History | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/history/RSS feed for HistoryenThu, 11 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000What's Behind Steven Spielberg's Lifelong Obsession With Flying Saucers and Extraterrestrial Visitors?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-behind-steven-spielbergs-lifelong-obsession-with-flying-saucers-and-extraterrestrial-visitors-180988903/Half a century after "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the director returns to the subject of UFOs with "Disclosure Day." His science fiction films are informed by his fascination with alien encounters in American suburbiaThu, 11 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-behind-steven-spielbergs-lifelong-obsession-with-flying-saucers-and-extraterrestrial-visitors-180988903/When a Journalist Took on Corruption, He Used a Tool That Hadn’t Been Used Much in American History: the Unvarnished Truthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-journalist-took-corruption-used-tool-that-hadnt-been-used-much-american-history-unvarnished-truth-180988855/Lincoln Steffens was a reporter so dogged that political party bosses called him a “born crook that’s gone straight.” He and his fellow muckrakers redefined modern journalismThu, 11 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-journalist-took-corruption-used-tool-that-hadnt-been-used-much-american-history-unvarnished-truth-180988855/After the Concept of Peaceful Disobedience Was Established in America, It Traveled Around the World Before Taking Holdhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/concept-peaceful-disobedience-established-america-traveled-world-taking-hold-180988847/“Force may subdue, but love gains”: The Quaker practice of conscientious objection evolved through Thoreau, Tolstoy and Gandhi before becoming the hallmark of the Civil Rights movementThu, 11 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/concept-peaceful-disobedience-established-america-traveled-world-taking-hold-180988847/One of the Quietest Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, Ella Baker Led by Encouraging Everyone to Get Involvedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-quietest-leaders-civil-rights-movement-ella-baker-led-encouraging-everyone-get-involved-180988846/Baker's work was instrumental in the success of the NAACP and other organizations, but she did it in a way that didn’t put herself in the spotlight. That was by designWed, 10 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-quietest-leaders-civil-rights-movement-ella-baker-led-encouraging-everyone-get-involved-180988846/Woodrow Wilson’s Legacy Is Loaded With Good and Bad, but His Work to Even the Economic Playing Field Is Often Overlookedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/woodrow-wilson-legacy-loaded-good-bad-work-even-economic-playing-field-often-overlooked-180988853/He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in ending WWI and strove to improve the plight of American workers. Today, his blind spots shroud most of his accomplishmentsWed, 10 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/woodrow-wilson-legacy-loaded-good-bad-work-even-economic-playing-field-often-overlooked-180988853/Some Presidents Offer More Than Just Policy. Here Are Five Who Brought Their Innovative Spirit to the Officehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/some-presidents-offer-more-just-policy-here-are-five-brought-innovative-spirit-office-180988834/One president invented campaign buttons so he could just stay home during election season. Another one rallied Americans to go to the moon. And one—only one—holds a patent.Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/some-presidents-offer-more-just-policy-here-are-five-brought-innovative-spirit-office-180988834/When a Photographer Turned His Focus on Social Injustice, It Helped Usher in the First Child Labor Lawshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-photographer-turned-focus-social-justice-helped-usher-first-child-labor-laws-180988833/Lewis Hine didn’t consider his job as taking pictures; it was “detective work.” Sometimes gaining access with ruse and subterfuge, he captured stark images that touched hearts and changed mindsTue, 09 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-photographer-turned-focus-social-justice-helped-usher-first-child-labor-laws-180988833/Theodore Roosevelt Survived an Assassination Attempt Because a Speech Tucked Inside His Pocket Slowed the Bullet. He Insisted on Delivering His Remarks Anywayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/theodore-roosevelt-survived-an-assassination-attempt-because-a-speech-tucked-inside-his-pocket-slowed-the-bullet-he-insisted-on-delivering-his-remarks-anyway-180988911/"I am very much uninterested in whether I am shot or not," he told an audience in Milwaukee. Newly discovered documents shed light on how the 26th president wanted the incident to shape his legacyTue, 09 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/theodore-roosevelt-survived-an-assassination-attempt-because-a-speech-tucked-inside-his-pocket-slowed-the-bullet-he-insisted-on-delivering-his-remarks-anyway-180988911/At a Pivotal Moment of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass Delivered a Speech That Reframed What Was at Stake if Slavery Stoodhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/pivotal-moment-civil-war-frederick-douglass-delivered-speech-reframed-what-was-at-stake-slavery-stood-180988836/In “The Mission of the War,” America’s incomparable orator helped turn public sentiment in favor of the Union and Abraham Lincoln, beginning the process of “national regeneration”Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/pivotal-moment-civil-war-frederick-douglass-delivered-speech-reframed-what-was-at-stake-slavery-stood-180988836/Harriet Beecher Stowe Wrote a Work of Fiction That Seemed So Real That It Changed the History of the Countryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-beecher-stowe-wrote-work-fiction-that-seemed-so-real-changed-history-country-180988826/To fight against slavery, the author collected true stories then picked up a pen and distilled them into “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-beecher-stowe-wrote-work-fiction-that-seemed-so-real-changed-history-country-180988826/Among All the Great Things Benjamin Franklin Invented or Discovered, His Alter Egos Gave Him the Most Freedomhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/among-all-great-things-benjamin-franklin-invented-discovered-alter-egos-gave-him-most-freedom-180988824/Silence Dogood. Richard Saunders. Benevolus. Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim. All were pen names that allowed Franklin to say things he couldn’t have otherwise saidMon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/among-all-great-things-benjamin-franklin-invented-discovered-alter-egos-gave-him-most-freedom-180988824/A Woman’s Right to Vote Was Secured After Work That Was Inspired by Mothers and Driven by Maternal Instinctshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/womans-right-vote-secured-work-inspired-mothers-driven-maternal-instincts-180988828/In a poignant pattern, many of the most important contributions to suffrage were enacted—or inspired—by mothersFri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/womans-right-vote-secured-work-inspired-mothers-driven-maternal-instincts-180988828/When George Washington Decided It Was Time to Leave Office, He Inadvertently Set a Lasting Precedenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-george-washington-decided-it-was-time-to-leave-office-he-inadvertently-set-a-lasting-precedent-180988871/While history recorded his refusal to seek a third term as a legendary act of statesmanship, the opinions of the day were actually quite mixed on the issueFri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-george-washington-decided-it-was-time-to-leave-office-he-inadvertently-set-a-lasting-precedent-180988871/During the Revolution, American Women Fought for Freedom, Spied on the British, Cared for the Sick and Fell in Love. A New Exhibition Reveals Their Rich Wartime Storieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-the-revolution-american-women-fought-for-freedom-spied-on-the-british-cared-for-the-sick-and-fell-in-love-a-new-exhibition-reveals-their-rich-wartime-stories-180988887/Now on view at the New York Historical, "Revolutionary Women" spotlights figures with connections to the state, including a Jewish chocolatier, a Mohawk leader and a woman who disguised herself as a man to enlist in the Continental ArmyThu, 04 Jun 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-the-revolution-american-women-fought-for-freedom-spied-on-the-british-cared-for-the-sick-and-fell-in-love-a-new-exhibition-reveals-their-rich-wartime-stories-180988887/Born in 1810, Margaret Fuller Was Labeled a Child Prodigy. She Later Used Her Intellect to Ask Important Questions About Women's Role in Americahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-1810-margaret-fuller-labeled-child-prodigy-later-used-intellect-ask-important-questions-about-women-america-180988800/Her writing posed the novel premise: What does it mean to be a woman? Her early death meant she never saw the movement she inspiredThu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-1810-margaret-fuller-labeled-child-prodigy-later-used-intellect-ask-important-questions-about-women-america-180988800/The American Revolution’s Overlooked Influence? Physics. How 'Common Sense' Spelled Out Astronomical Expectations for a New Nationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/american-revolution-overlooked-influence-physics-thomas-paine-common-sense-spelled-out-astronomical-expectations-new-nation-180988795/The manifesto leaned heavily on Isaac Newton’s theories in making a case for independence, and fellow founders drew on the notion to build a new system of governmentWed, 03 Jun 2026 14:05:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/american-revolution-overlooked-influence-physics-thomas-paine-common-sense-spelled-out-astronomical-expectations-new-nation-180988795/Smithsonian Magazine Presents: America at 250—The Revolutionary Sparkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-revolutionary-spark-180988782/Celebrating the visionary insights & darling innovators that forged a nation.Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:04:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-revolutionary-spark-180988782/One Weather Forecast Changed the Course of WWII. Here's the Real Story Behind 'Pressure,' a Drama About the Meteorologist Who Convinced the Allies to Delay D-Dayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-weather-forecast-changed-the-course-of-wwii-heres-the-real-story-behind-pressure-a-drama-about-the-meteorologist-who-convinced-the-allies-to-delay-d-day-180988829/A new movie starring Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser dramatizes the tense 72 hours before the Allied invasion of Normandy, revealing how meteorology helped determine Operation Overlord's successThu, 28 May 2026 12:17:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-weather-forecast-changed-the-course-of-wwii-heres-the-real-story-behind-pressure-a-drama-about-the-meteorologist-who-convinced-the-allies-to-delay-d-day-180988829/Soviet Cosmonauts Trained at Star City as They Raced to Beat America to the Moon. Now, a New TV Series Imagines What Happened Behind the Base's Wallshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/soviet-cosmonauts-trained-at-star-city-as-they-raced-to-beat-america-to-the-moon-now-a-new-tv-series-imagines-what-happened-behind-the-bases-walls-180988823/Apple TV's "Star City" takes place in a world where the space race never came to an end. A spinoff of "For All Mankind," the show is told from the Soviet perspectiveWed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/soviet-cosmonauts-trained-at-star-city-as-they-raced-to-beat-america-to-the-moon-now-a-new-tv-series-imagines-what-happened-behind-the-bases-walls-180988823/This Jewish Community in the Caribbean Smuggled Gunpowder to the