Description: This year marks the 50th anniversary since the arrival of giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing at the National Zoo. To celebrate, we’re highlighting some giant panda records at the Archives.
Description: Just as the war affected the home life of millions of Americans, it had a drastic impact on the three buildings of the Smithsonian. The biggest change occurred in the ‘new’ National Museum, also known as the Natural History Building, then the Smithsonian’s cutting-edge exhibit space. The Bureau of War Risk Insurance, a new division of the US Department of Treasury created to
Description: A clause in the last will and testament of English scientist James Smithson eventually led to his estate being left to the United States "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” There was much debate as to what constituted such an establishment, but many of the proposals