Smithsonian
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We're not a museum. We're 21 of them! (Plus a zoo & 9 research centers.) Find visiting info at https://t.co/DUhPwllAU8 | Legal: https://t.co/m1RRg3okOi
Washington, DC
Joined March 2008
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Today we remember Nichelle Nichols. She starred as Lieutenant Uhura on "Star Trek" wearing this uniform now in our @NMAAHC, making history for African American women in TV and film. Nichols also volunteered to recruit women and people of color for NASA. #BecauseOfHerStory
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The Smithsonian's treasures belong to you. Now you can download, remix, reuse and share them with #SmithsonianOpenAccess, for free, for any purpose. Explore at
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In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on this portable desk, now in .@amhistorymuseum. While his words outlined the ideals of a new nation—“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”—he enslaved more than 600 people in his lifetime.
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We remember Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. This 1996 portrait by Everett Raymond Kinstler is in our @smithsoniannpg's collection.
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We have never expressed interest in collecting George Zimmerman’s firearm, and have no plans to ever collect or display it in any museums.
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You know an animal is special when your social media manager has to check to make sure it's real. Meet the pink fairy armadillo. At about 6 inches long, it's the world's smallest armadillo. The shell’s color comes from blood vessels close to the surface.
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Captain Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew, was the first woman captain in the Star Trek franchise. Mulgrew gave this prop communicator badge, now in our @airandspace, to astronaut Sally Ride, a longtime Star Trek fan. Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983.
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Elie Wiesel devoted his life to ensuring the Holocaust and its victims are never forgotten. A survivor of the concentration camps where his family was murdered, he wrote the memoir "Night." @smithsoniannpg's Miriam Baker sculpture: #HolocaustRemembranceDay
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It’s #WorldOceansDay! Let our @OceanPortal introduce you to the world’s smallest shark http://t.co/9nGhCdScV7
http://t.co/1ixWI9cdGI.
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This is the first image ever of a black hole. The breakthrough discovery by the @ehtelescope is an image of Messier 87’s (M87’s) supermassive black hole in the center of the Virgo galaxy cluster, 55 million light-years away. #EHTBlackhole #RealBlackHole
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Presenting the #ObamaPortraits: President @BarackObama’s portrait by @kehindewileyart and Mrs. @MichelleObama’s portrait by Amy Sherald. Both will be on view starting tomorrow at our @NPG. About the artists: #myNPG
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We are thrilled to announce that our Board of Regents has elected Lonnie G. Bunch III as the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, effective June 16. The founding director of our @NMAAHC, Bunch brings a reputation for compelling scholarship and visionary leadership.
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Today we remember Rosalynn Carter, First Lady from 1977-1981. In this July 1978 photo, she’s visiting @amhistorymuseum, then known as the National Museum of History and Technology, to donate her gold-trimmed blue chiffon inaugural gown to the collection. She’d first worn the
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President @BarackObama on @kehindewileyart: “What I was always struck by when I saw his portraits was the degree to which they challenged our ideas of power and privilege.” #ObamaPortraits #myNPG
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Due to the #GovernmentShutdown, Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed. We will update our operating status as soon as the situation is resolved. We do not plan to update social media other than to inform you of our operating status.
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Today is our birthday! The Smithsonian was officially created on Aug. 10, 1846. This Smithsonian baby photo from 1850 is the earliest-known photo of the Castle, still under construction:
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Our @NPG just unveiled a new presidential portrait for their collection: President Frank Underwood #HouseofCards
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#Juneteenth marks the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay, Texas, were notified of their freedom. It's celebrated as the end of U.S. chattel slavery and our nation's second independence day. #APeoplesJourney
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The daughter of a man who was once enslaved helps @POTUS & @FLOTUS open our @NMAAHC yesterday. 📷: Joel Mason-Gaines. #APeoplesJourney
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Dr. Carter G. Woodson—known as the “Father of Black History"—started the first Negro History Week in 1926 to ensure students would learn Black history. It grew into #BlackHistoryMonth, starting in 1976. #SmithsonianBHM. 📸: Scurlock Studio Records portrait in our @amhistorymuseum
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Ladies, if he:.- doesn't text back.- smokes a pipe.- says he invented an improved method for making coffee.- left a mysterious clause in his will regarding approximately $508,318. He's not your man. He's English chemist and founding donor James Smithson.
