Staff at the Institution pick their favorite reads of the year, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction
The famous early human is still providing lessons to anthropologists about prehistoric Earth and its inhabitants
The monarch set fashion trends during her time, and the flower holder became a sought-after accessory in Victorian society
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Soon to be on display at the National Museum of American History, the laptop is the centerpiece of a criminal case that shows an evolving understanding of cryptocurrency
The true, forgotten and sometimes-stinky history of the cohort who took Alexander Fleming's innovation and forever changed the face of modern medicine
A new exhibition spotlights a trio who pushed the boundaries of American art and illustrated the experiences of World War II incarceration
The work, now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, tells the story of two characters on the island—the last people alive in the world
Antonia, a cloned black-footed ferret at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, has produced two healthy offspring that will help build genetic diversity in their recovering population
Written by the former chief historian of NASA, the book examines the evolution of our cosmic understanding—from early civilizations to the present day
A Smithsonian curator reflects back on the artistic legend, a "Renaissance man" with 28 Grammys to his name, who died Sunday at 91 years old
The Smithsonian Design Triennial presents 25 commissions that explore the physical and conceptual ideas of shelter and refuge
In 1796, the first president voluntarily left office, cementing the significance of a lofty ideal for his young country
A paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London chronicles the age of the famous and fascinating massive reptiles
When the U.S. Army massacred a Lakota village at Blue Water, dozens of plundered artifacts ended up in the Smithsonian. The unraveling of this long-buried atrocity is forging a path toward reconciliation
The early polygraph machine was considered the most scientific way to detect deception—but that was a myth
A new exhibition co-presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art explores the seminal artist’s work
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
The work of Diné artist DY Begay, now on view at the National Museum of the American Indian, blends tradition and modernity
As a child, the future president acquired a marine animal's skull, which became the first specimen in his natural history collection