James Smithson's Gift

The Life of James Smithson

1765	Sir Hugh Smithson engraving, late 18th Century, artist unknown ,Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	James Smithson, illegitimate son of Hugh Smithson (later Duke of Northumberland) and Elizabeth Hungerford Keate Macie, is born under the James Lewis Macie
1782-86	James Smithson at Oxford, watercolor, date unknown from oil painting c. 1786 artist unknown Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	James Smithson attends Pembroke College, Oxford, graduates with degree of Master of Arts
1784	James Smithson's party approaching Fingals Cave in Staffa engraving, artist unknown reproduced from A Journey Through England and Scotland to the Hebrides in 1784, B. Faujas de-St.-Fond, Glasgow, 1907 Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Libraries	Smithson joins several scientists on geological tour
1791	An Account of Some Chemical Experiments on Tabasheer from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1791, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1791 Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	Smithson presents his first scientific paper to the Royal Society of London, of which he has been made a fellow
1802	Manuscript by Smithson, 1802 Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	Smithson's second paper, A Chemical Analysis of Some Calamines, is read before the Royal Society. Based on this analysis, a calamine is renamed smithsonite in his honor in 1832
1826	James Smithson collotype, 1881 from portrait miniature, 1816, H. Johns Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	Smithson writes his will, stipulating that should his heir die without issue, the Smithson estate would go to establish and Institution in Washington, D.C.
1829	Tomb of James Smithson photoengraving, 1881, by Photo Engraving Company of New York Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	James Smithson dies in Genoa, Italy, where he had been living. He is buried in the Protestant cemetery overlooking the town of Sampierdarena
1835	Henry James Hungerford silhouette early 19th century, artist unknown Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	Henry James Hungerford, nephew and heir of James Smithson, dies in Pisa, without heirs; the United States is informed of the Smithson bequest
1838	The Mediator oil, c. 1855, artist unknown Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	United States wins its first suit against British Chancery Court, for the right to Smithson's bequest. The money is brought by Richard Rush, Special Agent, to Washington, D.C., in gold sovereigns.
1846	An Act to Establish the Smithsonian Institution, August 10, 1846. Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	Smithsonian Act of Organization is passed in Congress and signed into law by President James K. Polk
1904	Funeral cortege to Smithsonian Institution grounds, 1904 Photo Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives	Alexander Graham Bell brings Smithson's remains to Smithsonian

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