Smithsonian Stories

On May 20–21, 1932, Earhart became the first woman—and the second person after Lindbergh—to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean. 

Equipped with a shield composed primarily of vibranium from the African nation Wakanda, Captain America fought the forces of evil.

Following Hurricane Maria, a team from the Smithsonian is working with local citizens to save and protect their cultural heritage for the future.

The cockroach parenting method—which includes feeding, guarding, and keeping their young very close—has served the insects for at least 125 million years.

Korean artist Do Ho Suh captures the objects of everyday life as dream-like sculptures.

From maypoles to marches, May Day is a holiday that many Americans have celebrated, but relatively few can explain.

Smithsonian researchers tracked a female whale shark for more than 12,000 miles, the longest whale shark migration route ever recorded.

This 1947 photograph by Harry Warnecke pictures Robinson at Ebbets Field during his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Smock was a critical figure in the development of the Los Angeles jazz scene.

Animal species can become endangered, but what about languages?

A life spent advocating for workers and women’s rights.

Bohemian ethos and artistry stands amid the buildings and crowded streets of the nation’s capital. 

Toward the end of World War II, the Nazis proposed a host of seemingly bizarre projects in an effort to turn the tide in their favor.

In January 1917, Alice Paul and the National Woman’s Party (NWP) became the first people to ever picket the White House.

At a time when women’s job opportunities outside the home were limited, the women computers at the Harvard College Observatory were challenging the norm.

Scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have identified an emerging crisis for Asian elephants in Myanmar.

“There’s no person in the world like you, and I like you just the way you are.”—Fred Rogers

Scientists have just discovered a new form of mimicry camouflage.

This dress tells the story of the "Little Rock Nine" and the fight for a quality education for all Americans. 

Exploring women at work through clothing in our collections.

In her 80s, she was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Learn a bumper crop of facts about the unsung heroes of the American farm.

Chauncey Spencer after a successful parachute jump at a Chicago air show. Spencer became one of Chicago’s most well-known barnstorming pilots.

The history of getting help quickly in the event of an emergency.