Smithsonian Stories

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet—similar to "Perkin's purple," which rocked the 19th-century fashion world.

Each one has a unique chorus, which may help scientists protect them.

This poster for the play Okay, Bye communicates a visual riddle.

A teacher’s letters describe watching the surprise attack from her home in the hills above Pearl Harbor.

Unlike most memorials or quilts, the AIDS Quilt is a living memorial—growing and changing with the addition of each new panel.

Broadway’s Hamilton costume tells story of philanthropy.

Navigate through real data of the remains of an exploded star in 3D. 

Marlene Dietrich was curating an Instagram-perfect image for herself 80 years before Instagram was invented.

Owls with a mission: Increase and Diffusion.

A National Museum of Natural History bat specimen, collected in France at the end of World War I, may hold important clues.

In a tumultuous period, Japanese Buddhists turned to their faith for protection.

On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step foot on the moon.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Halloween became a popular national holiday in the U.S., and crepe paper was commonly used for decorating.

Investigate why controlling rabies requires effective methods to deliver vaccines to people, pets, and wild animals.

Forklife traces the journeys of immigrant food traditions taking root in the United States.

Learn how the control of disease in livestock in the 1800s was a very real concern across much of the nation as it is today.

Learn about “climate change’s evil twin” with the Smithsonian's Ocean Portal.

Scientists discover common sea nettle jellyfish is actually two distinct species.

Freer's ideas for a classical, well-proportioned building on a piece of hotel stationery.

Rock ’n’ roll musicians live forever in the mind’s eye thanks to iconic photos of them in their element, playing live.

Cats played an important role in ancient Egyptian culture.

Meditating on Heruka’s image enables practitioners to destroy all mental obstacles to enlightenment.

Explores how Egyptians regarded and revered cats for some 2,600 years.

Hispanic advertising history includes Selena as spokesperson for Coca-Cola.