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Today we welcome our 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie G. Bunch III. The founding director of @NMAAHC, he is the first African American to lead the Smithsonian and the first historian elected Secretary. More on our new Secretary in @SmithsonianMag:
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Update: The Smithsonian, including its museums, research centers & the National Zoo, will be OPEN Monday, Jan. 22. The Smithsonian can use prior year funds still available to us to do so. We will update our status beyond Monday as soon as we know. #governmentshutdown.
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This month marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment became law. With @USNatArchives and @librarycongress, we're counting down #19SuffrageStories of women who worked for the vote—before and after 1920—through the Aug. 26 anniversary. #BecauseOfHerStory
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@amhistorymuseum In an 1852 speech, Frederick Douglass emphasized that the history of American freedom cannot be separated from American slavery. Read more about “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” from our @NMAAHC:
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We remember Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. In this poster in our @NPG, legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser conveys the creative energy of Franklin’s performances:
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Our #2018Folklife Festival is open and it's going to be big. About the Catalan tradition of human towers called castells: See @SmithsonianFolk's schedule at
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Her story changed history. Our Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative will tell a more complete American story and empower future generations. This #WomensHistoryMonth, we'll share stories of the women who changed ours: #BecauseOfHerStory.
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This is the first-ever image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy. At 27,000 light-years away, Sagittarius A* would look from Earth to be the size of a donut on the Moon. A global network of telescopes and 300 researchers, many from @CenterForAstro, captured this image.
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Smithsonian scientists discover two new species of dog faced bats
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Due to inclement weather, Smithsonian museums in the DC area, including the National Zoo, will be closed to the public on Monday, Jan. 6.
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One hundred and ten years ago today, Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox) swept the pentathlon and decathlon at the Olympic Games, the first Native American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S. This stamp is in the collection of our @PostalMuseum. ©USPS; all rights reserved.
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You know the name Neil Armstrong, but what about Poppy Northcutt or Hazel Fellows? For #Apollo50, learn about the women who played essential roles in building the Apollo program: #BecauseOfHerStory.
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Today is our birthday! The Smithsonian was officially created 175 years ago today, on Aug. 10, 1846. For #Smithsonian175, we're sharing our Smithsonian baby photos. This one from 1850 is the earliest-known photo of the Castle, which was still under construction.
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This is Dr. Patricia Cowings, whose research helps astronauts overcome space sickness. She was the first American woman to receive scientist astronaut training in 1978, and went on to study the psycho-physiological and biological problems astronauts experience in space. #BHM
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100 years ago—at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—the fighting of #WorldWarI ended. To honor the fallen, Hartley Edwards played “Taps” on this bugle after the war. It's in our @amhistorymuseum's collection. #Armistice100 #VeteransDay
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Fred Rogers, born 90 years ago today, wore a cardigan on every episode of "Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood"—all hand-knit by his mother. His sweater is in our @amhistorymuseum: #MisterRogers50
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Monday at 10 a.m. ET, we'll share a live broadcast of the portrait unveiling for President @BarackObama & Mrs. @MichelleObama at our @NPG. A history of the museum's presidential portraits: #ObamaPortraits #myNPG
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Today we remember "Queen of Rock 'n Roll" Tina Turner. Her powerful vocals and energetic stage presence won her superstar status, from singing on her first popular song in 1960, through her comeback in the 1980s, to her final tour in 2009.📷: @NMAAHC . James L. Mitchell Johnson
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Meet our newest employee, Pepper the Robot! We're the first museum complex to explore using Pepper, a humanoid robot who can sense when people are close by and engage them in conversation. #SmithsonianPepper
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Here it is, your definitive thread of Bei Bei GIFs. Tomorrow our @NationalZoo says #ByeByeBeiBei:
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The first person to photograph a single snowflake captured this image.
