Smithsonian Stories

Stories that spark curiosity from the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex.

Flintstones Comic Strip
Smithsonian Snapshot

Meet "The Flintstones"

The comic strip and TV show juxtaposed modern family life with the stone age.
A bat with its wings spread and teeth showing in open mouth lunges toward a small frog.
Smithsonian Story

How Do Bats Recognize a Tasty Meal?

Smithsonian researchers study how bats discriminate between tasty and dangerous meals.
Benjamin Franklin Suit 1778
Smithsonian Snapshot

Benjamin Franklin Carefully Crafted His Look

Franklin knew that clothing conveyed messages and meaning.
facsimile of the first English printing of the Declaration of Independence
National Museum of American History

Printing the Declaration of Independence

Printing the Declaration was essential for the distribution of its meaning across the Thirteen Colonies.
The back side of a wood turtle that has two tracking devices glued on its shell.
Smithsonian Story

Animal Tracking Technology

From tiny trackers on birds to larger elephant collars, scientists learn a lot from tracking animal movement in the wild. 
A specimen of Smithsonite
Smithsonian Snapshot

Smithsonite: A Mineral Named for James Smithson

Smithson was a scientist and founder of the Smithsonian Institution.
Three hands displaying ornate nail art.
Smithsonian Story

Museum-Inspired Manicures

Smithsonian collections spark creative designs by three nail artists.
A close-up of a person's hands displaying nails featuring a variety of colorful and artistic designs.
National Museum of African American History and Culture

African American Nail Art

For Black women, nail art is more than just a fashion statement it is an expression of culture, pride, and style.
A large ship steams ahead on the open ocean.
Smithsonian Story

Ocean Invaders

Species travel around the world stowed away on ships, impacting ecosystems and industry.
Gloved hand drilling hole into batches of eggs.
Smithsonian Story

The U.S. Dodged a Bird Flu Pandemic in 1957 Thanks to Eggs and Dumb Luck

With a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?
Tintype of Civil War Soldier Augustus B. Hayes in a hardtack frame.
Smithsonian Snapshot

An Unusual Photo Frame

A Civil War solider used hardtack in a crafty way.
A photo of an asteroid with a rocky, dusty surface.
Smithsonian Story

Bennu Asteroid Reveals Its Contents to Scientists

The asteroid provides clues to how the building blocks of life on Earth may have been seeded.
Zhong Kui Spirit Guardian of Good Health
Smithsonian Snapshot

A Fierce Protector for the New Year

Zhong Kui is a spirit guardian of good health.
young man working at a printing press
National Museum of African American History and Culture

African Americans at Work

Photographs from the collection document African Americans at work from the 1860s to today.
Two men stand on a wooden platform in front of a crowd of people.
Smithsonian Story

A Brief History of Presidential Inaugural Speeches

On the first Inauguration Day, George Washington gave a speech and future presidents have followed suit.  
A plane dumps water onto a burning hillside
Smithsonian Story

Firefighting with Ocean Water

Smithsonian research gives insight into firefighting with saltwater and its impacts.
A hand holds a dead bird over a white counter.
Meet a Scientist

Carla Dove and the Bird Detectives

A unique lab at the National Museum of Natural History investigates interactions between birds and aircrafts.
A big pool of muddy water surrounded by small homes and a white pickup truck that's angled into a ditch.
Smithsonian Story

A Race Against Time to Protect the Historical Record

Learn how the Smithsonian provides guidance and resources to help families salvage their damaged belongings.
This composite image features the remnant of a supernova explosion, which resembles a neon purple mushroom.
Smithsonian Story

The Smithsonian’s Top Scientific Achievements of 2024 

Explore seven exciting science stories from across the Smithsonian.
Artistic representation of the Hinode spacecraft with the Earth and sun in background.
Meet a Scientist

Seeing the Unseeable

An astrophysicist builds technology to answer questions about the sun.
Letter by Beth Slingerland on Dec. 7, 1941 with eyewitness account of attack on Pearl Harbor.
Smithsonian Snapshot

Eyewitness Account From Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941

A woman's letter to her parents describes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor—and shares her fears.
Black and white illustration of two men and a woman looking at a map on the wall.
Smithsonian Story

From Forecasting Pioneers to Climate Innovators

The Smithsonian has been at the forefront of weather research since its founding.
Closeup of a river otter face.
Meet a Scientist

On the Hunt for Parasites

An ecologist’s passion for parasites leads her to study river otter behavior along the Chesapeake Bay.
Handstamp used at Pearl Harbor on the USS Oklahoma
Smithsonian Snapshot

A Date Frozen in Time

The day before a “date which will live in infamy.”

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