Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

History

None

Document Deep Dive

Harry Truman’s Adorable Love “List” to His Wife, Bess

As a celebration of 38 years of marriage, the former president shared his memories, both fond and bittersweet, from each anniversary

None

Viva Las Venus: The Jetsons and Wholesome Hedonism

What happens in the year 2063 stays in the year 2063

A facial reconstruction of King Richard III, based on an analysis of his recently identified remains and artist portrayals over the years, was unveiled by an eponymous historical society on Tuesday.

The Battle Over Richard III’s Bones…And His Reputation

Rival towns are vying for the king’s remains and his legacy now that his skeleton has been found 500 years after his death

Lipstick stencil, 1920s

The History of the Flapper, Part 2: Makeup Makes a Bold Entrance

It’s the birth of the modern cosmetics business as young women look for beauty enhancers in a tube or jar

Delphine Atger, 1920s

The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom

The young, fashionable women of the 1920s define the dress and style of their peers in their own words

Constitution of the United States

Should the Constitution Be Scrapped?

In a new book, Louis Michael Seidman claims that arguing about the constitutionality of laws and reforms is the cause of our harsh political discourse

None

The Uncertain Promise of Freedom’s Light: Black Soldiers in The Civil War

Sometimes treated as curiosities at the time, black men and women fighting for the Union and organizing for change altered the course of history

None

Lost and Found Again: Photos of African-Americans on the Plains

What would otherwise be a local-interest story became a snapshot of history integral to the American experience

None

When Did Humans Come to the Americas?

Recent scientific findings date their arrival earlier than ever thought, sparking hot debate among archaeologists

“All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy.” – Carl Jung

The History of Rocket Science

When was the first-ever rocket built?

Methane gas has impacted our atmosphere since the Romans.

Air Pollution Has Been a Problem Since the Days of Ancient Rome

By testing ice cores in Greenland, scientists can look back at environmental data from millennia past

Lincoln sat at the back of the train in disguise to escape his assassins.

The Civil War

The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln

On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington at night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore

Walter Cronkite gives a tour of the home office of 2001 on his show The 21st Century (1967)

3D-TV, Automated Cooking and Robot Housemaids: Walter Cronkite Tours the Home of 2001

In 1967, the most trusted man in America investigated the home of the 21st century

Falernum, a syrup that originates in Barbados, pairs nicely with rum.

Falernum: The Elusive Cocktail Syrup to Name Drop At Your Next Party

This tiki-era mixer, best served with rum, has a hazy past and an island-y bite

A miniaturized George Jetson talks to his boss Mr. Spacely on a videophone (1963)

Future Calling: Videophones in the World of The Jetsons

If there’s one thing the Jetsons came closest to nailing, its the prevalence of being able to talk with your boss or family via video

None

Ordering Pizza Online in the Retrofuture

In the 1980s and 90s, there we some really cheesy depictions of ordering food online

Herald Square circa 1907, when Ida Wood first moved into the Herald Square Hotel.

Everything Was Fake but Her Wealth

Ida Wood, who lived for decades as a recluse in a New York City hotel, would have taken her secrets to the grave—if here sister hadn’t gotten there first

Roy Wilkins (left) with Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House on November 29, 1963

NAACP Leader Roy Wilkins Predicts: “We’ll Elect A Negro President”

In 1970, the civil rights activist shared his prescient optimism about the future of race relations in the United States

The funeral of James Idle in the village of Hullavington, on August 29, 1914

“The Grave Looked So Miserable”

Not officially on the guest list for Richard Nixon’s 1973 inaugural ball, this chicken decided to check out the scene anyway. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Inauguration History

That Time a Chicken Crashed Nixon’s Inaugural Ball and Other Crazy Inaugural Tales

Ten quirky moments from inaugural history, including presidential lassoing

Page 229 of 302