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This Day In History

January 27, 1880
Thomas Edison receives a patent for the electric incandescent lamp.
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Our Mission

We help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions on a range of topics offer firsthand experiences with treasures of American history.

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We collect artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve an enduring record of our past for the American people.

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Help create the history museum of the future by responding to our survey.

Films in the Warner Bros. Theater

Enjoy a variety of daily short films and special features, including a documentary film series in January. Check the Theater page for showtimes.

National Museum of American History Marks 2020 as “Year of the Woman”

To mark the centennial of women’s suffrage, the museum will offer two signature exhibitions designed to amplify women’s crucial role in history.

Statement on Collecting Objects Regarding the Impeachment of the President

“¡Pleibol!” Slides Into Smithsonian Fall 2020

See full events calendar
See more news items

From Our Blog

Thinking about impeachment like a historian

This week, the third impeachment trial of a sitting U.S. president begins. As we prepare to bear witness to this historic moment, we spoke with political history curator Jon Grinspan about how historians look at impeachment. 
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100 years later, do we think Prohibition was good for the nation?

When Prohibition went into effect, who was toasting it and who needed a drink?

Our most-read blog posts of 2019

What were our most read posts of 2019?

A winning design: Prang’s Christmas card contests of the 1880s

Have you ever wondered how companies pick their holiday card designs? During the 1880s, Boston lithographer Louis Prang had an innovative answer: contests.
Read more stories from our blog

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