At the end of the 19th century, when ping-pong was coming into its own, the ball was generally made of string, rubber, or sometimes even a used champagne cork. It wasn’t until 1901, that James Gibb, ...

Not long after Intel introduced its 8080 chip, a small firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, named MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) announced a computer kit called the Altair, which met ...

At the center of this gallery is a partially reconstructed house that stood for 200 years at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts, about 30 miles north of Boston. The house and the exhibition that ...

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the National Museum of American History’s Smithsonian Food History Gala and the ...

If you had to name an inventor, would it be a woman? Like their male counterparts, women inventors represent all segments of American society, but their stories are often overlooked or undervalued.

The museum was designated as the steward for the medal by public law. The medal depicts five service members in silhouette standing over a crowd of people waiting to board a C-17 aircraft with the ...

New and future voters are sharing their perspectives to shape the world in many ways this election season. They join a long ...

A costume worn by actress Mariska Hargitay in her role as Capt. Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is donated ...

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently acquired several significant artifacts that reflect key moments in American history and culture. These additions include objects from the ...

Upon learning that the world spins on its axis, Irma Peterson—the title character of the comic strip My Friend Irma—reacts with shock, exclaiming "Golly, no wonder I'm dizzy!!!" while her boss looks ...

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will host its 11th annual National Youth Summit Sept. 17–24 under the title “Elections & Politics.” This year’s online program will offer ...

Bathing, from the early 19th to the early 20th centuries, required stamina and fortitude. Without indoor plumbing, bathing involved filling small portable tubs with water, bucket by bucket. This, as ...