On Sept. 20, 1848, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was founded which marked the emergence of a national scientific community in the U.S. The AAAS was the first organization established to promote the development of science and engineering at the national level and to represent the interests of all its disciplines.

Today, the AAAS serves some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science and publishes the peer-reviewed general science journal Science.