When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only male military test pilots had the right stuff. But in 1978 six elite women took their place as astronauts. Drawing on her book The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts, journalist Loren Grush discusses how these brilliant and courageous women made history as part of America’s space program.
Under the artistic direction of maestro Charlie Young, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra has celebrated some of the greatest jazz music throughout its 33-year history as one of the crown jewels of the National Museum of American History. The 2023–2024 SJMO season adds new excitement and luster to that musical tradition with this in-person concert honoring orchestrator Thad Jones.
At Christmastime in 1914, months after World War I began, hundreds of soldiers in Flanders spontaneously stopped fighting one another, left their trenches, and shook hands in no man’s land. For a short time, British and German soldiers barely fired a shot, helped bury one another’s dead, and even played soccer together. Historian and battlefield guide Simon Jones tells the story of what happened in Flanders during the Christmas season in 1914.
Writer and cocktail expert Philip Greene wants you to celebrate each day with a cocktail and a toast. As we head into the holiday season, join Greene for a lively evening in which he shares an array of stories, recipes, and toasts from his new book, Cheers! Cocktails & Toasts to Celebrate Every Day of the Year and enjoy light snacks and cocktail samples to complete the celebration.
Bologna is home to some of Italy’s most important art, including works by Michelangelo, Annibale Carracci, Lavinia Fontana, Domenichino, and Guercino. Rocky Ruggiero, an expert in Renaissance art, explores the city’s artistic treasures and great artists. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Media historian Brian Rose surveys the landscape of American TV comedy, examining how comedy evolved from the vaudeville shtick of Milton Berle and the slapstick artistry of Lucille Ball to relevant sitcoms like “M*A*S*H,” the social satire of “Saturday Night Live,” a twist on the sitcom with “The Jeffersons,” and the self-reflexive absurdities of “The Simpsons.”
Adorned with thousands of beautiful rings, Saturn is unique: Other planets also have rings made of chunks of ice and rock, but none are as spectacular or as complicated as Saturn's. Jonathan Fortney, director of the Other Worlds Laboratory, explores what is known about Saturn and what scientists are hoping to discover.
