Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Michael Callahan

Michael Callahan is a novelist, magazine writer and editor based in Los Angeles.

None

How the Hardy Boys Book Series Cracked the Case of Getting Kids Hooked on Reading

One author has been credited with creating the virtuous teenagers’ thrilling adventures for almost a century. But there’s a story behind that, too

A colorized photo of superhero rodent Mighty Mouse’s exuberant turn in the 1951 parade.

How the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Went From Its Modest Start to an American Tradition Rivaling Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie

A century on, the country’s most beloved Thursday spectacle reaches new heights