3/17/2011, 12:40 pm by What are the major events in the history of the Smithsonian? Responses SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION CHRONOLOGY August 10, 1846 Smithsonian Act of Organization Passed 1846 Joseph Henry Elected First Smithsonian Secretary 1855 Smithsonian Building Completed 1858 Smithsonian Is Designated as the National Museum 1876 Centennial Exposition Collections Donated to Smithsonian 1878 Spencer Baird Elected Second Secretary 1879 Bureau of Ethnology Established at Smithsonian by Congress 1881 Arts and Industries Building Opened 1887 Samuel Langley Elected Third Secretary 1890 Astrophysical Observatory Established 1891 National Zoological Park Opened in the Valley of Rock Creek 1907 Charles D. Walcott Appointed Fourth Secretary 1910 Natural History Building Opened 1912 Helen Herron Taft Donated First of the “First Ladies Gowns” 1923 Freer Gallery of Art Opened 1928 Charles G. Abbot Appointed Fifth Secretary 1928 Spirit of St. Louis Donated to SI by Charles Lindbergh 1945 Alexander Wetmore Elected Sixth Secretary 1946 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Made Part of SI 1946 National Air Museum Established 1950 Smokey Bear Arrived at National Zoo 1952 Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Established 1953 Leonard Carmichael Elected Seventh Secretary 1958 Hope Diamond Donated to SI by Harry Winston 1959 Fenykovi Elephant Placed on Display in NMNH 1964 National Museum of American History Opened 1964 S. Dillon Ripley Became Eighth Secretary 1965 The Smithsonian Associates Founded 1965 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Established 1967 First Festival of American Folklife Held on the National Mall 1967 Anacostia Museum Opened 1968 National Museum of American Art Opened in Old Patent Office Building 1968 National Portrait Gallery Opened in Old Patent Office Building 1969 Conservation Analytical Laboratory Established 1970 "Smithsonian" Magazine Began Publication 1970 Archives of American Art Became Part of Smithsonian 1971 Smithsonian Marine Station at Link Port Established 1972 Renwick Gallery Opened 1972 Giant Pandas Arrived at National Zoo 1974 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Opened 1975 Conservation & Research Center Established 1976 National Air & Space Museum Opened 1976 Cooper Hewitt: The National Design Museum Reopened 1978 National Museum of African Art Established 1984 Robert McC. Adams Became Ninth Secretary 1987 Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Opened 1987 S. Dillon Ripley International Center Opened 1989 National Museum of the American Indian Established 1990 National Postal Museum Established 1994 I. Michael Heyman Became Tenth Secretary 2000 Lawrence M. Small Became Eleventh Secretary 2003 Udvar-Hazy Center of NASM Opened 2003 National Museum of African American History and Culture Established 2004 National Museum of the American Indian Opened 2007 Cristián Samper Appointed Acting Secretary 2008 G. Wayne Clough Became Twelfth Secretary Pamela M. Henson March 17, 2011 at 3:38 pm reply Add comment Log in or register to post comments
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION CHRONOLOGY August 10, 1846 Smithsonian Act of Organization Passed 1846 Joseph Henry Elected First Smithsonian Secretary 1855 Smithsonian Building Completed 1858 Smithsonian Is Designated as the National Museum 1876 Centennial Exposition Collections Donated to Smithsonian 1878 Spencer Baird Elected Second Secretary 1879 Bureau of Ethnology Established at Smithsonian by Congress 1881 Arts and Industries Building Opened 1887 Samuel Langley Elected Third Secretary 1890 Astrophysical Observatory Established 1891 National Zoological Park Opened in the Valley of Rock Creek 1907 Charles D. Walcott Appointed Fourth Secretary 1910 Natural History Building Opened 1912 Helen Herron Taft Donated First of the “First Ladies Gowns” 1923 Freer Gallery of Art Opened 1928 Charles G. Abbot Appointed Fifth Secretary 1928 Spirit of St. Louis Donated to SI by Charles Lindbergh 1945 Alexander Wetmore Elected Sixth Secretary 1946 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Made Part of SI 1946 National Air Museum Established 1950 Smokey Bear Arrived at National Zoo 1952 Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Established 1953 Leonard Carmichael Elected Seventh Secretary 1958 Hope Diamond Donated to SI by Harry Winston 1959 Fenykovi Elephant Placed on Display in NMNH 1964 National Museum of American History Opened 1964 