Smithsonian to open new chronology of US history

[April 11, 2012]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" will soon have a new home with other artifacts that tell stories of American history at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

The National Museum of American History will open a new exhibit Thursday featuring iconic objects from pop culture along with objects dating back to the Pilgrims' arrival in 1620. "American Stories" will be a new chronology of U.S. history from the first encounters of Europeans and Native Americans to the 2008 presidential election.

Dorothy's heels from the 1939 movie will help show the emergence of American pop culture. Other sections will explore the nation's founding, growth, innovations and contemporary society. Objects include Ben Franklin's walking stick and Alexander Graham Bell's telephone.

It's the museum's first major exhibit with a Spanish translation.

[Associated Press; By BRETT ZONGKER]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.