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History

Great Nature, Storm on Mount Lyell from Johnson Peak by Chiura Obata, 1939

How Japanese Artist Chiura Obata Came to Be an American Great

With landscapes infused with an emotion borne of a life of struggle, this master receives his due in this traveling retrospective now at the Smithsonian

The Wilhelm Gustloff before its first departure in 1938 and after its test in the Hamburg harbor

The Deadliest Disaster at Sea Killed Thousands, Yet Its Story Is Little-Known. Why?

In the final months of World War II, 75 years ago, German citizens and soldiers fleeing the Soviet army died when the “Wilhelm Gustloff” sank

A Beethoven monument stands in Vienna's Beethovenplatz.

Following Beethoven’s Footsteps Through Vienna

For the composer’s 250th birthday, visit the apartments where he lived, the theaters where he worked and his final resting place

Sailors reading, writing and relaxing at the Red Cross Rest Room in New Orleans. Around 400,000 African Americans served in World War I.

How World War I Planted the Seeds of the Civil Rights Movement

The Great War was a “transformative moment” for African Americans, who fought for the U.S. even as they were denied access to Democracy

A picture taken in January 1945 depicts the gate and railway of Auschwitz-Birkenau after the camp's liberation by Soviet troops.

What Happened After the Liberation of Auschwitz

Of the few who survived the Nazi camp complex, a handful returned to ensure the site couldn’t be swept away into historical memory

Serra da Bocaina National Park is part of a new UNESCO World Heritage site in Brazil; the region was honored for its natural and cultural treasures.

Twelve Anniversaries and Events Worth Traveling for in 2020

From Chicago’s Prohibition tours to Palau’s newly enacted marine sanctuary, here are a dozen destinations to travel to this year

The Smithsonian's Jack Mitchell Photography of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Collection (Above: Detail of Judith Jamison in "Revelations," 1967) is now digitized for public viewing.

Trove of Stunning Dance Photography Now Online

An alliance between dance impresario Alvin Ailey and photographer Jack Mitchell yielded more than 10,000 images

A Shipwreck Off Florida’s Coast Pits Archaeologists Against Treasure Hunters

The discovery of a legendary wreck raises questions about who should control sunken riches

The arrest and the subsequent landing of U.S. troops could happen in Tangier, yet it was completely unthinkable just 12 miles away in Gibraltar or 60 miles away in Cadiz.

The Diplomatic Intrigue That Gave Morocco a Cameo Appearance in the U.S. Civil War

Confederate agents seeking European support were imprisoned by the U.S. consul, which ignited international protest

Eliza Parker sounds the alarm in Christiana, Pennsylvania

In 1851, a Maryland Farmer Tried to Kidnap Free Blacks in Pennsylvania. He Wasn’t Expecting the Neighborhood to Fight Back

The archaeological excavation of an empty field yielded clues and reminders of an incredible uprising long buried from history

By the end of Prohibition, distilled spirits made up more than 75 percent of alcohol sales.

The Modern Craft Cocktail Movement Got Its Start During Prohibition

Something needed to be done to mask the taste of bootleg alcohol that could include ingredients ranging from dead rats to wood tar

Charles, the son and grandson of American presidents, carved out a second home in England, succeeding in his main diplomatic mission: securing British neutrality in the Civil War.

The American Scion Who Secured British Neutrality in the U.S. Civil War

The journal pages of Charles Francis Adams, the son of one president and the grandson of another, illuminate the life and politics of Victorian England

An Egyptian jeweler named Ramses Said has been working at his family’s Diamond District business since he was 14 years old.

How Manhattan’s Diamond District Continues To Operate Like an Old World Bazaar

The new film ‘Uncut Gems’ calls attention to the 47th Street neighborhood, where million-dollar deals are sealed by handshakes

Almost 40 years ago, in 1981, women cheered during a rally for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Today, Virginia, just across the Potomac River, could become the crucial 38th state to approve the constitutional change.

Why the Equal Rights Amendment Is Still Not Part of the Constitution

A brief history of the long battle to pass what would now be the 28th Amendment

Clam shells, likely collected from live clams, would have made for naturally sharp cutting tools.

To Craft Cutting Tools, Neanderthals Dove for Clam Shells on the Ocean Floor

Clam shell knives from a cave on the Italian coast suggest Neanderthals dove underwater for resources

This 1948 ad for Cudahy's Delrich brand of margarine uses a "color berry" to color its margarine yellow.

How the Government Came to Decide the Color of Your Food

A business historian explains America’s commitment to regulating the appearance of everything from margarine to canned peas

AMA #WCW by Dada Khanyisa, 2018

How the Heroes of Africa Triumphed Against All Odds

At the African Art Museum the inspiring stories of 50 individuals from the continent are honored in classical and contemporary works of art

How Haiti’s Devastating Earthquake Prompted a Worldwide Effort to Safeguard Cultural Heritage

To safeguard cultural heritage, a massive Smithsonian-led cultural rescue operation can now be mobilized to help countries recover from disaster

Construction of interceptor sewers in the 1920s—New Jersey, U.S. The main interceptor is 22 miles long and connects to 18 miles of branch sewers.

These Photos Capture the World’s Sewer Systems When They Were Brand New

Archival images from the late 19th and early 20th centuries reveal engineered labyrinths of civic optimism

Look at those good doggos.

How Dog Parks Took Over the Urban Landscape

Birthed from the counterculture of the ’60s, the pet playground has witnessed a major shift in how Americans relate to their canines

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