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A dress worn by Martha Washington from the collection of the National Museum of American History. The gown's basic style is typical of the early 1780s.

Women Who Shaped History

Why Martha Washington’s Life Is So Elusive to Historians

A gown worn by the first First Lady reveals a dimension of her nature that few have been aware of

"We didn’t think there was a lot of wind-driven activity on Mars because the atmosphere is so thin,” says the Smithsonian's Mariah Baker. “We’ve discovered that Mars is a very active place."

Exploring Mars

Why a Smithsonian Researcher Is Tracking the Wind on Mars

When Perseverance lands, Mariah Baker will collect data that will prepare the way for crewed missions to the Red Planet

A student does her remote learning at a Boys and Girls Club in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Education During Coronavirus

Ten Research-Backed Tips on Parenting in a Digital Era

With screen time at a high during the Covid-19 pandemic, two educators offer some advice

Ingenuity undertakes its first test flight on Mars in this illustration.

Exploring Mars

NASA’s Helicopter Ingenuity Will Attempt the First Flight on Mars

If the craft succeeds, it will provide crucial information for exploring the other planets by air

Published in Scientific Reports, the new study by astronomers Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, propose that a series of break-ups and chance events sent the huge chunk of space rock our way.

Astrophysicists Chart Source of Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs

A new model explains a possible route for the extraterrestrial rock before it blasted Earth

The Hopkins’ rose nudibranch is a carnivorous sea slug that obtains its trademark color from eating pink moss animals.

14 Fun Facts About Bright Pink Animals

From jellyfish to millipedes, the rosy hues make rare but exciting appearances in nature

"A message of hope made of yarn <3" was submitted by London from Los Angeles, California to the #MomentsOfResilience online story collecting initiative.

Smithsonian Voices

How Museums Can Be Spaces for Reflection and Connection (Even With Their Doors Closed)

The pandemic has shown that museums have an important role to play as integral members of their communities

Satchel Paige pitches during warmups for Cleveland on August 30, 1948. Signed midway through the MLB season, Paige became the first African American to pitch in the American League.

Fifty Years Ago, Satchel Paige Brought the Negro Leagues to Baseball’s Hall of Fame

One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, the seemingly ageless wonder inspired awe among the public and his opponents

Once Pathfinder bounced to a stop, the cushioned covering deflated and Sojourner rolled out to explore the other-worldly surface like no mission before it.

Exploring Mars

Recalling the Thrill of Pathfinder’s Mission to Mars

Almost three decades ago, Americans were awed by the pitch-perfect airbag-assisted landing and the deploying of the rover Sojourner

The broad-tailed hummingbird uses its fiery throat feathers, called a gorget, to attract a mate.

Smithsonian Voices

From Aerial Acrobatics to Sexual Deception, See Eight of Nature’s Wildest Mating Rituals

Some species have developed unusual rituals to show off their prowess as a potential mate

Pope’s pit viper, a venomous species that lives across Southeast Asia. Someone who is allergic to one type of snake is likely allergic to many types because their venoms have a similar composition.

What Happens When Scientists Become Allergic to Their Research

Researchers spend long periods of time around the organisms they study, and sometimes that exposure has unintended effects

Informer William O'Neal (played by LaKeith Stanfield, seen wearing a beret in the foreground) provided the FBI with information used to plan Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton's assassination (portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya, standing with hand raised at the podium).

Based on a True Story

The True History Behind ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’

Shaka King’s upcoming film dramatizes Black Panther leader Fred Hampton’s betrayal by an FBI informant

All over New Orleans, thousands of "house floats" were decorated in lieu of parade floats amid the paradeless 2021 Mardi Gras celebrations.

A Mardi Gras Like No Other Seeks to Bring New Orleans Together—From a Distance

The carnival season holds the possibility for renewal during the Covid-19 pandemic

Jim McDowell holds his jug, “Emmett Till.”

Smithsonian Voices

How a Pioneering Ceramicist Is Using Pottery to Reclaim Black History

Jim McDowell, known to many simply as “the Black Potter,” is a ceramicist who specializes in a craft with deep connections to lost histories

An analysis of the genome of the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus overlaid on the CDC's map of different states' genome sequencing rates. Darker-shaded states have processed more genomes (relative to their total case count) than lighter, greener states.

Covid-19

Why the U.S. Is Struggling to Track Coronavirus Variants

A scattered and underfunded effort at genomic sequencing has hindered the country’s ability to detect different forms of the virus

Artist's rendering of a prehistoric human playing the ancient conch instrument

Cool Finds

Hear the Musical Sounds of an 18,000-Year-Old Giant Conch

The shell was played for the first time in millennia after being rediscovered in the collections of a French museum

The Chicago Children’s Choir is also celebrating Black History Month through song with its annual concert, but this time on a digital stage: Facebook Live.

Virtual Travel

Celebrate Black History Month With These Free Virtual Events

From online exhibitions to panel discussions, here are more than a dozen events hosted by museums and other cultural institutions

January was a month full of firsts for giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with enrichment toys, took his first bites of sweet potato and bamboo, and had his first encounter with snow!

Smithsonian Voices

Giant Panda Cub Xiao Qi Ji’s Best Moments—in Video

Watch the growing bear play with enrichment toys, take his first bites of sweet potato and bamboo, and have his first encounter with snow

A picture of Lunar New Year festivities in a previous year.

How to Participate in the Lunar New Year This Year

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Freer and Sackler Galleries host virtual events

Famed illustrator Thomas Nast designed this celebration of emancipation, with Abraham Lincoln inset at the bottom, in 1865

Black Lives Certainly Mattered to Abraham Lincoln

A look at the president’s words and actions during his term shows his true sentiments on slavery and racial equality

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