Articles

“It could take you a lifetime, or several lifetimes, to learn the history here,” says one member of the abbey staff. Left, the West Towers, completed in 1745.

Northern Europe and the British Isles

The Grand History of Westminster Abbey

The church’s many chambers and crypts hold the story of Britain’s past, present and future

A sadhill crane flies over the San Luis Valley.

Planet Positive

Planet Positive

From stories about rebounding species to dispatches about green innovations, <em>Smithsonian</em> magazine shares environmental practices that are working.

A circa 1825 sampler made by Ann E. Kelly at Leah Maguire&#39;s school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

A 19th-Century Textile Stitches a Tale of Women's Liberation

Beloved by her pupils, schoolteacher Leah Maguire embraced her freedom through sewing this sampler

Clarice Beckett painted Luna Park (1919) across the street from a Melbourne amusement park. &quot;Her eye alighted on fleeting moments,&quot; says gallery director Jason Smith.

The Great Australian Modernist the World Almost Never Knew

A new exhibition shines a light on the stunning work of Clarice Beckett

A team skis from the remote Taku D site to the Camp 10 sleeping quarters. Students often travel as much as 8 to 10 miles a day, carrying packs a third of their body weight.

Alaska

These Students Are Part of a 75-Year Study to Map Alaska’s Glaciers

Traversing an icefield by foot and on skis, the young researchers experience one of the coolest classrooms in the nation

Researchers hike near a creek that formed after a glacier retreated.

As Glaciers Retreat, New Streams Offer Homes for Salmon

After the waterways form, insects move in, alders and willows spring up, and spawning fish arrive in thousands

Theodore Roosevelt, right, and C&acirc;ndido Rondon, second from right, led the fateful mission to map an uncharted waterway and document natural wonders.

Teddy Roosevelt’s Perilous Expedition on the Amazon

The dangerous—yet victorious—trip wouldn’t have been possible without Cândido Rondon, an icon of Brazilian history

Lucy Maud Montgomery, 14. During this period, as she put it in her diary, she had begun to harbor &ldquo;dreams of future fame.&rdquo;

The Author of 'Anne of Green Gables' Lived a Far Less Charmed Life Than Her Beloved Heroine

L.M. Montgomery created a classic of children's literature, but what about her lesser-known works?

Photographed before her death in 1987, Septima Clark helped win African Americans the right to teach in Charleston, South Carolina.&nbsp;

The Power of Portraits

An exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery showcases the photography of Brian Lanker—and the remarkable lives of his subjects

Engineer Martin Cooper made the world&#39;s first cellphone call on April 3, 1973, using a Motorola DynaTAC.

From 'the Brick' to the iPhone, the Cellphone Celebrates 50 Years

As the technology turns 50, science fiction might hint at the cellphone's next chapter

A vintage promotional photograph commissioned and approved by Redfeather around 1915 is now held in the collections of the Smithsonian&rsquo;s National Museum of American History.

The Stars Are Aligned at the National Museum of American History

The Forgotten History of Tsianina Redfeather, the Beloved American Indian Opera Singer

A portrait of the performer debuts in the exhibition “Entertainment Nation”

Since its debut in 1974, Dungeons &amp; Dragons has only grown in popularity. No longer a niche game, it&rsquo;s been played by more than 50 million people to date.

14 Fun Facts About Dungeons & Dragons

Before watching the new movie adaptation, here's what you need to know about the history of the fantasy role-playing game

An elaborate dance sequence from the 1943 production, choreographed by Agnes de Mille

Behind 'Oklahoma!' Lies the Remarkable Story of a Gay Cherokee Playwright

Lynn Riggs wrote the play that served as the basis of the hit 1943 musical

The octagonal building with its tongue-in-groove peaked roof is &quot;really a beautiful piece of architecture,&rdquo; says the museum&#39;s conservator Dawn Wallace. &ldquo;You can tell it was heavily used, but it&rsquo;s beautiful construction.&rdquo;

Crowds Roared, a Century Ago, on Opening Day for the Mighty House That Ruth Built

An original Yankee Stadium ticket booth recalls the story of that first game, which featured a thundering three-run homer from the Great Bambino

Saylor Flett, left, fans flames ignited by Jeff Greef. Air quality, weather and even bird migration affect when it&rsquo;s safe to conduct a burn.

Planet Positive

Fighting Fire With Fire in California

How communities in the West are boldly setting property ablaze to reduce the impact of extreme wildfires

An artist&rsquo;s reconstruction of Rhinesuchus, a rhinesuchid temnospondyl

Paleontologists Uncover Fossil Impressions of Giant, Alligator-Like Amphibians

The find reveals how the creatures swam and relaxed in prehistoric waterways

An anonymous watercolor portrait of Francis Johnson holding an early 19th-century horn

Long Before Jazz, Frank Johnson Was Playing the Hottest Music in America

The innovations of a forgotten genius who laid the groundwork for the nation's signature music

Archaeologists collect samples from a prehistoric caribou hunting site on Alpena-Amberley Ridge in Lake Huron.

America's Waterways: The Past, Present and Future

Clues to the Lives of North America's First Inhabitants Are Hidden Underwater

Submerged prehistory holds insights on the first humans to live in North America

Have any modern animals adapted to human activity through natural selection?&nbsp; &nbsp;

Have Any Animals Evolved to Adapt to Human Activity?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Live oaks in Beaufort, South Carolina, photographed using an old-fashioned wet-plate process

The Live Oak Tree Has Withstood the Ravages of History

Majestic and sturdy, the icon of the American South has offered protection time and again

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