American History
Rare Footage of Duke Ellington Highlights When Jazz and Baseball Were in Perfect Harmony
The Smithsonian's curator of American music explains how the history of two great American innovations—Jazz and baseball—are intertwined
Document Deep Dive: Richard Nixon’s Application to Join the FBI
Fresh out of law school, the future president first hoped he could be one of J. Edgar Hoover’s agents
George Washington Liked Ice Cream So Much He Bought Ice Cream-Making Equipment for the Capital
Washington used to serve ice cream to guests at the capital
It Once Took Tens of Thousands of Men to Recover an Astronaut from Landing
Splashdown support teams were absolutely massive
A Sax Supreme: John Coltrane's Legendary Instrument Joins the Collections of the American History Museum
Ravi Coltrane, son of jazz musicians John and Alice Coltrane, donates one of his father's three saxophones
Before SXSW and Ted, A Manic Visionary Revolutionized the American Lecture Circuit
Meet James Redpath, the man who coached national celebrities on how to bring a crowd to its feet
Korean War Hero Kurt Chew-Een Lee, the First Chinese-American Marine, Dies at 88 Years Old
Lee overcame racism and saved upward of 8,000 men during one climactic battle
Seventy Five Years Ago, the Bronx Tried to Take Over Part of Manhattan With Just a Limo And a Flag
James F. Lyons drove over to Marble Hill and planted his flag, claiming it as his. It didn't work.
Mexico's Pyramid of the Sun Is Slowly Turning Into a Pile of Dust
When scientists scanned the pyramid's insides, they found a giant pile of dust
An Average-Looking Doll Comes to the Rescue of Barbie-Addled Girls
A new Barbie-like doll with realistic proportions might help dispel stereotypes that influence little girls
The New York Times' 1853 Coverage of Solomon Northup, the Hero of "12 Years A Slave"
Northup's story garnered heavy press coverage and spread widely in the weeks and months after he was rescued
That Time the U.S. Government Made All Bars in America Close At Midnight
In 1945, the government gave America a nationwide curfew for the first and last time
The FBI Was Still Investigating John Wilkes Booth a Century After Lincoln's Death
The blog Wonders and Marvels came across the FBI file on John Wilkes Booth
Hollywood Was Once an Alcohol-Free Community
Modern Hollywood is a far cry from its intrepid female founder's "dream of beauty"
From the Editor
From the Editor
How Merv Griffin Came Up With That Weird Question/Answer Format for Jeopardy!
Champion Ken Jennings delves into what gives the virtually unchanged game show its lasting power
What Really Happened to Michael Rockefeller
A journey to the heart of New Guinea’s Asmat tribal homeland sheds new light on the mystery of the heir’s disappearance there in 1961
Previewing the Smithsonian’s Plans for the 200th Anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner
And at the same time, the American History Museum celebrates its 50th birthday
A Strange Object Found at New York's City Hall Was a 200-Year-Old Feminine Hygiene Product
Archaeologists were initially mystified
Woodrow Wilson's Family Home Opens in Columbia
Woodrow Wilson’s boyhood home in Columbia, South Carolina is having it’s grand opening on Saturday, February 15
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