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History / World History

The National Archives at Kew

Rewriting History in Great Britain

Recently uncovered documents in the British archives reveal dark secrets from World War II. One problem: they are forgeries

Smithsonian magazine staff writer and author of "One Man's Korean War."

Abigail Tucker on “One Man’s Korean War”

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November Anniversaries

At age 107, Frank Buckles proudly wears the French Legion of Honor medal, one of many honors to have come his way lately.

World War I: 100 Years Later

The Last Doughboy of World War I

Frank Buckles lied about his age to serve in World War I

Carved sarsens-enormous blocks of hard sandstone-were used to build the towering trilithons that dominate the landscape of Salisbury Plain in southern England. But archaeologists Timothy Darvill and Geoffrey Wainwright believe the smaller so-called bluestones hold the key to unraveling Stonehenge's mystery.

New Light on Stonehenge

The first dig in 44 years inside the stone circle changed our view of why—and even when—the monument was built

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October Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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Puzzlers

Stonehenge’s purpose and a noble fish’s demise

The monastery from inside the ramparts at twilight.

In Iraq, a Monastery Rediscovered

Near Mosul, war has helped and hindered efforts to excavate the 1,400-year-old Dair Mar Elia monastery

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated in seven different locations in Illinois.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Negotiations

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas engaged in pre-debate negotiations in 1858

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Richard Covington on “Lost & Found”

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September Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Buck's Row, site of the murder of Mary Ann Nichols

August Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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Stouthearted Men

Brutal, yes, but also strong-willed

The Sea Stallion from Glendalough

Raiders or Traders?

A replica Viking vessel sailing the North Sea has helped archaeologists figure out what the stalwart Norsemen were really up to

Quebec city's Parliament building, the site of the Place de l'Assembée-Nationale.

Let Me Be Franc

A Look Back for Quebec City’s 400th

View of Beirut, Lebanon, with palm and pine trees in the foreground

Times of Trouble

Flashpoints in Modern Lebanese History

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Showing Their Age

Dating the Fossils and Artifacts that Mark the Great Human Migration

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Were “Hobbits” Human?

Debate rages over an Indonesian fossil find

Christopher Henshilwood (in Blombos Cave) dug at one of the most important early human sites partly out of proximity—it’s on his grandfather’s property.

The Great Human Migration

Why humans left their African homeland 80,000 years ago to colonize the world

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July Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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