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Individuals and objects associated with Irish contributions to the American Revolution (clockwise from top left): Surgeon and statesman James McHenry, Quaker spy Lydia Barrington Darragh, Commodore John Barry, a letter written by Irish-born printer John Dunlap, Continental Army officer Stephen Moylan, Pennsylvania politician James Smith, Delaware politician Thomas McKean, and Charles Thomson's proposal for the Great Seal

History

How Tens of Thousands of Irish Immigrants Led the Patriots to Victory During the American Revolution

Soldiers of Irish heritage accounted for up to 50 percent of the Continental Army's ranks. Driven from their homeland by British oppression, Irish-born rebels also served as spies, politicians and more

Sonja Anderson

This amber pendant is expected to fetch £100,000 to £150,000 at auction.

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Sold for Just £5,588, This Amber Pendant Turned Out to Be a Rare Tudor-Era Portrait of Elizabeth I. Now, It’s Going on Auction for £100,000

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Smithsonian magazine Summer 2026 issue cover
The “Ether Dome” at Massachusetts General Hospital is now a National Historic Landmark.
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Medical procedures used to be a scream-filled endurance test until doctors at this Boston institution learned to tame the pain of patients
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Travel Rediscovering America’s Original Grand Tour
Follow along as we retrace the route one journalist laid out in “The Fashionable Tour,” from New York City to Niagara Falls, when memories of the fight for independence were still fresh
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Silence Dogood. Richard Saunders. Benevolus. Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim. All were pen names that allowed Franklin to say things he couldn’t have otherwise said
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Excluded at the March on Washington, Dorothy Height Went on to Become the ‘Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement.’ See How She Built a Movement with Women at the Center.

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Celebrating and Reflecting Upon America’s 250th With Iconic Smithsonian Objects that Commemorate the Country’s Story

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How a Meaningful Place-Based Approach to Social Studies Instruction Can Create Deeply Engaged Citizens

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These Objects From the Smithsonian Collections Mark the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn

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In Eastern Idaho, the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo Celebrates Cowboys, Craftsmanship, and Community

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For National Pollinator Week, Learn Why the National Museum of Natural History is Using a State-of-the-Art Conveyor Belt System to Digitize Thousands of Insect Specimens

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A Fossil From Antarctica Sat in a Drawer for 40 Years. It Turned Out to Be the First Dinosaur Bone Ever Found on the Continent

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In a Scientific First, Researchers Recovered Ancient DNA That Humans Left Behind on Rock Art and Cave Walls

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After the Founders Declared Independence, Printers Quickly Translated the Text for German-Speaking Americans

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History

A Century and a Half After Custer’s Last Stand, the Battle of Little Bighorn Continues to Mystify

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Revealing Its Original Shape, Not Seen in Centuries, Greece Restored Part of the Parthenon’s Western Facade

Photo of the Day

In a vibrant scene at Malaysia's National Independence Parade, hundreds of audience members are gathered, creating a unified sea of white as they wear matching hats and shirts in celebration. The bright white outfits reflect a sense of national pride and solidarity, contrasting against the colorful parade procession in the background. Among them, one person stands out—a lone figure without a hat, subtly breaking the uniformity. This small difference adds an intriguing detail to the image, drawing the viewer's eye amidst the cohesive crowd in this patriotic gathering.

Unity in White: The Lone Standout

By Lam Soon Tak

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Smithsonian Videos

Preview thumbnail for video 'The Remarkable, Amazing Stories of Route 66 Reflect the Twists and Turns of 100 Years of Americana

The Remarkable, Amazing Stories of Route 66 Reflect the Twists and Turns of 100 Years of Americana

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Smithsonian Podcast: There’s More to That

Smithsonian magazine covers history, science and culture in the way only it can — through a lens on the world that is insightful and grounded in richly reported stories. In There’s More to That, meet the magazine’s journalists and hear how they discover the forces behind the biggest issues of our time.

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The Remarkable, Amazing Stories of Route 66 Reflect the Twists and Turns of 100 Years of Americana

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History

A 1916 photo of Frances Kellor

During World War I, This Woman Asked Americans to Welcome Immigrants—and Urged New Arrivals to Assimilate

Progressive reformer Frances Kellor spearheaded efforts to celebrate Americanization Day, arguing that immigrants should fully embrace U.S. culture to better adapt to life in their new home

Sold for Just £5,588, This Amber Pendant Turned Out to Be a Rare Tudor-Era Portrait of Elizabeth I. Now, It’s Going on Auction for £100,000

This Building Hosted Lincoln’s Inaugural Ball and Displayed the Declaration of Independence. Today, It’s Home to Two World-Class Art Museums

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Science

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, imaged here with its broad coma of gas and dust, has captivated astronomers since its discovery on July 1, 2025.

A Rare Comet Made History as the Third Known Interstellar Object to Fly Through Our Solar System. Studies Are Now Revealing the Mysterious Conditions in Which It Formed

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Speed Limits for Ships Protect Endangered Right Whales From Vessel Strikes. Could the Animals Survive Without Them?

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Innovation

Around two million graduating high school students in the United States—more than half—take the SAT each year.

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Travel

With a full-size basketball court, and conspicuously without any presidential paper documents, the center, in many ways, is a departure from presidential institutions that came before.

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Arts & Culture

Detail of Rembrandt's Let the Little Children Come Unto Me

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At the Smithsonian

A circa 1846 photo of the Patent Office Building

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