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Happy Birthday to “the Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz! 💃🎶Born in 1925, Cruz began singing professionally after winning a ...
10/21/2026

Happy Birthday to “the Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz! 💃🎶

Born in 1925, Cruz began singing professionally after winning a radio contest at 18 years old. Her dynamic performances, rich voice, and flamboyant attire brought her to the stage of Havana’s famed Tropicana nightclub in the 1950s. Shortly after Fidel Castro seized power of Cuba in 1959, Cruz left the island for a one-year contract in Mexico, never to return. Eventually, Cruz settled in New York City, where her music was initially considered old-fashioned. By the 1970s, as the new genre of salsa saturated the airwaves, Cruz reigned supreme.

As Salsa went international in the late 1970s, Cruz, with her trademark catchphrase “¡Azúcar!” became an international star, recognized the world over as the Queen of Salsa. In her career, Celia Cruz won 3 Grammys, 4 Latin Grammy Awards, and in 2016 she was honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy.

📸: ¡Yo soy de Cuba la Voz, Guantanamera! by Alexis Rodríguez-Duarte, 1994 (printed 2016). Inkjet print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino. © 1994, Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte.

in 1977, Reggie Jackson became "Mr. October." ⚾️One of baseball’s great sluggers, right fielder Jackson hit 563 career...
10/18/2026

in 1977, Reggie Jackson became "Mr. October." ⚾️

One of baseball’s great sluggers, right fielder Jackson hit 563 career home runs and helped carry his teams to four World Series championships from 1973 to 1978. In the 1977 World Series, while playing for the Yankees, he hit three consecutive homers off three different pitchers in the deciding game of the series to earn New York its first World Series championship in fifteen years.

While Jackson’s regular-season play was far from average, his postseason performances were spectacular. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.

🎨: Reggie Jackson (detail) by Howard Rogers, 1974. Tempera on board. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine.

This painting of Joan Baez served as the cover for magazine’s Nov. 23, 1962 issue. The magazine, which rarely featured ...
10/15/2026

This painting of Joan Baez served as the cover for magazine’s Nov. 23, 1962 issue. The magazine, which rarely featured musicians for their cover story, described her voice “as clear as air in the autumn, a vibrant, strong, untrained, and thrilling soprano.”

Baez made a name for herself when she caused a sensation at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. The following year, she released her first album, which was a huge success. She became known as “the queen of the folk singers.” Other folk singers like the Seeger family, Odetta, and Bob Dylan influenced and shaped her music.

A woman of passionate convictions, Baez became increasingly identified with the civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War, and proceeds from many of her concerts helped finance those causes. By the mid-1960s, Baez was associated with various political causes, most prominently the antiwar and civil rights movements.

🖼: “Joan Baez” by Russell Hoban, 1962. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Gift of Time magazine. © Russell Hoban

Designer Ralph Lauren has long been synonymous with classic American style. As a teenager, he developed an eye for timel...
10/14/2026

Designer Ralph Lauren has long been synonymous with classic American style. As a teenager, he developed an eye for timeless design, fine tailoring, and superior fabrics. One of his first purchases with his earnings as a part-time stockboy was a Brooks Brothers suit. 👔✨

After serving in the army for two years, Lauren began creating designs for Beau Brummell Ties. Then in 1967, he launched his own Polo neckwear line using what he learned. He premiered his men’s clothing collection a year later and soon brought home the first of many coveted fashion awards.

Lauren’s line of women’s clothing made its debut in 1971. This was just before the introduction of his signature mesh sport shirt with the iconic polo player logo. 🐎

Happy Birthday, Ralph Lauren!

📸: Ralph Lauren (detail) by Bruce Weber, 1983 (printed 2016). Inkjet print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Ralph Lauren Corporation. © Bruce Weber.

Happy centennial birthday to one of the most influential jazz double bassists in history, Ray Brown. In Brown’s hands, t...
10/13/2026

Happy centennial birthday to one of the most influential jazz double bassists in history, Ray Brown.

In Brown’s hands, the double bass provided more than a percussive pulse—it sang. Brown took up the instrument in high school and developed his technique by emulating the performance style of Duke Ellington’s legendary bassist, Jimmy Blanton. Hired by Dizzy Gillespie for his big band in 1946, Brown quickly proved his mettle, delivering a memorable solo on “One Bass Hit.”

Brown met Ella Fitzgerald while touring with Gillespie and briefly served as her musical director following their marriage in 1947. He later began his long association with Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic, where he was first teamed with pianist Oscar Peterson. That encounter led to Brown’s celebrated 1951–1966 tenure as a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio.

Brown received eight Grammy nominations and won three Grammy Awards, including awards for “Gravy Waltz” and albums with the Oscar Peterson Trio.

In 2003, Brown was inducted into DownBeat magazine’s Jazz Hall of Fame. His legacy continues to influence musicians today, a testament to the extraordinary mark he left on jazz before his passing on July 2, 2002.

Happy 100th, Ray Brown!

📸: Ray Brown by Philippe Lévy-Stab, 1992. Gelatin silver print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Philippe Levy-Stab. © 2005 Philippe Levy-Stab.

