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The Uncertain Promise of Freedom’s Light: Black Soldiers in The Civil War

Sometimes treated as curiosities at the time, black men and women fighting for the Union and organizing for change altered the course of history

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The Making of a Millennial Jazz Musician: Elijah Jamal Balbed

After being put in “baby jazz” in high school, Balbed has made a name for himself in the Washington, D.C. scene

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Oscar Peñas: A Music Man on a Mission

A Spanish jazz musician finds his home with international collaborations

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PHOTOS: A Tale of Two (Super Bowl) Cities

Take a tour of San Francisco and Baltimore with historical photographs from the collections

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Time Capsule: A Peek Back to the Day When Elvis Made It Big

On this day in 1956, Elvis appeared on the CBS program, The Stage Show, to skeptical critics and enthused audiences

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PHOTOS: Orchids of Latin America

Known for being particularly eye-catching, the orchids of Latin America are part of religious, cultural and even culinary life in the region

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Very Seinfeld: A Museum Exhibit about Visiting Museum Exhibits

“A Day at the Museum” examines documents that tell the stories of artists’ trips to museums over the past two centuries

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Q+A: How To Save the Arts in Times of War

From Iraq to Libya, Corine Wegener works to preserve priceless objects of human history

Painting of an Inuit woman with face tattoos, 1654. See a film by an Inuit director attempting to reclaim this tradition in “Tunniit: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos.” Author unknown.

Events January 25-27: Persian Drama, Inuit Face Tattoos and Schubert’s Fantasy

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Two New Prehistoric Bloodsucking Species Found in Montana

Forty-six million-year-old fossils help identify mosquito species from an ancient insect hot spot

Today, President Barack Obama will take the oath of office for his second term.

Inauguration Day 2013

All you need to know for the day: where to eat, rest and what to see

Not officially on the guest list for Richard Nixon’s 1973 inaugural ball, this chicken decided to check out the scene anyway. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Inauguration History

That Time a Chicken Crashed Nixon’s Inaugural Ball and Other Crazy Inaugural Tales

Ten quirky moments from inaugural history, including presidential lassoing

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VIDEO: Making Mount Rushmore

Get up close and personal with four presidents with video and now a new National Park Service app

Japanese taiko drumming, one of a panoply of performances from cultures around the world at this weekend’s Multicultural Festival.

Events January 18-20: A Multicultural Festival, the Voices of Emancipation and the Smithsonian Staff’s Best Photos

This week, travel around the world in one museum, celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation and see the world through the Smithsonian staff’s eyes

The six men line up before the parade begins.

Inauguration History

Who Were the Six Native American Chiefs in Teddy Roosevelt’s Inaugural Parade?

Another inauguration, another opportunity to learn more about the men whose presence shocked the country

Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries building decorated for James Garfield’s inaugural ball, complete with string light garlands and patriotic buntings.

Inauguration History

Party Like It’s 1881: President Garfield’s Inaugural Ball

Nothing says, “Welcome, Mr. President,” like 3,000 gas lights and a big hulking statue

Inauguration History

If Only Hollywood Would Show Us Lincoln’s Second Inaugural

Our pop culture curator Amy Henderson strolls the halls of the Old Patent Building imagining the scene of Lincoln’s 1865 inaugural ball

Astrophysicist Lawrence Krauss is in the house on Monday to explain why our understanding of physics in the past 50 years has been based on a particle whose existence we couldn’t prove.

Events January 14-17: Higgs Boson, Up “Close” with President Obama, Modern Origami and Shiny Pots

This week, learn why the Higgs Boson particle matters, see a huge portrait of President Obama, discover modern origami and stand in DC’s most opulent room

An illustration of the variety of planets in our galaxy being detected by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. Research on their frequency suggests one in six stars in the Milky Way is orbited by an Earth-size planet, which means there would be at least 17 billion planets on which life might exist.

17 Billion Earth-Size Planets! An Astronomer Reflects on the Possibility of Alien Life

The “Greensboro Four,” above immortalized on their North Carolina A&T State University campus, fought racial segregation by refusing to leave a local retail store when the staff would not serve them coffee. Learn to protest like a pro this weekend at the American History Museum.

Events January 11-13: Civil Disobedience, Farm-Fresh Foods and Arabic Calligraphy Lessons

This week, protest racial segregation in the 1960s, discover DC’s “slow food” movement and learn to write in Arabic

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