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Latest Features

A sea turtle enters the waters of the Galápagos Islands to join divers who are exploring its home.

SCIENCE

Celebrate World Turtle Day With 15 Photographs of the Delightful Reptiles

The 1892 People's Grocery murders are “what opened my eyes to what lynching really was,” Ida B. Wells later wrote.

HISTORY

How the Murder of a Black Grocery Store Owner and His Colleagues Galvanized Ida B. Wells' Anti-Lynching Crusade

A composite image of Jupiter, taken by the Juno spacecraft

SCIENCE

The Seven Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Jupiter

The Travelers’ Tour Through the United States featured a map of the then-24 states.

HISTORY

What America's First Board Game Tells Us About the Aspirations of a Young Nation

Rangers clear deceased birds from Staple Island in England, where avian flu had a devastating effect on a seabird colony.

SCIENCE

Four Important Questions About Bird Flu, Answered

On May 21, 1924, Nathan Leopold Jr. (left) and Richard Loeb (right) murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks. Leopold later described the pair's motive as “a sort of pure love of excitement, or the imaginary love of thrills, doing something different.”

HISTORY

Why Leopold and Loeb Committed Cold-Blooded Murder in the 'Crime of the Century'

Four lionesses enjoy a drink at a watering hole after a recent rain.

TRAVEL

Get a Taste of South Africa Through These 15 Photos of Stunning Wildlife and Vibrant Communities

A diving bell spider with a captured bug under the water

SCIENCE

These Funky Spiders Are Lurking by the Water

Current Issue

Smithsonian magazine April/May 2024 issue cover

Most Popular

1.

Smart News

Why Viewers Are Drawn to Renaissance Artists' Go-To Pose

A new study finds that the contrapposto stance reduces the waist-to-hip ratio, an attribute popularly associated with attractiveness

2.

Smart News

Soldiers Put an Ancient Greek Suit of Armor to the Test, and It Passed

Researchers outfitted Greek marines in replicas of a Mycenaean suit and simulated combat to see if the armor was usable in its day

3.

Smart News

Men's Shirts Button on the Right. Why Do Women's Button on the Left?

Nobody knows for sure, but plausible theories include swords, servants and saddles

4.

Smart News

Mushroom Hunters Stumble Upon Mysterious Stone Sculpture in Thai Forest

While the artwork's age is still unknown, some think it depicts the mother of the Buddha

5.

Smart News

Cleaning Crew Discovers One of the World's Oldest Surviving Desktop Computers

The 1972 Q1 microcomputer could fetch $60,000 at auction

Smithsonian Voices
National Air and Space Museum

For 20 years, Robots Have Inhabited Mars. What Keeps Them Humming?

Smithsonian Books

How the Language of Presidents and First Ladies Shapes the Country

National Museum of the American Indian

The Quapaw Treaty Was Honored for Only Six Years Before the United States Broke It

Smithsonian Education

Smithsonian Hosts an Education Conference Unlike Any Other This Summer

National Museum of American History

These Astounding Relics From the Omaha Beach Battle Tell The Story of D-Day 80 Years Later

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

How Crossbows Can Tell Us Which Genes Trees Are Turning On…and Off

See All

Special Report
Lofoten Islands, Norway

Northern Europe and the British Isles

Explore the region's history, culture and natural wonders

View Full Report

Featured Stories

The English Farmers Who Harvest Rhubarb by Candlelight

Hoyma Is Bringing Music Home in the Faroe Islands

Get an Eyeful of Iceland in These 15 Photos That Capture Its Natural Beauty

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Smithsonian Videos

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Ten Fun Facts About Jellyfish

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Preview thumbnail for video 'The Ultimate Skywatching Guide for Every Season

The Ultimate Skywatching Guide for Every Season

Preview thumbnail for video 'The Best Small Towns to Celebrate Winter

The Best Small Towns to Celebrate Winter

Photo of the day

In the National Memorial Park, countless rows and rows of tombstones crisscross the grounds of those who died for today's peace. It should not be forgotten today. Remember Me

History

On May 21, 1924, Nathan Leopold Jr. (left) and Richard Loeb (right) murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks. Leopold later described the pair's motive as “a sort of pure love of excitement, or the imaginary love of thrills, doing something different.”

Why Leopold and Loeb Committed Cold-Blooded Murder in the 'Crime of the Century'

A century ago, two Chicago teenagers killed an acquaintance named Bobby Franks for the thrill of it. The case captivated the nation and continues to fascinate the public today

Alicia Vikander as Catherine Parr in Firebrand, an upcoming film from director Karim Aïnouz

Watch the Trailer for 'Firebrand,' a New Drama About Henry VIII's Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr

The London National Gallery will celebrate its 200th birthday on May 10, 2024.

At 200 Years Old, the London National Gallery Is Redefining What It Means to Be a 'National' Museum

Science

A mother Siphonops annulatus with newborn babies.

Inside the Wild Ways Many Creatures Make Milk

Mammals aren’t the only animals that provide nutritious secretions for their young

A male western snowy plover stands guard over his nest. During breeding season, males tend to the chicks while females seek a new mate. 

How Scientists Are Protecting Plovers’ Beachfront Lifestyle

Bruce McCandless floats freely in space with Earth 170 miles beneath him.

The Inside Story of the First Untethered Spacewalk

Innovation

A Spectra Physics Model A supermarket scanner—one of the first ten ever produced. A laser within the unit projects a beam onto a mirror that redirects it through the glass plate on the top.

The Supermarket Scanner Changed the Way We Buy Groceries Forever

Invented 50 years ago, the curious box deciphered an arcane kind of code to offer shoppers a trip into the future

A protein-DNA interaction, modeled by AlphaFold 3.

Google Releases A.I. That Can Predict How the Human Body's Molecules Behave, Boosting Drug Discovery Research

This 2014 acrylic painting by Taralee Guild captures the glistening promise of a 1960s Airstream at Pismo Beach, California.

How the Airstream Hit the Open Road

Arts & Culture

American video artist Brian Fridge created a five-billboard series in Dallas called View Finder that portrayed a solar eclipse.

The Long History of Art Inspired by Solar Eclipses

For centuries, curious artists have been trying to make sense of the celestial event

An oak peacock moth lands on a window behind dancing wedding guests, illuminated in red light. This photograph won the category for butterflies and dragonflies.

See 11 Winning Images From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Awards

The latest winner of a Japanese literary prize said she used ChatGPT to write parts of her novel.

ChatGPT Helped Write This Award-Winning Japanese Novel

Travel

About 75 percent of Americans are expected to travel by car this summer. Taking the scenic route along such roadways as Highway 101, seen above in Del Mar, California, can make the trip even more worthwhile.

Seven of the Most Beautiful Roads in the United States

From Alaska to Florida, these serene and exhilarating stretches beg you to take the scenic route

Taquería El Califa de León makes simple tacos with meat, salt, lime juice and optional sauces.

This Tiny Taco Stand in Mexico City Was Just Awarded a Coveted Michelin Star

Guests will get to stay inside the Musée d'Orsay's clock room on the night of July 26.

Spend the Night in the Musée d'Orsay's Clock Room on the Evening of the Olympics Opening Ceremony

At the Smithsonian

Where do we get the seeds for seedless fruit?

Where Do We Get Seeds for Seedless Fruit? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Camp III with Everest rising above the flank of Changtse mountain.

See Photos From the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition That Led to the Vanishing of Two Explorers

"I Dream of Jeannie" stars Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman

How a Bottle Served as a Living Room—and a Prison—for a 2,000-Year-Old Genie