Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

American History

On April 27, 1865—12 days after he shot Lincoln at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.—Booth was shot in a Virginia barn. He died from his wound that day.

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Documenting the Death of an Assassin

In 1865, a single photograph was taken during the autopsy of John Wilkes Booth. Where is it now?

None

On This Day in History: Remembering the Freedom Rides

There is much to celebrate in the month of May but today we acknowledge the civil rights movement

National Museum of American History

Events: Youth Culture, My Dog Tulip, Poetry and More

Born to be Wild 3D features the conservation efforts of primatologist Galdikas with orangutans, along with that of Dame Sheldrick‘s work with elephants

None

Lincoln is Dead: A Collection of Artifacts at American History Mark the Tragedy

On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died from a gunshot wound he’d suffered the night at before at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C.

One of the best-documented female soldiers is Sarah Edmonds. She was a Union soldier and worked during the Civil War as a nurse.

Women Who Shaped History

The Women Who Fought in the Civil War

Hundreds of women concealed their identities so they could battle alongside their Union and Confederate counterparts

None

Happy Birthday, Billie!

It’s fitting that legendary jazz songstress-extraordinaire Billie Holiday’s birthday today falls during Smithsonian’s Jazz Appreciation Month

After Union troops refused to evacuate Fort Sumter, today a National Monument, Confederates opened fire.

The Civil War

Fort Sumter: The Civil War Begins

Nearly a century of discord between North and South finally exploded in April 1861 with the bombardment of Fort Sumter

Page 188 of 207