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History

A signpost from Standing Rock is now in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Signpost From Standing Rock, Now in the Smithsonian Collections, Shows the Power of Solidarity

A new addition to the National Museum of the American Indian links current events to a long and problematic history

Martin Luther makes his case before the Diet of Worms

From Escaped Nuns to a Knight in Disguise, 10 Facts About the Life and Legacy of Martin Luther

On the 500th anniversary of his 95 Theses, look back at some of the surprising aspects of the man who changed Christianity and the world

William Castle was adept at using marketing ploys to lure audiences to the movie theaters for his horror films.

The Hair-Raising Gimmicks of the Abominable Showman

William Castle went all-out to fright audiences with his horror movies and marketing strategy

"The mischievous deeds we perpetrated," writes Jim Deutsch, a Smithsonian curator of folklore, "were never elaborate pranks carefully planned, but rather were almost always spontaneous."

Commentary

Yes. The Night Before Halloween Is a Real Holiday

In New Jersey, it’s known as ‘Mischief Night.” In Detroit, it’s ‘Devil’s Night.’ And in Cincinnati, it’s … ‘Cabbage Night’?

Grave of George Eliot on Highgate Cemetery

You Can’t Walk Around London’s Cemeteries Without Seeing Someone Famous (and Dead)

A tour of the city’s dead can unearth some fascinating stories

The British Museum was the first free, public natural history museum in the world—but its creator, Hans Sloane, was intricately connected with the slave trade.

The British Museum Was a Wonder of Its Time—But Also a Product of Slavery

A new book explores the little-known life and career of Hans Sloane, whose collections led to the founding of the British Museum

A common thread to this huge collection of materials—time-worn press credentials, painted tennis shoes, photographs, mic flags, scripts—is that they represent decades in the making of the Spanish-language broadcasting network Telemundo.

How Spanish-Language Broadcasters Gave Voice to America’s Hispanics

In a country where more than 37 million people speak Spanish, stations like Telemundo reach under-served communities

A 1908 postcard depicts Halloween mischief.

When Halloween Was All Tricks and No Treats

Nineteenth-century urbanization unleashed the nation’s anarchic spirits, turning holiday mischief into mayhem

Adolf Hitler and his deputy Rudolf Hess

History of Now

Eight Historical Archives That Will Spill New Secrets

Declassified records and journals to be released in coming decades will shed new light on pivotal 20th-century figures and events

President John F. Kennedy in the presidential limousine before his assassination, on November 22, 1963, with his wife Jacqueline next to him.

Good History Takes Time, So Be Patient With the New JFK Documents

There are unlikely to be any bombshells, and it’ll be months or years before historians can draw conclusions from the new files

The bottle of multivitamins at left were typical of the ways Americans became addicted to amphetamines.

History of Now

A Speedy History of America’s Addiction to Amphetamine

In a startling parallel to today’s opioid crisis, the drugs were liberally—and legally—prescribed despite little information on safety

The creative output of Fats Domino, who died October 25, 2017 at the age of 89, was consistently compelling, and fans were delighted to eat it all up.

Fats Domino’s Infectious Rhythms Set a Nation in Motion

This Rock ’n’ Roll maverick was a true New Orleans original

This manuscript on astronomy by Issachar Ber Carmoly dates to 1751.

Hidden in a Basement for 70 Years, Newly Discovered Documents Shed Light on Jewish Life and Culture Before WWII

The 170,000 pages found might be “the most important collection of Jewish archives since the Dead Sea Scrolls.”

In July 1955, black children wait to register for school in Lawrence County, Arkansas, as schools desegregate in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education.

How a Psychologist’s Work on Race Identity Helped Overturn School Segregation in 1950s America

Mamie Phipps Clark came up with the oft-cited “doll test” and provided expert testimony in Brown v. Board of Education

Anti-Nazi protest outside Deutsches Haus, Aug. 1938

History of Now

The Nazis’ Plan to Infiltrate Los Angeles And the Man Who Kept Them at Bay

A new book explores the deadly and nefarious plots designed by Hitler and his supporters

Follow the Paths of Viking Raiders from Norway to North America

Visit these preserved settlement sites

The front of Mar-a-Lago in April 1967

History of Now

The Ironic History of Mar-a-Lago

A deep dive into an obscure archive reveals that the Palm Beach property had once been envisioned as a “Winter White House”

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The Next Pandemic

The Next Pandemic

With Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Museum of Natural History, we look at the past, present and future of the flu

The influenza ward at Walter Reed Hospital during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918

The Next Pandemic

Ten Famous People Who Survived the 1918 Flu

The notables who recovered from the pandemic included a pioneer of American animation, world-famous artists and two U.S. presidents

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