Discover Patrick Henry’s Legacy, Beyond His Revolutionary ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’ Speech
Delivered 250 years ago, the famous oration marked the height of Henry’s influence. But the politician also served in key roles in Virginia’s state government after the American Revolution
Learn the Secret Histories of These Fascinating CIA Artifacts, From Pigeon Cameras to Cufflink Compasses
With the launch of its new website, the CIA Museum is bringing its sprawling collection of spy artifacts out of the shadows and into the public eye
You Can Spend a Night in the Last House Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Before His Death in 1959
The plans for the RiverRock house in northeastern Ohio were left on Wright’s drawing board when he died. But whether the project counts as a true “Wright” is up for debate
Two Trailblazing Spacewalks in 1965 Opened the Door to Decades of Astronauts Pushing the Limits of Their Capabilities
Since those early steps, extravehicular activity has helped provide the solutions to many problems that astronauts face in space
These Were the Most—and Least—Visited National Parks in 2024
America’s national park sites saw a record number of visitors last year. Great Smoky Mountains, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks are perennial favorites among travelers
A City Fit for a Queen: Tracing Queen Charlotte’s Passions Through Charlotte, North Carolina
Uncover the enduring impact of Queen Charlotte’s legacy on the city’s historic heritage.
Historic Century-Old Shipwreck Discovered 600 Feet Beneath the Surface of Lake Superior
The 300-foot “Western Reserve” sank in August 1892, killing 27 people after both lifeboats capsized. Harry W. Stewart, the ship’s wheelsman, was the only survivor
Armed With Just a Badge, Los Angeles’ First Policewoman Protected the City’s Most Vulnerable in the Early 20th Century
Appointed in 1910, Alice Stebbins Wells patrolled dance halls, skating rinks, penny arcades and movie theaters, keeping these public spaces free of vice and immorality
Newly Discovered Letters Illuminate the Life of a Female Printer Who Published Revolutionary Texts and Pushed the Colonies Toward Independence
As Virginia’s first female newspaper publisher, Clementina Rind emphasized women’s viewpoints and collaborated with prominent politicians like Thomas Jefferson
Eight Never-Before-Seen Short Stories by ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Author Harper Lee Will Be Published This Year
After Lee’s death in 2016, typescripts of her early fiction were discovered in her New York apartment. The previously unseen drafts offer new insights into her creative development
Discover the Short Life and Long Legacy of Casimir Pulaski, a Polish Cavalry Officer Who Became an American Revolutionary Hero
On the first Monday in March, Pulaski Day festivities at Chicago’s Polish Museum of America honored the “Father of American Cavalry,” 280 years after his birth
How a Leading Black Historian Uncovered Her Own Family’s Painful Past—and Why Her Ancestors’ Stories Give Her Hope
Martha S. Jones’ new memoir draws on genealogical research and memories shared by relatives
Remains of Bomber Pilot Identified 80 Years After His Plane Went Down During World War II
Herbert G. Tennyson was a U.S. Army pilot on a B-24 nicknamed “Heaven Can Wait,” which crashed into the ocean in early 1944
![The New Jersey Morning Call said Billy Possum had “a head that is likely to give a baby [a] nightmare.”](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/C_ChOJDb93Bxfo23E_V2_PBylcs=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/59/ef/59ef4b94-0d85-4b9a-90d1-c49db418433c/billy-possum.jpg)
How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to Replace the Teddy Bear as America’s National Toy
In 1909, wealthy widow Susie W. Allgood marketed a plush marsupial inspired by President William Howard Taft. But children thought the toy looked “too much like a rat,” and it sold poorly
Eight Places to Experience a Movie Like It’s 1925
Theaters from Washington to Florida and Massachusetts to Arizona show silent films accompanied by live music played on elaborate theater organs
Can You Identify the Mystery Photographer Who Captured Thousands of Captivating Images of 1960s San Francisco?
Discovered in an abandoned storage locker, the 2,042 processed color slides and 102 rolls of black-and-white film depict key moments in the city’s history
Was This Little-Known Standoff Between British Soldiers and Colonists the Real Start of the American Revolution?
On February 26, 1775, residents of Salem, Massachusetts, banded together to force the British to withdraw from their town during an oft-overlooked encounter known as Leslie’s Retreat
The QWERTY Keyboard Will Never Die. Where Did the 150-Year-Old Design Come From?
The invention’s true origin story has long been the subject of debate. Some argue it was created to prevent typewriter jams, while others insist it’s linked to the telegraph
From the Antebellum South to the Civil Rights Movement, Black American Women Have Long Told Their Stories Through Quilts
In a new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, over 30 works showcase the significance of this quilting tradition
The Real Story Behind ‘Nickel Boys’ and the Brutal Florida Reform School That Inspired the Film
Based on a Colson Whitehead novel, the Oscar-nominated movie dramatizes the story of the Florida School for Boys, which traumatized children as young as 5 for more than a century
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