January
Jun 27 James Smithson Dies in Genoa, Italy
Year:
1829
Month:
june
Day:
27
Date:
Sat, 1829-06-27
SIA Image reference:
James Smithson, the Smithsonian's founding donor, dies in Genoa, Italy. He is buried in the Protestant cemetery, about a mile west of Genoa, on a high elevation overlooking the town of Sampierdarena. His will provides for the creation of an institution for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge."