Apr
29

April 29, 1846

April 29, 1846 The United States House of Representatives, by a vote of 85 to 76, an Act to Establish the Smithsonian Institution, signed into law by President James K. Polk on August 10, 1846. The Act created the Institution specified in James Smithson’s bequest. The final form of the bill, H. 5, was a substitution by William Jervis Hough of New York, amended.

Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives

Related posts:

Still image from Flag Day videoA magical Flag Day celebration at American History Today in Smithsonian History: August 9, 1978 Jeff Bezos, in shirt and tie, poses against white backgroundSmithsonian to receive $200 million gift from Jeff Bezos America’s earliest colonists may have taken their secrets to the grave, but that doesn’t mean they’ll remain there

Posted: 29 April 2012
About the Author:

The Torch relies on contributions from the entire Smithsonian community.