The National Geographic Society was formed on this day in 1888. The group, founded to educate the public on geography, was made up of 33 men in industries including teaching, law, and (obviously) geography. Nine months in, they published the first issue of the magazine National Geographic — only to find that across the nation, just a few thousand people were interested in reading it. They pivoted from writing long, technical essays to reporting on issues that your average person would want to read about, and added in the nature photography the magazine does so well today; within a few years, they had 2 million subscribers. Talk about a comeback story.
Nat Geo isn’t just a publisher; it has also issued thousands of grants to support scientific research and expeditions across the world, including to the North Pole, Machu Picchu, and Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzees. Whether it’s the seafloor or the stars, the society has probably funded some kind of research there.
You can read more about the history of the National Geographic Society and its magazine in this article from Wired magazine.