The Best of Smithsonian Magazine
20+ most popular Smithsonian Magazine articles, as voted by our community.
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How Princess Diana's Death Transformed the Royal Family
The last season of "The Crown" will examine the aftermath of the beloved royal's death in a car accident in 1997
A Brief History of Banned Books in America
Attempts to restrict what kids in school can read are on the rise. But American book-banning started with the Puritans, 140 years before the United States
Almost 1,000 Birds Died in One Night From Striking a Chicago Building
Another 1,000 were killed in window collisions across the downtown area, amid calls for more bird-friendly architecture and reduced light pollution
Smithsonian Magazine on Art
You'll Need a Microscope to See These Miniature Masterpieces
Sometimes painted with a single eyelash, Willard Wigan's tiny sculptures fit in the eye of a needle
Banksy Reveals Seven Murals Throughout War-Torn Ukraine
The news comes amid speculation about the anonymous graffiti artist's whereabouts
Smithsonian Magazine on Board Games
The Best Board Games of 2022
Players of all ages will have to make room in their closets for these selections
The Best Board Games of the Ancient World
Thousands of years before Monopoly, people were playing games like Senet, Patolli and Chaturanga
Smithsonian Magazine on Burnout
How to Deal With Work Stress and Recover From Burnout
These evidence-based strategies can help you achieve healthy work-life balance
Smithsonian Magazine on Copyright
For the First Time in More Than 20 Years, Copyrighted Works Will Enter the Public Domain
A beloved Robert Frost poem is among the many creations that are (finally) losing their protections in 2019
Smithsonian Magazine on Fun Facts
Smithsonian Magazine on History
The Real History Behind Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer'
The "father of the atomic bomb" has long been misunderstood. Will the new film finally get J. Robert Oppenheimer right?
How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers
In 1910, a failed House bill sought to increase the availability of low-cost meat by importing hippopotamuses that would be killed to make "lake cow bacon"
Smithsonian Magazine on Nature
How Roads Have Transformed the Natural World
A brief history of road ecology, the scientific discipline that is helping us understand our impact on the environment and how to diminish it
After Dinosaurs Went Extinct, These Ten Giant Creatures Roamed the Earth
Though we often think of the “terrible lizards” as behemoths, many later reptiles and mammals also grew to massive sizes
Smithsonian Magazine on Russia
The 20th-Century History Behind Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
During WWII, Ukrainian nationalists saw the Nazis as liberators from Soviet oppression. Now, Russia is using that chapter to paint Ukraine as a Nazi nation
Smithsonian Magazine on Science
How Thomas Edison Tricked the Press Into Believing He'd Invented the Light Bulb
A year before he developed a working bulb, the "Wizard of Menlo Park" created the illusion that his prototype burned for more than a few minutes at a time
«Edison understood that success in the Gilded Age was a matter of hard work and carefully managing public expectations.»
Can a ‘Fingerprint’ of Your Brain Help Predict Disorders?
Using new medical imaging techniques, researchers are working to identify early signs of developmental disorders and mental illness
Smithsonian Magazine on Spirituality
The Indian Guru Who Brought Eastern Spirituality to the West
A new biography explores the life of Vivekananda, a Hindu ascetic who promoted a more inclusive vision of religion
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When Coal First Arrived, Americans Said 'No Thanks'
Back in the 19th century, coal was the nation's newfangled fuel source—and it faced the same resistance as wind and solar today
What Ever Happened to the Neighborhood Paperboy?
To mark the premiere of Amazon's "Paper Girls," we delved into the surprisingly murky history of bicycle-riding newspaper carriers
Designers Build a Provocative Road Map for World Peace
Cooper Hewitt’s new show taps into the collective consciousness of activists, app developers, artists and architects to envision a way forward
How Bird Collecting Evolved Into Bird-Watching
In the early 1900s, newfound empathy for avian creatures helped wildlife observation displace dispassionate killing
The Museum of Failure Celebrates Some of the World's Biggest Flops
Now on view in New York City, the traveling exhibition presents failure as a critical learning opportunity
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