Today, 27th Jan 2014 in History! LEAD STORY 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 Societys president a lawyer and philanthropist named Gardiner Greene Hubbard. Neither a scientist nor a geographer, Hubbard represented the Societys 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 magazines 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 humanitys 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 worlds 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 planets 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. AMERICAN REVOLUTION Georgia incorporates the first state university, 1785 AUTOMOTIVE Shelby GT 350 debuts, 1965 CIVIL WAR President Lincoln orders armies to advance, 1862 COLD WAR U.S. officially ends participation in a Cold War conflict, 1973 CRIME The so-called Dracula killer, 1978 DISASTER Explosions trigger deadly panic in Nigeria, 2002 GENERAL INTEREST Baird demonstrates TV, 1926 Astronauts die in launch pad fire, 1967 Senate investigation of FBI and CIA activities begins, 1975 Somali dictator flees, 1991 HOLLYWOOD Thirteen-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes nominated for Best Actress Oscar, 2004 LITERARY Dante is exiled from Florence, 1302 The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger dies, 2010 MUSIC John Lennon writes and records Instant Karma in a single day, 1970 OLD WEST First atomic detonation at the Nevada test site, 1951 PRESIDENTIAL Reagan serves in film unit, 1943 SPORTS Monica Seles wins first Grand Slam title since being attacked, 1996 VIETNAM WAR Donald Evans earns Medal of Honor, 1967 Paris Peace Accords signed, 1973 WORLD WAR I Workers prepare to strike in Germany, 1918 WORLD WAR II Americans bomb Germans for first time, 1943 Siege of Leningrad is lifted, 1944
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 03:23:20 +0000
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