Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Teresa Nowakowski

Teresa Nowakowski

Teresa Nowakowski is a print and multimedia journalist based in Chicago. They cover history, arts and culture, science, travel, food and other topics.

Stories from this author

The Valencia wrecked in the northern reaches of the area referred to as the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” the stretch of treacherous coastline between Oregon’s Tillamook Bay and Canada’s Vancouver Island.

More Than 100 Died When the S.S. Valencia Wrecked in the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’—Learn Why This Stretch of Coastline Has Claimed Thousands of Ships

The ship’s demise on this day in 1906 demonstrated the terrifying dangers of the treacherous waters in the Pacific Northwest

The guillotine became France’s official method of capital punishment in spring 1792.

On This Day in 1793, Revolutionaries Executed the King of France by Guillotine, a Deadly Machine They Saw as a Symbol of Equality

Supporters of the French Revolution killed Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, with the same apparatus used to execute common criminals

Toy Story was the first full-length feature film to be produced entirely with computer animation.  

On This Day in 1993, Production Began on This Groundbreaking Movie That Transformed Hollywood Forever

With “Toy Story,” computer animation began its rise to dominance

A 1943 ban prohibited bakeries from selling ready-sliced bread, among other directives regarding the baked good’s manufacture and sale.

The Ridiculous Reason Why the U.S. Enacted a Wartime Ban on Sliced Bread Sales—and Why It Didn’t Last Long

Designed to keep prices low and conserve wax paper, the ban, enacted on this day in 1943, only succeeded in making Americans furious

MAFBI agents (right) escort Vincent James Costa (center) and Michael Vincent Geegan (left) from Federal Court 1/12. The two men together with four others were arrainged before UC commissioner for the $1,219,000 Brinks robbery on January 17,1950.

On This Day in 1950, Thieves Stole Millions in a Famous Robbery That Took Years for the Police to Solve

Investigators finally cracked the case thanks to infighting among the thieves—but never located all the money

The Oprichniki by Nikolai Nevrev (1888). The painting shows the last minutes of one of the aristocratic elite taken out by Ivan IV.

Ivan the Terrible, the Czar and Grand Prince of Russia, Wouldn’t Earn His Violent Nickname Until Years After His Reign

We all know Ivan IV’s sobriquet, but the story is more complicated than it might seem

The Derveni Papyrus, named for the location where it was found, is believed to date to between 340 and 320 B.C.E.

How Archaeologists Discovered Europe’s Oldest-Known Book, Revealing Never-Before-Seen Insights Into Ancient Religion and Philosophy

Charred by the flames of a funeral pyre, the Derveni Papyrus has proved to be a fascinating—and confounding—artifact

Later in 1967, flower children of all ages gathered in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

The Human Be-In, Which Happened on This Day in 1967, Set the Stage for the ‘Summer of Love’

This loved-up ‘happening’ on a winter day in San Francisco helped the counterculture grab national attention

An 1889 photograph of author Horatio Alger (right)

This Author, Famous for His Rags-to-Riches Stories, Forever Shaped How We Talk About the American Dream

Horatio Alger’s repetitive stories reached their true popularity and became synonymous with social mobility largely thanks to retellings after the writer’s death

Berry Gordy plays the piano with Motown stars including Stevie Wonder, at right, and Smokey Robinson, at rear behind the piano.

Motown Records, Founded on This Day in 1959, Broke Racial Barriers in Pop Music With Its Beloved Hits

Berry Gordy’s record label used the ‘sound of young America’ to bring people together

Installation view of the Brooklyn Museum's "Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines," on view through March 2024

How Zines Brought Power to Those on the Margins of Culture

A new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum examines zines’ role in art history and community building

Musicians at Auschwitz played as part of as many as six orchestras sanctioned by the SS, as well as in secret. A new project by Leo Geyer restores some of the music they composed while imprisoned.

Restored Music Composed by Prisoners at Auschwitz Played Publicly for the First Time

Leo Geyer’s “The Orchestras of Auschwitz” weaves remnants of musical scores written by those at the camp into a piece honoring the Holocaust’s victims

The Mona Lisa Foundation's new exhibition in Turin aims to convince viewers that the Isleworth Mona Lisa (left) is an early version of the world-famous Mona Lisa (right).

Is This an Early Draft of the ‘Mona Lisa’?

The “Isleworth Mona Lisa” is now on view in Turin—but many experts aren’t convinced it’s the work of Leonardo da Vinci

Advances in technology are making altering or faking content increasingly easier.

Merriam-Webster’s 2023 Word of the Year Is ‘Authentic’

As technology’s ability to manipulate reality improves, we’re all searching for the truth

The exhibition uses the Seattle Art Museum's double-height galleries to showcase works like the 22-foot-tall sculpture Red Curly Tail  (1970).

Expansive Alexander Calder Exhibition Opens in Seattle

“Calder: In Motion” celebrates the iconic artist’s innovative mobiles, sculptures and other works

Flag design finalist submission F2100

See the Top Contenders for the New Minnesota State Flag

Picked from more than 2,600 submissions, the finalists pay homage to the state’s motto and nickname

The sarcophagus of Ramses II is a major attraction in a new exhibition, as it has rarely been shown publicly outside of Egypt.

Why Egyptomania Is Taking Over Australia

A series of exhibitions in the country spotlight the enduring appeal of ancient Egypt for modern audiences

A display of low-value coins from Greece helps illustrate how money became part of ordinary peoples' everyday lives during economic transformation in medieval Europe.

How Money Transformed Medieval Europe

A new exhibition explores the questions raised by economic revolution—and how familiar those questions remain today

Thieves used a hammer to shatter the front door to the gallery and made off with a Chagall print.

Thieves With Hammer Stole $100,000 Chagall Print From Manhattan Gallery

The whereabouts of the work—and the individuals who conducted the “brazen” heist—remain a mystery

Sergeant Gabriela Corbalan rang a bell as the names of the soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment were read at a recent ceremony. 

U.S. Army Clears 110 Black Soldiers Charged in 1917 Houston Riots

The soldiers have been given honorable discharges, and their families may now be eligible for benefits

Page 1 of 10