Bicentennial of the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopedia
The first two pamphlets of the Encyclopædia Britannica
were issued in December 1768, being sold from the printing office of its originator, Colin Macfarquhar
, in Nicholson Street in Edinburgh
. In 1968, several celebrations of the Britannica's bicentennial were held, and the three volumes of the 1st edition were reprinted in facsimile.
herself was not present, although she sent warm thanks for the gift of a fresh copy of the 14th edition. Hundreds of guests were arranged at 13 tables and served an exceptional dinner with well-chosen wines and tasteful music:
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
were issued in December 1768, being sold from the printing office of its originator, Colin Macfarquhar
Colin Macfarquhar
Colin Macfarquhar was a Scottish bookseller and printer. He is best known for being one of the "Society of Gentlemen in Scotland", along with Andrew Bell, who first published the Encyclopædia Britannica. Macfarquhar also contributed heavily to the second and third edition...
, in Nicholson Street in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. In 1968, several celebrations of the Britannica's bicentennial were held, and the three volumes of the 1st edition were reprinted in facsimile.
The Britannica Banquet
On 15 October 1968, the Britannica threw a banquet for itself celebrating its 200th birthday. Queen ElizabethElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
herself was not present, although she sent warm thanks for the gift of a fresh copy of the 14th edition. Hundreds of guests were arranged at 13 tables and served an exceptional dinner with well-chosen wines and tasteful music:
| Wine | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , put it during his speech, "This, surely, is yet one more memorable episode in our chronicles of time." Five speakers gave brief speeches at the banquet:
Many amusing episodes in the Britannica's history were recounted. Several speakers reiterated the Britannica's commitment to being not merely a reference work (an "enchantingly vast cornucopia of erudition", in Sir Gilbert Inglefield's words), but a great educational instrument of all humanity; in the words of Dr. Hutchins, "the Britannica seems destined to become a world university" and "Senator Benton...will go down in history as one of the most influential educators of our time." Prime Minister Harold Wilson stated that he and Jennie Lee were inspired to begin the Open University Open University The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom... by the Britannica's push into international markets, as well as by the Soviet Union Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.... 's dedicated broadcasting of educational propaganda Propaganda Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group.... . Finally, the Britannica's view of itself as the summa of all civilization Civilization Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally... can be gleaned from its publisher Bill Benton's speech. The Exhibition at the Newberry LibraryFrom 9 April 1968 through 31 May 1968, the Newberry Library in ChicagoChicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... offered an exhibit celebrating all encyclopedias, but most particularly the Britannica. The exhibit was accompanied by a book by James M. Wells, who wrote an overview essay dated 9 January 1968. Re-issue of the 1st editionOn the occasion of its 200th anniversary, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. is an American company best known for publishing the Encyclopædia Britannica, the world's oldest continuously-published encyclopedia.-History:... published a facsimile of the 1st edition, even including "age spots" on the paper. This has been periodically reprinted and is still part of Britannica's product line. The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
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