Obituary

Kirk Douglas, Towering Icon of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Dies at 103

A mainstay of 1950s and ‘60s cinema, Douglas was one of Classic Hollywood’s last surviving stars

February 6, 2020

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Smithsonian Historians Reflect on Kobe Bryant’s Legacy as His Portrait Goes on View

A 2007 photograph of the N.B.A. All-Star offers visitors a chance to pay their respects

January 27, 2020

Christopher Tolkien, Son of J.R.R. Tolkien and ‘First Scholar’ of Middle-Earth, Dies at 95

Following his father’s death in 1973, Christopher began editing and publishing the “Lord of the Rings” author’s unseen writings

January 17, 2020

Forensic Artist Betty Pat Gatliff, Whose Facial Reconstructions Helped Solve Crimes, Dies at 89

With her detailed reconstructions of missing persons and murder victims, Gatliff helped give identities to the nameless dead

January 16, 2020

Toni Morrison, ‘Beloved’ Author Who Cataloged the African-American Experience, Dies at 88

‘She changed the whole cartography of black writing,’ says Kinshasha Holman Conwill of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

August 6, 2019

Museum Curators Reflect on the Legacy of the Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin dies at 76; her memory lives on at the Smithsonian in artwork, photographs and other ephemera

August 16, 2018

Larry Kwong, Gifted Athlete Who Broke NHL’s Color Barrier, Dies at 94

Kwong, the first athlete of Asian heritage to play in an NHL game, battled racism and discrimination as he made a name for himself on the ice

March 21, 2018