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American History

Laura Ingalls Wilder

‘Little House on the Prairie’ Author’s Autobiography Published for First Time Ever

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Vintage Summer Tips From the U.S. Government: “Overeating Is Overheating”

In the early 1940s, in the years after the country had entered World War II, American government had a particular interest in keeping workers on the job

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One of the First Maps to Include “America” Found in Old Geometry Book

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Chimps Celebrate the End of a Research Era

Rock out on the Fourth with Max Impact, the premier band of the United States Air Force.

Events July 3-5: Flag Folding, Celebrate the Fourth, Explore the Heirloom Garden

Kick off the Fourth of July celebration this week with flag folding, a concert and a tour of the Heirloom Garden

Jim Thorpe's epic performance in the 15 events that made up the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Summer Games remains the most solid reflection we have of him.

Why Are Jim Thorpe’s Olympic Records Still Not Recognized?

In 1912, Jim Thorpe became the greatest American Olympian of all time, but not if you ask the IOC

The Mother Ship Model, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” is on display in the Rockets and Missiles exhibition station at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Insider Tips for the Tourists in Town

Think you know all of the cool sights on the Mall? We bet you’ll find these insider tips from the Institution helpful this tourist season

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What If the Founding Fathers Had Known About Voltron?

Olly Moss, a UK-based graphic designer, riffs on Benjamin Franklin’s 1754 political cartoon, “Join, or Die.”

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At the Portrait Gallery: “One Life: Amelia Earhart” Opens 75 Years After Her Disappearance

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Presidents vs. Monsters and Legends

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A Little Perspective: Congress First Mandated Health Care in 1798

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Obama Could Win 2012 Because the South Used to Be Underwater

America’s Other (Lady) Audubon

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Recessions Lead to Lipstick Lead to Babies, Says Science

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Things That Are Surprisingly New: Forks, Lunch, Huge Drinks

The National Zoo’s newest addition, a baby howler monkey.

Events June 22-24: Choctaw Days, Hollywood Classics and a Day at the Zoo

This weekend, celebrate the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, watch some Hollywood classic films and take the kids to the zoo

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Today is Juneteenth, the Most Important Holiday No One Knows About

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What the Taliban and Jenny McCarthy Have in Common

Artist's rendition of the Burning of Washington

Today We Celebrate the Time Canada Burned Down the White House

Two hundred years ago today, a 36-year old America declared war, for the second time, against Great Britain

Canadian reenactors recreate a battle from the War of 1812 in London, Ontario.

Canada

How Canada Celebrates the War of 1812

The Rodney Dangerfield of wars in the United States, the 19th-century conflict is given great respect by our Northern neighbors

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