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History

Joan of Arc retains her status as a religious and patriotic heroine, especially in France.

France’s Leading Lady

Relics from her 1431 execution are a forgery. Will we ever know the real Joan of Arc?

"Getting to the Pacific by ship, without having to go over land, was the biggest challenge of that period," says Helen Nadar. "[Magellan's] the one that solved it" (above, a color engraving).

The Man Who Sailed the World

Ferdinand Magellan’s global journey gave him fame, but took his life

Princess Alexandrina Victoria, 18, ascends to the British throne when her uncle, King William IV, dies June 20, 1837.

June Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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Prophet on the Mount

The devout pay respects to Aaron

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Risks and Riddles

The Soviet Union was a puzzle. Al Qaeda is a mystery. Why we need to know the difference

Wimbledon has been more than a site for the greatest players to shine; often, it has shaped the entire sport.

A Brief History of Wimbledon

From a 19th century garden-party event to today’s international spectacle, the storied tournament has defined tennis

"It caught the public's imagination," says Heaney. "We will be dead and gone for years, and people will still be saying, coming off the boat: 'That's Alcatraz.'"

Breaking into Alcatraz

A former guard’s inside look at America’s most famous prison

The Institution's treasures were under 24-hour guard until World War II's end. The superintendent of the Shenandoah National Park selected five residents of Luray and the vicinity to serve as guards. "All fine men thoroughly conscientious in their duty," these guards were led by Lynn Black (far left, front row), and protected the collections against sabotage, theft and fire.

In the Event of War

How the Smithsonian protected its “strange animals, curious creatures” and more

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Talking to the Feds

The chief of the FBI’s organized crime unit on the history of La Cosa Nostra

A relentless self-promoter, Houdini appeared in several films. Performing his daring escapes for the screen, he had hoped that he could slow down his packed schedule. His showmanship did not translate in film, and his movies proved to be failures. (Library of Congress)

Houdini Revealed

Some 80 years after his death, Harry Houdini is back in the public spotlight. This photo essay sheds light on the escape artist’s life

The Old Bailey (in 1809) was the venue for more than 100,000 criminal trials between 1674 and 1834, including all death penalty cases.

Digitizing the Hanging Court

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey is an epic chronicle of crime and vice in early London. Now anyone can search all 52 million words

A member of an underwater archaeology team inspects a sphinx that is at least 3,000 years old.

Raising Alexandria

More than 2,000 years after Alexander the Great founded Alexandria, archaeologists are discovering its fabled remains

A player wearing an old-fashioned catcher's mask

April Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

An Old Bailey trial, circa 1808

Capturing a Narrative

In this interview, Guy Gugliotta, author of “Digitizing the Hanging Court,” talks about the Old Bailey’s influence on Dickens, Defoe and other writers

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March Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Francine Prose

Against the Grain

Rebels by any name

James Smithson by Hattie Elizabeth Burdette, 1872

Why This Wealthy British Scientist Saw So Much Potential in the United States of America

James Smithson’s biographer offers insight into ideals born of the Age of Enlightenment that gave rise to the founding of the Smithsonian

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Planet — well, Forest — of the Apes

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The Good News Is Fewer Than 1/3 Of Us Know Basic Science

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February Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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