Motown Records, Founded on This Day in 1959, Broke Racial Barriers in Pop Music With Its Beloved Hits

Berry Gordy’s record label used the ‘sound of young America’ to bring people together | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 days ago

When the U.S. Surgeon General Shocked Americans by Announcing That Smoking Kills

The 1964 disclosure marked the first time many smokers had heard about the health dangers of tobacco | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 3 days ago

Four Lynx Have Been Illegally Released Into the Scottish Highlands. Officials Think ‘Guerrilla Rewilding’ Is to Blame

So far, only two of the four lynx have been recaptured, leaving authorities scrambling across the snowy woods to find the missing cats | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

Medieval Crowns and Scepters Discovered Hidden Inside the Walls of a Crypt Beneath a Lithuanian Cathedral

The royal treasures were stashed away at the beginning of World War II. Experts knew the trove existed, but previous attempts to find it had failed | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

The Eight Coolest Inventions From the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show

A needle-free injection system, a bug-watching garden camera, a wearable that helps with memory lapses and more were unveiled at the annual Las Vegas trade show | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

Scientists Drill 1.7 Miles Into Antarctic Ice, Revealing 1.2 Million Years of Climate History

Researchers say a collected sample is the longest continuous record of Earth’s past climate from an ice core | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

In a Study on Mice, Scientists Show How the Brain Washes Itself During Sleep

The brain's waste-removal process is "like turning on the dishwasher," a neurologist says, but common sleep medications may harm it | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

Freshwater Animals Are More Fragile Than Thought, With Nearly a Quarter Threatened With Extinction, Study Finds

Species in Lake Victoria, Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone and the Western Ghats of India are particularly vulnerable to the effects of agriculture, human infrastructure and climate change, per the paper | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

See the Splendor of the Majestic Rocky Mountains

View 15 awe-inspiring images of this range from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

Thousands of Book Lovers Gather for a 25-Hour-Long 'Moby Dick' Reading Marathon

The annual event takes place in the Massachusetts town of New Bedford, which is where Herman Melville's celebrated 1851 novel opens | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

What Have We Learned From Intentionally Infecting People With Covid-19?

Challenge trials help researchers study immune responses. Skeptics still doubt the approach is worth the risks | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

See 25 Incredible Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Cast your vote for your favorite of the photographs, which are all contenders for the People’s Choice award, through January 29 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

America’s First ‘Viral’ Post Was Published on This Day in 1776, When Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Sparked a Revolution

The Englishman’s pamphlet helped spur the 13 colonies to declare independence from Britain | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 4 days ago

An Undersea Volcano Near Oregon May Erupt in 2025, Scientists Predict. It Could Help Improve Eruption Forecasts

Axial Seamount doesn’t pose a threat to humans, but observing what happens before and after its potential eruption could help scientists learn about submerged volcanoes and strengthen predictions | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

The Netherlands Has Published a List of 425,000 Suspected Nazi Collaborators

In the past, the names could only be viewed in person. But due to expiring access restrictions, they're now available to anyone with an internet connection | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

A Novel 'Kiss and Capture' Event Gave Pluto Its Largest Moon, Charon, New Study Suggests

Researchers accounted for the previously overlooked structures of the dwarf planet and moon in computer simulations of a celestial collision | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

Massive Bluefin Tuna the Size of a Motorcycle Sells for $1.3 Million at a Japanese Fish Market

The fish weighed 608 pounds, which is also about the same size as an adult male grizzly bear. It garnered the second highest bid at the Toyosu Market since records began in 1999 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

Construction Workers Discover Ancient Stone Coffin Filled With Plaster While Expanding Highway in England

The intricately crafted coffin dates back more than 1,500 years. Researchers say it weighs around 1,650 pounds, "comparable to an adult male polar bear" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

The Historic Landmarks Razed By Los Angeles’ Deadly Fires

Among the destroyed structures are the ranch established by comedian Will Rogers and a motel owned by notorious publisher William Randolph Hearst | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

Jimmy Carter Worked to Eradicate the Vicious Guinea Worm Parasite, Slashing Cases by the Millions

The 39th U.S. president aimed to quash the debilitating water-based infection before he died. Through the Carter Center's work, he came tantalizingly close, lowering the number of yearly cases from 3.5 million to just 14 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

Energetic and Loyal: Meet the Danish-Swedish Farmdog, the Newest Breed Recognized by the American Kennel Club

These small but mighty pups have roots on family farms in Denmark and Sweden, where they helped catch rodents, herd livestock, hunt and watch over the property | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 5 days ago

A Brief History of the Goodyear Blimp, Which Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary This Year

The tire company's iconic "lighter-than-air" craft debuted in 1925 and began providing aerial coverage of events across the country in 1955 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

Alcohol Consumption Raises the Risk of Seven Cancers, Says U.S. Surgeon General in a New Health Advisory

The "Nation's Doctor" has called for a cancer warning label on alcoholic beverages and suggests the recommended limits for alcohol consumption should be reassessed | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

