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Explorer Richard Byrd (left) and pilot Floyd Bennett (right) wearing fur parkas, circa 1926

A Century Ago, an Explorer and His Pilot Claimed to Be the First People to Fly Over the North Pole. Here’s Why Experts Doubt That Achievement

While the success of Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett’s polar flight has been disputed, the former went on to accomplish expeditions in Antarctica

Alice George

Comic book artist Jack Kirby smokes a pipe at San Diego Comic Con, August 1973

Jack Kirby Was a Kid From the Lower East Side Who Became the ‘King of Comics’ and Made Superhero Mythology. Now, New York City Has Named a Street After Him

A bison herd on the American Prairie reserve roams at sunset on October 18, 2018, in Montana

The Bison Is America’s National Mammal. Here’s How Indigenous Tribes and Conservationists Aided Its Return to the Prairies After Near Extinction

African fattail scorpion (Androctonus amoreuxi)

Scorpions Are So Metal—Literally. New Images Reveal Patterns in How Their Weaponry Is Fortified With Iron, Zinc and Manganese

Missing Caption

Smithsonian Voices

National Museum of Natural History

To Survive Mass Extinctions, Reef-Building Corals Retreat to the Deep Blue Sea

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Liberty, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, painted terra cotta and tin, ca. 1884

This Remarkable Statue of Liberty Model Made by the Sculptor of the Original Has a New Summer Home at the Smithsonian Castle

Artist Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s small maquette represents the big ideals of the iconic national monument in New York Harbor

A sihek, or Guam kingfisher, chick born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Four Rare Guam Kingfisher Chicks Hatch at Virginia Facility, Making an ‘Incredibly Valuable’ Addition to the Small Population of Extinct-in-the-Wild Birds

The species, also known as the sihek, was wiped out from its native Guam and kept alive in captivity. Conservationists released some birds on Palmyra Atoll in 2024, and they have been thriving so far

Partial view of Eurasian blackbird, Missy Dunaway, acrylic ink on paper

Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work. This Artist Has Made It Her Mission to Paint Them All

Missy Dunaway’s colorful illustrations combine natural history, folklore and literature to depict the Bard’s birds

A female blue crab with an acoustic telemetry tag on its shell. Scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center use telemetry tags to track the migration of blue crabs throughout the Chesapeake.

Young Blue Crabs Have Been Mysteriously Dwindling in the Chesapeake Bay for Years. This Winter, They Saw a Boost in Numbers. What’s Driving These Trends?

A recent report detailed a 50 percent drop in juvenile Chesapeake blue crabs since 2010. Then, a survey found a surprising surge in the young crustaceans this year

Human development—such as roads—affects wildlife. But so does the presence of people.

The Mere Presence of Humans—Not Just Our Changes to the Land—Can Alter Wild Animals’ Behaviors, a New Study Suggests

Researchers examined GPS tracking data from thousands of animals representing 37 species and anonymized cellphone location data from 2020, a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, and the previous year

Portrait of Faye Emerson in Paris, August 17, 1951

Faye Emerson Became the ‘First Lady of Television’ During the Medium’s Early Days. But Her Groundbreaking Success as a Late-Night Host Is Largely Forgotten Today

She rose to fame in the mid-20th century with “The Faye Emerson Show” on CBS, interviewing luminaries and speaking directly to viewers

An immunity necklace from the 50th season of “Survivor”

As ‘Survivor’ Finishes Its 50th Season, the Smithsonian Acquires the Sought-After Immunity Necklace and Other Props From the Iconic Reality TV Show

Items from the first and most recent seasons of the hit program will be added to the permanent collection of the National Museum of American History

The exterior of the reconstructed chapel in Historic St. Mary's City, Maryland

Groundbreaking DNA Analysis Identifies 1.3 Million Living Relatives of Colonial Maryland’s Earliest Settlers

Experts compared DNA from 49 skeletons buried in a cemetery in St. Mary’s City to genetic data shared by 11.5 million 23andMe users. They also identified what may be the remains of the colony’s second governor

Visitors view the Star-Spangled Banner at the National Museum of American History.

