In the mid-1830s, the United States learned that it was the beneficiary of a strange and unprecedented bequest. An Englishman named James Smithson, who had never set foot in the U.S., had left all his fortune to found in Washington "an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." The other stipulation was that the contents be enjoyed at no charge. Since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has grown into the largest museum and research complex in the world. Learn about James Smithson and his compelling story.