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"I will not live in silence," said Thomas A. Drake, in Washington, D.C. in May. He was charged with retaining national defense information.

Leaks and the Law: The Story of Thomas Drake

The former NSA official reached a plea deal with the government, but the case still raises questions about the public’s right to know

Ancient cultures used an array of ingredients to make their alcoholic beverages, including emmer wheat, wild yeast, chamomile, thyme and oregano.

The Beer Archaeologist

By analyzing ancient pottery, Patrick McGovern is resurrecting the libations that fueled civilization

Ruins in front of the Capitol in Richmond showing some of the destruction caused by a Confederate attempt to burn Richmond.

Battlefields

Casualties mounting on two fronts

In her new book, Founding Gardeners, London-based historian Andrea Wulf argues that the founders' love of gardening and farming shaped their vision of America.

Founding Fathers, Great Gardeners

In her new book, Andrea Wulf argues that the founding fathers’ love of gardening shaped their vision of America

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This Month in History

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Scores of high-spirited civilians carried picnic baskets and champagne to the battlefield to watch what would turn out to be the first major land engagement of the Civil War. Shown here is the battlefield as it appears today.

The Civil War

The Battle of Bull Run: The End of Illusions

Both North and South expected victory to be glorious and quick, but the first major battle signaled the long and deadly war to come

Many of the West's outdoor towns lie farther south, and closer to larger population centers. Missoula, Montana still has space around it.

Missoula: A Perfect Mix of Town and Country

Author Rick Bass trades wilderness for city life, Montana style

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What Is on Your Life List?

Now that you’ve seen our list, tell us the places that you think everyone should visit at least once in their lifetimes

No. 5, by Takiguchi Kazua

At the Sackler, an Underground Gallery Glows with Sunlight

New exhibit at the Sackler: “Reinventing the Wheel,” celebrates an era when Japanese potters abandoned the wheel to pursue new expressive forms of the art

The Vine With Its Own Bat Signal

Specially shaped leaves lure the flying mammals. The bats get a meal, and the flowers get pollinated

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Marrons Glacés: $4 a Nut, But Worth Reminiscing Over

The ultra-sugary confections, popular in France and Italy, have a creamy texture and unmistakable warm chestnut flavor

The head of Coelophysis - a close relative of Camposaurus - as restored by John Conway

The Intriguing, Frustrating Camposaurus

Paleontologists have reexamined the paltry bones and affirmed that the creature is an important link to the early days of theropod dinosaurs

Santorini’s villages cling to red-and-black cliffs, looking out on a nearly enclosed 400-foot-deep lagoon; this deep harbor was formed when a catastrophic volcanic eruption occurred some 3,600 years, creating a massive crater.

The Smithsonian Life List: 43 Places to See Before You Die

From wonders of the world to thrills for adventure seekers, we’ve compiled a list of sites that any true world traveler cannot miss

The caldonian gecko, one of the zoo's many reptiles.

Weekend Events July 29-31: Guest Chef, Meet a Chelonian and Get Creative at Anacostia

Richard Nixon's last meal at the White House. Photo by Robert L. Knudsen

How to Eat Like the President of the United States

See Kennedy’s chowder, Eisenhower’s vegetable soup, Reagan’s jelly beans and Nixon’s last White House meal

One of the larger pieces of Yapese stone money. Quarried in Palau, these giant coins were transported to Yap on flimsy outrigger canoes at considerable human cost – until O'Keefe took over their manufacturing.

David O’Keefe: The King of Hard Currency

The Irish American immigrant made a fortune by supplying the giant stone coins prized by Yap islanders

The bones of Giraffatitan as discovered in Tanzania.

Tendaguru’s Lost World

The African fossil sites preserve dinosaur fossils that are strangely similar to their North American counterparts

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How To Study A Volcano

Getting this close to a bubbling cauldron of lava is not just dangerous; it’s stupid enough that even other volcanologists will yell at you

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Hike the Appalachian Trail

For decades, the backbone of the Eastern United States has given much needed respite for thousands of nature enthusiasts

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Berlin, Alive Again

After withstanding world and cold wars, the German city is a thriving metropolis, filled with nightclubs and cultural treats

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