January 27 – National Geographic Day

nPostednon January 27, 2015

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nTodaynwe celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the NationalnGeographic Society on this date in 1888.
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NationalnGeographic wasn’t a magazine, yet—but the founders started thensociety in order to increase the public’s knowledge about geography.nThe 33 men who started the organization included geographers,nexplorers, and cartographers (mapmakers)—just the guys you wouldnexpect to start such an organization!—but the group also includednlawyers, teachers, financiers, and military officers.

nTheynrealized that Americans were increasingly curious about other placesnand peoples. They chose a lawyer and a philanthropist to head thenSociety, because they hoped that the Society would be able to reachnout to the layman (in other words, reach all the people who aren’tnexplorers and geographers themselves).

This is one of the most
famous magazine covers
of any magazine, of all time.

Of course, it’s National
Geographic!

nNinenmonths later, the first issue of National Geographic Magazine wasnpublished. But the magazine wasn’t reaching very many laymen, as thenSociety had hoped. The articles were short and technical and largelyntext. In 1899, a man named Gilbert Grosvenor took over as editor andnmade some big changes. Suddenly articles of general interest began tonappear. And those articles were illustrated by gorgeous photographs!

nInnjust a few years, the magazine went from a thousand subscribers tontwo million subscribers!

nThenprofits from the magazine are used to sponsor more expeditions andnresearch projects. The Society has given grants for such now-famousnendeavors as Robert Peary’s journey to the North Pole, Richard Byrd’snflight over the South Pole, Jacques Cousteau’s underwaternexploration, and Jane Goodall’s observation of wild chimpanzees.

nThesendays, even though few people still purchase magazines because of allnthe content available online (often for free), National GeographicnMagazine boasts about nine million subscribers (many, no doubt,nlibraries in which many people enjoy each magazine!). And thenNational Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest non-profitnscientific and educational institutions.