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The Wright brothers' 1903 flight made history, regardless of other claims about earlier flights.

Ask Smithsonian

Was Jakob Brodbeck First in Flight? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions, we’ve got experts

U.S. Army Pvt. John McGrath survived the bullet that scarred this letter he penned during the liberation of Italy.

The Unprecedented Effort to Preserve a Million Letters Written by U.S. Soldiers During Wartime

A tragedy at home led one intrepid historian to find and catalog precious correspondence for future generations to study

The Glenn Miller orchestra recorded "Moonlight Serenade" in 1939 as the B side of a 78 rpm on the RCA Bluebird label.

How ‘Moonlight Serenade’ Defined a Generation

Bandleader Glenn Miller, who was lost at sea 75 years ago, played and replayed the song before troops serving in World War II

Deadly perils awaited prospectors who flocked to the Yukon. In April 1898, on a single day, 65 men on the Chilkoot Trail died in an avalanche. Typhoid also took its toll.

Gold Fever! Deadly Cold! And the Amazing True Adventures of Jack London in the Wild

In 1897, the California native went to the frozen North looking for gold. What he found instead was the great American novel

Alcatraz Island, home to the nation’s most notorious pen, was the site of a crucial civil rights battle 50 years ago.

Alcatraz’s Captivating Hold on History

Fifty years after Native American activists occupied the island, take a look back at the old prison in San Francisco Bay

Entering German cities within days of their capture by Allied forces, the special Army-led team slipped into bomb-ravaged Cologne in early March 1945.

The Untold Story of the Secret Mission to Seize Nazi Map Data

How a covert U.S. Army intelligence unit canvassed war-torn Europe, capturing intelligence with incalculable strategic value

The Texas trinity of sausage, ribs and brisket, with a house blend of spices added to the crust.

Food, Glorious Food

How Three Guys From Houston Are Cooking Up a Revolution in Texas Barbecue

A tiny suburban eatery is breaking all the rules to create some of the freshest-tasting grub on the horizon

A still life of Renia Spiegel’s diary

The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust

How an Astonishing Holocaust Diary Resurfaced in America

Hidden for 70 years, a new invaluable contribution to Holocaust literature—the diary of Renia Spiegel—was rediscovered inside a desk in New York

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Readers Respond to Our September Issue

Your feedback on our coverage of Pompeii, John Steinbeck and Saturn’s rings

The word "teetotaler" dates back to the temperance movement that preceded Prohibition.

Where Does the Word ‘Teetotaler’ Come From? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions, we’ve got experts

By regulation, British officers wore a red coat. Washington later outfitted his troops in blue regimental coats faced with scarlet.

Secrets of American History

When Young George Washington Started a War

A just-discovered eyewitness account provides startling new evidence about who fired the shot that sparked the French and Indian War

The artist says he paints to music, improvising his brushstrokes in the manner of a jazz soloist.

How Peter Wayne Lewis Infuses His Artwork With the Spirit of Jazz

A new exhibit explores bebop and the Buddha

In "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, the readers dictate the plot's twists and turns.

Is the Future of Entertainment the 40-Years-Old ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Series?

Forty years ago, a beloved paperback series set the stage for today’s obsession with interactive entertainment

“All evidence suggests that this was the first cloud guitar ever built for Prince,” says John Troutman, curator of American music at the National Museum of American History.

Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music

Here’s the Guitar That Prince Revolutionized Music With in ‘Purple Rain’

The artist gave the “cloud” guitar to the Smithsonian in 1993, but only now do we know it’s the same instrument used in the iconic movie

The type of socialism that took root in Oklahoma was unique—it allowed private farms and invoked evangelical Christianity.

Secrets of American History

When the Socialist Revolution Came to Oklahoma—and Was Crushed

Inside the little-known story of the Green Corn Rebellion, which blazed through the Sooner State a century ago

Sochan, a relative of the sunflower, can grow up to ten feet tall. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it rivals kale as a nutritional powerhouse.

Cherokee Indians Can Now Harvest Sochan Within a National Park

For the first time, the indigenous community is allowed to gather the cherished plant on protected land

Margaret Rossiter's research spotlights the women in science whose intellectual contributions have not been given their due.

Women in Science

Women Scientists Were Written Out of History. It’s Margaret Rossiter’s Lifelong Mission to Fix That

The historian has devoted her career to bringing to light the ingenious accomplishments of those who have been forgotten

A rooftop view with gargoyles on the left and other statuary, circa 1860.

A Hymn to Notre-Dame

In which the renowned author of thrillers and mysteries praises the Gothic beauty, damaged by fire but destined to inspire again

Illustration by Edward Kinsella III

Secrets of American History

The Mayor and the Mob

William O’Dwyer was beloved by New York City. So why did he abruptly leave office and head to Mexico?

The Randall Park Mall in Ohio, photographed here in 2014, was opened in 1971 and abandoned in 2009. Amazon has built a new distribution center on the site.

The Rise of the Zombie Mall

Hundreds of big retail centers have gone under, but the shop-til-you drop lifestyle isn’t dead yet

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