On this day in 1800, the Library of Congress was established! It serves as the library and research service for Congress and is also considered the de facto national library of the U.S. It’s the oldest federal cultural institution in the U.S. and one of the largest libraries in the world, with approximately 173 million items in its collections. After most of the library’s original collection was brunt by the British during the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold his large personal library to Congress, which included nearly 6,500 books. A second fire tore through the library in 1851, destroying two-thirds of their collection. Congress responded quickly and within a few years, a majority of the books were replaced. Today it houses 38 million books and other printed materials, plus millions of photographs, recordings, and films. According to the Library of Congress, its collections fill around 838 miles of bookshelves! Learn more here.
Since 2007, the Library of Congress has awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music. Past winners include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, and Lionel Richie. This year’s honorees were Elton John and Bernie Taupin.