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Closed to the public and financially strained, museums nevertheless managed to create thought-provoking alternatives to in-person viewing.

Virtual Travel

The Top Ten Online Exhibitions of 2020

From a Smithsonian show on first ladies to Mexican muralists, Rembrandt and the making of the Met, these were some of our favorite virtual experiences

Ma Rainey poses with her band for a studio group shot c. 1924-25.

‘The Great Gatsby,’ Songs by Ma Rainey and Other Classic Works Are Now in the Public Domain

Canonical books, songs and films became free to use in 2021

An RN administers the Covid-19 vaccine to a nurse at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia.

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2020

From the rapid development of vaccines for Covid-19 to the stunning collection of an asteroid sample, these were the biggest science moments of the year

Father Reginald Foster celebrating his birthday in 2019

Father Reginald Foster Used Latin to Bring History Into the Present

Who speaks Latin these days? A surprisingly large number of people, thanks to the late friar, who died on Christmas Day at 81

Christmas tree cured fish was one well-received recipe Julia Georgallis included in her new cookbook.

You Can Eat Your Christmas Tree. Here’s How to Do It

Turn your once-ornamented tree into something scrumptious

This year's top stories included an explainer on murder hornets, a list of fun facts about love and sex in the animal kingdom, and a look at the true history behind Hulu's "The Great."

Our Ten Most Popular Stories of 2020

From Anglo-Saxon artifacts to copper’s antibacterial properties, systemic racism and murder hornets, these were the most-read stories of the year

While fieldwork was postponed, scientists made discoveries studying fossil footprints, ancient apes, monkeys and hominins.

Ten New Things We Learned About Human Origins in 2020

Smithsonian’s archaeologist Ella Beaudoin and paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner reveal some of the year’s best findings in human origins studies

Projects that harness the public to make observations and report data about the health of our environment are growing. Anyone can join—no PhDs needed.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Twenty-Four Ways to Turn Outdoor Passions Into Citizen Science

Heading into the new year, consider collecting scientific data while skiing, hiking, surfing, biking and partaking in other adventures

From 1897 to 1906, a team led by biologist J. D. F. Gilchrist surveyed the fish of the Agulhas Bank off South Africa.

Scientists Recreate 1890s Fishing Surveys to Show How the Sea Has Changed

By retracing the steps of scientists working at the turn of the last century, modern researchers document how fish communities have been altered

Fascinating finds revealed in 2020 ranged from a portrait of Mary Boleyn to a bust of the Greek god Hermes and one of the world's oldest swords.

Ninety Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2020

This year’s most intriguing discoveries include an Aztec skull tower, fossilized footprints and Nazi shipwrecks

One specimen of the ultra-black fish species Anoplogaster cornuta.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Ten Scientific Discoveries From 2020 That May Lead to New Inventions

From soaring snakes to surfing suckerfish, nature is an endless source of inspiration

Children cluster around Santa in this 1903 illustration.

Christmas Wasn’t Always the Kid-Friendly Gift Extravaganza We Know Today

How a once-raucous holiday became a time of childlike wonder and beribboned consumerism

The Sealaska Heritage Arts Campus, scheduled to open in downtown Juneau in 2021, will house indoor and outdoor space for artists to make monumental Northwest Coast art pieces, such as totem poles and canoes; classrooms for art programming and instruction in areas such as basketry and textile weaving and print making; and space for performances, art markets, and public gatherings.

How Juneau, Alaska, Is Becoming an Epicenter for Indigenous Art

The city is on a quest to solidify its standing as the Northwest Coast arts capital of the world

Mistletoe is best known for its role in holiday festivities, as seen on this Christmas card from 1886, and it features in ancient lore of many cultures, whether Celtic druids or Scandinavian gods.

The Biology of Mistletoe

Best known as a holiday trimming, the parasitic plant is a botanical luminary in its own right

Steam hides a vendor stirring mulled wine with sea buckthorns at a Christmas market in Svobody Square, Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine.

Virtual Travel

This Holiday Season, Travel With Your Nose

The scents that you find most comforting can help you feel like you’re on the road, even when you’re not

This past October, Ruben Ghazarayan (above left with his brother Karen at the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival) fought on the frontlines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, his brother is selling their Armenian cross-stones to support their families during the conflict.

In Times of Conflict, How Can We Support the People Who Keep Culture Alive?

A Smithsonian research fellow weighs in on the ways culture proves both vital and resilient

Many U.S. grocery stores carry marinades and seasonings from Jamaican companies.

A Brief History of Jamaican Jerk

It’s more than just a seasoning or a flavor. Jerk is a whole culture worthy of celebrating, especially at Christmastime

Centrosaurus had the first well-documented case of malignant bone cancer in a non-avian dinosaur.

The Top Ten Dinosaur Discoveries of 2020

Paleontologists uncovered a great deal about the “terrible lizards” this year

From a profile of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer to a celebration of collector's items and a history of the StairMaster, these are 25 stories you might have missed in 2020.

Twenty-Five of Our Favorite Stories From 2020

Smithsonian editors highlight some articles you might have missed from the past year

The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia, is regularly rated as one of the best restaurants in the world.

Satisfy Your Travel Cravings With These Seven Cookbooks From Famous Hotels

Conjure up the experience of staying at some of the best inns, lodges and resorts in the U.S. by cooking their signature dishes

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