Justin Landers, age 12, of New Bedford, Mass., for his question:
WHEN WAS THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ESTABLISHED?
Founded in 1846 by an act of the United States Congress, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is the largest museum complex in the world. It is an independent agency of the U.S. government and is a center for basic scientific research.
The Smithsonian Institution was founded under the terms of a bequest made by a British mineralogist and chemist named James Smithson. It was to be "an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge."
To accomplish the terms of the bequest, the institution maintains collections of scientific and artistic interest, sponsors scientific research and exploration, publishes books and periodicals and provides for the international exchange of publications.
The Smithsonian Institution is governed by a board of regents which consists of the vice president of the United States, the chief justice, three members each of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and nine citizens appointed by joint resolution of Congress. The secretary of the institution acts as executive director.
One of the most popular collections is the National Air and Space Museum. This comprehensive display surveys the development of aviation and astronautics. Included in the museum is the "Spirit of St. Louis," the airplane flown by the American aviator Charles Lindbergh on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic.
On the banks of the Potomac River is the institution's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The center is administered by a separate board of trustees. It is a cultural center devoted to musical and dramatic performances and to the development of artistic programs in which persons of all ages may participate.
Another popular division is the National Museum of History and Technology. Here hangs the original Star Spangled Banner the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem.
The Hishhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is housed in a striking circular structure that was opened in 1974. The museum contains notable paintings and sculptures by 19th and 20th century European and American artists.
The National Zoological Park is part of the Smithsonian Institution too. It is a collection of more than 2,000 living animals. Here scientists study animal behavior.
Among the institution's art galleries are the Freer Gallery of Art, the National Collection of Fine Arts, the National Gallery of Art and the Renwick Gallery.
In nearby Annapolis, Md., is the Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies. The center maintains wide ranging research programs on the environment of the area, especially the ecosystem of the Rhode River.
Housed in the Carnegie Mansion in New York City is the institution's Cooper Hewitt Museum of Decorative Arts and Design.
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., while the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has facilities on Barro Colorado Island in Gatun Lake, Panama Canal Zone.