On This Day in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution Was Established
On August 10, 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was founded by the U.S. Congress with funds from James Smithson, an English scientist who left his estate to the United States for an “establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”
Read more about the Smithsonian Institution and James Smithson in Encyclopædia Britannica.
Also, History Reference Center offers some interesting articles about the Smithsonian, particularly on the history of it. Find out why an Englishman would leave his estate to the United States for such an establishment, or read about the group that governs the Smithsonian Institution.