Thursday, January 27, 2011

This Day in History: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY





On this day in 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded.  And aren't we glad of that!

It began with 33 men - geographers, explorers, teachers, cartographers, military officers, lawyers, and financiers.

Nine months after forming, the society published the first issue of the magazine which later exploded in popularity when it moved from short technical articles to longer stories with stunning photos.

Revenues from the magazine have enabled expeditions to Tanzania, the North and South Poles, and the bottom of the sea. Do the names Jane Goodall, Robert Peary, Richard Byrd, and Jacques Cousteau ring any bells?

I actually have, in my possession, every issue ever published.  That's a lot of yellow in the attic shelf - right?!
No, actually it's a neat little box of CD's with every issue in searchable format. (Thanks to my sister and her hubby for donating that wonderful surprise to my personal archive!)

Recently I popped one of those 1960s era CDs into my computer, searched the titles, and there it was - an "in the moment" article on the Berlin Wall.

Ja toll!



To be frank, the set I have is old and slow on my computer.

But not to worry! 

You can buy the latest greatest version of this over at National Geographic.   At $  69.95 -  if you're a lover of history, science or National Geographic Magazine, could you possibly go wrong?

4 comments:

  1. Oh, dear, now I've got another place to look! These are such a flashback to my own history--my parents subscribed for as long as I can remember. :)

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  2. Becky, does your family still have the back issues? Treasure Trove!

    What I love is that the stories always reference related stories in other issues.

    Treasure Hunt!

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  3. Yes, flashbacks for sure.Who doesn't remember leafing through those magazines for the pictures. What a great gift you received- NG on CD's! Perfect for someone like you!

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