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Tonight is the first night of #Hanukkah!. This Statue of Liberty menorah was made by an immigrant who escaped Nazi Germany and started collecting souvenirs in his new country. Now in @amhistorymuseum:
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He's from a galaxy far far away but he's still a national treasure http://t.co/hCN34xHnip
#MayThe4th
http://t.co/2vfVrH2MZv.
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Dr. Carter G. Woodson—known as the “Father of Black History"—started the first Negro History Week in 1926 to ensure students would learn Black history. It grew into #BlackHistoryMonth, starting in 1976. This Scurlock Studio Records portrait of Woodson is in our @amhistorymuseum.
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In the event of a #GovernmentShutdown, our museums, research centers and the National Zoo will be OPEN through Jan. 1. The Smithsonian can use prior-year funds still available to us to remain open. Smithsonian museums are always closed on Dec. 25.
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A story that #MadMen overlooked: Caroline R. Jones, trailblazing adwoman by @amhistorymuseum #BlackHistoryMonth
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Have a stellar weekend! 🎆 This image of the "Fireworks Galaxy"—nicknamed because at least 10 supernova explosions have occurred in it since the early 20th century—comes from @chandraxray.
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The real-life history of #GalentinesDay, which is only the best day of the year, from our @amhistorymuseum
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It's our birthday and we'll increase and diffuse knowledge if we want to! 🎂🎈 The Smithsonian was officially created on Aug. 10, 1846. This Smithsonian baby photo from 1850 is the earliest-known photo of the Castle, still under construction:
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This is what happens when you lose the #museumsnowballfight. Photo taken in 1922 behind our Castle, from @SmithsonianArch:
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On buses, trains, cars, trucks, airplanes and on foot, people traveled from every state for the #MarchOnWashington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. An estimated 250,000 people participated. This pin was donated to our @amhistorymuseum by Virginia Beets. #ANationsStory
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The name for a baby porcupine is a PORCUPETTE. And we have a new one at @NationalZoo who needs a name of his own! We are asking for your help to pick a name for our prehensile-tailed porcupine born in November. ⤵️⤵️⤵️
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Today is our birthday! 🎂 This 1860s photo of our first building—the Castle—is in our newest museum, @NMAAHC
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Pending passage of a continuing resolution to fund the government, all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 29 at their regularly scheduled times.
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July 20, 1969, 10:56 p.m.: Neil Armstrong takes humanity’s first steps on the Moon.
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Learn about the artists, and watch @NPG's official unveiling of the #ObamaPortraits starting at 10 a.m. ET Monday, live on Facebook or at #myNPG
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This silky anteater rides on a scientist's arm to a safer perch on Panama's Barro Colorado Island, home to the oldest active research station in the American tropics. #OurSustainablePlanet
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Charlotta Bass was the first African American woman to run for vice president, running with Vincent Hallinan on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952. Her slogan: "Win or lose, we win by raising the issues.". 📹: conference for the Sojourners of Truth and Justice, in our @NMAAHC
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All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 29 at their regularly scheduled times. You can find hours information at We look forward to seeing you!.
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Fifty years ago today, the #26thAmendment was ratified, lowering the voting age for U.S. citizens from 21 to 18. Political parties and independent groups campaigned to get young people to register and vote. These 1970s pieces are now in our @amhistorymuseum's collection.
