Pop History | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/pop-history/RSS feed for Pop HistoryenTue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000The Queen of Soap Operas Started Off By Telling Stories About the Drama She Was Missing in Her Own Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/queen-soap-operas-started-off-telling-stories-about-drama-missing-own-life-180988817/Irna Phillips was a radio voice actor in Chicago when she was asked to create a serialized program. From that, she created a legacy that includes ‘Guiding Light’ and ‘As the World Turns’Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/queen-soap-operas-started-off-telling-stories-about-drama-missing-own-life-180988817/They Were Just Having a Back-to-School Party in an Apartment Rec Room. Little Did They Know They Were Creating Hip-Hophttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/they-were-just-having-back-school-party-apartment-rec-room-little-did-know-creating-hip-hip-180988814/The music genre that became a global sensation started with some creative teens just getting together and riffing rhymes to DJ Kool Herc’s curated beatsMon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/they-were-just-having-back-school-party-apartment-rec-room-little-did-know-creating-hip-hip-180988814/