See the Spectacular Winners of Smithsonian Magazine’s 22nd Annual Photography Contest
By toying with perspective, this year’s best photos capture the sublime—and the uncanny
The Salty, Sweet and Irresistible History of Baseball’s Most Famous Snack
Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize? That, and so much more, is what you get with a Cracker Jack
Flannery O’Connor Wanted to Shake Her Readers Awake. Her Family Wanted Her to Write the Next ‘Gone With the Wind’
This year marks the writer’s 100th birthday. Through fiction anchored in her Southern background and Catholic faith, O’Connor revealed how candid confrontations with darkness lead to moments of reckoning
The Real Story Behind ‘Wolf Hall’ and the Fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s Most Controversial Adviser
Based on Hilary Mantel’s novel “The Mirror & the Light,” the last installment in the acclaimed television series chronicles the last four years of the statesman’s life
How the Irish Pub Became One of the Emerald Isle’s Greatest Exports
The Dublin-based Irish Pub Company has designed upwards of 2,000 pubs in more than 100 countries around the globe
Over the Last 200 Years, a Small Library Became One of New York City’s Biggest Museums. A New Showcase Tells the Story of Its Unique Legacy
To mark its bicentennial, the Brooklyn Museum highlights the pieces that have shaped its collection—and the foundational art made in the borough
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Discover These 15 Enchanting Libraries Sure to Thrill Any Book Lover
Wall-to-wall books tell an interior design story without saying a word
Every March, Runners Race Reindeer Through the Streets of Anchorage
For three and a half blocks, athletes and ungulates share the road during the headlining event of Alaska’s Fur Rendezvous Festival
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
See 60 Remarkable Finalists From the 22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
From stunning landscapes to captivating portraits, the photographs showcase the diverse beauty of the world around us. Vote for your favorite, too, for the Readers’ Choice competition
Newly Discovered Letters Illuminate the Life of a Female Printer Who Published Revolutionary Texts and Pushed the Colonies Toward Independence
As Virginia’s first female newspaper publisher, Clementina Rind emphasized women’s viewpoints and collaborated with prominent politicians like Thomas Jefferson
A Mystery Surrounding the Grave of JFK Is Solved
A sculpture recognizing a spontaneous gesture of affection towards the slain president vanished into thin air more than half a century ago. Here’s the story of how it was just recently rediscovered.
Discover the Short Life and Long Legacy of Casimir Pulaski, a Polish Cavalry Officer Who Became an American Revolutionary Hero
On the first Monday in March, Pulaski Day festivities at Chicago’s Polish Museum of America honored the “Father of American Cavalry,” 280 years after his birth
Why Oscar Wilde’s Play About a Biblical Temptress Was Banned From the British Stage for Decades
“Salome,” a one-act tragedy by the Irish playwright, terrified the Victorian public with its provocative depiction of a teenage girl whose lust for a man quickly morphs into bloodlust
![The New Jersey Morning Call said Billy Possum had “a head that is likely to give a baby [a] nightmare.”](jpg/billy-possum.jpg)
How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to Replace the Teddy Bear as America’s National Toy
In 1909, wealthy widow Susie W. Allgood marketed a plush marsupial inspired by President William Howard Taft. But children thought the toy looked “too much like a rat,” and it sold poorly
Eight Places to Experience a Movie Like It’s 1925
Theaters from Washington to Florida and Massachusetts to Arizona show silent films accompanied by live music played on elaborate theater organs
The Secret World War II History of Koh Samui, the New Setting for ‘The White Lotus’
Behind the dreamy scenery of the HBO show’s latest location lurks an explosive story of Thailand’s involvement in the conflict and a sunken Japanese tanker
The Trailblazing Black Librarian Who Rewrote the Rules of Power, Gender and Racial Passing
Belle da Costa Greene, the first director of the Morgan Library, was a Black woman who passed as white in the early 20th century
Since Ancient Times, Romans Have Gifted These Cream-Filled Treats to Their Sweethearts
Once a part of marriage proposals, maritozzi are making a comeback in Italy and around the world
Discover the Aromas of Ancient Egyptian Mummies, From Orange Peels to Pine to Incense
A new, first-of-its-kind analysis of the scents of nine mummies detected woody, spicy, herbal and rancid notes, among other odors
Orson Welles’ All-Black Version of ‘Macbeth’ Excited Theatergoers Nationwide
The bold staging of Shakespeare’s classic helped make Harlem a home for “serious” theater
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