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
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Skyscraper Day
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Cetacean Saturday
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World Meteorological Day
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New Orleans for Mardi Gras
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Snow on the temple
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At the foot of Dubrovnik s Gibraltar
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Icelandic horses, Iceland
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Kiteboarding and windsurfing in Croatia
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Fall comes to Pando
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Red Planet Day
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Bear watching in the Finnish forest
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A unique elephant encounter in Nantes
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A hit ballet, long after its debut
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Back on the rise
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Make way for robots
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In the belly of Fat Bear Week
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Spot on for International Cat Day
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Art abounds at the Palais Garnier
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The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival
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1, 1, 2, 3: It s Fibonacci Day!
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Astronomy Day
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Merry Christmas!
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Venice s grand regatta
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A hint of spring
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It’s Napping Day
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Indigenous Peoples Day
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Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands
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Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe
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Where fire meets water
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Today is World Refugee Day