U.S. History

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They Turned the Tide

Members of the Doolittle Raiders celebrate the 60th anniversary of the U.S. answer to pearl harbor

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Joyous View

A biographer and his subject, William Clark, meet in St. Louis

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Iron Will

While William Clark is best known for the expedition he made with Meriwether Lewis, his later life was as historic and more consequential

Dr. John Gorrie

Chilly Reception

Dr. John Gorrie found the competition all fired up when he tried to market his ice-making machine

Old Patent Office Building, ca. 1846

A Pantheon After All

There's no more fitting venue for American initiative and American art than the old Patent Office building

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Old House, New Home

For 200 years in Ipswich, it sheltered all manner of Americans; now it informs and delights them

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LBJ Goes for Broke

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Comet's Tale

A half century ago, the first jet airliner delighted passengers with swift, smooth flights until a fatal structural flaw doomed its glory

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Hell's Bells

The 19th-century trolley bell may have ding-ding-dinged, but the factory bell clanged the workday

Archaeology at Largo di Torre Argentina, Rome

Downtown Digs

One step ahead of bulldozers, Urban archaeologists pull historic treasures from America's cityscapes

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We've Got Mail

As the fabric-covered plane came to a halt, frenzied sou-venir hunters tore at it, putting French officials on guard. Hailed in his home state of Minnesota, the 25-year-old pilot hated the nickname Lucky, bestowed on him after the flight. After sleeping in splendor at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, he awoke to a life, he said, "that could hardly have been more amazing if I had landed on another planet." On an old postcard kept by the Richards family, Tudor Richards has written, "We saw him land!"

We Saw Him Land!

In a long-lost letter an American woman describes Lindbergh's tumultuous touchdown in Paris—75 years ago this month

A Model Son

Chesapeake Bay's maritime history comes alive in miniature wood carvings by a Maryland craftsman

The Smithsonian's Wurlitzer (its console above, with the Star-Spangled Banner) likely played the national anthem before movies.

It's a Wurlitzer

The giant of the musical instrument collection makes tunes— rootin '—tootin' or romantic

Cartwheels at 50

It's not such a hot idea to send us slides and other meltables through the mail.

Mail Call

You may have written to us. We may have even received it

President Abraham Lincoln delivering his second inauguration speech.

Absence of Malice

In a new book, Historian Ronald C. White, Jr., explains why Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, given just weeks before he died, was his greatest speech

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Ping-Pong Diplomacy

Blending statecraft and sport, table tennis matches between American and Chinese athletes set the stage for Nixon's breakthrough with the People's Republic

The condition of the main facade in 1979, showing absence of the main steps

Boss

The New York City courthouse that caused his downfall has been returned to its former glory, and Tweed's odious reputation has been refurbished

Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms" theme was rejected at first, but the posters became classics.

Any Bonds Today?

When Uncle Sam passed the hat in World War II, Americans came up with $185 billion to buy U.S. bonds

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