The creatures cruised the world’s oceans with features we often associate with marine mammals, such as coats of blubber and the ability to birth live young

Travel

See All

Smithsonian Magazine

05.04.2025

See 15 Photos That Will Remind You to Appreciate the Rain

Take a look at these Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest pictures of this precious precipitation

Smithsonian Magazine

11.04.2025

Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia's James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom

The James River Batteau Company, an outdoor recreation-meets-historical tour business, has designed a dinner cruise that honors the resilience and culinary ingenuity of enslaved boatmen

Smithsonian Magazine

15.04.2025

Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before

Places like Maui and Asheville, North Carolina, rebuilding after wildfires and hurricanes, are doing so with a mind to sustainable tourism

Smithsonian Magazine

17.04.2025

Eight Historic Moments That Took Place at the Waldorf Astoria New York

The famous hotel reopens this spring after an extensive renovation that began in 2017

History

See All

Smithsonian Magazine

11.04.2025

How Bergen-Belsen, Where Anne Frank Died, Was Different From Every Other Nazi Concentration Camp

A new exhibition at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London chronicles the German camp complex's history, from its origins housing prisoners of war to its afterlife holding displaced persons

Smithsonian Magazine

15.04.2025

The Long, Strange Trip of the Titanic Victims Whose Remains Surfaced Hundreds of Miles Away, Weeks After the Ship Sank

Rescuers only recovered the bodies of 337 of the 1,500-plus passengers and crew who died in the disaster. Around one-third of these corpses were buried at sea

Smithsonian Magazine

16.04.2025

How Dreams of Buried Pirate Treasure Enticed Americans to Flock to Florida During the Roaring Twenties

1925 marked the peak of the Florida land boom. But false advertising and natural disasters thwarted many settlers' visions of striking it rich in the land of sunshine

Smithsonian Magazine

18.04.2025

Dive Into the Deeper Story of the American Revolution on How New England and Virginia United Against the British

Inside the steeple of Old North Church and among the Southern Colonies, less familiar stories of the events from 250 years ago emerge

Culture & Art

See All

Smithsonian Magazine

28.03.2025

The Salty, Sweet and Irresistible History of Baseball's Most Famous Snack | Smithsonian

Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize? That, and so much more, is what you get with a Cracker Jack

Smithsonian Magazine

29.03.2025

A Swirl of Intrigue Surrounds Swedish Painter Hilma af Klint's Newfound Status as an Icon of Abstract Art | Smithsonian

Long overlooked, the artist made pioneering works in the early 20th century. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight

Smithsonian Magazine

02.04.2025

This New Book Reveals the Daredevil Lives of Four Italian Women Who Stood Up to Hitler and Mussolini | Smithsonian

By delivering newspapers, munitions and secret messages to resistance groups, among many other incredible tasks, the brave fighters strove for a freer world

Smithsonian Magazine

03.04.2025

Two Great Empires Traded for Financial Gain and Achieved a Brilliant Cultural Exchange as Well

A new show illuminates the rich artistic wonders that arose out of the 400 years of commerce between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire

home
›
Smithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian Magazine

Technology

Abraham Lincoln's Blood-Stained Gloves, Early Scribblings and Dozens of Other Belongings Are Going Up for Sale

See 26 Captivating Images From the World Press Photo Contest

Watch These Elephants Form an 'Alert Circle' as an Earthquake Shakes San Diego, Protecting Their Young at the Center

Hundreds of Looted Ancient Artifacts Confiscated From the Black Market Are Now On Display in Naples

Science & Technology

You Might Think of Shrimp as Bugs of the Sea. But a Remarkable Discovery Shows the Opposite: Bugs Are Actually Shrimp of the Land

A Revealing Look Into the Surprisingly Tricky Sex Lives of Birds

Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean

From Massive Eyes to Shark-Like Tails, Seven Amazing Adaptations That Helped Prehistoric Reptiles Thrive at Sea

Travel

See 15 Photos That Will Remind You to Appreciate the Rain

Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia's James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom

Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before

Eight Historic Moments That Took Place at the Waldorf Astoria New York

Photography

Images of the Star-Spangled Banner from Across the Country | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

新的独家照片 | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

Best Shark Photographs from the Last Ten Years of Photo Contests | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

Announcing the Finalists of the 12th Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

History

How Bergen-Belsen, Where Anne Frank Died, Was Different From Every Other Nazi Concentration Camp

The Long, Strange Trip of the Titanic Victims Whose Remains Surfaced Hundreds of Miles Away, Weeks After the Ship Sank

How Dreams of Buried Pirate Treasure Enticed Americans to Flock to Florida During the Roaring Twenties

Dive Into the Deeper Story of the American Revolution on How New England and Virginia United Against the British

Culture & Art

The Salty, Sweet and Irresistible History of Baseball's Most Famous Snack | Smithsonian

A Swirl of Intrigue Surrounds Swedish Painter Hilma af Klint's Newfound Status as an Icon of Abstract Art | Smithsonian

This New Book Reveals the Daredevil Lives of Four Italian Women Who Stood Up to Hitler and Mussolini | Smithsonian

Two Great Empires Traded for Financial Gain and Achieved a Brilliant Cultural Exchange as Well

home›Smithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian Magazine

Technology

Abraham Lincoln's Blood-Stained Gloves, Early Scribblings and Dozens of Other Belongings Are Going Up for Sale

See 26 Captivating Images From the World Press Photo Contest

Watch These Elephants Form an 'Alert Circle' as an Earthquake Shakes San Diego, Protecting Their Young at the Center

Hundreds of Looted Ancient Artifacts Confiscated From the Black Market Are Now On Display in Naples

Science & Technology

You Might Think of Shrimp as Bugs of the Sea. But a Remarkable Discovery Shows the Opposite: Bugs Are Actually Shrimp of the Land

A Revealing Look Into the Surprisingly Tricky Sex Lives of Birds

Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean

From Massive Eyes to Shark-Like Tails, Seven Amazing Adaptations That Helped Prehistoric Reptiles Thrive at Sea

Travel

See 15 Photos That Will Remind You to Appreciate the Rain

Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia's James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom

Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before

Eight Historic Moments That Took Place at the Waldorf Astoria New York

Photography

Images of the Star-Spangled Banner from Across the Country | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

新的独家照片 | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

Best Shark Photographs from the Last Ten Years of Photo Contests | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

Announcing the Finalists of the 12th Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest | Photos| Smithsonian Magazine

History

How Bergen-Belsen, Where Anne Frank Died, Was Different From Every Other Nazi Concentration Camp

The Long, Strange Trip of the Titanic Victims Whose Remains Surfaced Hundreds of Miles Away, Weeks After the Ship Sank

How Dreams of Buried Pirate Treasure Enticed Americans to Flock to Florida During the Roaring Twenties

Dive Into the Deeper Story of the American Revolution on How New England and Virginia United Against the British

Culture & Art

The Salty, Sweet and Irresistible History of Baseball's Most Famous Snack | Smithsonian

A Swirl of Intrigue Surrounds Swedish Painter Hilma af Klint's Newfound Status as an Icon of Abstract Art | Smithsonian

This New Book Reveals the Daredevil Lives of Four Italian Women Who Stood Up to Hitler and Mussolini | Smithsonian

Two Great Empires Traded for Financial Gain and Achieved a Brilliant Cultural Exchange as Well

home
›
Smithsonian Magazine