Women's History
A Woman Appeared on the English Stage for the First Time on This Day in 1660, Transforming the World of Theater Forever
Despite this historic first, the identity of the first professional English actress on stage remains a theatrical mystery
The Real Story Behind Netflix's 'The Six Triple Eight,' a New Tyler Perry Film About the Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
The Black, female unit sorted through a massive backlog of undelivered mail, raising American soldiers' morale during World War II
The Best Books of 2024, as Chosen by Smithsonian Scholars
Staff at the Institution pick their favorite reads of the year, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction
New Exhibition Unravels Sigmund Freud's Complex Relationship With the Women in His Life and Work
"Women & Freud: Patients, Pioneers, Artists" spotlights the women who influenced the Austrian neurologist—and the field of psychoanalysis more broadly
See the Dazzling Diamond Necklace With Possible Ties to Marie Antoinette That Just Sold for $4.8 Million
Some of the gems may have featured in a royal scandal known as the "affair of the diamond necklace" that damaged the French queen’s reputation in 1785
The Feminist Who Inspired the Witches of Oz
The untold story of suffragist Matilda Gage, the woman behind the curtain whose life story captivated her son-in-law L. Frank Baum as he wrote his classic novel
The ‘Penicillin Girls’ Made One of the World’s Most Life-Saving Discoveries Possible
The true, forgotten and sometimes-stinky history of the cohort who took Alexander Fleming's innovation and forever changed the face of modern medicine
Harriet Tubman Just Became a One-Star General, More Than 150 Years After Serving With the Union Army
The celebrated Underground Railroad conductor received posthumous recognition for her service as a spy, scout, nurse and cook during the Civil War
These Rare Artifacts Tell Medieval Women's Stories in Their Own Words
A new exhibition at the British Library explores the public, private and spiritual lives of such figures as Joan of Arc, Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen
The Enterprising Woman Who Built—and Lost, and Rebuilt—a Booming Empire During the Klondike Gold Rush
With flinty perseverance and a golden touch, Belinda Mulrooney earned an unlikely fortune in the frozen north and reshaped the Canadian frontier
This Art Dealer Paved the Way for Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani. So Why Haven't You Heard of Her?
A new exhibition in New York celebrates Berthe Weill, an often overlooked but visionary figure who jumpstarted the careers of many of modern art's giants
This Savvy Librarian Was the True Force Behind New York’s Iconic Morgan Library
It fell to Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman whose racial identity was kept secret for decades, to catalog J.P. Morgan's immense collection of books and art
See a Newly Uncovered Throne Room in Peru That May Have Belonged to an Ancient Queen
Built by the Moche people in the seventh century, the stunningly painted space shows signs of heavy use, including an eroded throne and traces of human hair
The Real Story Behind the 'Lee' Movie and Lee Miller, the Legendary Surrealist Photographer and World War II Journalist Who Inspired It
In a new biopic starring Kate Winslet, Miller's many lives—as an artist, model, muse, cook and war correspondent—need little embellishment
This Female Civil War Soldier Participated in the Bloodiest Battle in American History and Spied on the South—or Did She?
Historians say that Sarah Emma Edmonds exaggerated many aspects of her wartime experiences. Still, she bravely served in the Union Army, becoming one of hundreds of women who fought in the conflict in secret
When a Trailblazing Suffragist and a Crusading Prosecutor Teamed Up to Expose an Election Conspiracy
An unlikely duo exposed political corruption in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1914—and set a new precedent for fair voting across the country
Discover the Special Meaning Behind Kamala Harris’ Pearls
The vice president, who will give a speech at the Democratic National Convention to accept the presidential nomination Thursday night, often wears jewelry connected to her historically Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha
How the Great Depression Fueled a Grassroots Movement to Create a New State Called Absaroka
In the 1930s, disillusioned farmers and ranchers fought to carve a 49th state out of northern Wyoming, southeastern Montana and western South Dakota
Who Were Cleopatra’s Rivals for Mark Antony's Love?
The Roman general’s third and fourth wives, Fulvia and Octavia, adopted varying strategies for luring their husband away from the queen of Egypt
Inside the Controversial Plan to Turn a Hotel Where Jane Austen Attended Balls Into Student Dorms
Devoted readers are worried about the fate of the historic Dolphin Hotel in southern England
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