James Smithson often felt left behind in a world where status was based on birth. He turned to science, a new subject where everyone was equal. His passion for science took him to Oxford, where he studied to become a chemist. He and his friends traveled Europe, studied rocks, and took hot air balloon rides. Before he died, he left his fortune to the United States to start the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian almost didn't happen, but it is now the world's largest museum complex and inspires millions of visitors every year.