People
For a long time cannibalism was a survival technique, a cultural practice, and a legitimate source of protein
March 14, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio Chosen As New Pope
Pope Francis is the first South American ever to hold the position and the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years
March 13, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Most Audacious Australian Prison Break of 1876
An American whaling ship brought together an oddball crew with a dangerous mission: freeing six Irishmen from a jail in western Australia
March 12, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
The European Union Wants to Ban Pornography
But the resolution is relatively vague on what exactly pornography is
March 11, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Secret Plot to Rescue Napoleon by Submarine
In 1820, one of Britain's most notorious criminals hatched a plan to rescue the emperor from exile on the Atlantic isle of St Helena -- but did he ever try it?
March 08, 2013 |
By Mike Dash
16 Photographs That Capture the Best and Worst of 1970s America
A new exhibit at the National Archives highlights an interesting decade—one that gave rise to the environmental movement and some awkward fashion
March 08, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The Sun Can Heal the Cracks in This New Type of Concrete
When the sun lights the concrete jungle, this new material can heal its wounds
March 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Fake Bishop Tries to Crash Pope-Choosing Party
An impostor bishop crashes important papacy-related meeting
March 06, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Dies at 58
The long-time leader, popular for his leftist views and tight control over oil, succumbs to cancer
March 05, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
The Gettysburg Cyclorama Is Gone Forever
Richard Neutra's Gettysburg Cyclorama building demolished
March 05, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
North Korea Has Begun a Week-Long Countdown to War
North Korea is threatening to end a 60 year-old ceasefire with South Korea
March 05, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Nazi’s Concentration Camp System Was, Somehow, Even Worse Than We Knew
There were tens of thousands more Nazi prisons and concentration camps than anyone previously realized.
March 05, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This Might Be Why People Don’t Move Away From Tornado Zones
Living through a tornado doesn't change our optimism about our chances of injury compared to other people
March 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Will the Statue of Liberty Ever Reopen?
The Statue of Liberty to remain closed indefinitely until NYPD; National Park Service agree on security screening system
March 04, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
The True-Life Horror that Inspired Moby-Dick
The whaler Essex was indeed sunk by a whale—and that's only the beginning
March 01, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
How Two Women Ended the Deadly Feather Trade
100 years ago, birds like the snowy egret were on the brink of extinction, all because of their sought-after plumage
March 2013 |
By William Souder
Document Deep Dive: A Historic Moment in the Fight for Women’s Voting Rights
A cartoonist diagrammed the parade—5,000 suffragists strong—that defiantly marched in Washington 100 years ago
March 01, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
