The Top 10 Animal Superpowers

Is a kiss really just a kiss? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian Host, Eric Schulze, explains why we pucker up.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Kiss? (1:11)

There aren't many rumors that American socialite Wallis Simpson hasn't been subjected to. So here's how she actually infiltrated the British monarchy.

How Wallis Simpson Infiltrated British Royalty (4:18)

Tutored in several European languages for hours on end and strapped to a steel rod for posture, Consuelo Vanderbilt's childhood was anything but easy.

Could You Have Endured Consuelo Vanderbilt's Upbringing? (4:30)

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)