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The History of Presidential Assassination Attempts, From Andrew Jackson to Teddy Roosevelt
Before last weekend's attack on Donald Trump, would-be assassins unsuccessfully targeted Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and seven other sitting presidents or candidates for office
Amateur Historians Unearth a Long-Lost Tudor Palace Visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I
Locals had long shared stories of Collyweston Palace. Then, excavations in England's Midlands revealed traces of the fabled estate
The Smithsonian Acquires the Earliest Known Photograph of an American First Lady
The National Portrait Gallery purchased an 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison for $456,000
The Real Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner, the Flag That Inspired the National Anthem
How the flag that flew proudly over Fort McHenry in September 1814 made its way to the Smithsonian
The Real Story Behind 'Firebrand' and Henry VIII's Tumultuous Relationship With His Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr
A new film dramatizes how the Tudor queen narrowly avoided execution on charges of heresy
Why Juneteenth, the U.S.'s Second Independence Day, Is a Federal Holiday
The celebration commemorates June 19, 1865, when a military decree informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were free
Giant Pandas Are Coming Back to Washington, D.C.
A pair of the bears will arrive at the Smithsonian's National Zoo by the end of 2024
Why Leopold and Loeb Committed Cold-Blooded Murder in the 'Crime of the Century'
A century ago, two Chicago teenagers killed an acquaintance named Bobby Franks for the thrill of it. The case captivated the nation and continues to fascinate the public today
The Myth of 'Bloody Mary,' England's First Queen
History remembers Mary I as a murderous monster who burned hundreds of her subjects at the stake, but the real story of the Tudor monarch is far more nuanced
Watch the Trailer for 'Firebrand,' a New Drama About Henry VIII's Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr
Karim Aïnouz’s film features Alicia Vikander and Jude Law as the Tudor queen and king
See 1,000 Perfect Replicas of Objects Unearthed From King Tut's Tomb
A traveling exhibition on view in Washington, D.C. blends education and entertainment, letting visitors get up close and personal with the ancient Egyptian pharaoh's treasures
Why Were So Many Renaissance Portraits Multisided?
A new exhibition at the Met is the first to examine the tradition of covered 15th- and 16th-century portraits, which were designed to be interactive and often portable
The Real Story Behind 'Mary & George'
The new mini-series dramatizes the Villiers family’s scandalous rise to power at the court of England's James I
This Is the Gear You Need to View the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Protect your eyesight with eclipse glasses, binoculars, telescopes or lens filters
Seven of the Worst Bridge Disasters in World History
The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is shocking—but not unprecedented
See the Portrait That Made Henry VIII Fall in Love With Anne of Cleves, Newly Restored to Its Former Glory
The Louvre cleaned and conserved Hans Holbein's 1539 likeness of the Tudor queen, revealing its vibrant colors and previously hidden details
Texas Man Who Lived 70 Years in an Iron Lung Dies at 78: 'I Never Gave Up'
Paralyzed by polio in 1952, Paul Alexander led a full life despite being confined to a large steel ventilator
The Real History Behind FX's 'Shogun'
A new adaptation offers a fresh take on James Clavell's 1975 novel, which fictionalizes the stories of English sailor William Adams, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and Japanese noblewoman Hosokawa Gracia
The Real History Behind 'Feud: Capote vs. the Swans'
Ryan Murphy's new mini-series dramatizes the "In Cold Blood" author's betrayal of an insular group of Manhattan socialites
The Real History Behind 'Masters of the Air' and the 100th Bomb Group
The long-awaited follow-up to "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" centers on an American aerial group nicknamed the "Bloody Hundredth"
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