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Good news! Our @NationalZoo has welcomed a giant panda cub. Mei Xiang gave birth at 6:35 p.m. and is caring for her newborn attentively. Keepers are watching Mei Xiang’s behavior and listening for loud squeals, which are signs of a healthy cub. #PandaStory
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Big #SquirrelAppreciationDay plans this weekend? We got you covered. This Japanese flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga) is a cutie, but doesn't actually fly:
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Meet the “Feather Lady," Roxie Collie Laybourne. She created forensic ornithology—CSI for birds—which has made air travel safer for us. #NationalBirdDay
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We have @POTUS & @FLOTUS here for @NMAAHC's dedication, along with former President George W. Bush. #APeoplesJourney
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On Sept. 11, 2001, a couple used paper & pen to reach each other at the Pentagon. They survived, as did this letter:
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How did women win the right to vote? It's a big story. So big, no single exhibit can tell it. Follow #HerVote100 today to explore three exhibits in Washington, D.C. We'll share stories from @librarycongress @USNatArchives and @smithsoniannpg. #Suffrage100 #BecauseOfHerStory
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With the #IfThenSheCan exhibition, the future of women in STEM is bright. Opening tomorrow, the exhibit features the largest collection of statues of women ever assembled, highlighting STEM innovators. #WomensFuturesMonth
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Today is our birthday! The Smithsonian was officially created on August 10, 1846. Now we're the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, which you can explore at
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This is not the Eye of Sauron. It's a white dwarf star and a highly variable red giant. As they orbit each other, the white dwarf pulls material from the red giant onto its surface. Over time, material accumulates and triggers an explosion.
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Last night many of our museums were lit in the colors of the women's suffrage movement: purple and gold. This month we mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment's passage and explore the long struggle for voting rights. #ForwardIntoLight #BecauseOfHerStory
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Today we remember singer Tony Bennett. Born in Queens, New York in 1926, his given name was Anthony Dominick Benedetto. Comedian Bob Hope recommended he go by Tony Bennett instead of his then stage name, Joe Bari. In his decades-long career, Bennett won 20 Grammys and
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Today is Julia Child's birthday. The kitchen from her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home is in our @amhistorymuseum: Bon appétit!
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"Until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother's son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens." — civil rights leader Ella Baker, shown at a 1968 peace march and rally.
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As a public health precaution due to COVID-19, all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will temporarily close to the public starting Saturday, March 14. We will provide updates on social media and on our website.
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For the start of #BlackHistoryMonth, meet historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and learn about the month's origins from our @NMAAHC: #APeoplesJourney
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Today in 1969: #Apollo11 launches to the Moon with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. Today, right now: Neil Armstrong's spacesuit is back on display at our @airandspace for the first time in 13 years. #Apollo50
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We have a new gray seal pup at our @NationalZoo! She appears to be nursing, moving and bonding well with mom. More:
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Today in 1969: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take the first steps on the Moon. Armstrong's suit in our @airandspace:
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Have you spotted our new cheetah cubs at @NationalZoo? Mom Echo has moved the four cubs (born April 8) back to a den with a webcam: #NatZooZen
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@ehtelescope How can you see the unseen? An Earth-sized telescope. From our @saoastro, Sheperd Doeleman leads the @ehtelescope—a network of eight telescopes spanning the globe, creating a new instrument. They all had to point to the black hole at exactly the same time. 🎥: @SmithsonianChan
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Researchers believe this is Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser, the fourth African American woman doctor in the U.S. She attended Syracuse University College of Medicine in the years following the end of slavery. This photograph is in our @nmaahc. #RaceAndOurSharedFuture #BecauseOfHerStory
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March 2022 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Harriet Tubman, who died on this day in 1913. This quilted and appliquéd portrait by Bisa Butler, titled “I Go To Prepare a Place For You,” is in our @NMAAHC. #Tubman200 #BecauseOfHerStory
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Newly discovered #AnzuDino is one scary chicken we hope makes an appearance in #JurassicWorld
http://t.co/E78bpyZDGt
http://t.co/Cy6rK4N7Kn.
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This vial contained some of the first known COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. Our @amhistorymuseum has added it to their collection. How else can the Smithsonian help us understand our current moment? Follow along for more stories on disease and public health.⤵️
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