Smithsonian.com | Smithsonian Magazine | Smithsonian

What You Didn't Know About the Apollo 11 Mission

From JFK's real motives to the Soviets' secret plot to land on the Moon at the same time, a new behind-the-scenes view of an unlikely triumph 50 years ago

See Two Rare Photographs of Queen Victoria

Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were early and eager adopters of new photographic technologies and commissioned many personal family portraits

Plankton Have Been Changed by Industrialization

Changes in plankton populations over the past centuries correlate with rising sea temperatures

When Niagara Falls Ran Dry

While seemingly a natural wonder of the world, the destination on the U.S./Canada border has been subject to human meddling for years

When Six Americans Died From a Balloon Bomb

The military kept the true story of their deaths, the only civilians to die at enemy hands on the U.S. mainland, under wraps

The Sublime Sensation of the Swimming Hole

Kick off your shoes and jump into summer's most refreshing tradition on a lazy afternoon

Take a Look Inside One of the Most Unusual Vehicles Ever

Climb into the guts of a hovercraft, as a team of salvage experts, led by a former NASA engineer, disassemble and cut through this iconic and unique vehicle.

What You Didn't Know About the Apollo 11 Mission — What You Didn't Know About the Apollo 11 Mission

From JFK's real motives to the Soviets' secret plot to land on the Moon at the same time, a new behind-the-scenes view of an unlikely triumph 50 years ago

See Two Rare Photographs of Queen Victoria — See Two Rare Photographs of Queen Victoria

Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were early and eager adopters of new photographic technologies and commissioned many personal family portraits

Plankton Have Been Changed by Industrialization — Plankton Have Been Changed by Industrialization

Changes in plankton populations over the past centuries correlate with rising sea temperatures

When Niagara Falls Ran Dry — When Niagara Falls Ran Dry

While seemingly a natural wonder of the world, the destination on the U.S./Canada border has been subject to human meddling for years

When Six Americans Died From a Balloon Bomb — When Six Americans Died From a Balloon Bomb

The military kept the true story of their deaths, the only civilians to die at enemy hands on the U.S. mainland, under wraps

The Sublime Sensation of the Swimming Hole — The Sublime Sensation of the Swimming Hole

Kick off your shoes and jump into summer's most refreshing tradition on a lazy afternoon

Take a Look Inside One of the Most Unusual Vehicles Ever — Take a Look Inside One of the Most Unusual Vehicles Ever

Climb into the guts of a hovercraft, as a team of salvage experts, led by a former NASA engineer, disassemble and cut through this iconic and unique vehicle.

2 hours ago

The 'Clotilda,' the Last Known Slave Ship to Arrive in the U.S., Is Found

May 22, 2019 1:01PM

Plankton Haven’t Been the Same Since the Industrial Revolution

May 22, 2019 12:53PM

In 1945, a Japanese Balloon Bomb Killed Six Americans, Five of Them Children, in Oregon

Innovative Spirit June 2019

A Deep Dive Into the Plans to Take Tourists to the 'Titanic'

LGBTQ+ Pride June 2019

New Brooklyn Museum Exhibit Explores the Cultural Memory of Stonewall

June 2019

The Sublime Sensation of the Swimming Hole

May 21, 2019

Artist Jeffrey Gibson’s Artwork Activates Overlooked Histories and Marginalized Identities

Innovative Spirit May 21, 2019

Morse Code Celebrates 175 Years and Counting

May 21, 2019

Meet Instrument Designer John Vassos, Who Gave the Hohner Harmonica a Sleek New Look

June 2019

When Niagara Falls Ran Dry

May 21, 2019

The Colors of Dinosaurs Open a New Window to Study the Past

Apollo at 50 June 2019

What You Didn't Know About the Apollo 11 Mission

May 20, 2019

The Disturbing Resilience of Scientific Racism

Innovative Spirit May 20, 2019

These Glowing Plants Could One Day Light Our Homes

Apollo at 50 May 20, 2019

In Celebration of 50 Years Since the Moon Landing, Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit Set to Return to Public View

June 1, 2011 | Updated: May 17, 2019

Didn't Make the National Spelling Bee? Play the Smithsonian Spelling Bee

May 17, 2019

A Smithsonian Curator Reflects on Apollo 10, the Mission That Made Landing on the Moon Possible

May 16, 2019

This Prehistoric Fish Makes a Great White Look Like a Goldfish

Innovative Spirit May 16, 2019

How Nanoscale 'Signatures' Could Keep Counterfeit Parts Out of Military Equipment

May 16, 2019

Bedbugs Scurried the Earth Alongside the Dinosaurs 100 Million Years Ago

More Recent Stories »

SmartNews Keeping you current

Huge 19th Century Circus Poster Found in Walls of Wisconsin Bar

Trending Today

Kami Rita Sherpa Summits Everest a Record 24 Times

May 22, 2019 3:53PM

New Research

Worn-Out Teeth Expand the Narrative of the Ancient Egyptian Career Woman

May 22, 2019 1:28PM

Baby Sharks Do (Do, Do, Do, Do, Do) Eat Songbirds

May 22, 2019 12:37PM

For the First Time, Researchers Find Color Red Preserved in Fossil

May 22, 2019 11:25AM

Two Unseen Photographs of Queen Victoria Released in Honor of Her 200th Birthday

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles Will Soon Offer Free Admission

Rare Walt Whitman Artifacts Go on View at Library of Congress for Poet's 200th Birthday

Revisiting the Artistic Legacy of Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock's Wife

Tower of London Welcomes Baby Ravens for the First Time in 30 Years

Nuremberg Decides to Conserve Nazi Rally Grounds

New Research

Bonobo Mothers Interfere in Their Sons' Monkey Business

More SmartNews Stories »

History

Cudjo Lewis and Abache

Science

Plankton Foraminifera

Innovation

Titan opening photo

Featured Videos

These Women Stepped In to Fill a WWII Pilot Shortage

Scientists Recreate a Stone Age Cremation

Stunning Aerial Footage of Victoria Falls

Subscribe

Save 84% off the newsstand price!

First & Last Name

First Name

Last Name

Address 1

Address 2

City / State

City

State

Zip

Email Address

Enter your email address