Short answers, pulled from the story.
President James K. Polk signed legislation creating the Smithsonian Institution on the 10th of August 1846. This act established the organization as a trust instrumentality of the United States following eight years of congressional debate.
James Smithson left an estate that resulted in 104,960 gold sovereigns delivered to American diplomat Richard Rush in August 1838. These coins were worth approximately $500,000 at the time and equate to over $220 million when adjusted for GDP in 2007.
The Smithsonian Institution Building known as the Castle opened in 1855 and remains the headquarters of the institution today. Architect James Renwick Jr. designed the structure while general contractor Gilbert Cameron completed its interiors.
Smithsonian collections include 156 million artworks artifacts and specimens according to current records. The National Museum of Natural History houses 145 million of these items mostly animals preserved in formaldehyde.
Lonnie Bunch is the fourteenth and current secretary who was appointed in 2019 after serving as founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He serves as the chief executive officer appointed by the Board of Regents but does not vote on that body.