Gentleman Rescue

A mongoose is lightning fast and has razor-sharp teeth. A black mamba can kill 15 grown men with just one bite. Which of these two mortal enemies will win?

A Mongoose and Black Mamba Fight to Death (2:33)

Why saying cheese just didnt happen in the early days of photography.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Don’t People Smile in Old Photographs? (1:12)

In 1828, John Jacob Astor built a trading post on the Missouri River. Business was so profitable that it only took four decades for Astor to become America's first multimillionaire.

America's First Multimillionaire (2:49)

With the development of better flight technology, commercial air travel received an unprecedented boom in the 1960s. But to fully sell the glamor of flying, the airlines needed these women on board.

Air Travel Was a Party, and They Were the Hosts (2:57)