James Smithson was a British chemist and mineralogist whose 1826 will, activated on the 1835 death of his nephew without heirs, bequeathed his fortune to found the Smithsonian Institution in Washington for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.
Facts
Birth YearExact birth date is not recorded; sources generally give c. 1765. NationalityUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 2 Notable WorkSmithsonian Institution 2 Field
Field (category) Connections
Founded
Source James Smithson (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. James Smithson (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section
James Smithson (c. 1765 - 27 June 1829) was a British chemist and mineralogist.
Infobox
Born: Jacques-Louis Macie, c. 1765, Paris, Kingdom of France. Died: 27 June 1829 (aged 63-64), Genoa, Kingdom of Sardinia.
Founded: Smithsonian Institution, Bequest section
I then bequeath the whole of my property... to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.
View the Source 2. James Smithson (Wikidata)
P570 (date of death): year
+1829-06-27T00:00:00Z
P27 (country of citizenship): United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Q174193
P20 (place of death): Genoa, Italy
Q1449
P19 (place of birth): Paris, France
Q90
P800 (notable work): Smithsonian Institution
Q131626
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.