The National Museum of American History Is Displaying 250 Objects to Commemorate the Country’s Big Birthday. Here’s the Story Behind Ten of the Artifacts

Featuring iconic and everyday items, including a Revolutionary War gunboat and a first-generation iPod, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness” is open now at the museum

Explorer Richard Byrd (left) and pilot Floyd Bennett (right) wearing fur parkas, circa 1926

A Century Ago, an Explorer and His Pilot Claimed to Be the First People to Fly Over the North Pole. Here’s Why Experts Doubt That Achievement

While the success of Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett’s polar flight has been disputed, the former went on to accomplish expeditions in Antarctica

Comic book artist Jack Kirby smokes a pipe at San Diego Comic Con, August 1973

Jack Kirby Was a Kid From the Lower East Side Who Became the ‘King of Comics’ and Made Superhero Mythology. Now, New York City Has Named a Street After Him

The artist who co-created Captain America and other iconic characters is being honored in the neighborhood where he grew up

A bison herd on the American Prairie reserve roams at sunset on October 18, 2018, in Montana

The Bison Is America’s National Mammal. Here’s How Indigenous Tribes and Conservationists Aided Its Return to the Prairies After Near Extinction

The past, present and future of the giant bovine are front and center in a new exhibition as the country approaches its 250th birthday

The game has taken a variety of twists and turns.

How the Classic American Game of Twister Went From Risqué to Record-Breaking

Sixty years ago, Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor played Twister on the “Tonight Show,” and the public took it as permission to buy the controversial game

Maiden May, Arlene Shechet, aluminum, stainless steel and paint, 2023

This 12-Foot Abstract Sculpture Near the National Mall Embodies the Beauty of Outdoor Art

Artist Arlene Shechet’s recently installed aluminum work now occupies the grounds of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

African fattail scorpion (Androctonus amoreuxi)

Scorpions Are So Metal—Literally. New Images Reveal Patterns in How Their Weaponry Is Fortified With Iron, Zinc and Manganese

Scientists knew the stingers and pincers of these arachnids generally contained metals, but a new Smithsonian-led study maps out how these components are distributed

After researchers aboard the Okeanos Explorer ship couldn't figure out the orb's identity, they sent it to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History for a more thorough investigation.

Cool Finds

Scientists Found This Mysterious Golden Orb on the Seafloor Nearly Three Years Ago. Now, They Finally Know What It Is

After a long, winding road of tests, researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and other institutions determined that the strange blob once attached a large sea anemone to a rock

Volunteers have played a vital role in SERC's Functional Forests project. They've helped plant trees, put up deer fencing and mapped the tree locations with bamboo stakes, among other duties.

The Planet Needs Prosperous Forests. These Scientists Are Planting More Than 33,000 Trees to Find the Perfect Species Blends

Forests provide myriad benefits, including timber, wildlife attraction, local cooling and climate resilience. At the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, ecologists are testing which tree combinations might create flourishing woodlands

Charles Langley guides his 11-month-old daughter, Sharon, onto the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park carousel on August 28, 1963

A Young Black Girl Was the First to Desegregate a Maryland Carousel in the 1960s. Now, the Historic Merry-Go-Round Will Entertain Visitors on the National Mall

The ride from Gwynn Oak Amusement Park has been out of commission for renovations since 2023. It opens to the public on April 24

Entomologist Mark Moffett photographed cone ants climbing onto and cleaning harvester ants.

These Tiny Ants Crawled All Over Larger Ants and Licked Them Clean. Scientists Aren’t Sure How This Behavior Benefits Any of Them

After witnessing the interactions in an Arizona desert, a Smithsonian researcher suggests that the little ants picked off tasty treats and that the big ants got thoroughly groomed in hard-to-reach places

Elephant calf Linh Mai stomps in a shallow pool in the Elephant Community Center at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on February 25.

See the Most Adorable Photos of Baby Elephant Linh Mai, the National Zoo’s Newest Star

Since her birth in early February, the calf has been growing and beginning to bond with her care team and herd. She will go on view in-person and online starting April 22

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