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Articles

Fort Sumter

A Necessary Conflict

And an opportunity for re-examination

British historian Bettany Hughes brings Socrates to life 25 centuries after his death in The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life.

Bettany Hughes on Socrates

The biographer and author of a new book discusses what new there is to learn about the ancient Greek philosopher

Yuri Gagarin

April 2011 Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

When President Abraham Lincoln learned that Union Army Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth had been killed, the president exclaimed, "My boy! My boy! Was it necessary this sacrifice should be made?"

The Death of Colonel Ellsworth

The first Union officer killed in the Civil War was a friend of President Lincoln’s

Non-Muslims use a wood ramp to enter the complex, home to the gilded Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, and the Western Wall, holy to Jews.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What Is Beneath the Temple Mount?

As Israeli archaeologists recover artifacts from the religious site, ancient history inflames modern-day political tensions

After Union troops refused to evacuate Fort Sumter, today a National Monument, Confederates opened fire.

The Civil War

Fort Sumter: The Civil War Begins

Nearly a century of discord between North and South finally exploded in April 1861 with the bombardment of Fort Sumter

"I couldn't resist a call to return" to Cleveland, says Charles Michener. The revitalized East 4th Street is home to high-end bars and restaurants.

Cleveland’s Signs of Renewal

Returning to his native Ohio, author Charles Michener marvels at the city’s ability to reinvent itself

"Capi has always existed as un mondo a parte, a world apart," says one resident. That sentiment is demonstrated in the Faraglioni pinnacles off southeastern Capri.

The Lure of Capri

What is it about this tiny, sun-drenched island off the coast of Naples that has made it so irresistible for so long?

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Weekend Events: Home School Open House, Nanotechnology and Play PHEON on Your Phone

Aeronautica Macchi C.202 Folgore

Air and Space Museum Lands Alitalia and WWII Italian Air Force Artifacts

The Google Cow model, now part of the open-3d-viewer project

Explore the Human Body on Your Computer Screen

That skeleton in your elementary science classroom may soon be obsolete

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Traditional Cookbooks vs. E-Readers, Searches and Apps

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Dinosaur Sighting: In Our Nemesis’ Front Yard

Chef Phillip Tang of East by Northeast rolls dumplings stuffed with Vermont pork and Massachusetts cabbage.

Boston’s Farm-to-Table Renaissance

These New England restaurants stand out as chefs fill their menus with harvests from local farms and drinks from area distilleries

Col. Elmer Ellsworth became the first officer to die in the Civil War when he was gunned down by an innkeeper in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Civil War

How Col. Ellsworth’s Death Shocked the Union

It took the killing of their first officer to jolt the North into wholeheartedly supporting the Union cause

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Watch Out For That Thagomizer!

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The List: Five Must See Webcams at the Zoo

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Humans Pass on Deadly Infections to Endangered Mountain Gorillas

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Diary of a Neurotic New Gardener: The Best-Laid Plants

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On View at the Renwick: Artist Ubaldo Vitali Has Silver in the Blood

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