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, ...

While the African American blacksmith and former slave Lewis Temple did not invent the harpoon toggle, his invention made it better. The first barb at the tip of the toggle iron was designed to ...

George F. Green (1832-1892), a resident of Kalamazoo, Mich., invented the first pneumatic dental drill operated by means of compressed air. This example has an “E. R. E. Carpenter / Sole Agent / ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

The Smithsonian's National Numismatic Collection (NNC) is America's collection of monetary and transactional objects. This diverse and expansive global collection contains objects that represent every ...