Learn the Secret Histories of These Fascinating CIA Artifacts, From Pigeon Cameras to Cufflink Compasses
With the launch of its new website, the CIA Museum is bringing its sprawling collection of spy artifacts out of the shadows and into the public eye
Former and Active DMZs Allow Visitors to Learn the Haunting History of These Landscapes
Demilitarized zones—from Vietnam to Korea, Cyprus and Antarctica—require tourists to look beyond what exists and to find the real stories in what doesn’t
Can You Identify the Mystery Photographer Who Captured Thousands of Captivating Images of 1960s San Francisco?
Discovered in an abandoned storage locker, the 2,042 processed color slides and 102 rolls of black-and-white film depict key moments in the city’s history
The Wartime Organization That Brought Hollywood Stars Like Marilyn Monroe and Nancy Sinatra to the Front Lines to Entertain the Troops
Established on this day in 1941, the United Service Organizations offers wholesome entertainment options to off-duty service members
See a Film That Reimagines History on the Malaysian Island That Served as a Refugee Site After the Vietnam War
The work, now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, tells the story of two characters on the island—the last people alive in the world
Before Beyonce and Taylor Swift Ran the World, There Was Joan Baez
Today’s artists—especially women—are sometimes criticized for speaking out, but for Baez, art and activism were indivisible
The American Soldier Whose Fear of Fighting in Vietnam Led Him to Defect to North Korea. He Stayed There for 40 Years
During his time in the repressive country, Charles Robert Jenkins married a Japanese abductee, taught English at a school and appeared in propaganda films
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Celebrate Veterans Day With These 15 Patriotic Photos
Communities nationwide honor our retired service members every November
Healing the Wounds of the Vietnam War
Two perspectives on the 20th-century conflict look back, five decades after the fighting stopped, to discuss what was lost and what is remembered today
Fifty Years After Their Release, Former Vietnam POWs Journey Back to Hanoi
A group of American veterans return to the infamous compound where they and hundreds of other service members were held captive and tortured during the war
Outdoor Exhibition on the National Mall Spotlights Untold American Stories
In “Beyond Granite: Pulling Together,” six artists have created works for a month-long display
A Monument Honoring Shirley Chisholm, the First Black Congresswoman, Is Coming to Brooklyn
After years of delays, New York City officially approved a statue commemorating the borough native and political trailblazer
How Spam Became a Staple of Asian Cuisine
When American G.I.s fought abroad in wars in the 20th century, they left behind an unlikely legacy: canned meat
The Stars Are Aligned at the National Museum of American History
Fifty Years and TV’s ‘M*A*S*H’ Still Draws Audiences
Fans are making plans to visit the Smithsonian this December when the show’s signature signpost goes on view in the new exhibition “Entertainment Nation”
The FBI Kept Files on the Monkees—and Micky Dolenz Wants to See Them
The band’s last surviving member is suing the FBI, which monitored the group in the 1960s
Fifty Years Later, Kim Phuc Phan Thi Is More Than ‘Napalm Girl’
While the image freezes in time a moment of wartime horror, its subject has been moving forward
‘Top Gun’ Is Back. But Is the Elite Navy Fighter Pilot School Really Like the Movies?
The Smithsonian’s Chris Browne flew the much-feared F-14, and as a former TOPGUN student, knows well the power of a Navy-trained fighter pilot
The Vietnamese Secret Agent Who Spied for Three Different Countries
Known by the alias Lai Tek, the enigmatic communist swore allegiance first to France, then Britain and finally Japan
Colin Powell, First Black Secretary of State, Dies of Covid-19 at 84
The decorated general broke racial barriers in the U.S. military but attracted criticism for his part in paving the way for the Iraq War
In the Magic Kingdom, History Was a Lesson Filled With Reassurance
Fifty years ago, Disney World’s celebrated opening promised joy and inspiration to all; today the theme park is reckoning with its white middle-class past
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