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Latest Features

Gilliam, 88, died June 25 in his studio, just miles from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, which recently opened a captivating new show, “Sam Gilliam: Full Circle.”

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Abstractionist Sam Gilliam Dies at 88, Hirshhorn Hosts His Final Show

The single-engine, single-seat Turner RT-14 Meteor is the "epitome of what a 1930s air racer in the United States would be: big engine, big propeller, small profile,” says the museum's Jeremy Kinney.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Record-Shattering Airplane Behind a Dashing Pilot’s Meteoric Rise to Fame

Glowing green waters surrounded a boat in the Arabian Sea.

SCIENCE

What Causes Swaths of the Ocean to Glow a Magnificent Milky Green?

A skeleton of the giant Triassic ichthyosaur Shonisaurus popularis hangs in the Nevada State Museum.

SCIENCE

Whale-Sized Marine Reptiles Once Ruled the Seas

As of June 15, the World Health Organization had recorded a total of 2,103 confirmed monkeypox cases in 42 countries. Pictured: a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (green) cultivated and purified from cell culture

HISTORY

What You Need to Know About the History of Monkeypox

“Music is a reflection of people's lives. It comes out of their experience,” says the folk musician Alice Gerrard, who will perform at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Why Women's Music Embraces the Voices of Past Generations

Royal kombu (aka sugar kelp) harvested from the Netherlands’ first organic seaweed farm enriches and flavors the Dutch Weed Burger’s soy-chip-based patty.

INNOVATION

Is Seaweed the Next Big Alternative to Meat?

Austin Butler as Elvis in the new biopic

HISTORY

The True History Behind Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis'

Current Issue

Smithsonian magazine June 2022 issue cover

Most Popular

1.

Smart News

A Brief History of Roe v. Wade

Dubbed "Jane Roe," McCorvey sought an abortion after becoming pregnant in 1969 but was thwarted by Texas' restrictive reproductive laws

2.

Smart News

Winners of the 2022 Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition Announced

From mating bees to starfish devouring a sea lion, the photos captured the beauty and diversity of life on Earth

3.

Smart News

Ahead of Planned Rail Line, Archaeologists Uncover Early Medieval Cemetery

The team found 138 graves and a large assortment of artifacts and personal objects

4.

Smart News

Hubble Space Telescope May Have Spotted a Moving Black Hole

Two teams analyzed data from NASA’s telescope and found a compact object, which may be either a black hole or a neutron star

5.

Science

Whale-Sized Marine Reptiles Once Ruled the Seas

Paleontologists are beginning to learn how and why ichthyosaurs evolved into giants

Smithsonian Voices
National Museum of American History

Reflecting on the Ten Year Anniversary of DACA

Smithsonian Associates

Kids Can Experience Nighttime Adventures at the Smithsonian This Summer

National Museum of Natural History

The Story Behind the Seashells By the Seashore

National Portrait Gallery

National Portrait Gallery Presents “I Dream a World: Selections From Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women”

Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

Warming to Tradition: The Culture of Vocal Exercise

Smithsonian Education

In Conversation with 2022 National Teacher of the Year, Kurt Russell

See All

Special Report
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The Future of Mental Health

As the isolation and anxiety caused by the pandemic put a renewed focus on our brain's ability to cope with trauma, Smithsonian magazine brings you stories about the latest advancements in treatments and understanding of mental illness

View Full Report

Why Psychedelic Drugs May Become a Key Treatment for PTSD and Depression

Kids as Young as Eight Years Old Should Be Screened for Anxiety, Task Force Says

Negative Effects of Social Media May Impact Adolescent Girls and Boys at Different Ages

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Smithsonian Channel

Preview thumbnail for video 'You’re Not Ready for How Playful Komodo Dragons Can Be

You’re Not Ready for How Playful Komodo Dragons Can Be

Play
Preview thumbnail for video 'An Energetic Dog Is Best Friends With an Orphan Raccoon

An Energetic Dog Is Best Friends With an Orphan Raccoon

Preview thumbnail for video 'A Vervet Monkey Befriends Some Hostile Dogs

A Vervet Monkey Befriends Some Hostile Dogs

Photo of the day

A female burrowing owl brought food to the burrow for her owlets. Focus

History

Attorney Gloria Allred (left) and Norma McCorvey (right), the anonymous plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, during a pro-choice rally in Burbank, California, on July 4, 1989

Who Was Norma McCorvey, the Woman Behind Roe v. Wade?

