Short answers, pulled from the story.
King George II gave his royal assent to an act of Parliament that established the British Museum on the 7th of June 1753. The museum opened its doors to the public on the 15th of January 1759.
The Department of Egypt and Sudan holds over 110,000 objects spanning 11,000 years of history. This department contains 140 mummies and coffins making it the largest collection outside Cairo.
In 2023, the British Museum received 5,820,860 visitors making it the most visited attraction in the United Kingdom. This figure represents a 42% increase compared to 2022 numbers.
The Greek Elgin Marbles were removed between 1799 and 1803 and face ongoing repatriation claims from Greece. The Egyptian Rosetta Stone was presented to King George III in 1802 and faces similar claims from Egypt regarding its return to its country of origin.
On the 24th of August 1939, just one day after government advice, the museum began relocating selected items to secure basements and country houses. Many items were transferred again in early 1942 to Westwood Quarry in Wiltshire.