American History

It’s Not Just You: Garfield Is Not Meant to Be Funny

Unlike New Yorker cartoons, in which, you are actually missing the joke, Garfield is in fact not even designed to be funny

March 20, 2013

How Did A Group of Plumbers’ Wives Change American History?

Initially a social club, the Women’s Auxiliary grew to become one of the nation’s most influential organizations in the country

March 20, 2013

From the Big Bang to the End of the Earth and Everything in Between, the Two Minute History of America

A fun video by a Minnesota high school student tries to capture all of human history in just two minutes

March 20, 2013

Should You Trust Nate Silver’s March Madness Bracket?

Everybody’s favorite predictor of the future - Nate Silver - has his own analysis of the tournament over at the New York Times

March 20, 2013

After Twenty-Three Years, FBI Says It Finally Knows Who’s Responsible for the Largest Unsolved Art Heist Ever

Twenty three years ago today, thieves pulled off one of the greatest art heists in history - and the FBI might have just finally caught them

March 18, 2013

Nixon Prolonged Vietnam War for Political Gain—And Johnson Knew About It, Newly Unclassified Tapes Suggest

Nixon ran on a platform that opposed the Vietnam war, but to win the election, he needed the war to continue

March 18, 2013

Surfer Kelly Slater Searches for the Perfect Wave in New 3-D Film

Mixing science and surfing, “The Ultimate Wave Tahiti” joins the world champion in the hunt

March 15, 2013

The Town Featured in ‘Erin Brockovich’ Still Has a Bunch of Pollution in Its Water

The chromium pollution is spreading, and Hinkley’s residents are at a loss for what to do

March 15, 2013

Cannibals of the Past Had Plenty of Reasons to Eat People

For a long time cannibalism was a survival technique, a cultural practice, and a legitimate source of protein

March 14, 2013

A Batarang, A Golden Ticket and a Green Gremlin: Treasures from Warner Bros.

Warner Brothers added to its collection of donated items with more than 30 new items to the American History Museum

March 11, 2013

Can Humans and Lions Truly Be Friends?

They’ve certainly tried

March 8, 2013

Did Benjamin Franklin Invent Daylight Saving Time?

The creation of DST is usually credited to George Vernon Hudson, but 100 years earlier, Benjamin Franklin pondered a similar question

March 8, 2013

Two-Time Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas Talks Big Dreams, Big Wins and Having Fun

Douglas discusses her recent donation of her leotard and other items from the 2012 London Olympics

March 7, 2013

How Would Thomas Jefferson Solve the Fiscal Crisis?

Jefferson managed to cut military spending by nearly half, end the whiskey tax and buy a third of North America

March 7, 2013

Events March 8-10: An Old School Southern Film, an International Women’s Day Celebration and a Classical Concert

This week, watch Bette Davis in the 1938 hit Jezebel, join performance art that honors African women and listen to one of the world’s best pianos

March 7, 2013

Is Cursive Handwriting Going Extinct?

March 6, 2013

Snowy Day, But Smithsonian D.C. Museums Open, Zoo Closes

Bad weather threatens the metro area, but the Smithsonian museums Will Open, National Zoo is Closed

March 6, 2013

The Gettysburg Cyclorama Is Gone Forever

Richard Neutra’s Gettysburg Cyclorama building demolished

March 5, 2013

Women’s History Month at the Smithsonian

From a Confederate spy to a deepwater researcher, women are everywhere and the Smithsonian is telling their stories

March 5, 2013

North Korea Has Begun a Week-Long Countdown to War

North Korea is threatening to end a 60 year-old ceasefire with South Korea

March 5, 2013