The Midnight Disease

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"Adam Francis Plummer’s chronicle is believed to be the country’s sole known example of a multigenerational journal begun by an enslaved person. It’s now on view at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum." Smithsonian

This 19th-Century Diary Written by an Enslaved Maryland Man Is a Crucial Record of His Life and Family History—and the Only One of Its Kind

Adam Francis Plummer’s chronicle is believed to be the country’s sole known example of a multigenerational journal begun by an enslaved pers

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"Health officials are still investigating the source—or sources—of the ongoing outbreak, according to the CDC. Past outbreaks across the globe have often been linked to contaminated fresh produce, primarily raspberries, basil, cilantro and salad mixes. "Because contamination usually occurs at the farm or irrigation level, traceback investigations are difficult," Smitsonian full article

Cases of a Parasitic Infection That Can Cause Diarrhea for Weeks Are Rapidly Rising in the U.S. Here's What to Know

The illness is caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads via food or water contaminated with feces, usually

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"145 of the massive marine mammals have washed up dead or been stuck and died along the West Coast of North America, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries….If the trend continues, conservationists are concerned that 2026 could be one of the deadliest years on record for the large baleen whales. They also suspect this year’s true death toll is much higher, since many carcasses sink at sea." Smithsonian

Nearly 150 Gray Whales Have Been Found Dead Along North America's Pacific Shore This Year, Prompting Scientists to Sound the Alarm

The population of eastern gray whales, which migrate annually along the West Coast between the Arctic and Mexico, has been declining in rece

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July 13, 1863 - In New York, antidraft riots began. Order was not restored until Union soldiers returned from Gettysburg. The Union soldiers, tired as they were from the battlefields, were ordered to clear all the streets. After several gun fights, order was restored to the streets of New York City.

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"In March 2025, a mysterious, yellowish foam started washing ashore on Waitpinga Beach, located in the Australian state of South Australia. Swimmers began experiencing cold and flu-like symptoms, and dead or dying fish and leafy seadragons filled the beach. "The problem only got worse, leading to the deaths of an estimated one million fish, birds, shellfish and marine mammals across an area of more than 7,700 square miles—some 30 percent of South Australia’s coastline—over the past 15 months. The culprit? Karenia cristata, a rare type of microscopic algae that produces brevetoxins, substances that harm nerve cells." Smithsonian

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"the strange spheres are likely to be space debris, or space junk—human-made stuff in space that has stopped serving its original purpose, science journalist Dan Falk told Ari Daniel on an episode of Smithsonian magazine’s 'There’s More to That' podcast last year. Some examples include fragments shed by rockets as they jet from the Earth’s surface, broken bits of satellites and even entire decommissioned spacecraft,' Falk said." Smithsonian

Strange Spheres Washed Ashore on an Australian Beach. Authorities Say They're Probably 'Space Balls'—Empty Fuel Vessels From a Rocket

The shiny objects—each roughly twice the size of a basketball—began to appear on July 3. Authorities initially worried that they were hazard

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July 1863 Rebel troops coalesced in Gettysburg. From eighty miles away Mary Morris Husband heard the roar of cannons and felt concussions jar the floor. The solid fabric of surrounding hills shook. She took the first train out. When she arrived on the bloody field of Gettysburg, firing had ended, but no one knew whether General Meade planned to renew the attack, or if Lee prepared for another assault.

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Sweet peas from seeds saved last year.

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Harriet Tubman, born into #slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, gained international acclaim as an Underground Railroad operator, abolitionist, Civil War spy and nurse, and suffragist. After escaping from enslavement in 1849, Tubman led countless slaves out of the South into free territories. Above is a photo of Tubman's personal book of hymns. Her favorite hymns are indicated by the book's use—when the book is gently opened, the pages fall open to the most frequently used pages of the 112-page book. Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Celebrating and Reflecting Upon America's 250th With Iconic Smithsonian Objects that Commemorate the Country’s Story

A newly released 12-page guide, the Smithsonian’s latest collaboration with USA Today, invites readers to consider the ideals of 1776 and ho

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"Researchers identified more than 64,000 square miles of #coral reefs across 71 countries and 100 territories with the potential to survive warming oceans, offering additional avenues for reef conservation. The findings were presented on June 16 at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, and are available on the pre-print server EcoEvoRxiv. They are undergoing peer review for publication." Smithsonian

Scientists Identify Swaths of Coral Reefs That Might Be Able to Withstand Climate Change, Offering New Avenues for Conservation

New research has mapped more than 64,000 square miles where the crucial habitat seems to be somewhat protected from the impacts of the warmi

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"It's bad. It's damned bad." - Abraham Lincoln's first reaction to the Union Army's rout at First Manassas

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Trump Forever War

"ISLAMABAD (AP) — Key mediator Pakistan says technical-level talks between #Iran and the United States on their interim deal will begin on Sunday in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, with Qatari mediators also participating. …"Vance told Fox News that he expects to leave for Switzerland 'sometime the next couple of days' "First, Iran's joint military command said the strait had been closed, citing the Israeli attacks and U.S. 'bad faith'"

US-Iran talks to begin Sunday in Switzerland but Tehran closes the strait over Lebanon fighting

Iran dealt two quick blows to the interim agreement with the United States on Saturday, angered by Israel's continued attacks in Lebanon, sa

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"By transporting water, nutrients and carbon throughout ecosystems, AM fungal networks support a significant amount of Earth’s life. They also help draw planet-warming carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere." Smithsonian

Nearly All Plants Depend on Tiny Underground Fungi. The Microbes' Vast Global Networks Were Just Mapped for the First Time

If lined up end to end, the thin, tubular threads that make up the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks in Earth’s topsoil could stretch b

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"a late-stage clinical trial suggests that the majority of women ages 40 and up with the most common type of early breast #cancer can forego this aggressive treatment. The results indicate that an existing DNA test called Prosigna—which assesses gene activity associated with cancer—can reveal which patients will benefit just as much from hormone therapy and radiation therapy as they would from those combined with chemotherapy. The findings, presented on May 30 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting" Smithsonian

This 'Practice-Changing' Gene Test Could Tell Doctors Which Patients With Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemo, Clinical Trial Suggests

Chemotherapy comes with debilitating side effects, including brain fog, nausea and nerve damage. New research suggests that many people with

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Whether or not Ross sewed the nation’s first flag, her story is still important, Marla Miller, a historian and the author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America, tells the Inquirer. Ross represents “hundreds of Philadelphia women” who endured trials and tribulations while living in the fledgling nation in the late 1700s and early 1800s, Miller says. [Smithsonian]

You Can Now See Betsy Ross’ Sewing Table in Philadelphia, Thanks to a Flag Day Donation From Her Great-Great-Great-Great Grandson

The origins of the Stars and Stripes are murky, but generations of Americans have admired stories about Ross creating the first American fla

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June 13, 1866 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. Congress. It was ratified on July 9, 1868. The amendment was designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

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"How the Slave Trade Built Charleston The city’s prosperity grew from a system that trafficked human beings and turned their lives into profit." JSTOR

How the Slave Trade Built Charleston - JSTOR Daily

The city's prosperity grew from a system that trafficked human beings and turned their lives into profit.