Articles

The women featured in Brave. Black. First. include, among others, Nina Simone, Zora Neale Hurston, Ann Lowe and Condoleezza Rice.

New Book Draws Inspiration From Life Stories of African American Women

In “Brave. Black. First.,” meet more than 50 African American women who changed the world

Margaret Chase Smith sworn in on June 10, 1940 to fill the vacancy left by her husband, Rep. Clyde Smith. Left to right in the picture: Margaret Chase Smith, Speaker William Bankhead and Rep. James C. Oliver, Republican of Maine, who sponsored Mrs. Smith

Women Who Shaped History

The History of Wives Replacing Their Dead Husbands in Congress

This tradition was one of the main ways American women gained access to political power in the 20th century

The StairMaster commanded attention, ensuring that users could see—and be seen.

The History of the StairMaster

The 1980s brought about America's gym obsession—and a machine that demands a notoriously grueling cardio workout

The telescope will decommission on January 30 after uncovering the some of the deepest corners of the universe.

Spitzer Space Telescope Ends Operations After Scanning the Cosmos for 16 Years

Looking back on the groundbreaking discoveries of NASA's little telescope that could

Restaurateur Danny Meyer will talk about bringing Manhattan style to D.C. dining at the Smithsonian on February 20.

A Conversation with Restaurateur Danny Meyer and 18 Other Smithsonian Associates Events in February

Hear Restaurateur Danny Meyer Speak and 18 Other Smithsonian Associates Events in February

Olive oils for sale at The Spanish Table at Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Is Paying a Premium for European Foods Worth It?

New tariffs on certain wines, spirits, olive oil and cheeses from Europe have us wondering how much place really factors into taste

The lasting legacy of the Greensboro Four (above from left: David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Jibreel Khazan and Joseph McNeil) was how the courageous moment grew to a revolutionary movement.

Lessons Worth Learning From the Moment Four Students Sat Down to Take a Stand

One of the great monuments to the Greensboro Sit-In is at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

Peter Longstaff, a foot artist who participated in the neurological study.

Artists Who Paint With Their Feet Have Unique Brain Patterns

Neuroscientists determined that certain "sensory maps" in the brain become more refined when people use their feet like hands

Axolotls can regrow lost limbs, again and again, making them appealing to scientists who want to understand regeneration.

Some Salamanders Can Regrow Lost Body Parts. Could Humans One Day Do the Same?

In recent decades, the idea of human regeneration has evolved from an 'if' to a 'when'

The tangled history of Scottish independence features such figures as William Wallace, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

A Not-So-Brief History of Scottish Independence

This primer covers Scottish sovereignty from the Roman era to the Jacobite revolts, the 2014 referendum and Brexit

Annual sales of the Nerf football peaked at 8 million in 1979, but the toy continues to be a popular seller today.

The Nerf Football Has Been Inspiring Backyard Championships Since 1972

Former Minnesota Vikings kicker Fred Cox invented the safer, softer football for kids of all ages

Subtle changes in genetics can have major effects on how leaves grow into a wide variety of shapes.

Deciphering the Weird, Wonderful Genetic Diversity of Leaf Shapes

Researchers craft a new model for plant development after studying the genetics of carnivorous plants’ cup-shaped traps

John Baldessari, "Six Colorful Inside Jobs," 1977, 16mm film on video, color, silent; 32:53 minutes

How the Video Works of John Baldessari Defined Contemporary Art

Smithsonian curator Saisha Grayson examines the legacy of one of the greats of American Art

Great Nature, Storm on Mount Lyell from Johnson Peak by Chiura Obata, 1939

How Japanese Artist Chiura Obata Came to Be an American Great

With landscapes infused with an emotion borne of a life of struggle, this master receives his due in this traveling retrospective now at the Smithsonian

The Wilhelm Gustloff before its first departure in 1938 and after its test in the Hamburg harbor

The Deadliest Disaster at Sea Killed Thousands, Yet Its Story Is Little-Known. Why?

In the final months of World War II, 75 years ago, German citizens and soldiers fleeing the Soviet army died when the "Wilhelm Gustloff" sank

Prince performs at Minneapolis’ First Avenue nightclub in August 1983.

Why Prince Would Not Sound Like Prince Without Minneapolis

A human geographer explains how the city's unique sonic culture nurtured and inspired the musical genius

A wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) taking off for flight, carrying a GPS tracker that can detect radar emitted from ships.

Albatrosses Outfitted With GPS Trackers Detect Illegal Fishing Vessels

By utilizing the majestic birds to monitor huge swaths of the sea, law enforcement and conservationists could keep better tabs on illicit activities

Honor feather once owned by Artemas Ehnamani (Dakota,1825–1902). Nebraska.

The National Museum of the American Indian Just Tripled Its Archive of Online Artifacts

In a major step toward making collections more widely available, more than 122,000 ethnographic records and contemporary art collections can be viewed

A Beethoven monument stands in Vienna's Beethovenplatz.

Following Beethoven’s Footsteps Through Vienna

For the composer’s 250th birthday, visit the apartments where he lived, the theaters where he worked and his final resting place

Sailors reading, writing and relaxing at the Red Cross Rest Room in New Orleans. Around 400,000 African Americans served in World War I.

How World War I Planted the Seeds of the Civil Rights Movement

The Great War was a “transformative moment” for African Americans, who fought for the U.S. even as they were denied access to Democracy

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