Happy 178th Birthday!

As we celebrate the Smithsonian’s birthday tomorrow, August 10, it’s always humbling to think how few American institutions have been around for 178 years.

Not only are we still around, but we’re also doing better than ever, increasing and diffusing knowledge all over the place! Each year, our scientists delve deeper into questions about life on this planet (and beyond) and our curators expand our contributions to a vibrant American culture.

Number 178 may not be a milestone birthday like turning 21 or qualifying for Social Security, but it’s still a pretty big deal. So join us on a walk down memory lane.

Smithsonian Institution Building

Rendering of the North Facade of the Smithsonian Institutional Building, or Castle, H. C. Moore, 1848, SIA Acc. 16-126, Box 24 – National Museum of Natural History (U.S.), Photographic Collection, 1959-1971, Smithsonian Institution Archives

Smithsonian Institution Building North Entrance, 2018.

The Smithsonian Institution Building (now known as the Smithsonian Castle) was completed in 1855. This rendering, from 1848, shows the north facade of the Castle after the design by architect James Renwick, Jr.

See above how well Renwick’s original design matches the Castle today!

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Astrophysical Observatory in South Yard of the Smithsonian Institution Building (now known as the Smithsonian Castle), 1909, Photograph, Smithsonian Institution Archives

The domes for the 15-inch Great Refractor Telescope and the 1.2-meter-diameter Millimeter Wave Telescope are the most prominent features of the roof of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Established in 1890, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory was one of the earliest observatories to practice the “new astronomy,” or astrophysics. Originally located in a shed behind the Smithsonian Castle, the Observatory moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1955 to affiliate with the Harvard College Observatory and to expand its staff, facilities, and, most importantly, its scientific scope.

On July 1, 1973, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory merged with the Harvard College Observatory to become the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CFA). Today, with observing stations in Arizona, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, CFA hosts the Chandra X-ray Center and controls science and flight operations of the observatory on behalf of NASA.

National Air and Space Museum

Interior of National Air Museum’s Aircraft Building, located in a Quonset hut behind the Smithsonian Institution Building, Smithsonian Institution Archives

An overhead view of the exhibition America By Air, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, 2024.

The Smithsonian’s connection to flight began with the birth of the Institution, first headed by Joseph Henry, a physicist, balloon enthusiast, and sky-watcher. The Smithsonian’s first aeronautical collection in 1876 was housed in the Arts and Industries Building. In 1920, the expanded collections moved to a Quonset hut, affectionately known as the “Tin Shed,” behind the Smithsonian Castle, and after World War II, with some of the largest objects displayed outdoors along “Rocket Row.”

In 1976, the current Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum was constructed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., with 161,145 square feet of exhibition floor space. 760,000 square feet of additional space were added in 2003 with the opening of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virgina.

In 2018, renovations began at the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. Eight fully reimagined galleries opened to the public in 2022, including America by Air, which is pictured above.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Aerial View of Barro Colorado Island Biological Laboratory, c. 1950, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Barro Colorado Island Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution Archives;

Barro Colorado Nature Monument is STRI’s primary site for the study of lowland moist tropical forests, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. (Photo courtesy of STRI, 2024)

The Smithsonian first focused on Panama as an important site for studying tropical biology over a century ago. The 1910-1912 Biological Survey of the Panama Canal Zone was launched to provide a baseline of information about the natural environment prior to the area’s disruption due to the Panama Canal construction.

On April 17, 1923, Panama’s Barro Colorado Island was declared a tropical forest reserve for scientific study. The Canal Zone Biological Area was made part of the Smithsonian in 1946 and later renamed the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. For the past 100 years, lessons from Barro Colorado have played a critical role in the preservation of tropical ecosystems.

Today, forest study sites in 28 countries around the world (ForestGEO) seek to understand how forests protect biodiversity and store carbon, pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere that would otherwise contribute to climate change.

National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

The Zoo’s first pair of giant pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, arrived from China in April 1972, Photo by Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo, March 1, 1985;

Giant panda Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji received a specially tailored fruitsicle cake in honor of the 2022 “pandaversary;” Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

At a February 1972, dinner in Beijing, China, First Lady Patricia Nixon mentioned her fondness for giant pandas to Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. As a gesture of goodwill following President Nixon’s seminal state visit, Premier Enlai gifted two giant pandas to the American people. The Nixons selected the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute as the home for giant pandas Ling-Ling (a female) and Hsing-Hsing (a male), who arrived in April 1972.

Since their arrival over 50 years ago, the pandas have symbolized cross-cultural collaboration between the United States and China. The Zoo will welcome a new pair of giant pandas, Bao Li [BOW-lee] and Qing Bao [ching-BOW] by the end of 2024.

What will the future bring for the Smithsonian? Only time will tell, but we know that we will continue to grow and evolve throughout the 21st century, making new discoveries, tackling new challenges, and asking and answering the biggest questions about our people, our planet, and our place in the universe.