Why the Wartime Rescue of the Survivors of a British Shipwreck Ended in Betrayal
In 1813, an American sealing vessel, the “Nanina,” promised to save the crew and passengers of the “Isabella,” even though it was an enemy ship. Here’s how the British brig got stranded in the first place
‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ Demonstrates the Limits of Holocaust Fiction
A new mini-series dramatizes the best-selling 2018 novel that sparked debate over the line between history and memory
This Filipina Spy Used Her Leprosy as a Cover to Thwart the Japanese During World War II
Enemy soldiers overlooked Josefina “Joey” Guerrero due to her condition. Later, her heroic actions on behalf of the Allies were largely forgotten
The English Heiress Who Masterminded a Multimillion-Dollar Art Heist and Built Bombs for the IRA
Fifty years ago, Rose Dugdale stole 19 paintings worth an estimated £8 million, including works by Vermeer, Velázquez and Rubens, from a British aristocrat’s estate
What You Need to Know About China’s Terra-Cotta Warriors and the First Qin Emperor
The thousands of clay soldiers guarding Qin Shi Huang’s tomb are enduring representations of the ruler’s legacy
Why the Daughter of an American Archaeologist Sent Her Father’s Collection to Peru
Unlike many of his peers, John Howland Rowe viewed the country as a source of partnership, not a laboratory to play in
How Museums in Central and Eastern Europe Tell the Complicated Story of Life Behind the Iron Curtain
Grassroots exhibitions popping up in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Poland provide a window into ordinary lives during the communist era
![“For me, [Hanuman] was also a hero that lost faith in himself,” says director and star Dev Patel. “He didn’t have courage at one point and needed to be reminded of who he was.” ](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/TPqV-FX08JDnZgIBw_4jsnjvKmg=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a4/6d/a46d49f5-d430-4fb9-9a99-a40773a0f0e5/hanuman3.jpg)
How the Hindu Deity Hanuman Inspired Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’
The story of the half-human, half-monkey god mirrors the journey of the protagonist in Patel’s directorial debut
The Real Story Behind ‘Mary & George’
The new mini-series dramatizes the Villiers family’s scandalous rise to power at the court of England’s James I
Stressed About Taxes? Blame the Ancient Egyptians
The civilization developed the world’s first known tax system around 3000 B.C.E.
The Notorious Pirate King Who Vanished With the Riches of a Mughal Treasure Ship
In the late 17th century, Henry Avery—the subject of the first global manhunt—bribed his way into the Bahamas
Seven of the Worst Bridge Disasters in World History
The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is shocking—but not unprecedented
The Thrills of Rediscovering Ancient Greece While Touring Modern Athens
The Mediterranean capital city savors its connections to antiquity—while reappraising its past
Untold Stories of American History
Eight Secret Societies You Probably Haven’t Heard Of
Many of these selective clubs peaked in popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries
This Russian Noblewoman, Beloved by Catherine the Great and Benjamin Franklin, Embodied the Age of Enlightenment
Princess Dashkova led research institutes, wrote plays and music, and embarked on a Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe
The Moroccan Sultan Who Protected His Country’s Jews During World War II
Mohammed V defied the collaborationist Vichy regime, saving Morocco’s 250,000 Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps
What Really Happened During the Murder of Rasputin, Russia’s ‘Mad Monk’?
Aristocrats plotted to kill the Siberian peasant, who wielded undue influence over Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. But the conspiracy backfired, hastening the coming Russian Revolution
The Real History Behind FX’s ‘Shogun’
A new adaptation offers a fresh take on James Clavell’s 1975 novel, which fictionalizes the stories of English sailor William Adams, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and Japanese noblewoman Hosokawa Gracia
Recovering the Lost Aviators of World War II
Inside the search for a plane shot down over the Pacific—and the new effort to bring its fallen heroes home
Millennia After Leonidas Made His Last Stand at Thermopylae, a Ragtag Band of Saboteurs Thwarted the Axis Powers in the Same Narrow Pass
A new book chronicles the 16-plus battles that took place in the Greek pass between the ancient era and World War II
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