National Geographic January 2015

Africa’s First City

In Lagos, Nigeria, a boom economy widens the rift between the wealthy and the poor.

The First Artists

Credit them with pivotal innovation in human history: the invention of symbolic expression.

The First Year

In the incredible learning machine that is a baby’s brain, development depends on loving caretakers.

A First Glimpse of the Hidden Cosmos

As scientists map the universe, what they can’t see – dark energy and dark matter – is key.

Tracking the First Americans

Genetic data and new archaeological discoveries offer clues to the mystery of early Americans’ origin.

Proof | First Bird

The bald eagle may be a majestic national symbol – but it’s also one tough bird.