Crockford’s Club: How a Fishmonger Built a Gambling Hall and Bankrupted the British Aristocracy
A working-class Londoner operated the most exclusive gambling club the world has ever seen
Post Script: How I Constructed the Great American History Puzzle
Post Script: How I Constructed the Great American History Puzzle
The Great American History Puzzle lives on! Now complete with helpful hints and full explanations of answers! Plus, our Honor Roll of solvers
Congratulations to (drum roll…) Jeffrey Davidson!
I’m pleased to announce the winner of the Smithsonian’s Great American History Puzzle
The contest part of the Great American History Puzzle is officially over! I think the ninth puzzle was a lot of fun, however, so I hope you take a shot at it even if there’s no grand prize on the table anymore.
It’s been a long hunt through some of the darkest corners of the Smithsonian vaults, but the light at the end of the tunnel is at hand
But at least two of the last three puzzles in the grid (including today’s!) may be among the hair-pullingest yet. I’m not a sadist, mind you. I genuinely think you’ll have fun with them.
We’re past the midpoint of the Great American History Puzzle now, friends. By this point, the plot has thickened. For some of you, I’m guessing, it’s positively congealed.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Chemistry Set
Banning toys with dangerous acids was a good idea, but was the price a couple generations of scientists?
Why are there so few rules or instructions? It’s all part of the plan
The fourth puzzle is now unlocked. Have at it!
Some good news and some bad news from the Puzzle Master
Here are a few (non-spoiler!) answers to questions we’ve received from a bunch of solvers
Great American Puzzle Update: Solving a Sticky Question
A subscriber wondered if the mailing label that is printed on the mailed copies of Smithsonian magazine would interfere with his solving the Great American Puzzle
Welcome to the Great American History Puzzle!
Hello, Great American History Puzzlers! I’m Ken Jennings–yes, the 70-something-time Jeopardy! champion, but also a lifelong history buff and puzzle addict. In the weeks to come, I’ll gradually be unveiling a series of diabolically devious enigmas and brain-teasers over at The Great American History Puzzle website. One lucky winner will be headed to Washington D.C. […]
The Future of Cheating in Sports
As technology advances, so will access to ingenious—and troubling—new techniques
Paris or Bust: The Great New York-to-Paris Auto Race of 1908
Even before there were roads, there were men who wanted to drive fast
Designer Kellee Santiago picks five artful video games that tell the history of the medium
For decades, video games have enthralled and inspired, and now they are the subject of a new exhibit that views them as serious works of art
Breeders from 19 countries put their creations to the test at the 20th World Orchid Conference in Singapore
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