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Christopher Reeve's costume from Superman is seen on display at an auction at Christie's in London, December 16, 2003

Here’s How Superman’s Iconic Motto of ‘Truth, Justice and the American Way’ Evolved Over Time

The quintessential superhero has always stood for truth and justice, but the final part of his catchphrase has morphed to match a more connected world—and his place in it

An illustration shows a satellite damaged by space debris. Objects that don’t burn up in the atmosphere can pose a danger when they fall back to Earth.

With Space Junk on the Rise, Is a Catastrophic Event Inevitable?

Debris from rockets and satellites can fall back to Earth or collide with other objects, and wreckage that burns up can harm the ozone layer

Thousands attended the afternoon circus show in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 6, 1944. A fire broke out around 2:40 p.m., killing at least 167 people.

How a Deadly Circus Fire on the ‘Day the Clowns Cried’ Traumatized a Community—and Led to Lasting Safety Reforms

On July 6, 1944, a blaze broke out at a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show in Hartford, Connecticut. At least 167 people died, and hundreds were injured

Jewish communities in Poland originated foods like the bialy, the knish and the bagel.

Jewish Food Is Making a Comeback in Poland

Bagels, knishes, bialys and more are popping up in bakeries as the country reckons with historical trauma

Titled Nightview, New York, this silver gelatin print, shot in 1932, was part of a project undertaken by the photographer to document the rapidly modernizing city. 

See a Stunning Photo of New York City From Above in 1932

In her dazzling portraits of a metropolis on the rise, Berenice Abbott captured the city that never sleeps

James Baldwin in Kilyos, Turkey, in 1965

A New Biography Offers the Most Intimate Portrait Yet of One of the 20th Century’s Greatest Authors

Research into James Baldwin’s archives reveals incisive details about the writer’s personal relationships, both platonic and romantic, with other men

The patient looks through measuring goggles at a series of markers on a grid. 

Can a Medical Device Restore Your Balance?

Nearly two million people worldwide have lost the simple ability to feel steady. Now researchers have developed an experimental medical implant that promises to restore the sensory machinery responsible for balance

Daniela Chávez holds her violin during a mariachi performance

At This Year’s Folklife Festival, the Kids Are All Right

Cultural traditions such as mariachi and hula are being shepherded by a new generation

Clachtoll Broch, a Scottish dwelling with dry stone walls, was built at least 2,000 years ago. Its thatched roof was destroyed in a fire.

Why the Ancient Craft of Dry Stone Walling Still Holds So Much Appeal in the 21st Century

Artisans around the world are ditching the mortar and embracing an old method of building rock walls

More than 1,800 feet high, the CN Tower, a communications hub and tourist attraction, pierces the night sky just after dusk in downtown Toronto.

From the Coast to the Capital, Enjoy an Eyeful of Extraordinary Eastern Canada

See 15 images of our neighbor to the north from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

An engraving by Edward Savage, after Robert Edge Pine's 1784-1788 painting Congress Voting Independence

America's 250th Anniversary

These Daring Revolutionary-Era Artists Promoted the Patriot Cause From the Heart of Enemy Territory

A new book explores how painters, sculptors and writers, especially women and people of color, used their craft to advocate for American independence while living in George III’s capital city

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There's More to That

Why You Should Love Durian, the World’s Smelliest Fruit

The southeast Asian crop is a complex and layered one-of-a-kind fruit that consumes the lives of the devoted

One of the Central Park coyotes trots by with the New York City skyline as a backdrop.

In a Milestone for Manhattan, a Pair of Coyotes Has Made Central Park Their Home

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives

 Cards from the Sola Busca, the earliest extant example of a complete 78-card tarot deck, made in Italy in the late 1400s.

The Colorful History of Tarot Is as Mesmerizing as the Decks Themselves

The original meaning behind the cards, first created 500 years ago, still remains elusive. But that didn’t stop our reporter from traveling to Milan in an effort to find out

A young Ernest Hemingway on what would prove his most fruitful trip to Pamplona, in July 1925.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Running of the Bulls

An offbeat journey to the legendary Spanish festival 100 years after the life-changing trip that inspired Ernest Hemingway to write “The Sun Also Rises”

Tove Jansson with Moomin dolls

A Bold Finnish Artist Brought These Precious Little Hippopotamus-Like Trolls to the World 80 Years Ago

Tove Jansson was a trailblazing illustrator and author—and the inventor of the beloved Moomins, the central characters of her whimsical children’s books

The title Jaws doesn’t quite give justice to the sharp teeth that are the real terrifying characteristic of these marine animals.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ‘Jaws’ With 15 Shark Snapshots

The classic thriller might discourage you from getting in the water, so check out these sensational shark images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest instead

A Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) flies from its roost.

Ten Stunning Nature Photos From the BigPicture 2025

From the beautiful to the bizarre, this annual photographic showcase shines a light on some of our planet’s most breathtaking species and places

Caroline Finley, center, with Château Ognon (upper left) and colleagues in an album belonging to her great-nephew.  

With Their Bravery During World War I, These Daring American Women Doctors Proved Their Might to Folks Back Home

As their right to vote was debated in the States, a remarkable group of 74 physicians and support staff sailed to war-torn Europe to help those in need

A veery gets ready to rise into the Vermont skies, not long before setting off on an annual migration to the species’ wintering grounds in Brazil.

Scientists Are Tracking Worrying Declines in Insects—and the Birds That Feast on Them. Here’s What’s Being Done to Save Them Both

In Vermont, researchers have investigated the types of creepy, crawly bugs that their avian predators consume and may have found the answers to keeping them both alive

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