American History

Aramaic is one language scholars are racing to save.

How to Revive a Lost Language

By the year 2100, the human race will have lost about 50% of the languages alive today. Every fourteen days a language dies. There are some success stories

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PHOTOS: Wynton Marsalis, Honoring Duke Ellington

The artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates the jazz legend who won affection at home and abroad

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens in 2015, but you can learn all about it today at its new Welcome Center.

Making Progress: Future Home of the African American History Museum

A New Welcome Center Offers A Sneak Peek at the New Museum

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Monopoly Fans Have Spoken: Cats Are In, Irons Are Out

As Hasbro welcomes the sleek, new silver kitty, it bids farewell to the age-old iron

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Sorry, Malcolm Gladwell: NYC’s Drop in Crime Not Due to Broken Window Theory

We have no idea why crime dropped, but it had nothing to do with broken windows or police strategy

Constitution of the United States

Should the Constitution Be Scrapped?

In a new book, Louis Michael Seidman claims that arguing about the constitutionality of laws and reforms is the cause of our harsh political discourse

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There’s No Such Thing as a Concussion-Proof Helmet

Essentially, if you put 15 inches of foam on the outside of the helmet, you can make a concussion free helmet. But that's completely impractical

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Why Did the Lights Go Out in the Superdome?

What actually caused the power outage in the 73,000 seat Superdome? Well, it's unclear

Grand Central Terminal Turns 100

The iconic New York building, which celebrates its 100th birthday this weekend, has a storied past

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The FBI Once Freaked Out About Nazi Monks in the Amazon Rainforest

In October 1941, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover received a strange bit of war intelligence in a classified document

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When Did Humans Come to the Americas?

Recent scientific findings date their arrival earlier than ever thought, sparking hot debate among archaeologists

Lincoln sat at the back of the train in disguise to escape his assassins.

The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln

On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington at night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore

World-famous poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou talks about her life at the American Indian Museum on Friday.

Events February 1-3: Maya Angelou, Black History Month Festivities and a Teen Poetry Slam

Meet world-renowned Civil Rights poet Maya Angelou, celebrate Black History Month and watch Washington D.C.'s most articulate teens battle in rhyme

A Liberty Head nickel from 1883

1913 Nickel Could Sell for More Than $2 Million

The coin is one of only five 1913 Liberty Head nickels known to exist, though this one has an illicit, serendipitous back story

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Time Capsule: A Peek Back to the Day When Elvis Made It Big

On this day in 1956, Elvis appeared on the CBS program, The Stage Show, to skeptical critics and enthused audiences

Let your horse sleep in today. Smithsonian museums don’t open until noon due to weather.

Museums Delay Opening Due to Weather

Smithsonian museums in the Washington, D.C. area as well as the National Zoo will open at noon Monday, due to inclement weather

For Dogs, Max Is the New Spot, Even in New York City

In the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia, Max ranks as the number one name for male dogs

Painting of an Inuit woman with face tattoos, 1654. See a film by an Inuit director attempting to reclaim this tradition in “Tunniit: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos.” Author unknown.

Events January 25-27: Persian Drama, Inuit Face Tattoos and Schubert’s Fantasy

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Sonar Uncovers Amazing Photograph of Sunken Civil War Ship

The USS Hatteras, sunk 150 years ago, was discovered and photographed recently using 3D sonar

Dungeons & Dragons Is So Classic It Now Has Its Own Digital Archive

Guides and books from the past 40 years of Dungeons and Dragons are to be preserved online

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