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# National Museum of African American History and Culture: Chronology of Events

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**Dec. 16, 2003**President George W. Bush signs the legislation creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)

**October 2004**Founding 19-member NMAAHC Council appointed by the Smithsonian Board of Regents

**March 14, 2005**Lonnie G. Bunch III named founding director of NMAAHC

**Jan. 30, 2006**Selection of the five-acre museum site on the National Mall near the Washington Monument

**Oct. 1, 2007**Selection of Freelon Bond, pre-design and architectural-programming consultants

**Jan. 19, 2008**NMAAHC launches first “Save Our African American Treasures” program in Chicago

**Oct. 27, 2008**Pre-design: Master facilities programming

**November 2008**Completion of the master exhibition planning, facilities planning and programming report

**January 2009**Opening of NMAAHC Gallery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

**February 2009**Architectural design competition begins

**April 14, 2009**Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup selected as the architectural team for the museum

**July 12, 2011**Construction firm, Clark/Smoot/Russell begins planning for the construction of the building 

**Feb. 22, 2012**Groundbreaking

**November 2012**First concrete pour

**Nov. 17, 2013**Cranes install the first iconic artifacts, a Jim Crow-era railroad car and Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) prison guard tower, into the museum

**October 2014**Steel topping out; last steel member lifted for structural framing

**January 2015**Above-grade steel and concrete superstructure is complete to the roof level; glass installation begins on fifth floor

**April 14, 2015**Glass enclosure complete; the first of 3,600 bronze-colored “Corona” panels installed

# # #

SI-55-2016
Media Only
Fleur Paysour

202-633-4761

paysourf@si.edu
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