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History / U.S. History

These sequined shoes were worn by 16-year-old Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. One of several pairs used during filming, these size-five, felt-soled shoes are well-worn, suggesting they were Garland's primary pair for dancing scenes.

Treasures Trove

America’s most singular sensations are at the National Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian Castle

Eminent Domain

The Institution’s Regents include the Vice President, the Chief Justice and other national leaders

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December Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Edward Savage painted this portrait of Mount Vernon in 1792.

Exploring Mount Vernon

George Washington’s historic Virginia plantation

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

Discovering George Washington

Little-known facts about the nation’s first president

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The Spirit of George Washington

After two centuries, Mount Vernon’s whiskey distillery returns

John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail in 1960

Sharp Pencils Shape Elections

How three pioneering reporters reshaped the way the press covers elections-and politics itself

New Faces of 1946

An unpopular president. A war-weary people. In the midterm elections of 60 years ago, voters took aim at incumbents

The Pilgrims celebrated a harvest festival with their Native American neighbors in 1621—what we often call the first Thanksgiving.

Pilgrims’ Progress

We retrace the travels of the ragtag group that founded Plymouth Colony and gave us Thanksgiving

The U.S. ranks third in the world in population, behind China and India. But as the total number of people on the planet increases, demographers are focusing on problems that stem from a shrinking population in surprisingly large swaths of the developed world.

300 Million and Counting

The United States reaches a demographic milestone, thanks largely to immigration

"Anaemic little spinner in North Pownal Cotton Mill" is what Hine wrote.

Through the Mill

Because of a Lewis Hine photograph, Addie Card became the poster child of child labor. But what became of Addie Card?

The roots of the women's suffrage movement can be located here: in Seneca Falls, the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (seated, with Susan B. Anthony) is a historic landmark. Of the right to vote, Stanton declared: "Have it we must."

How New York’s Finger Lakes Inspired American Notables

New York’s breathtaking Finger Lakes district has influenced historical figures from Mark Twain to Harriet Tubman

Steve Fossett is the first person to fly alone around the world nonstop.

Steve Fossett

On March 3, 2005, after 67 hours aboard his Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, he became the first person to fly alone around the world nonstop

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September Anniversaries

Momentous or merely memorable

Balloon Jupiter had to land after 30 miles; its mail (here) was sent on by train.

Airmail Letter

Stale Mail: The nation’s first hot-air balloon postal deliveries barely got off the ground

Scourges of the sea: Dashing Jean Laffite (left) and his swashbuckling brother Alexandre, although a study in contrasts, were equally intrepid.

Saving New Orleans

In a new book, the author of “Forrest Gump” paints an uncommonly vivid picture of an overlooked chapter in American history and its unlikely hero

Beth Claypool, a Navy parachute rigger, holds a key find from the Laotian dig, the remains of a metal insole believed to be Bat Masterson's.

Lost Over Laos

Scientists and soldiers combine forensics and archaeology to search for pilot Bat Masterson, one of 88,000 Americans missing in action from recent wars

On March 25, 1911, 146 workers perished when a fire broke out in a garment factory in New York City. For 90 years, it stood as New York's deadliest workplace disaster.

Uncovering the History of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

The author behind the authoritative retelling of the 1911 fire describes how he researched the tragedy that killed 146 people

The last piece of the building's makeover, a $50 million glass roof over the courtyard by British architect Norman Foster is scheduled for completion in late 2007.

Back To The Future

One of Washington’s most exuberant monuments—the old Patent Office Building —gets the renovation it deserves

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For Studs Terkel, Chicago Was a City Called Heaven

Studs Terkel, America’s best-known oral historian, never wavered in his devotion to the Windy City

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