Articles

In May 1967, the Beatles celebrate the completion of their new album, "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

The Inside Story of the Beatles' Messy Breakup

Tensions leading to the split, announced 50 years ago today, had been bubbling under the band’s cheery surface for years

Good news is out there, if you look for it. For instance, just this month scientists announced that we are on our way to recovering oceans by 2050.

Smithsonian Voices

Here’s How to Find Optimism in This Moment of Fear and Uncertainty

The Smithsonian's Earth Optimism Summit will now stream online starting this Earth Day; tune in and be inspired

Presenting the winners of Smithsonian magazine's 17th annual photo contest

These Are the Winning Photos of Smithsonian Magazine's 17th Annual Photo Contest

From Vietnam to Antarctica, this year's winners bring you amazing glimpses of a changing world—and the indefatigable human spirit

This week's selections include Hidden Valley Road, The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria and Coffeeland.

Books of the Month

Coffee's Dark History, the Sinking of the World's Most Glamorous Ship and Other New Books to Read

The third installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

Harvesting one of the vineyards at B Cellars in Napa Valley.

Virtual Travel

These California Wineries Are Hosting Virtual Wine Tastings

Sheltering in place doesn’t mean you have to give up the best of wine country's offerings

Paleontologists crossing the Rio Yurúa in Amazonian Perú, with the Santa Rosa fossil site in the background.

More Than 30 Million Years Ago, Monkeys Rafted Across the Atlantic to South America

Fossil teeth uncovered in Peru reveal that an extinct family of primates, thought to have lived only in Africa, made it across the ocean

Danish sculptor Thomas Dam produced the original troll doll.

The Colorful History of the Troll Doll

With the release of Trolls World Tour, and a new generation entranced by the ugly-but-cute toy, it appears the troll's lucky streak lives on

Almost a fourth of Americans have shared fake news at one point or another, according to a Pew survey from 2016, so it's important to be skeptical as you're browsing the web or watching TV.

Covid-19

How to Avoid Misinformation About COVID-19

False information about the pandemic is rampant; here’s how experts say you can identify what news to trust and what might be faulty

The loneliness and fear of operating behind enemy lines was a heavy burden. Some agents found they could trust no one except their own reflections. Undated self-portrait.

Women Who Shaped History

How a Spy Known as the ‘Limping Lady’ Helped the Allies Win WWII

A new biography explores the remarkable feats of Virginia Hall, a disabled secret agent determined to play her part in the fight against the Nazis

Echo, a five-year-old cheetah and first-time mother, gave birth to four cubs on April 8.

Watch Live as the National Zoo’s Cheetah Gives Birth to a Litter of Cubs

Congratulations to first-time mother Echo the cheetah!

Menhaden fishing

Covid-19

With Boats Stuck in Harbor Because of COVID-19, Will Fish Bounce Back?

The pandemic has left many unable to leave harbor, creating a window for fishing grounds to recover from years of overfishing

A family holds a Passover seder in 1970

Why Is This Year’s Passover Seder Different From All Other Years'?

A Smithsonian folklorist examines Jewish humor in the midst of a pandemic

Pasta Puttanesca is one dish on our list that can be easily made in self-isolation with pantry ingredients like canned fish.

Education During Coronavirus

Ten Top Chefs Share What They Are Cooking While in Isolation

Here’s some culinary inspiration as you wait out a global pandemic

A sketch from Eiffel’s workshop appears to show the statue with a bulkier shoulder than the final version has.

Recently Discovered Drawings for the Statue of Liberty Hint at a Last-Minute Change

Sketches from the workshop of French engineer Gustave Eiffel suggest a different plan for Lady Liberty’s upraised arm

On April 17, 1970, the parachutes carrying the Apollo 13 spacecraft and its crew cleared the clouds and the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

How the Crew of the Damaged Apollo 13 Came Home

Using the lunar module as a lifeboat and employing techniques never before considered, the astronauts' ordeal ended triumphantly

A nurse conducts a swab test for SARS-CoV-2 in Chessington, England.

Covid-19

Breaking Down the Two Tests That Could Help Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic

One detects an active infection; another signals that the virus has already left the body. Both are critical for tracking the spread of disease

"Washington and His Cabinet" lithograph by Currier & Ives

The President's Cabinet Was an Invention of America's First President

A new book explores how George Washington shaped the group of advisors as an institution to meet his own needs

Red siskins, (above: a trapped female rescued at a local market by wildlife authorities) listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, face threats from habitat loss, and poaching for the pet trade.

Heavily Trafficked Songbirds Have a Path Back to Resiliency

Researchers see promise in recruiting red siskin pet traders as conservation partners

Airburst from a comet may have destroyed a Paleolithic settlement 12,800 years ago.

A Comet May Have Destroyed This Paleolithic Village 12,800 Years Ago

Fragments of a comet likely hit Earth 12,800 years ago, and a little Paleolithic village in Syria might have suffered the impact

A group of Humboldt squid swim in formation about 200 meters below the surface of Monterey Bay

Deep-Sea Squids Glow to Communicate in the Dark

Researchers suggest that the Humboldt squid uses bioluminescent backlighting for visual cues in the dark deep sea

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