The Head of the Smithsonian Talks About America’s 250th, Why Experts Still Matter and What to Expect From the Institution in 2025
In an extensive interview, Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III spoke on the current political climate, the process of returning human remains from the Institution’s collections, the awe-inspiring scope of Smithsonian science and much more
Why the ‘Peanuts’ Characters Still Thrive 25 Years After the Last Original Comic Strip Was Published
In the decades since the end of the cherished newspaper strip, audiences continue to find reasons to chuckle and cheer over Charlie Brown’s gang
Meet the Tiny, Adorable Owls That Have Mastered the Art of Hiding
One of the smallest owls in North America, the northern saw-whet lives among us and is rarely seen—but one volunteer science project aims to find them and uncover their secrets year after year
Did Colonial Americans Wear Wristwatches? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
In Her Inventive and Prescient Stories, Octavia Butler Wrote Herself Into the Science Fiction Canon
On her beloved typewriters, the literary legend mapped out a course for the future of the genre
From Chimps Eating Medicinal Plants to Footprints Tracking Our Early Relatives, Here Are the Most Significant Human Evolution Discoveries of 2024
Smithsonian paleoanthropologists explore how the year brought us closer to understanding ancient human relatives and origins
Eleven Fascinating Acquisitions That Joined the Smithsonian’s Vast Collections in 2024
This year, the Institution collected everything from the stunning shell of an extinct cephalopod to a Blue Origin rocket booster
The Lasting Legacy of Jimmy Carter, Dead at 100
Smithsonian curators remember and honor the 39th president’s uncompromising idealism
The Ten Most Awe-Inspiring Ocean Moments of 2024
From animal journeys across oceans to the discovery of dozens of new species in the deep sea, these stories wowed us
The Real Story Behind ‘A Complete Unknown’ and Bob Dylan’s Early Career, From His Arrival in New York City to When He ‘Went Electric’
A new film starring Timothée Chalamet tracks Dylan’s evolution from an acoustic folk singer to a rock ‘n’ roll superstar
See the Groundbreaking Work of 20th-Century Printmakers Who Formed an Innovative Arts Society in Japan
The sosaku hanga movement, now explored in an exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art, was a showcase for new techniques in creative prints
Ten Top Smithsonian Stories of 2024, From a Mysterious Underground Chamber to Dazzling Auroras
The magazine’s most-read articles of the year included a close-up look at the adorable yet venomous pygmy slow loris, a profile of a little-known 20th-century street photographer and a majestic journey with divers into Mexico’s underwater caves
Kids Send Thousands of Letters to Santa Each Year. Here’s What Really Happens to Them
The United States Postal Service and volunteers have responded to North Pole holiday correspondence over the past century
The Discovery of a Jewish Teenager’s Holocaust Diary Reveals How Songs, Jokes and Stories Served as Cultural Resistance
Yitskhok Rudashevski documented his life while hiding from Nazis, as well as folklore told in his community that “must be collected and preserved as a treasure for the future”
The Best Books of 2024, as Chosen by Smithsonian Scholars
Staff at the Institution pick their favorite reads of the year, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction
What ‘Lucy,’ One of the World’s Most Important Fossils, Has Taught Scientists in the 50 Years Since Her Discovery
The famous early human is still providing lessons to anthropologists about prehistoric Earth and its inhabitants
How an Engraving of Queen Victoria Ushered in the Era of the Bouquet Holder in England
The monarch set fashion trends during her time, and the flower holder became a sought-after accessory in Victorian society
Can Insects See Color? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
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 ‘Penicillin Girls’ Made One of the World’s Most Life-Saving Discoveries Possible
The true, forgotten and sometimes-stinky history of the cohort who took Alexander Fleming’s innovation and forever changed the face of modern medicine
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