The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) is the French national museum of natural history. A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment. ... Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as a number of distinct scientific disciplines. ...

The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution. Its origins lie, however, in the Jardin royal des plantes médicinales (Royal Medicinal Plant Garden) created by King Louis XIII in 1635, which was directed and run by the royal physicians. The royal proclamation of the boy-king Louis XV on 31 March 1718, however, removed the medical function, enabling the garden—which became known simply as the Jardin du Roi (King's Garden)—to focus on natural history. June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... Louis XIII (September 27, 1601 - May 14, 1643), called the Just (French: le Juste), was King of France from 1610 to 1643. ... Events February 10 - The Académie française in Paris is expanded to become a national academy for the artistic elite. ... A physician is a person who practices medicine. ... Louis XV King of France and Navarre Louis XV (February 15, 1710 - May 10, 1774), called the Well-Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was king of France from 1715 to 1774. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ... Events May 15 - James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the worlds first machine gun. ...

For much of the eighteenth century (1739–1788), the garden was under the direction of Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon, one of the leading naturalists of the Enlightenment, bringing international fame and prestige to the establishment. Incorporated as the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in 1793, it continued to flourish over the next century, and, particularly under the direction of chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul, became a rival to the University of Paris in scientific research. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Events March 20 - Nadir Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne, including the Koh-i-Noor September 9 - Stono Rebellion erupts near Charleston September 18 - Treaty of Belgrade signed October 3 - Treaty of Nissa signed October 23 - Great Britain declares war... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (September 7, 1707 - April 16, 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, biologist, cosmologist and author. ... -1... For the period in European history, The Age of Enlightenment For the corresponding movement in the European Jewish community, see Haskalah. ... A chemist is a scientist who specializes in chemistry. ... Michel Eugène Chevreul ( August 31, 1786 - April 9, 1889) was an important French chemist whose work with fatty acids led to early applications in the fields of art and science. ... The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The Sorbonne today, from the same point of view The historic University of Paris (French: Université de Paris) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was in 1970 reorganized as 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII). ... For the scientific journal named Science, see Science (journal). ...

A decree of 12 December 1891 ended this phase, returning the museum to an emphasis on natural history. After receiving financial autonomy in 1907, it began a new phase of growth, opening facilities throughout France during the interwar years. In recent decades, it has concentrated its research and education efforts on the effects of human exploitation on the environment. December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Interwar period was the time between World War I and World War II, ergo the 1920s and 1930s. ...

The museum has as its mission both research (fundamental and applied) and public diffusion of knowledge. It is organized into seven research and three diffusion departments. The former are Classification and Evolution; Regulation, Development, and Molecular Diversity; Aquatic Environments and Populations; Ecology and Biodiversity Management; History of the Earth; Men, Nature, and Societies; and Prehistory. The latter are the Galleries of the Jardin des Plantes; Botanical Parks and Zoos; and the Museum of Man (Musée de l'Homme). Ecology can mean either: the natural environment, or an analysis or study using the principles and methods of ecological science. ... Biodiversity or biological diversity is a neologism and a portmanteau word, from bio and diversity. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... The Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France. ...

The museum includes sites throughout France, including the original location at the Jardin des Plantes in the fifth arrondissement in Paris (métro Place Monge). The galleries there include the Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology, the Gallery of Comparative Anatomy and Paleontology, and the famous Grand Gallery of Evolution (Grande Galerie de l'évolution). The museum's Menagerie is also located here. The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ... Place Monge is a station of the Paris Métro. ... Mineralogy is an earth science that involves the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory Although generally, evolution is taken to mean any process of change over time, in the context of life science, evolution is a change in the traits of living organisms over generations, including the emergence of new species. ... A zoo. ...

The Musée de l'Homme is also in Paris, in the sixteenth arrondissement (métro Trocadéro). It houses displays in ethnography and physical anthropology, including artifacts, fossils, and other objects. Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ... redirect List_of_stations_of_the_Paris_Métro ... Ethnography (from the Greek ethnos = nation and graphe = writing) refers to the qualitative description of human social phenomena, based on months or years of fieldwork. ... Physical anthropology, sometimes called biological anthropology, studies the mechanisms of biological evolution, genetic inheritance, human adaptability and variation, primatology, primate morphology, and the fossil record of human evolution. ... This article is about the archaeological concept of artifacts (or artefacts). ... FOSSIL is a standard for allowing serial communication for telecommunications programs under DOS. FOSSIL stands for Fido Opus SEAdog Standard Interface Layer and was made by a group of Fidonet sysops to make their software work on different machines. ...

Two zoos, the Parc zoologique de Paris (also known as the Zoo de Vincennes), at the Bois de Vincennes in the twelfth arrondissement, and the Parc zoologique de Clères, at a mediæval manor in Clères (Seine-Maritime), are also part of the museum. A zoo. ... Bois de Vincennes is a park in the English landscape manner, located in the 12ème arrondissement of Paris. ... The 12e arrondissement is one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, France. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Seine-Maritime is a French département in Normandy. ...

External links

• MNHN's official Web site (http://www.mnhn.fr/) (in French)
• Lamarck and the Museum: Manuscripts and Herbarium (http://www.lamarck.net)