National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society was founded in the United States on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in "organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge." They had begun discussing forming the Society two weeks earlier on January 13, 1888. Gardiner Greene Hubbard became its first president and his son-in-law, Alexander Graham Bell, eventually succeeded him. Its purpose is to advance the general knowledge of geography and the world among the general public. To this end, it sponsors exploration, and publishes a monthly magazine, National Geographic.

Support for research & projects

The Society has helped sponsor many expeditions and research projects over the years, including:

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• Robert Peary and Matthew Henson - (North Pole Expedition)
• Robert Bartlett - (Arctic Exploration)
• Hiram Bingham - (Machu Picchu Excavation)
• Richard E. Byrd - (First flight over South Pole)
• Jacques-Yves Cousteau - (Undersea exploration)
• Louis and Mary Leakey - (Discovery of manlike Zinjanthropus, more than 1.75 million years old)
• Jane Goodall - (Chimpanzees)
• Dian Fossey - (Mountain gorillas)
• George Bass - (Undersea archaeology - bronze age trade)
• Robert Ballard - (RMS Titanic discovery)
• Paul Sereno - (Dinosaurs)
• Spencer Wells - (The Genographic Project)
• Lee Berger - (Oldest footprints of modern humans ever found)
• Xu Xing - (Discovery of fossil dinosaurs in China that have distinct feathers)
• Ian Baker (Discovers hidden waterfall of the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet)
• Gustavus McLeod - (First flight to the North Pole in an open-air cockpit aircraft)

The Society sponsors many socially-based projects including AINA, a Kabul-based organization dedicated to developing an independent Afghan media.

Related Topics:
AINA - Kabul

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The Society also sponsors the National Geographic Bee, an annual geographic contest for American middle-school students. Every two years, it conducts an international geography competition. The most recent was held in Budapest, Hungary during the summer of 2005.

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