American History

Nuclear Bombs Made It Possible to Carbon Date Human Tissue

The fallout of the nuclear bomb era is still alive today - in our muscles

February 19, 2013

The Civil War, Now in Living Color

How one author adds actual blues and grays to historic photographs

February 15, 2013

Events February 15-17: Sketching Lessons, Arabian Jazz and Lincoln’s Dream

This week, indulge your creative side, hear Arab music, and meet a children’s book author

February 14, 2013

PHOTOS: A Piece of History, Celebrating Mardi Gras in D.C.

Historical photographs of Mardi Gras celebrations also tell the story of D.C.’s African American roots

February 12, 2013

Document Deep Dive

Harry Truman’s Adorable Love “List” to His Wife, Bess

As a celebration of 38 years of marriage, the former president shared his memories, both fond and bittersweet, from each anniversary

February 12, 2013

Fifty Years After Sylvia Plath’s Death, Critics Are Just Starting to Understand Her Life

Cultural fascination with the author and poet continues to burn brightly despite - or perhaps because of - Plath’s premature departure from this world

February 11, 2013

Sneak Peek of “Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4”

Airing February 11, the Smithsonian Channel documentary tells the story of the lunch counter sit-in that helped to change the country

February 11, 2013

Events February 12-14: Women in Sustainability, China’s Investment in Africa and an Emancipation Proclamation Theater Performance

This week, hear from a panel of sustainability rock stars, see a documentary on China’s presence in Africa and watch a Black History Month celebration

February 11, 2013

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

February 8, 2013

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

February 7, 2013

Making Progress: Future Home of the African American History Museum

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

February 6, 2013

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

February 6, 2013

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

February 6, 2013

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

February 5, 2013

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

February 4, 2013

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

February 4, 2013

Grand Central Terminal Turns 100

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

February 1, 2013

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

February 1, 2013

When Did Humans Come to the Americas?

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

February 2013

The Civil War

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

February 2013