Stories from this author
A Century Ago, a Mob Brutally Attacked an American Diplomat in Persia. His Death Shaped U.S.-Iran Relations for Decades
The July 1924 killing of Robert Imbrie fueled the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty and set the stage for both a CIA-backed 1953 coup and the 1979 Iran hostage crisis
A Confederate Raider Fired the Final Shots of the Civil War in the Arctic, Two and a Half Months After Robert E. Lee Surrendered
The CSS “Shenandoah” only learned of the Confederacy’s defeat in the summer of 1865. That June, the cruiser’s crew sank 24 American merchant vessels, unaware that the conflict had already ended
The Enduring Mystery of a Plane That Vanished in the Icy Canadian Wilderness With 44 People On Board
Seventy-five years ago, a Douglas C-54D Skymaster disappeared en route from Alaska to Montana. No trace of its crew and passengers, including a pregnant mother and her young son, has ever been found
Why a Minnesota Man Walked Around the World, Traversing 13 Countries and 14,450 Miles in Four Years
Fifty years ago, on October 5, 1974, David Kunst completed the first verified circumnavigation of the globe on foot. Along the way, he met Princess Grace of Monaco, raised money for UNICEF and lost a brother to bandits
A Century Ago, This Law Underscored the Promises and Pitfalls of Native American Citizenship
The 1924 Indian Citizenship Act sought to assimilate Native people into white society. But the legislation, signed by President Calvin Coolidge, fell short
This Filipina Spy Used Her Leprosy as a Cover to Thwart the Japanese During World War II
Enemy soldiers overlooked Josefina “Joey” Guerrero due to her condition. Later, her heroic actions on behalf of the Allies were largely forgotten
The American Soldier Whose Fear of Fighting in Vietnam Led Him to Defect to North Korea. He Stayed There for 40 Years
During his time in the repressive country, Charles Robert Jenkins married a Japanese abductee, taught English at a school and appeared in propaganda films
Enslaved by George Washington, This Man Escaped to Freedom—and Joined the British Army
Harry Washington fought for his enslaver’s enemy during the American Revolution. Later, he migrated to Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone
![In 1860, Lieutenant John M. Brooke wrote, “I am satisfied that [Manjiro] has had more to do with the opening of Japan than any other man living.” ](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/-u0NmusMlSayY4ru4OG0vWBj1hk=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/85/da/85da2715-33d3-4630-b28f-61a450f272ff/manjiro.jpg)
The Shipwrecked Teenager Who Helped End Japan’s Isolationist Era
Rescued by an American sea captain, Manjiro spent time abroad before returning home, where he was valued for his expertise but never fully trusted
The African Diplomats Who Protested Segregation in the U.S.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy publicly apologized after restaurants refused to serve Black representatives of newly independent nations
From a White House Wedding to a Pet Snake, Alice Roosevelt’s Escapades Captivated America
Theodore Roosevelt’s eldest daughter won the public’s adoration with her rebellious antics
The History of California’s Inmate Firefighter Program
The initiative, which finds prisoners working as first responders and rescuers, dates back to the 1940s
The 1983 Military Drill That Nearly Sparked Nuclear War With the Soviets
Fearful that the Able Archer 83 exercise was a cover for a NATO nuclear strike, the U.S.S.R. readied its own weapons for launch
One Hundred Years Ago, a Lynch Mob Killed Three Men in Minnesota
The murders in Duluth offered yet another example that the North was no exception when it came to anti-black violence
The Unsolved Murder of Civil Rights Activist Harry Moore
An organizer who campaigned for justice in 1940s Florida, Moore was among the first martyrs to the cause
The Deadliest Disaster at Sea Killed Thousands, Yet Its Story Is Little-Known. Why?
In the final months of World War II, 75 years ago, German citizens and soldiers fleeing the Soviet army died when the “Wilhelm Gustloff” sank
Florida Man Terrorizes Town, Forcing Federal Government to Step In
As mayor of Cedar Key, Billy Cottrell reigned as a tyrant until U.S. forces chased him away
In 1945, a Japanese Balloon Bomb Killed Six Americans, Five of Them Children, in Oregon
The military kept the true story of their deaths, the only civilians to die at enemy hands on the U.S. mainland, under wraps
During the Mexican-American War, Irish-Americans Fought for Mexico in the ‘Saint Patrick’s Battalion’
Anti-Catholic sentiment in the States gave men like John Riley little reason to continue to pay allegiance to the stars and stripes
George Washington Gibbs Jr. Defied Danger and Racism to Become the First African-American to Visit Antarctica
“He had bigger visions and would not be contained in a box,” his daughter says
Page 1 of 2