Immerse Yourself in the Polka-Dotted World of Yayoi Kusama at a Massive New Retrospective

An exhibition in Melbourne features around 200 of the 95-year-old Japanese artist's works, as well as artifacts that help tell the story of her life | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

Archaeologists Unearth Early Medieval Sword Engraved With Mysterious Runes in a Cemetery in England

Dating to the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., the burials held a trove of grave goods—but the team was particularly impressed by the sword, which was covered in intricate decorations | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

Will Yellowstone Erupt Soon? Scientists Are Using New Techniques to Find Out

Using magnetotellurics, researchers produced a detailed picture of the magma beneath Yellowstone, offering insights into a distant future of possible volcanic activity | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

Seven Ways to Explore Alaska's Endangered Glacial World

With the state’s glaciers retreating at alarming rates, there is no time like now to trek, climb, paddle and fly to see them | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

They're Adorable. And Endangered. Meet the World's Smallest Monkey: the Pygmy Marmoset

The cute creatures are chatty, family oriented—and facing a shrinking habitat in the remote forests of Ecuador | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

The Death-Defying Attempt to Circumnavigate the World in a Canoe

How Captain John Voss put his dugout canoe—and himself—to the ultimate test | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

How Trailblazing Teacher Maria Montessori Transformed the Realm of Children's Education

The Italian physician and educator opened her first school in Rome on this day in 1907 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 days ago

The Golden Gate Bridge Was a Dream That Turned Into a Depression-Era Nightmare for the 11 Men Who Died During Its Construction

The building of the iconic "industry orange" landmark began on this day in 1933 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 9 days ago

Solomon Northup's 'Twelve Years a Slave' Came to an End as He Regained His Long-Awaited Freedom on This Day in 1853

Northup’s memoir told the story of his kidnapping and years of enslavement in Louisiana. The book became a national best seller and inspired an Oscar-winning film | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 days ago

Exceptionally Well-Preserved Gold Ring Featuring 'Venus the Victorious' Unearthed on Ancient Road in France

In addition to the 1,800-year-old piece of engraved jewelry, archaeologists discovered a trove of Carolingian coins, medieval pottery and more | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

A Virginia Zoo Now Has Its Own Moo Deng—See the 'Adorable' Baby Pygmy Hippo Born in December

The young female made her public debut this week, and the Metro Richmond Zoo is asking fans to vote on her name—a choice between Poppy and Hammie Mae | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

Rare and Giant Steller's Sea Eagle Spotted Thousands of Miles From Home in Eastern Canada Park

The bird, thought to be the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, is presumed to be Stella, an out-of-place raptor spotted at sites across North America in recent years | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

Once Feared Extinct, 1,329 Pea-Sized Snails Have Been Released on an Atlantic Island After Captive Breeding Effort

Goats, rodents and habitat loss threatened the snails on Deserta Grande Island, so the mollusks were reintroduced on a neighboring island that’s free of invasive species | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

The Museum of Bad Gifts Is a Celebration of Outlandish Objects, From Ceramic Clowns to Cat Nail Clippings

Presented like pieces of fine art, the peculiar presents are mounted on the walls of a gallery in Toronto. Many of them will ultimately be sold at auction | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

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 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

The Remarkable Life of One of Boston's Most Fervent and Daring Abolitionists

Harriet Bell Hayden is believed to have helped hundreds of people fleeing slavery from her Beacon Hill residence | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

Did Colonial Americans Wear Wristwatches? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

Walk Through a Wintry Wonderland of Seasonal Fun With These 15 Photos

Get into the winter spirit with these images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

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 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

Discover Why Thomas Jefferson Meticulously Monitored the Weather Wherever He Went

The third president knew that the whims of nature shaped Americans' daily lives as farmers and enslavers | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

On This Day in 1959, Alaska—One of America’s Riskiest Investments—Became the 49th State in the Union

Before Alaska became an American state, Russia invaded and subjugated its people for fur trading | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 days ago

Anonymous Donors Across the Country Are Dropping Valuable Coins Into the Salvation Army's Red Kettles

Many donors search their pockets for spare change, but some generous individuals are giving away historic coins worth thousands of dollars during the charity's annual fundraising campaign | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 days ago

New York City Is Getting Rid of Its Iconic Orange and Yellow Subway Cars

Many New Yorkers feel attached to the instantly recognizable R46s, which debuted in the summer of 1975. Officials say their replacements will arrive by 2027 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 days ago

Conservators Are Uncovering Elaborate Angel Murals Hidden Behind Seven Layers of White Paint at a Colonial-Era Church

The colorful wall paintings adorn Boston's Old North Church, which played a crucial role during Paul Revere's famed 1775 midnight ride | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 days ago

The Iconic, One-Eyed 'Queen of the Wolves' Dies After Fight With Rival Pack in Yellowstone National Park

A beloved matriarch, 907F lived to be 11 years old, which is much longer than the average lifespan for gray wolves and a rare feat, even for those in the protected area of Yellowstone | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 days ago