American History

Alexander Calder’s ‘Gwenfritz’ will be reinstalled in its original location on the west side of the American History Museum in October. This mock-up shows the sculpture at its new and old home in a reflecting pool, part of Calder’s intended aesthetic.

How Do You Freshen Up an Alexander Calder? Bolt by Precious Bolt

Alexander Calder's 40-foot black steel sculpture is getting a makeover and then returning to its original location near the American History Museum

(Photo courtesy of the Sneden Collection at the Virginia Historical Society.)

Document Deep Dive: The Day the Confederates Attacked Washington

This map painstakingly created by a Union cartographer presents a snapshot of the nation’s capital during the war

Celebrate Nikola Tesla’s Birthday with an Excerpt from a New Biography of the Inventor

Scholar W. Bernard Carlson explores Tesla's experiments with automatons and radio controlled boats in this excerpt from his new book

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You’re Not Supposed to Mine the Grand Canyon, So Why Are These Miners Digging Up Uranium?

There are four mines still turning out ore near the Grand Canyon

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Today in 1948, the U.S. Air Force Accepted Its First Female Member

The first recruit to the Women in the Air Force (known as WAF) was Esther Blake who enlisted on the first day it was even possible for women to do so

2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 Was Originally a Female

Who knows, perhaps if HAL had been a lady, we'd all be scared of disembodied female voices and Siri would be a man's voice

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This July 4th, Celebrate Two Million Years of Grilling

The advent of open fire cooking began with Homo erectus

A 1963 ad featuring the Postal Service’s Mr. Zip.

Happy 50th Birthday, ZIP Codes

Half a century ago today the U.S. Post Office introduced the ZIP Code

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Discussion

Discussion

This burned postcard was salvaged from the wreckage of the Hindenburg in 1937.

Celebrating 20 Years of the National Postal Museum

A new gallery opening in September highlights some of the most famous stamps in American history

Days after Jackie Mitchell (center) struck out Yankee superstars (from left) Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, the duo watched the female phenom demonstrate her fastball during spring training in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 4, 1931.

The Woman Who (Maybe) Struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

Of all the strange baseball exploits of the Depression era, none was more surprising than Jackie Mitchell’s supposed feat

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Tesla at the Smithsonian: The Story Behind His Genius

A new biography looks to document how the scientist thought of so many inventions, some of which are housed at the American History Museum

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What Do America’s Gay Families Get Now That DOMA Is Dead?

What does the repeal of DOMA mean for American's legally married gay couples?

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What Was in the Mysterious Woman Suffrage Party Safe Box?

For as long as anyone can remember, the safe box - marked simply "Woman Suffrage Party" has sat in the council's New York City office

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To Understand How the Supreme Court Changed Voting Rights Today, Just Look at This Map

Today the Supreme Court of the United States decided 5 to 4 that one major section of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional

A horticulturist from the Natural History Museum will give a tour of the Butterfly Garden and provide tips on how to attract butterflies to your own backyard greenery.

Events June 25-27: Electrical Inventions, Revolutionary Knowledge and Butterfly Gardens

This weekend, take a glimpse into Nikola Tesla's life, sharpen your knowledge on revolutionary figures and tour the Butterfly Garden

Legendary skateboarders Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen will be at the National Museum of American History this weekend for Innoskate, a skateboarding innovation festival.

4 Tips for Inventing the Next Great Skateboarding Trick, Courtesy of Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen

The skateboarding legends will be at the American History Museum this weekend to talk about innovation in their sport

Professional skateboarders and a panel of experts will talk about creativity and innovation in the skating world and provide tips, tricks and demonstrations Saturday.

Events June 21-23: Meet Choctaw Princesses, Skate Like the Pros and Unplug with Vandaveer

Experience the culture of the Choctaw people, learn about innovations in skateboarding and get in touch with your folksier side with Vandaveer

A scene from 1964's Dr. Strangelove

There Never Was Such a Thing as a Red Phone in the White House

Fifty years ago, still spooked by the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. and Soviet Union built a hotline. But it wasn’t a phone

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Where Did the Phrase “Hubba Hubba” Come From?

Where did this odd little set of sounds come from, and how did it become associated with pretty ladies?

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