Today’s photo–taken in 1953–depicts the dedication required to keep the Smithsonian Institution going and growing. This national treasure is made up of 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, as well as several research facilities. Admission to all Smithsonian museums in Washington is free, so that anyone can visit to learn about the US, and the world beyond it. It was this day in 1846 that President James K. Polk signed the legislation establishing the Smithsonian. Getting there took some doing, as Englishman James Smithson had donated the funds for an educational institution to the US in his will 20 years earlier. After the deaths of Smithson and his last surviving relative, Congress inherited 104,960 gold sovereigns as start-up money for the museum that would later bear Smithson’s name.
Assembling the Smithsonian
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Breaking the fast for Eid
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New beginnings
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National Park Week: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
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Cheetah mother and cub
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A showcase for future fame
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Steyr River, Austria
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Spectacular views below!
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Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
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Halfway Day
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A. M. Foster Bridge in Cabot, Vermont
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International Day of Forests
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A cry for independence
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Gateway to America
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Monarch butterflies migrate south
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AAPI Heritage Month & Lei Day
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Busy building wetlands
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Honoring our veterans
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The Colosseum of Rome, Italy
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Illuminated Uluru
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The monsoon arrives in the desert
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Feature Attraction: 85 years at the drive-in
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An opulent backdrop for a historic event
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Stuben am Arlberg, Austria
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Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
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Go Fly a Kite Day
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National Merry-Go-Round Day
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World Octopus Day
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Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
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Autumn in the Prosecco Hills
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Autumn in the cypress swamp