American Presidents

Inauguration History

This Interactive Maps Out the Lives of Former Presidents

From Washington to Obama, how ex-commanders-in-chief bided their time after leaving office

January 19, 2017

Take a Smithsonian Tour of All Things Presidential

Here’s how to locate official presidential portraits, works of art, material culture and campaign memorabilia across the Smithsonian

January 17, 2017

Inauguration History

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Presidential Food?

In honor of Inauguration Day, here’s a little quiz to see how much you know about presidential food history

Updated: January 13, 2017 | Originally Published: January 16, 2009

Inauguration History

The Speech and Bible From George Washington’s First Inauguration Made History Many Times Over

The first president created the tradition of giving an inaugural address and swearing the oath of office on a Bible

January 11, 2017

Cool Finds

In This New Portrait, George Washington Trades His Curls for a Man Bun

The first president turns hipster at a new D.C. restaurant

Updated: January 6, 2017 | Originally Published: January 6, 2017

Michael Jackson, Donald Trump and Other Famous Americans Who Escaped Brushes With Death

The roads not taken for these 13 lucky souls saved their lives

January 6, 2017

A Portrait of Obama in the Final Days of His Presidency

Commissioned for Smithsonian magazine, this painting shows a leader at a crossroads

January 2017

We Can Thank Harry Truman for TV Politics

Truman was the first president to regularly appear on television

January 5, 2017

Inauguration History

Why Do We Play ‘Hail to the Chief’ for the President?

A Scottish rebel features prominently in the anthem

January 2017

People Mailed Dimes ‘By The Truck Load’ to FDR’s White House to Cure Polio

He was America’s first and only president with a visible—and known—disability

January 3, 2017

The Tradition of Presidential Portraiture, Explained

The transition of office holders includes the official commissioning of the portrait of the outgoing First Lady and President

December 30, 2016

Why There’s A 30-Foot Menorah on the National Mall

The tradition of the National Menorah was begun under President Jimmy Carter in 1979

December 23, 2016

Cool Finds

Celebrate Christmas With the First Voice Ever Broadcast in Space

Eisenhower kicked off the space race with a goodwill wish

December 22, 2016

The Suspect, the Prosecutor, and the Unlikely Bond They Forged

New evidence shows that Homer Cummings, who would later be FDR’s attorney general, rescued an innocent man accused of murder

January 2017

People Have Spent Years Trying to Diagnose Mary Todd Lincoln From Beyond the Grave

Abraham Lincoln’s wife has been called a “wildcat,” “menstrual” and “bipolar” among other things

December 13, 2016

How Trump Tower Takes the Skyscraper Debate to New Heights

The future of urban development takes on a new twist when the president lives among the clouds

December 8, 2016

The Electoral College Has Been Divisive Since Day One

It has always had the potential for chaos—one that hasn’t been tapped…yet

Updated: December 7, 2016 | Originally Published: November 21, 2016

History of Now

From the Telegram to Twitter, How Presidents Make Contact With Foreign Leaders

Does faster communication cause more problems than it solves?

December 7, 2016

Chief Justice, Not President, Was William Howard Taft’s Dream Job

The 27th president arguably left a more lasting mark on the nation as leader of the Supreme Court

December 5, 2016

Trending Today

There’s a Department of Government Ethics? What Does it Do?

What is the agency weighing in on the incoming administrations potential conflicts of interest?

December 2, 2016