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Ozzie Smith, a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee and member of the show's advisory committee, previews "The Souls of the Game."

Hall of Fame Examines 150 Years of Black Baseball History

A new exhibition begins long before the creation of the Negro Leagues and ends with the triumphs and challenges of today’s players

Venus Williams is getting her own Barbie doll for a new Mattel campaign to celebrate women in sports. 

The Paris Olympics

Tennis Icon Venus Williams Scores Her Own Barbie Doll

The plastic (and fantastic) version of Williams is one of nine new Mattel dolls celebrating female athletes

The ancient pool was lined with mosaics made with tesserae, or shaped tiles, of different materials.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman Swimming Pool in Albania

Found in an upper-class villa, the indoor pool was accompanied by decorative mosaics and frescoes dating back nearly two millennia

Guests will get to stay inside the Musée d'Orsay's clock room on the night of July 26.

The Paris Olympics

Spend the Night in the Musée d’Orsay’s Clock Room on the Evening of the Olympics Opening Ceremony

Airbnb will allow two travelers to book a one-night stay in the storied Paris museum, where they will watch the ceremony from a balcony overlooking the Seine

The Maya played games like pok-a-tok, in which players hit a rubber ball through a stone circle such as this one in the ancient city of Chichen Itza.

Cool Finds

Hallucinogenic Plant Unearthed Beneath an Ancient Maya Ball Court

Researchers have found evidence of a nearly 2,000-year-old ceremonial offering at the site in present-day Mexico

The driverless race cars were controlled with cameras, advanced processing units and sensors.

World’s First Race of A.I.-Driven Cars Was Filled With Spins, Swerves and Stops

Though the cars could not compare to human drivers, the event may help improve self-driving technology, experts say

Victor Montalvo will be competing for Team USA in breaking at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

The Paris Olympics

How Breaking Went From a Street Dance to an Olympic Sport

This summer, 32 athletes will compete in what’s commonly known as breakdancing, a dance sport that combines athleticism and artistry

Greek actor Mary Mina played the role of the high priestess at the ceremony, which took place in Olympia in front of the ruins of the temple of Hera.

The Paris Olympics

The Olympic Torch Relay Began in Nazi Germany

After a torch-lighting ceremony this week, the Olympic flame began its long journey from Olympia to Paris

"Change Your Game / Cambia tu juego" looks at scores of innovations that improve performance, ensure safety and more accurately score games.

From the JogBra to Gatorade to Breakaway Basketball Rims, Sports Are a Field for Invention

A new exhibition at the National Museum of American History aims to inspire the next generation of innovators

The skate was discovered in Přerov, a city in the Czech Republic's eastern Olomouc region through which the Bečva river flows.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth 1,000-Year-Old Ice Skate Made of Animal Bone in Czech Republic

The artifact dates to a time when skates were used primarily for practical purposes

John Thorn, perhaps the most knowledgeable historian of our national pastime, at home in Catskill, New York.

How Baseball’s Official Historian Dug Up the Game’s Unknown Origins

A lifelong passion for the national pastime led John Thorn to redefine the sport’s relationship with statistics and reveal the truth behind its earliest days

The three-panel artwork depicts a javelin thrower, a skateboarder and a break dancer.

The Paris Olympics

See a Tapestry Commissioned to Celebrate the Paris Summer Olympics

Designed by artist Marjane Satrapi, the enormous triptych depicts athletes competing around the Eiffel Tower

The Bréal Cup, designed by French scholar Michel Bréal, was awarded to the winner of the first Olympic marathon.

The Paris Olympics

Paris Is Preparing for the Summer Olympics With a New Exhibition at the Louvre

“Olympism” explores the history of the ancient Olympics and France’s influence on the modern games

By the end of the 2000s, via ferratas had begun pushing westward, with a handful of routes. Here, a child crosses a ravine on a slackline near Lake Tahoe, California.

Via Ferratas Are Finally Catching On in the United States

With origins in Europe, the assisted climbing routes are springing up at luxury resorts and on private land this side of the Atlantic

Sports psychology research has increased dramatically in the last decade or so. 

What We’ve Learned Through Sports Psychology Research

Scientists are probing the head games that influence athletic performance, from coaching to coping with pressure

The newly unveiled medals will be awarded at this summer's Olympic games, which will take place between July 26 and August 11.

The Paris Olympics

New Olympic Medals Feature Fragments of the Eiffel Tower

This summer’s Paris Olympic and Paralympic medals will be decorated with pieces of iron from the landmark

A little rain doesn’t stop the show, and neither does a worldwide pandemic. Just months after Covid-19 gripped the globe, high school football players—and referees—were back on the field.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Are You Ready for Some Football? Prep for the Super Bowl With 15 Thrilling Photos of Americans Tossing the Pigskin

Celebrate the cherished American sport before the big game

The bronze statue of Jackie Robinson (left) was unveiled in Wichita in early 2021. In late January, perpetrators cut off the statue at the ankles, leaving only a pair of shoes (right).

Who Stole—and Burned—This Jackie Robinson Statue?

Donations poured in to help replace the bronze statue, which a youth baseball nonprofit unveiled in 2021

One side of the silver medal depicts Zeus holding Nike in the palm of his hand, while the other side features the Acropolis in Athens.

The Paris Olympics

Winners Got Silver Medals at the First Modern Olympic Games in 1896

A rare example of the nearly 130-year-old silver medal just sold at auction for $112,000

Surfers play an overlooked role in keeping other beachgoers safe, according to new research.

Surfers Play a Crucial Role in Ocean Rescue

During their lifetimes, surfers rescue an average of three people in trouble, according to a new study

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