Special Report
Women Who Shaped History
The Smithsonian's American Women’s History Initiative is a comprehensive undertaking that documents, researches, collects, displays and shares the rich and compelling story of women in the United States. In celebration of the AWHI, Smithsonian magazine has collected representative examples of its coverage of diverse women throughout American history.
A Vibrant Mural Celebrating Josephine Baker’s ‘Two Loves’—‘My Country and Paris’—Has Been Unveiled in France
The colorful street art, which features a quote from one of her songs, honors the iconic singer, dancer and civil rights activist’s enduring legacy
How Women in New Jersey Gained—and Lost—the Right to Vote More Than a Century Before the 19th Amendment Granted Suffrage Nationwide
Vague phrasing in the state’s Revolutionary-era Constitution enfranchised women who met specific property requirements. A 1790 law explicitly allowed female suffrage, but this privilege was revoked in 1807
Ancient DNA Reveals That Men Moved in With Their Brides’ Families in This Neolithic Settlement
A new study suggests that a 9,000-year-old society in Catalhoyuk, a proto-city in southern Anatolia, may have established a “female-centered” social structure
A New Memorial Will Honor Elizabeth II With a Bridge Inspired by Her Diamond-Studded Wedding Tiara
A British architecture firm has been selected to design the queen’s memorial in London, which will include a translucent bridge that evokes her wedding tiara’s delicate silhouette
These Daring Revolutionary-Era Artists Promoted the Patriot Cause From the Heart of Enemy Territory
A new book explores how painters, sculptors and writers, especially women and people of color, used their craft to advocate for American independence while living in George III’s capital city
A Bold Finnish Artist Brought These Precious Little Hippopotamus-Like Trolls to the World 80 Years Ago
Tove Jansson was a trailblazing illustrator and author—and the inventor of the beloved Moomins, the central characters of her whimsical children’s books
At the Smithsonian
How Sandra Day O’Connor Brought Compromise to the Supreme Court
The first woman justice to serve on the nation’s highest court died on Friday at age 93
When Barbie Broke the Glass Ceiling
The iconic doll traveled to space, flew with the Thunderbirds and joined the NBA, beating real-life women to an array of career milestones
The Forgotten History of Tsianina Redfeather, the Beloved American Indian Opera Singer
A portrait of the performer debuts in the exhibition “Entertainment Nation”
Carol Burnett Reveals How She Came to Create the Charwoman
The indelible comedian opens up about her favorite TV moments
They Shaped Culture
A Vibrant Mural Celebrating Josephine Baker’s ‘Two Loves’—‘My Country and Paris’—Has Been Unveiled in France
The colorful street art, which features a quote from one of her songs, honors the iconic singer, dancer and civil rights activist’s enduring legacy
Jane Austen Never Loved Bath—but Bath Loves Jane Austen. Now, the City Is Exploring Why the Novelist Was So Unhappy There
To celebrate the author’s 250th birthday, a new exhibition spotlights her complicated relationship with the English city where she set parts of “Persuasion” and “Northanger Abbey”
See a Stunning Photo of New York City From Above in 1932
In her dazzling portraits of a metropolis on the rise, Berenice Abbott captured the city that never sleeps
These Daring Revolutionary-Era Artists Promoted the Patriot Cause From the Heart of Enemy Territory
A new book explores how painters, sculptors and writers, especially women and people of color, used their craft to advocate for American independence while living in George III’s capital city
Women in STEM
How an 18th-Century Female Physicist Broke Boundaries and Inspired the Generations Who Followed
Cristina Roccati graduated from the University of Bologna when few other Italian women earned degrees, and she taught physics for decades
A Century Ago, Pioneering Astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Showed Us What Stars Are Made Of
The trailblazing Harvard scientist, who documented the dominance of hydrogen and helium in stars, is still inspiring researchers today
The Talented and Valiant Female Surgeon Who Joined Allied Forces in WWII and Broke Barriers Along the Way
Prohibited from serving with the U.S. Army as a medical officer, Barbara Stimson was commissioned by the British—and helped open the American military to female doctors
How Alice Hamilton Waged a One-Woman Campaign to Get the Lead Out of Everything
At first a crusader for workplace safety, the trained physician railed against the use of the toxic and ubiquitous material
Future of Women's History
‘Polar Preet’ Sets Out to Become the First Woman to Cross Antarctica Solo and Unsupported
After setting a record as the first woman of color to reach the South Pole unsupported last year, Preet Chandi is now tackling a 1,100-mile challenge
Who Was the First Woman to Fly Solo Around the World?
When the National Air and Space Museum reopens October 14, Geraldine Mock’s Cessna 180 soars in the new exhibition, “We All Fly”
What to Know About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Historic Nomination to the Supreme Court
Jackson, a 51-year-old Harvard graduate and former public defender, would be the first Black woman on the Court