Today in History
January 15, 1759
The British Museum opens its doors
The museum is created to house an extensive collection of curiosities amassed by Sir Hans Sloane, which he sold to the British government for a sum of 20,000 pounds in 1753. The museum is initially located at the Montagu House in London, but by the 1840s it is no longer able to house the rapidly growing of objects, and new buildings are erected throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The British Museum stands as a world heritage site, attracting 5 million visitors a year to its artifacts of art, literature and natural history from the Rosetta Stone to the Elgin Marbles.
January 2009
Today's Feature History Article
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