Zitkála-Šá (Yankton Dakota Sioux) was a pioneer in a generation of Native American rights activists who had graduated fr...
10/12/2026

Zitkála-Šá (Yankton Dakota Sioux) was a pioneer in a generation of Native American rights activists who had graduated from mission and government schools. In these schools, children were forbidden from speaking their indigenous native languages. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Working together, these activists representing various tribal backgrounds fought against U.S. federal Native American policy and demanded social justice.⁣ ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Described as “a Jeanne D’Arc to lead her people into citizenship," she focused on securing Native American citizenship rights. In 1926, she founded one of the most important Native rights organizations, the National Council of American Indians. ⁣
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Zitkála-Šá sat for these portraits by Joseph Turner in 1898 when she was twenty-two years old. At the time, she was teaching at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. ⁣
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Eventually, she left Carlisle to study the violin at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music. While she is best remembered for her writing and activism, she was an equally talented musician. ⁣
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📸⁣: "Zitkála-Šá" by Joseph Turner Keiley, 1898 (printed in 1901). National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
📸⁣: "Zitkála-Šá" by Joseph Turner Keiley, 1898. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.⁣

Eleanor Roosevelt redefined the role of First Lady of the United States. Born in 1884, Roosevelt was a diplomat, activ...
10/11/2026

Eleanor Roosevelt redefined the role of First Lady of the United States.

Born in 1884, Roosevelt was a diplomat, activist, and the longest serving first lady during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms as president from 1933 to 1945. In addition to traditional social obligations, she focused on politics and advocacy, wrote a newspaper column, held her own press conferences for women reporters, supported the civil rights movement, and openly advocated for underprivileged communities.

This 1956 portrait of Roosevelt by Arthur Ellis is titled "‘Until Wrongs Have Been Righted There Can be Little Peace’ -Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, After Address to the American Association for the United Nations, Washington, DC" and is part of collection.

🪙 In 2023, she was honored with her own U.S. quarter as part of the American Women Quarters™ program, ’s partnership with the United States Mint. Read more at the link in our bio.

📷: Image courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, NPG.2019.46

"Every day above ground is a great day, remember that, dale." - Pitbull, "Time of Our Lives" A rapper known "Worldwide" ...
10/10/2026

"Every day above ground is a great day, remember that, dale." - Pitbull, "Time of Our Lives"

A rapper known "Worldwide" for blending Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and pop, Pitbull, born Armando Christian Pérez, makes music that has been a staple in clubs, weddings, parties, and proms for over two decades. In more recent years, his concerts have cultivated a community of fans who not only appreciate his music and memorable quotes, but his iconic look.

Born to Cuban immigrant parents in Miami, Florida, Pitbull's legacy also extends to his philanthropic efforts centered around uplifting the youth in his hometown and beyond.

This portrait was taken by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders for his 2011 photo series "The Latino List," which features 25 prominent Latinos and explores their experiences.

What's your favorite Pitbull song?



📷 : Pitbull by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, 2010. Inkjet print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Catherine and Ingrid Pino Duran. © 2010 Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

The space age became possible because Robert Goddard launched a rocket from a Massachusetts field 100 years ago.Born i...
10/05/2026

The space age became possible because Robert Goddard launched a rocket from a Massachusetts field 100 years ago.

Born in 1882, Goddard was considered the father of modern rocket propulsion. In 1917, he received a grant from the Smithsonian to further his rocket experiments, and the Smithsonian subsequently published his treatise, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. Rockets at the time were an unimpressive technology, largely confined to launching fireworks and signal flares. Through Goddard’s experiments, rockets became the dominant means of space travel in popular science and science fiction.

In 1926, Goddard successfully launched the world's first liquid-propellant rocket. It flew 184 feet across a snowy field outside of Worcester, Massachusetts, reaching an altitude of about 40 feet. Goddard’s accomplishment has been long considered a milestone on the road to spaceflight.

Artist Emily Burling Waite painted this portrait of Goddard based on a photograph that was taken in his workshop in Roswell, New Mexico.

🎨: Robert Hutchings Goddard by Emily Burling Waite, 1967. Oil on canvas. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of an anonymous donor.
💬: “Who Was the Original Rocket Man?”

A star was born in Brooklyn, New York. Barbra Streisand was only 22 years old when she took Broadway by storm in the hit...
10/01/2026

A star was born in Brooklyn, New York. Barbra Streisand was only 22 years old when she took Broadway by storm in the hit musical Funny Girl (1964).

For more than six decades, Streisand has established herself as one of the entertainment industry’s most celebrated and versatile talents. Alongside her early stage success, she rose to the top of the charts in the mid-1960s with signature recordings such as "People" and "Don’t Rain on My Parade." As her music career flourished, Streisand continued her on-screen appearances in films such as “Hello, Dolly” (1969), “The Way We Were” (1973), and “A Star Is Born” (1976) before branching into producing and directing.

In 1970, at the age of 27, Streisand became the youngest artist to achieve noncompetitive EGOT status, earning recognition across the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

This , we celebrate Streisand’s extraordinary voice, trailblazing career, and enduring contributions to the world of music and entertainment. Here’s to a true legend who didn’t just become a star; she helped redefine what a star could be.

(Image credits)
1. “Barbra Streisand” by Philippe Halsman, 1965. Gelatin silver print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. © Philippe Halsman Archive.
2. Magazine’s March 18, 1966 cover
3. “Barbra Streisand” by Bill Eppridge, 1966. The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock.

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