Smithsonian Stories

Learn about six common invasive plants and get suggestions for native stand-ins to plant instead.

A Smithsonian expert answers a few questions about rising temperatures and the future for polar bears.

Wood-block illustrated books in Edo-period Japan evolved quickly into a popular mode of both artistic production and commercial trade.

This 1923 ticket booth was in the original Yankee Stadium.

The parade kept woman suffrage in the newspapers for weeks.

Collages like the one shown here are typical of the “scrapbook houses” made by young, middle-class girls in the 19th century.

A watershed event in 1960.

Two new mosquito species discovered in Eocene deposits from northwestern Montana.

Here comes Santa Claus!

Here is a little food for thought while filling your carts this holiday season. 

This 1905 Thanksgiving menu by George Elbert Burr is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Celebrate the Halloween season with this 1889 scientific illustration of a vampire squid from Smithsonian Libraries.

Scientists compare the genetic diversity of domestic turkeys and ancestral wild turkeys.

These chocolate bars provided a morale boost—plus caffeine and sugar—to troops during WWII.

This Smithsonian Snapshot celebrates the back-to-school season with this original pack of Crayola Crayons.

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on this portable desk.

Keller’s inspiring story made her an international celebrity, and she became a prominent spokesperson for disability rights. 

In the mid 1900s, airline advertisements like this one from Continental Airlines promoted exotic travel destinations.

V-Mail was a solution to the volume of mail competing with essential wartime supplies for cargo space.

On May 10, 1881, Princess Stéphanie of Belgium wore this handmade veil for her wedding to Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolf.

Zoos have doubled as recreation areas and amusement parks as illustrated on the front cover of this 1895 guidebook from the Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in England.

This Smithsonian Snapshot celebrates the May 25, 1889, birthday of Igor Sikorsky, inventor of the world’s first mass-produced helicopter.

This giant prehistoric turtle from Colombia could chomp everything in sight—including crocodiles!

Each crew member was supplied with three meals per day, which provided approximately 2,800 calories.