Smithsonian Stories

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

X-wing Starfighter
Smithsonian Snapshot

X-wing Starfighter Stays on Target, Lands at the National Air and Space Museum

"Red Five Standing By!"
Frozen margarita machine
Smithsonian Story

The Real History of Cinco de Mayo

Learn about the origins of the holiday and frozen margaritas.
Purple, blue and white clouds on a dark sky with stars.
Smithsonian Story

What If You Could Hear Space?

Learn how scientists are translating data captured by telescopes into sound. 
Official portrait of Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins
National Air and Space Museum

Remembering Michael Collins

We celebrate the life of the museum's former director and astronaut Michael Collins, the command module pilot for Apollo 11, the first human landing on the Moon, in July 1969.
Harry the Hipster Hepcat
Smithsonian Snapshot

Harry the Hipster

Hey, cool cats, it's Jazz Appreciation Month!
Small glass vial with label for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Smithsonian Story

Six Stories on Vaccines, Disease, and Public Health

Through our collections, we connect stories of science and history.
These seven individuals composed the first group of astronauts announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. T
National Air and Space Museum

Exploring Human Spaceflight

Explore the history of human spaceflight as we mark the 60th anniversary of humans in space.
Page from Insecta
Smithsonian Snapshot

Butterflies Are Free To Fly

These butterflies illustrate one of thousands of pages detailing natural history in Central America.
Bureau of War Risk Employees Working in the U.S. National Museum, 1918
Smithsonian Institution Archives

How Did the Smithsonian Respond to the 1918 Pandemic?

Learn about the precautionary public health measures that the Smithsonian followed in 1918.
Egg covered in a geometric design with red, yellow, black and green.
Smithsonian Story

Designing Easter Eggs

Decorated using wax and dye, these eggs are exchanged at Easter to symbolize new life.
Suzanne Asbury-Oliver
Smithsonian Snapshot

Writing Words in the Sky

For more than 20 years, Suzanne Asbury-Oliver was the only professional woman skywriter in the world.
Yardis Gras house decorations
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Hire a Mardi Gras Artist: Building House Floats and Community Resilience

Learn how the community of Mardi Gras practitioners and artists have found comfort and support in each other. 
Photo by Gale Zucker, courtesy of Carolyn Mazloomi
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Stories to Tell: Carolyn Mazloomi and the Women of Color Quilters Network

The network's pioneering “Unmask Your Creativity Contest” inspired entries from all over the world.
Textile with repeating image of a group sitting at a table set with plates and a candle holder. A girl stands nearby.
Smithsonian Story

Passover through the Eyes of a Child

A seder plate, candles, and family gathered around the table can be seen in this seder textile created by a 10-year-old student.
Striking for fair wages
Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Four Women Changemakers You May Not Know

Four short videos highlight women who organized their communities to make change.
Supermassive Black Hole Magnetic Field
Smithsonian Snapshot

Harvard, Smithsonian Astonomers Help Capture Magnetic Fields Close to a Black Hole

“Stay tuned for true black hole cinema.”
Ella Jenkins
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Ella Jenkins, a Hidden Figure in the Fight for Civil Rights

To many, Ella Jenkins is solely the First Lady of Children’s Music, however her career has always been tied to the fight for equality.
Saucer magnolia trees with pink flowers in front of the Smithsonian Castle building.
Smithsonian Story

Saucer Magnolias

Learn what makes these spectacular pink blooms different from those of Washington, D.C.'s, famous cherry blossoms.
Illustration of red, white and purple flowers.
Smithsonian Story

Springing into Gardening Books

Jane C. Webb Loudon made horticulture accessible for women to pursue as a hobby.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Smithsonian Snapshot

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, From Gospel to Electric Guitar-Driven Rock ’n’ Roll

Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often called the "Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll."
women working for suffrage
Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Eight Women's Voting History Stories You May Not Know

Get to know women who worked in their communities to advocate for the right to vote.
A man and woman sitting on the back of a bench with two little boys and a girl on the front.
Smithsonian Story

Researching African American Family History

Learn about genealogy resources at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
"Gamin"
Smithsonian Snapshot

Renaissance Woman Augusta Savage

Sculptor and teacher Augusta Savage used her work to challenge discrimination and promote civil and women’s rights.
Activist and Nurse Ruth Carol Taylor
Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Six Women to Know This Black History Month

Here are six women to celebrate during Black History Month.

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