Short answers, pulled from the story.
Smithsonian magazine published its first issue in 1970. It was founded at the request of S. Dillon Ripley, then-Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who asked former Life editor Edward K. Thompson to create it.
Edward K. Thompson founded Smithsonian magazine as its first editor. Thompson was the retired editor of Life magazine before taking on the Smithsonian assignment.
Smithsonian turned a profit for the first time in 1973. Circulation reached 635,000 by 1974 and crossed one million in 1975, making it one of the most successful magazine launches of its era.
The American Ingenuity Awards were a recognition program sponsored by Smithsonian magazine from 2012 until 2019, honoring innovation in the arts, sciences, and technology. The award was created by artist Jeff Koons, and winners included Bryan Stevenson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and David Lynch.
Museum Day was an annual event organized by Smithsonian magazine in which museums across all 50 U.S. states offered limited free admission, covering one ticket holder and a guest. In 2018 over 1,400 museums participated, but the event was cancelled in 2023 and 2024 without public explanation.
Notable contributors to Smithsonian magazine have included David McCullough, Jon Krakauer, Susan Orlean, Paul Theroux, Jill Lepore, Nathaniel Philbrick, Alan Lightman, and Frank Deford, among others.