January 27th...This Day in History (Now with links to other events)

National Geographic Society founded 1888

 

 

On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.”

The 33 men who originally met and formed the National Geographic Society were a diverse group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers and financiers. All shared an interest in scientific and geographical knowledge, as well as an opinion that in a time of discovery, invention, change and mass communication, Americans were becoming more curious about the world around them. With this in mind, the men drafted a constitution and elected as the Society’s president a lawyer and philanthropist named Gardiner Greene Hubbard. Neither a scientist nor a geographer, Hubbard represented the Society’s desire to reach out to the layman.

Nine months after its inception, the Society published its first issue of National Geographic magazine. Readership did not grow, however, until Gilbert H. Grosvenor took over as editor in 1899. In only a few years, Grosvenor boosted circulation from 1,000 to 2 million by discarding the magazine’s format of short, overly technical articles for articles of general interest accompanied by photographs. National Geographic quickly became known for its stunning and pioneering photography, being the first to print natural-color photos of sky, sea and the North and South Poles.

The Society used its revenues from the magazine to sponsor expeditions and research projects that furthered humanity’s understanding of natural phenomena. In this role, the National Geographic Society has been instrumental in making possible some of the great achievements in exploration and science. To date, it has given out more than 1,400 grants, funding that helped Robert Peary journey to the North Pole, Richard Byrd fly over the South Pole, Jacques Cousteau delve into the sea and Jane Goodall observe wild chimpanzees, among many other projects.

Today, the National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions. National Geographic continues to sell as a glossy monthly, with a circulation of around 9 million. The Society also sees itself as a guardian of the planet’s natural resources, and in this capacity, focuses on ways to broaden its reach and educate its readers about the unique relationship that humans have with the earth.

 (More Events on This Day in History)

• American Revolution

• 1785 Georgia incorporates the first state university

• Automotive

• 1965 Shelby GT 350 debuts

• Civil War

• 1862 Lincoln orders armies to advance

• Cold War

• 1973 U.S. officially ends participation in a Cold War conflict

• Crime

• 1978 The so-called Dracula killer

• Disaster

• 2002 Explosions trigger deadly panic in Nigeria

• General Interest

• 1926 Baird demonstrates TV
• 1967 Astronauts die in launch pad fire
• 1975 Senate investigation of FBI and CIA activities begins
• 1991 Somali dictator flees

• Hollywood

• 2004 Thirteen-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes nominated for Best Actress Oscar

• Literary

• 1302 Dante is exiled from Florence
• 2010 “The Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger dies

• Music

• 1970 John Lennon writes and records “Instant Karma” in a single day

• Old West

• 1951 First atomic detonation at the Nevada test site

• Presidential

• 1943 Reagan serves in film unit

• Sports

• 1996 Monica Seles wins first Grand Slam title since being attacked

• Vietnam War

• 1967 Donald Evans earns Medal of Honor
• 1973 Paris Peace Accords signed

• World War I

• 1918 Workers prepare to strike in Germany

• World War II

• 1943 Americans bomb Germans for first time
• 1944 Siege of Leningrad is lifted