The Museum was established by an act of Parliament in 1753. It first housed the collections of of Sir Hans Sloane, Robert Harley, 1st earl of Oxford, and Sir Robert Cotton. In 1881, the original collections of natural history were transferred to a new building in South Kensington to form the Natural History Museum.
Among the museum’s most famous exhibits are the Elgin Marbles, which were removed from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, in the 19th century.
Other notable events on January 15th:
In 2001, Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, debuts.
In 1992, Slovenia and Croatia are internationally recognized as independent states, after the collapse of Yugoslavia.
In 1973, US President Richard Nixon orders a ceasefire in Vietnam.
In 1892, James Naismith publishes the rules of Basketball.
