National Geographic

National Geographic magazine’s distinctive yellow border is a familiar sight. It offers readers a portal to explore the farthest reaches of the Earth and beyond. Yet there is even more to National Geographic magazine than this—an extraordinary purpose that has driven the magazine and its readership for over 130 years.

Since 1888, National Geographic has been igniting the explorer in all of us with a determined commitment to furthering our understanding of the world. Our founders, including Alexander Graham Bell, understood the power of great storytelling to spark curiosity, solve big problems, and push the boundaries of knowledge, and so in October 1888 they printed a 50-cent journal with a plain brown cover. Since then, National Geographic magazine has grown to become the global mouthpiece for the National Geographic Society—a community of bold people with an insatiable curiosity and a passion for exploring and protecting the planet. The magazine and the society are inextricably linked in a unique and powerful partnership that shapes the way people think about the world and themselves.