Category:The Smithsonian

Named for James Smithson (1765-1829), a wealthy English scientist who bequeathed his estate to the United States for the purposes of funding an organisation, the Smithsonian Institution, for the purpose of "the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men." The Smithsonian was legislated into being on 10 August 1846, and continues to exist as a collection of museums, libraries, and research facilities administered by the Government of the United States.