MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY, National Geographic Channel and the National Geographic Society have partnered on a special tabloid edition: National Geographic Society turns 125. The special edition marks the 125^th Anniversary of the founding of the National Geographic Society and a New Age Exploration.

• Major milestones in National Geographic's 125-year history, including Alexander Graham Bellbecoming the president of National Geographic Society in 1898, the first published undersea articles by Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1952, and the first Americans to summit Mount Everest in National Geographic Society-supported expedition in 1963.        
• National Geographic's 10 most significant sponsored expeditions including the excavation of the "lost city of the Inca" – Machu Picchu in Peru — by Hiram Bingham; Jane Goodall's 1961 grant to begin a field study of wild chimpanzees, which unveiled the species' rich social structure and confirmed the use of tools by a species other than humans, and Robert Ballard's 1977 discovery of hydrothermal vents deep in the Galapagos Rift, which contained the first known life forms not dependent on photosynthesis.
• A New Age of Exploration: A look at how new technologies and the growing needs of our planet are redefining exploration.
• Fun Facts - including the fact that National Geographic started publishing photos in its magazine in 1890, two years after the inaugural edition; some of the more unusual places the NG flag has traveled, including the South Pole and the moon; and the average number of photographs shot for a single story in National Geographic magazine.
• The history of National Geographic photography, from the first photo that appeared in the magazine in 1890, to the first autochrome, or natural color photograph in 1914, to when photographs began to appear regularly on the magazine cover in 1952.
• How Cesar Millan, "The Dog Whisperer," became an international superstar.
• A behind the scenes look at this February's highly anticipated National Geographic Channel factual drama Killing Lincoln , based on the best-selling book by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard and starring Billy Campbell and Jesse Johnson.

The special edition is on newsstands now and can also be ordered online athttp://service.usatoday.com/specialeditions. This is the fourth special tabloid edition that USA TODAY and National Geographic Channel have partnered on.  Titanic – 100 years later was published in March of 2012, Your Guide to the National Parks was published in May of 2012, and 50 years later- A Salute to the Veterans of the Vietnam War was published in November, 2012.

About National Geographic Channels
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks.  The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission.  Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD.  In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled.  The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 83 million U.S. homes.  Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 435 million homes in 173 countries and 37 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise.National Geographic magazine, the Society's official journal, published in English and 37 local-language editions, is read by more than 60 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 440 million households in 171 countries in 38 languages. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 20 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

About USA TODAY
USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation.  Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms.  An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation – today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of more than 1.6 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 16 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

SOURCE USA TODAY