American History

From the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

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

The Baliem Valley was a “magnificent vastness” in Rockefeller’s eyes, and its people were “emotionallly expressive.” But Asmat proved to be “more remote country than what I have ever seen.”

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

Invitees to the museum’s grand reopening in 2008 admire the newly restored flag.

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

This is the late 18th - early 19th century internal (vaginal) irrigator made of bone discovered at City Hall Park, New York City.

A Strange Object Found at New York's City Hall Was a 200-Year-Old Feminine Hygiene Product

Archaeologists were initially mystified

Woodrow Wilson

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

The Hasselblad EDC, the custom camera designed for use on the Moon.

At Auction: One of the Only Cameras to Ever Make it Back From the Moon

James Irwin's custom Hasselblad was one of the only cameras to make it back from the Moon... or was it?

A vintage postcard presents a deceptively sunny view of the school

Forensic Experts Have Found 55 Bodies Buried at Notorious Reform School

That's more than twice as many as they expected to find

Hustle through America's Huckster History with a Smithsonian Curator as Your Guide

A blow by blow of the flimflams and tales of hustlers throughout history, art and literature

The USS Pueblo.

The Time the U.S. Nearly Nuked North Korea Over a Highjacked Spy Ship

The Pueblo incident ended peacefully, but newly unclassified documents detail President Johnson's contingency plans

Look Closely at This Picture of John Glenn

The reflected faces of NASA staff appear in John Glenn's spacesuit

What Reviewers Said About the First Mac When It Debuted

They nitpicked the hardware, but reviewers appreciated the groundbreaking features that would redefine the personal computer

The History of How We Came to Revere Abraham Lincoln

The slain president’s two personal secretaries battled mudslingers for a quarter-century to shape his image

The Last Days of Blackbeard

An exclusive account of the final raid and political maneuvers of history’s most notorious pirate

The Franklin Papers includes 4,522 documents, including angry letters the founding father never sent.

It’s Ben Franklin’s Birthday—Want to Rummage Through His Papers?

4,522 documents, letters and notes that Franklin wrote or received

20 Years Ago Today, the Northridge Earthquake Rocked L.A.

Sixty people died and thousands were left homeless in one of the most deadly earthquakes in American history

Whether or not there's a shortage of Velveeta, the processed cheese's history is long and complex.

There is No Shortage of History When it Comes to Velveeta

In the event of a full-blown Velveeta shortage, here's a little history to ease your pain

Forty Years Ago, Women Had a Hard Time Getting Credit Cards

Despite the law, a report from 2012 found that women still pay more for credit cards

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Copyright Law Kept These Famous Works From Entering the Public Domain This Year

Here is a list of books, movies, music & scientific research that would have entered the public domain today had the 1978 copyright law not been passed

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Meet the People Who Stole From the FBI—After 43 Years, They’ve Decided To Come Forward

In 1971 eight activists stole documents that unveiled a secret FBI campaign to squash dissidents

Deep fried butter on a stick

Long Before Paula Deen's Fried Butter Balls, Cooks Were Trying to Roast Butter on a Stick

Paula Deen may in fact come from a long culinary tradition of skipping the bread and simply eating the butter

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