Meilan Solly

Meilan Solly

 

Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's associate digital editor, history.

After joining the Navy at age 17, Anthony D'Acquisto served aboard the U.S.S. Randolph, participating in the Battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

See 12 Stunning Portraits of World War II Veterans

Photographer Zach Coco has spent the past five years documenting more than 100 men and women's stories

Read excerpts from women senators' testimonials below.

Women Senators Reflect on the 100th Anniversary of Suffrage

Twenty-four lawmakers shared testimonials with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

Composite portraits of Augustus (left) and Maximinus Thrax (right)

Peer Into the Past With Photorealistic Portraits of Roman Emperors

Artist Daniel Voshart used machine learning and editing software to create likenesses of 54 ancient leaders

This month's picks include Caste, Veritas and The Organ Thieves.

The Forged Gospel of Jesus’s Wife, Hidden Castes and Other New Books to Read

These five August releases may have been lost in the news cycle

A man wheels his bicycle through Hiroshima days after an atomic bomb leveled the city.

Nine Harrowing Eyewitness Accounts of the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

More than seventy-five years ago, the atomic blasts killed an estimated 200,000 people

The League of Women Voters led registration efforts across the country.

What the First Women Voters Experienced When Registering for the 1920 Election

The process varied by state, with some making accommodations for the new voting bloc and others creating additional obstacles

The congressman, pictured here in 2009, was instrumental in the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Smithsonian Leaders Reflect on the Legacy of Civil Rights Icon John Lewis

The congressman and civil rights activist died on Friday at age 80

This month's selections include Clean, Memory Drive and Uncrowned Queen.

An Uncrowned Tudor Queen, the Science of Skin and Other New Books to Read

These five July releases may have been lost in the news cycle

At its peak, the saint's Canterbury Cathedral shrine drew upward of 100,000 visitors each year.

Researchers Digitally Reconstruct Thomas Becket's Razed Canterbury Cathedral Shrine

The model, centered around the medieval saint's golden casket, is now available to view online

The so-called "Letter From Heaven" was marketed as a message from Jesus himself, conveying instructions and conferring protection on those who sent them to others.

Before Chain Letters Swept the Internet, They Raised Funds for Orphans and Sent Messages From God

Recipe exchanges, poetry chains, photo challenges and other ostensibly comforting prompts are enjoying a resurgence amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Henry VIII likely commissioned this painting of the Field of Cloth of Gold toward the end of his reign.

When Henry VIII and Francis I Spent $19 Million on an 18-Day Party

Five hundred years ago, the English and French kings proclaimed their friendship—and military might—at the Field of Cloth of Gold

Tom Hanks portrays fictional Navy commander Ernest Krause.

The True Story Behind the 'Greyhound' Movie

Tom Hanks' new World War II film offers a dramatized account of the Battle of the Atlantic

This month's selections include The Beauty and the Terror, Feasting Wild and Splash.

The Dangers of Space, Military Rivals and Other New Books to Read

These five recent releases may have been lost in the news cycle

Protestors march through the streets of D.C. during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody.

158 Resources for Understanding Systemic Racism in America

These articles, videos, podcasts and websites from the Smithsonian chronicle the history of anti-black violence and inequality in the United States

Elle Fanning portrays the eponymous empress in Hulu's "The Great."

The True Story of Catherine the Great

Hulu's "The Great" offers an irreverent, ahistorical take on the Russian empress' life. This is the real history behind the period comedy

This week's selections include Enemy of All Mankind, Who Ate the First Oyster? and Daughter of the Boycott.

A Notorious 17th-Century Pirate, the Many Lives of the Louvre and Other New Books to Read

The seventh installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

This week's titles include Death By Shakespeare, Empires of the Sky and How to Feed a Dictator.

Shakespearean Stabbings, How to Feed a Dictator and Other New Books to Read

The sixth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

Stream the free concert on YouTube tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

How to Watch the National Air and Space Museum's Free Virtual Concert

Catch the musical event, featuring Sting, Death Cab for Cutie front man Ben Gibbard and other artists, on YouTube tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time

Featured insects include the Picasso moth, the violin beetle, the green milkweed grasshopper and the cuckoo wasp.

The World's Most Interesting Insects

A new title from Smithsonian Books highlights the diversity of Earth's 10 to 100 million insect species

This week's selections include The Women With Silver Wings, Tombstone and The Restaurant.

A 2,000-Year History of Restaurants and Other New Books to Read

The fifth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

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