S. Dillon Ripley Became Eighth Secretary 1965 The Smithsonian Associates Founded 1965 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Established 1967 First Festival of American Folklife Held on the National Mall 1967 Anacostia Museum Opened 1968 National Museum of American Art Opened in Old Patent Office Building 1968 National Portrait Gallery Opened in Old Patent Office Building 1969 Conservation Analytical Laboratory Established 1970 "Smithsonian" Magazine Began Publication 1970 Archives of American Art Became Part of Smithsonian 1971 Smithsonian Marine Station at Link Port Established 1972 Renwick Gallery Opened 1972 Giant Pandas Arrived at National Zoo 1974 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Opened 1975 Conservation & Research Center Established 1976 National Air & Space Museum Opened 1976 Cooper Hewitt: The National Design Museum Reopened 1978 National Museum of African Art Established 1984 Robert McC. Adams Became Ninth Secretary 1987 Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Opened 1987 S. Dillon Ripley International Center Opened 1989 National Museum of the American Indian Established 1990 National Postal Museum Established 1994 I. Michael Heyman Became Tenth Secretary 2000 Lawrence M. Small Became Eleventh Secretary 2003 Udvar-Hazy Center of NASM Opened 2003 National Museum of African American History and Culture Established 2004 National Museum of the American Indian Opened 2007 Cristián Samper Appointed Acting Secretary 2008 G. Wayne Clough Became Twelfth Secretary Pamela M. Henson March 17, 2011 at 3:38 pm reply
Responses
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION CHRONOLOGY
August 10, 1846 Smithsonian Act of Organization Passed
1846 Joseph Henry Elected First Smithsonian Secretary
1855 Smithsonian Building Completed
1858 Smithsonian Is Designated as the National Museum
1876 Centennial Exposition Collections Donated to Smithsonian
1878 Spencer Baird Elected Second Secretary
1879 Bureau of Ethnology Established at Smithsonian by Congress
1881 Arts and Industries Building Opened
1887 Samuel Langley Elected Third Secretary
1890 Astrophysical Observatory Established
1891 National Zoological Park Opened in the Valley of Rock Creek
1907 Charles D. Walcott Appointed Fourth Secretary
1910 Natural History Building Opened
1912 Helen Herron Taft Donated First of the “First Ladies Gowns”
1923 Freer Gallery of Art Opened
1928 Charles G. Abbot Appointed Fifth Secretary
1928 Spirit of St. Louis Donated to SI by Charles Lindbergh
1945 Alexander Wetmore Elected Sixth Secretary
1946 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Made Part of SI
1946 National Air Museum Established
1950 Smokey Bear Arrived at National Zoo
1952 Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Established
1953 Leonard Carmichael Elected Seventh Secretary
1958 Hope Diamond Donated to SI by Harry Winston
1959 Fenykovi Elephant Placed on Display in NMNH
1964 National Museum of American History Opened
1964 S. Dillon Ripley Became Eighth Secretary
1965 The Smithsonian Associates Founded
1965 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Established
1967 First Festival of American Folklife Held on the National Mall
1967 Anacostia Museum Opened
1968 National Museum of American Art Opened in Old Patent Office Building
1968 National Portrait Gallery Opened in Old Patent Office Building
1969 Conservation Analytical Laboratory Established
1970 "Smithsonian" Magazine Began Publication
1970 Archives of American Art Became Part of Smithsonian
1971 Smithsonian Marine Station at Link Port Established
1972 Renwick Gallery Opened
1972 Giant Pandas Arrived at National Zoo
1974 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Opened
1975 Conservation & Research Center Established
1976 National Air & Space Museum Opened
1976 Cooper Hewitt: The National Design Museum Reopened
1978 National Museum of African Art Established
1984 Robert McC. Adams Became Ninth Secretary
1987 Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Opened
1987 S. Dillon Ripley International Center Opened
1989 National Museum of the American Indian Established
1990 National Postal Museum Established
1994 I. Michael Heyman Became Tenth Secretary
2000 Lawrence M. Small Became Eleventh Secretary
2003 Udvar-Hazy Center of NASM Opened
2003 National Museum of African American History and Culture Established
2004 National Museum of the American Indian Opened
2007 Cristián Samper Appointed Acting Secretary
2008 G. Wayne Clough Became Twelfth Secretary