The U.S. Is Withdrawing From UNESCO for the Third Time in the Agency’s 80-Year History
The country previously left the agency for two brief stints—once from 1984 to 2003 and again from 2017 to 2023. The newly announced decision will take effect by the end of 2026
More Countries Agree to Protect the ‘High Seas’ in a Step Toward Wider Ocean Conservation
The High Seas Treaty, which would allow nations to create marine protected areas in international waters, is now expected to take effect in early 2026—without the United States on board
Last Surviving Grandson of President John Tyler, Who Took Office in 1841, Dies at 96
When Harrison Ruffin Tyler’s grandfather was born 235 years ago in 1790, George Washington had just become the nation’s first president
Harvard Bought This Stained Copy of the Magna Carta for $27.50. It Turned Out to Be an Original
Issued by Edward I in 1300, this version of the historic text is one of only seven known surviving copies. It’s been hiding in plain sight in Harvard Law School’s library since 1946
Nearly Half of Americans Still Live With High Levels of Air Pollution, Posing Serious Health Risks, Report Finds
The most recent State of the Air report by the American Lung Association found that more than 150 million Americans breathe air with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution
4,000-Year-Old Clay Tablets Show Ancient Sumerians’ Obsession With Government Bureaucracy
The artifacts were excavated from a city dating back to the third millennium B.C.E. by researchers from Iraq and the British Museum
Archaeologists Discover Mosaics of Two Fighting Cupids and a Mysterious Inscription at an Ancient Greek City Hall
New research is shedding light on the bouleuterion building that once stood in the ancient city of Teos, located in present-day Turkey
This Man Says He’s the Mysterious ‘Googly-Eye Bandit’ in Bend, Oregon
Jeff Keith, a longtime resident and nonprofit founder, says he used duct tape to affix googly eyes to two public sculptures last month
The Alaska Railroad’s Golden Spike Hammered in by President Harding Will Return to Its Home State
The spike’s installation marked the completion of the Alaska Railroad in 1923. It’s spent most of the time since then in the hands of private owners
President Trump Orders the U.S. to Exit the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement on His First Day in Office
The actions will take effect in a year, reinstating withdrawals he had set in motion during his first term
FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 From Food, Beverages and Ingested Drugs, Citing Link to Cancer in Lab Rats
The synthetic additive found in thousands of food products will now be phased out by 2027, but advocates say the agency’s move is long overdue
The Bald Eagle Just Became America’s National Bird. What Took So Long?
An eagle enthusiast has been lobbying for the designation for years. On Christmas Eve, President Biden signed legislation making it official
Veterans Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s Last Major Attack on the Western Front
Veterans and dignitaries gathered in Belgium and Luxembourg this month to reflect on the deadly World War II conflict that paved the way for a full Nazi defeat
Who Was Frances Perkins? Meet the Trailblazing Workers’ Rights Advocate Whose Homestead Just Became a National Monument
Perkins was America’s first female cabinet secretary and the longest-serving Secretary of Labor
Someone Is Sticking Googly Eyes on Public Sculptures in Oregon—and City Officials Are Not Amused
Many residents of Bend love the illicit adornments, which they say are sparking joy and driving engagement with public art
When No Candidate Won the 1824 Presidential Election, the House of Representatives Was Given the Rare Task of Deciding the Victor
A “corrupt bargain” that delivered John Quincy Adams the presidency ended the Era of Good Feelings and prompted a new period of partisan hostility
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
The Secretive Spaceplane of the U.S. Space Force Conducts First-of-Its-Kind Maneuvers
Called aerobraking, the technique allows the highly classified craft to change orbit without using propellant—and some are wondering why the agency has let us in on this news
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
Untold Stories of American History
He Escaped Slavery and Became a Civil War Hero. Now, Robert Smalls Is Getting a Statue in South Carolina
A special committee has until January 15 to finalize the design, location and funding for a monument that will be erected on the lawn of the South Carolina State House
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