US Government

The laptop that belonged to Chris Janczewski, former IRS-CI agent

A Federal Agent’s Laptop Held the Keys to Seize $3.6 Billion in Stolen Bitcoin. Here’s How It Ended Up at the Smithsonian

Soon to be on display at the National Museum of American History, the laptop is the centerpiece of a criminal case that shows an evolving understanding of cryptocurrency

Each room on the tour now has a "reader rail" that provides historical information and context.

Jill Biden Unveils a Reimagined White House Tour, Which Invites Visitors to 'Touch, Hear and See' History

The public tours of the historic residence hadn't been overhauled in decades. For two years, the first lady's office has been working to make them more interactive and educational

Artist Ron Louque designed the 2002 federal duck stamp with this portrait of two snow geese soaring through the air.

The 'Super Bowl of Wildlife Art' Is All About Ducks, and It Has Protected America's Wetlands for 90 Years

Introduced in 1934, the federal duck stamp contest has raised more than $1.2 billion and protected at least 6.5 million acres across the nation. Now, an art exhibition at Connecticut’s Bruce Museum honors the competition’s history

President Joe Biden formally apologized on October 25 for the government's role in sending thousands of Native American children to federal boarding schools.

Biden Issues a 'Long Overdue' Formal Apology for Native American Boarding Schools

The president atoned for the federal government's role in forcing Native American children into boarding schools, where many were abused and more than 900 died

Overall, the findings of a new survey suggest Americans are more scared in general than they have been in recent history.

These Are Americans' Biggest Fears in 2024, as the Country Is 'Becoming More Afraid'

Government corruption, loved ones becoming ill or dying, cyberterrorism and nuclear weapons topped the list of Chapman University's annual survey

Qing Bao, a 3-year-old female, is one of two giant pandas making the long journey from China to Washington, D.C. 

The Smithsonian National Zoo's New Giant Pandas Will Make Their Public Debut on January 24

A pair of 3-year-old giant pandas—a male named Bao Li and a female called Qing Bao—have officially arrived at the Zoo, where they will first acclimate to their new home

An interior view of the Transfiguration Cathedral in in Odesa, Ukraine, which was heavily damaged by a Russian missile on July 23, 2023

Two and a Half Years After the Russian Invasion, Ukraine's Cultural Heritage Remains at Risk

A $1 million grant from the U.S. is the latest effort to support Ukraine's fight to preserve its rich past

A biologist holds a Bethany Beach firefly, found on a survey in 2019. The dwindling species is now being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

This Green-Flashing Firefly Could Become the First Ever Listed as Endangered in the U.S.

The Fish and Wildlife Service will consider granting federal protections to the Bethany Beach firefly, which is rapidly losing its coastal habitat to development and climate change

More than 650,000 people visit Kuwohi at Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. The summit is topped by an observation tower accessible via a paved path.

The Highest Peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Now Be Called by Its Cherokee Name

In 1858, the mountain was named for a Confederate general. Now, it will once again be known as "Kuwohi"

This rare copy of the Constitution was signed by then Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson.

This Forgotten Copy of the Constitution Discovered in a Filing Cabinet Could Sell for Millions

The historic text, which bears the signature of Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson, was one of 100 copies ordered on September 28, 1787

Video footage captured by a remotely operated underwater vehicle shows the cable winch of the S.S. Dellwood, a 3,500-ton U.S. Army vessel that had been installing communication lines when it collided with a submerged rock pinnacle.

Unraveling the Mysteries of the Battle of Attu, the 'Forgotten Battle' of World War II

Underwater archaeologists discovered three shipwrecks submerged near the small Alaskan island, which was the site of one of the deadliest conflicts in the Pacific

Moore loaned the scrap to the museum for two years.

This History Buff Found a Scrap of George Washington's Tent at Goodwill

The fragment, which was part of Washington's dining marquee during the Revolutionary War, is now on display at a museum in Philadelphia

These rare early copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights will go under the hammer on June 26.

You Could Own Rare Copies of the Nation's Founding Documents, Just in Time for the Fourth of July

Sotheby's is auctioning early printings of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as a 1790 Rhode Island broadside

Crew aboard a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft spotted the men's "HELP" sign from the air.

Stranded on a Remote Pacific Island, Three Men Spelled 'HELP' With Palm Fronds and Got Rescued

The experienced sailors lived on coconut meat and well water for more than a week, after their boat became damaged

The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration has been open since 1990.

The Ellis Island Museum Is Revitalizing the Story of American Immigration

A $100 million renovation will help preserve the history of the millions of immigrants who passed through the island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Gray wolves are typically much larger than coyotes.

A Michigan Hunter Thought He Killed a Large Coyote. It Turned Out to Be an Endangered Gray Wolf

Wildlife officials believe the animal was likely the first gray wolf spotted in the southern Lower Peninsula in 100 years

Regina King as Shirley Chisholm in Shirley, a new film written and directed by John Ridley

The True History Behind Netflix's 'Shirley' Movie

A new film dramatizes Shirley Chisholm's history-making bid to become the first Black woman president in 1972

The Department of Defense's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office was created in 2022 to investigate reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena.

U.S. Has 'No Evidence' of Alien Technology, New Pentagon Report Finds

A review of government investigations into unidentified anomalous phenomena since 1945 found that "most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification"

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which stretches across North Carolina and Tennessee, was the most-visited park of 2023.

These Were the Most—and Least—Popular National Parks in 2023

The National Park Service recorded 325,498,646 recreation visits across 400 sites, which is close to pre-pandemic levels

The Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, had cramped Army-style barracks that housed thousands of Japanese Americans and people of Japanese descent.

A Japanese American Incarceration Camp in Colorado Is America’s Newest National Park

More than 10,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned at the Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, during World War II

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