On August 10, 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is chartered by the United States Congress after James Smithson donates $500,000. In the previous century on the same day in 1793 the Musée du Louvre officially opens in Paris, France.
Book Title: The lost world of James Smithson : science, revolution, and the birth of the Smithsonian
Book Author: Heather P. Ewing
ISBN Number: 9781596910294
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