Patriots During the Revolution. A British Admiral Condemned the Island as a 'Nest of Vipers'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/A new exhibition at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, in Philadelphia, spotlights the little-known wartime contributions of the Jews of St. EustatiusFri, 22 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/The 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Killed Four Young Black Girls. But They Weren't the Only Victims of Racial Violence in the City That Dayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-killed-four-young-black-girls-but-they-werent-the-only-victims-of-racial-violence-in-the-city-that-day-180988729/Hours after the attack, a police officer shot 16-year-old Johnny Robinson in the back. Then, a white teenager mortally injured 13-year-old Virgil Ware as he rode on the handlebars of his brother's bikeTue, 19 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-killed-four-young-black-girls-but-they-werent-the-only-victims-of-racial-violence-in-the-city-that-day-180988729/Born and Raised in Philadelphia, This Loyalist Fled to England During the American Revolution. In His Absence, the Patriots Declared Him a Traitor and Seized His Propertyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-and-raised-in-philadelphia-this-loyalist-fled-to-england-during-the-american-revolution-in-his-absence-the-patriots-declared-him-a-traitor-and-seized-his-property-180988705/Matthias Aspden spent his time abroad yearning for his "native country." His heirs later took the government to court, arguing that the estate had been confiscated unjustlyThu, 14 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-and-raised-in-philadelphia-this-loyalist-fled-to-england-during-the-american-revolution-in-his-absence-the-patriots-declared-him-a-traitor-and-seized-his-property-180988705/History Remembers Mary Boleyn as the Scandalous 'Other Boleyn Girl.' New Research Debunks the Myths Surrounding the Tudor Mistresshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-remembers-mary-boleyn-as-the-scandalous-other-boleyn-girl-new-research-debunks-the-myths-surrounding-the-tudor-mistress-180988703/Sylvia Barbara Soberton's latest book challenges the perception of Anne Boleyn's sister as "promiscuous, intellectually incurious and unambitious"Mon, 11 May 2026 15:17:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-remembers-mary-boleyn-as-the-scandalous-other-boleyn-girl-new-research-debunks-the-myths-surrounding-the-tudor-mistress-180988703/Divers Discover the Shipwreck of a World War I-Era Coast Guard Cutter, Which Vanished With 131 Sailors on Board in 1918https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/divers-discover-the-shipwreck-of-a-world-war-i-era-coast-guard-cutter-which-vanished-with-131-sailors-on-board-in-1918-180988676/The wreckage of the "Tampa," which was torpedoed by a German submarine, was found 50 miles off the coast of Cornwall, England. The disaster was the largest single American naval combat loss of life during the warThu, 07 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/divers-discover-the-shipwreck-of-a-world-war-i-era-coast-guard-cutter-which-vanished-with-131-sailors-on-board-in-1918-180988676/Everyone Remembers Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. But His Forgotten Race to Secure a Trove of Documents Reveals How Government Records Helped Win the Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/everyone-remembers-paul-reveres-midnight-ride-but-his-forgotten-race-to-secure-a-trove-of-documents-reveals-how-government-records-helped-win-the-war-180988648/During the American Revolution, both the British and the patriots fought to keep sensitive papers out of enemy handsWed, 06 May 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/everyone-remembers-paul-reveres-midnight-ride-but-his-forgotten-race-to-secure-a-trove-of-documents-reveals-how-government-records-helped-win-the-war-180988648/A Collection of Maps Owned by England's First Queen Spent Centuries Overlooked in a Family Library. Now, the Rare Volume Is on Sale for $1.6 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-collection-of-maps-owned-by-englands-first-queen-spent-centuries-overlooked-in-a-family-library-now-the-rare-volume-is-on-sale-for-16-million-180988604/Created for Mary I, the first woman to rule England in her own right, the book is "perhaps the most significant artifact of Tudor intellectual history still in private hands," the seller saysMon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-collection-of-maps-owned-by-englands-first-queen-spent-centuries-overlooked-in-a-family-library-now-the-rare-volume-is-on-sale-for-16-million-180988604/Walt Disney Visited a Ford Factory in 1948. What He Witnessed There Laid the Groundwork for What Would Become Disneylandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/walt-disney-visited-a-ford-factory-in-1948-what-he-witnessed-there-laid-the-groundwork-for-what-would-become-disneyland-180988551/A new book argues that the film producer's trip to the River Rouge plant in Michigan inspired him to embrace the power of automation when designing the first Disney theme parkMon, 27 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/walt-disney-visited-a-ford-factory-in-1948-what-he-witnessed-there-laid-the-groundwork-for-what-would-become-disneyland-180988551/An Eccentric Tycoon Left a Fortune to the Winner of a Baby-Making Contest. The Great Stork Derby Divided Canadians During the Great Depressionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/an-eccentric-tycoon-left-a-fortune-to-the-winner-of-a-baby-making-contest-the-great-stork-derby-divided-canadians-during-the-great-depression-180988575/In his will, Charles Vance Millar offered roughly 500,000 Canadian dollars to the mother who "has since my death given birth in Toronto to the greatest number of children"Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/an-eccentric-tycoon-left-a-fortune-to-the-winner-of-a-baby-making-contest-the-great-stork-derby-divided-canadians-during-the-great-depression-180988575/