What could be more relatable than a president and first lady in bed?

Cool Finds

These Artifacts Show the Best—And Worst—of American Election Ephemera

From trash to political treasure

An unnamed Pullman porter works at Chicago's Union Station in 1943.

Trending Today

Five Things to Know About Pullman Porters

As the oldest Pullman porters die, it’s time to reflect on the proud legacy of these African-American workers

A side scan sonar image of the Royal Albert at the bottom of Lake Ontario.

Cool Finds

19th-Century Sunken Schooner Uncovered in Lake Ontario

It’s the only two-masted ship known to have sunk in the area

One of the most stunning features of Taiwan's Lukang Longshan Temple is its extravagant wood caisson ceiling.

Experience the Secrets of a Threatened Taiwanese Temple

New 3D reconstructions make it possible to look inside Lukang Longshan

A section of the Historic Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona.

Cool Finds

A New Project Tells the Stories of the Women of Route 66

An oral history project with the National Park Service follows women on the iconic highway

Cool Finds

The Poster That Started the “Keep Calm” Craze is on Sale

Learn about the print that launched a thousand memes

Inside the quiet forests near what was once Ponar, Lithuania lie mass graves that contain up to 100,000 bodies. Now, archaeologists have discovered a tunnel that 80 survivors used to attempt to escape in 1944. Twelve succeeded.

New Research

Archaeologists Found a Hand-Dug Holocaust Escape Tunnel

The tunnel was dug by desperate prisoners using spoons

USMT workers set up telegraph lines during the Civil War.

Cool Finds

You Can Help Decode Thousands of Top Secret Civil War Telegrams

Volunteers will transcribe and tease out the messages of of nearly 16,000 communiques

A squash seedling (though not one of the ancient squash)

Cool Finds

An Ancient Squash Dodges Extinction Thanks to the Efforts of Native Americans

Indigenous people carefully tended an ancient squash for thousands of years and now the seeds are seeing a resurgence in popularity

The site where the historic Stonewall Inn was located will now be the United States' first National Monument to gay rights.

Trending Today

President Obama Just Created the First National Monument to Gay Rights

The Stonewall National Monument tells the story of LGBTQ struggles in the United States

"Dance at Molenbeek," a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638) depicts pilgrims dancing to the church at Molenbeek.

Cool Finds

A Strange Case of Dancing Mania Struck Germany Six Centuries Ago Today

Modern experts still don’t agree on what caused plagues of compulsive dancing in the streets

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What’s the Difference Between England, Britain and the U.K.?

Listen up, would-be Anglophiles: Here’s how never to mess up your realms, kingdoms and empires again

Two canal workers pose in the cut

Cool Finds

Commemorate the Panama Canal’s Expansion With These Photos From Its Construction

The Panama Canal is opening a third lane to accommodate new mega cargo ships, a feat almost—but not quite—as impressive as building the original

By Augustus Koch (1840–?) - Amon Carter Museum Texas Bird's-Eye Views [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9140425

Cool Finds

Solving a Neighborhood Mystery Reveals Forgotten African-American History

An abandoned lot in San Antonio turned out to be an important part of the city’s story

The House of Representatives' rostrum has been the site of brawls, debates and sit-ins.

Trending Today

A Brief History of Congressional Carpets

There’s more to the House floor than meets the eye

Trending Today

After 52 Years, the “Mississippi Burning” Case Closes

The Department of Justice and State of Mississippi close the investigation of three civil rights workers killed by KKK members in 1964

The Marines Have Confirmed That One of the Men in the Iconic Iwo Jima Photo Has Been Misidentified for 71 Years

Pvt. 1st Class Harold Schultz never publicly spoke about his role during his life

Trending Today

UN Report Shows Refugee Numbers Have Hit a Historic High

More than 65 million people are now displaced from their homes due to extended wars and a lack of new solutions

Trending Today

What Brexit Would Mean for U.K.’s Arts, Sciences and Other Sectors

Exiting the European Union could have far ranging consequences for industries throughout the United Kingdom

The library's current location isn't where Hamilton and Burr read books, but the membership library still owns books that they checked out.

Cool Finds

This Library Has Books Checked Out by Hamilton and Burr

The New York Society Library was wide enough for both men

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