Dubbed "Jane Roe," McCorvey sought an abortion after becoming pregnant in 1969 but was thwarted by Texas' restrictive reproductive laws

First discovered in 1900, the Antikythera shipwreck has yielded some of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.

Divers Pull Marble Head of Hercules From a 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck in Greece

As of June 15, the World Health Organization had recorded a total of 2,103 confirmed monkeypox cases in 42 countries. Pictured: a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (green) cultivated and purified from cell culture

What You Need to Know About the History of Monkeypox

Science

A skeleton of the giant Triassic ichthyosaur Shonisaurus popularis hangs in the Nevada State Museum.

Whale-Sized Marine Reptiles Once Ruled the Seas

Paleontologists are beginning to learn how and why ichthyosaurs evolved into giants

The Earth’s oceans have risen and fallen over the millennia. But they have, on average, been relatively stable over billions of years. The balance of the deep water cycle—the exchange of water between the Earth’s surface and its interior—has an important role to play in maintaining that stability.

How the Earth's Mantle Sends Water Up Toward the Surface

Previously other companies have used 3D printing technology to produce custom prosthetic limbs from lightweight plastics and materials. Still, the ear implant is the first known example of a 3D implant made from living tissue.

Surgeons Transplant 3-D-Printed Ear Made From Patient’s Own Cells

Innovation

Los Angeles recently appointed its first-ever chief heat officer.

Los Angeles Becomes Latest City to Hire 'Chief Heat Officer'

As temperatures rise, these new leaders in L.A., Miami and Phoenix are trying to reduce heat-related deaths and hospitalizations

Later this summer, people will be able to call, text or online chat the number 988 to connect with mental health counselors.

Beginning in Mid-July, Dial 988 for the Mental Health Hotline

A screenshot from Google's new tool, Dynamic World

A New Satellite Tool Shows You How the Planet’s Landscape Changes Day by Day

Arts & Culture

In “EmilyBlaster,” the gameplay is shooting at words to form Emily Dickinson poems.

You Can Now Play 'EmilyBlaster,' a Video Game Inspired by Emily Dickinson's Poetry

Players assemble poems by shooting at words in the '80s-style adventure

Austin Butler as Elvis in the new biopic

The True History Behind Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis'

Anna Weyant’s Josephine, which sold more than $500,000 at a Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction

After Finding Fame on Instagram, Anna Weyant's Art Now Sells for Millions

Travel

In Panama, sancocho is a national dish.

Panama's Sancocho Is a Soup That Can Cure It All

The cherished stew is a welcome remedy for homesickness—or even a hangover

Located alongside New Jersey’s southernmost point, Cape May is a stunning Victorian shore community that once played a role in guiding Black enslaved laborers to freedom.

The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2022

Desert Breath is a one-million-square-foot artwork smack dab in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

Eight Works of Art in Unlikely Places

At the Smithsonian

Gilliam, 88, died June 25 in his studio, just miles from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, which recently opened a captivating new show, “Sam Gilliam: Full Circle.”

Abstractionist Sam Gilliam Dies at 88, Hirshhorn Hosts His Final Show

The beloved Washington, D.C. artist went full circle with a bold new series of round paintings

World Cup champion Samantha Mewis (above: in the May 26, 2019 International Friendly match against Mexico) and her colleagues sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay. In 2022, U.S. Soccer agreed to pay the women some $24 million in back pay.

Enacted 50 Years Ago, Title IX Is More Relevant Than Ever

The single-engine, single-seat Turner RT-14 Meteor is the "epitome of what a 1930s air racer in the United States would be: big engine, big propeller, small profile,” says the museum's Jeremy Kinney.

The Record-Shattering Airplane Behind a Dashing Pilot’s Meteoric Rise to Fame