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Nick Jonas plays Bruno Gaido, a rear gunner who attacked the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier fleet during the Battle of Midway.

Based on a True Story

The True Story of the Battle of Midway

The new film “Midway” revisits the pivotal WWII battle from the perspectives of pilots, codebreakers and naval officers on both sides of the conflict

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Smithsonian Voices

How WWII Service Members Helped Shape the Smithsonian’s New Fossil Hall

World War II service members played an important role in the shift toward audience-centric storytelling

The Human Microbiome Project defined nine sites in the mouth. Each provides a habitat for a distinct set of bacterial communities.

By Studying Mouth Bacteria, Scientists Hope to Learn the Secrets of Microbiomes

Communities of bacteria and other microbes in the human mouth can help researchers learn how these groups of organisms affect human health

The design of "Sesame Street" was based on rows of brownstones found in Manhattan's Harlem and Upper West Side and the Bronx.

The Unmistakable Black Roots of ‘Sesame Street’

Making its debut in 1969, the beloved children’s television show was shaped by the African-American communities in Harlem and beyond

Mark Prausnitz holds an experimental microneedle contraceptive skin patch. Designed to be self-administered by women for long-acting contraception, the patch could provide a new family planning option.

Will Microneedle Patches Be the Future of Birth Control?

Researchers are developing a new long-acting, self-administered device that delivers hormones beneath the skin’s surface

The 21 bones of the most complete partial skeleton of a male Danuvius guggenmosi.

New Ancient Ape Species Rewrites the Story of Bipedalism

Danuvius guggenmosi, a “totally new and different” species of ape, would have moved through the trees using its forelimbs and hindlimbs equally

Flight map of Air India destinations from 1962.

The Sleek History of Airline Maps

A new book explores the evolution of cartography throughout more than a century of commercial air travel

At the National Museum of American HIstory's demonstration kitchen, chefs like Chef Lynne Just of Sur La Table (above) prepare dishes, while food historian Ashley Rose Young engages them in conversations about the history and significance of the food and its traditions.

Food, Glorious Food

Celebrating Master Chefs and Revolutionary Culinary Moments

Smithsonian’s Food History Weekend pays homage to José Andrés and other celebrity chefs; and places new artifacts on view

An image of the Camp Fire in Northern California on November 8, 2018, from the Landsat 8 satellite.

Scientists Around the World Declare ‘Climate Emergency’

More than 11,000 signatories to a new research paper argue that we need new ways to measure the impacts of a changing climate on human society

After two eclipse expeditions confirmed Einstein's theory of general relativity, the scientist became an international celebrity.

One Hundred Years Ago, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity Baffled the Press and the Public

Few people claimed to fully understand it, but the esoteric theory still managed to spark the public’s imagination

The Anacostia Community Museum is just reopening its doors after a seven-month, $4.5 million improvement project amplifies the 52-year-old museum's welcoming outreach to the nearby neighborhoods and community.

At the Anacostia Community Museum, a Sleek New Look Comes with a New Director

With a hyper-local focus on neighborhood concerns, this Smithsonian museum is a mighty influencer

Illustration of Neanderthals and Sapiens, the two human populations that inhabited Cova Foradada, wearing personal ornaments.

Eagle Talon Jewelry Suggests Neanderthals Were Capable of Human-Like Thought

New evidence from an archaeological site in Spain reignites a debate about Neanderthal cognition

This high-precision GPS station is in the Ford Range of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. It is part of the Polar Earth Observing Network (POLENET), which collects GPS and seismic measurements to understand ice sheet behavior. It’s one example of the varied data that scientists are gleaning from GPS instruments.

Five Things You Probably Didn’t Know GPS Could Do

Scientists use the navigation system to measure and monitor many aspects of our planet

To walk within Alicja Kwade's enigmatic installation, WeltenLinie, where large metal rods frame double-sided mirrors, is like passing into some strange new dimension.

Alicja Kwade’s Installation at the Hirshhorn Invites Viewers to Question the World as We Know It

The visually immersive artwork is a recent acquisition now on view in a new exhibition

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Smithsonian Voices

A Conversation With Katie Couric and 23 Other Smithsonian Associates Events in November

A Conversation with Katie Couric and 23 Other Things to Do at the Smithsonian in November

Altars are an important aspect of the Dia de los Muertos holiday in Mexico.

The Meaning Behind Six Objects on Día de los Muertos Altars

From marigolds to sugar skulls, the traditional Mexican holiday is full of symbols

Henry V's nine-year reign saw a flourishing of royal authority and military action but ended abruptly with his untimely death in 1422

Based on a True Story

The True Story of Henry V, England’s Warrior King

The new biopic “The King” finds Timothée Chalamet tracing Henry’s evolution from wayward prince to heroic warrior

AlphaStar, playing as the StarCraft race Protoss, in green, dealing with flying units from the Zerg players with a combination of powerful anti-air units. The AI program mastered all three races in the game, Protoss, Terran and Zerg.

A.I. Mastered Backgammon, Chess and Go. Now It Takes On StarCraft II

DeepMind’s AlphaStar learns the complex strategy video game, which has trillions and trillions of possible moves conducted in real time

The newspapers on sale at this New York City newspaper stand likely contained some of the same comics and articles, thanks to the advent of syndication in the early 20th century.

How Syndicated Columns, Comics and Stories Forever Changed the News Media

For many Americans, their “local” paper would soon look much like the paper read halfway across the country

Though she looms large in the public imagination, Harriet Tubman has rarely received the attention afforded to similarly iconic Americans. A new biopic starring Cynthia Erivo focuses on the decade between Tubman's escape and the end of her Underground Railroad days.

Based on a True Story

The True Story Behind the Harriet Tubman Movie

“Harriet,” a new film starring Cynthia Erivo, is the first feature film dedicated solely to the American icon

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