The British Museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759

When the British Museum opened to the public in 1759, its exhibits were based largely on the collections of physician and milk chocolate inventor Sir Hans Sloane.
Când British Museum s-a deschis pentru public în 1759, exponatele sale s-au bazat în mare măsură pe colecțiile medicului şi inventatorului ciocolatei de lapte Sir Hans Sloane.
In 1784, the museum acquired its first notable addition of antiquities, a collection of Greek and Roman artifacts belonging to the British Ambassador to Naples.
În 1784, muzeul a obținut prima sa de antichități, o colecţie de artefacte greco-romane aparţinând ambasadorului britanic la Neapole.
Today, the museum is home to more than 13 million historical items, including the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.
Astăzi, muzeul este casa, la mai mult de 13 milioane de exponate istorice, inclusiv Rosetta Stone şi Marbles Elgin.

Why is the ownership of the latter collection in dispute?
(highlight the answer) It is a point of controversy whether museums should be allowed to possess artifacts taken from other countries, and the British Museum is a notable target for criticism. The Elgin Marbles and the Benin Bronzes are among the most disputed objects in its collections.