Smithsonian Stories

This cone-headed katydid (Copiphora rhinoceros) unsurprisingly gets its name from its pointy-shaped head.

A powerful process of seeing and naming created the tea-leaf storage jar named Chigusa.

Discover sloths in a whole new way!

The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in the United States

Have you ever had a pet that seemed just a little bit crazy or odd?

One way or another, she's gonna get you.

There’s something about the pointy ears and the cool gadgets that make him one of the most intriguing superheroes of all time.

Save the Rhinos! Save the Elephants! Save the humans?!

On Dec. 9 and 10, 1964, John Coltrane and his quartet recorded A Love Supreme.

Self-trained as an artist, Kiyochika set out to record his views of Tokyo. 

In the late 1960s, Jimi Hendrix shattered the notion of what the electric guitar could be.

 Through his work, Ramirez magnified the stuff of everyday life to reveal the history embedded in popular icons.

Before the invention of indoor rinks, ice skaters turned to the Volito when they needed to practice.

A festive tradition in Spain, Puerto Rico, and many Latin American countries, Three Kings Day commemorates the arrival of the three kings in Bethlehem.

Learn how four boys from Newark, New Jersey, became a media sensation and vaccination "heroes."

This mysterious creature that has been a victim of mistaken identity for more than 100 years.

Ladybugs take a detour on their way to help Smithsonian gardens grow

He followed me to the Folklife Festival, Mom! Can I keep him?

Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven after discovering microwaves generate heat.

The first living coelacanth was discovered in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.

“Suited for Space” is an exhibit that explores the design and innovation inside a spacesuit.

A Civil War military history researcher explains where Memorial Day celebrations came from.

This Smithsonian Snapshot marks the May 14, 1973, launch of Skylab, America’s first space station.

Findings answer a long-standing questions about the deadly winter of 1609–1610 known as the “starving time.”