History: Robert Rauschenberg is born in 1925 On this day in 1925, American painter and graphic artist, Robert Rauschenberg, was born in Port Arthur, Texas. He studied art in Kansas (1946-1947), Paris (1947) and at Black Mountain College in North…
History: Thomas Edison invents a commercially practical incandescent light On this day in 1879, Thomas Edison invented a commercially practical incandescent light at his industrial research lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Edison had filed his first patent application for…
History: Monterey Bay Aquarium opens in 1984 On this day in 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world opens in Monterey Bay, California. Among its many "firsts," it is the only aquarium in the…
History: Peter Max born in 1937 Happy Birthday, Peter Max! Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein in Berlin) is a pop culture graphic artist known for his psychedelic style of painting and the use of bright, vibrant colors. In 1938,…
History: Alaska formally becomes part of the USA in 1867 The United States had purchased the large and sparsely populated territory of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, or less than two cents an acre. The purchase was not seen…
Today is National Pasta Day From linguine to tortellini, pasta comes in endless shapes and flavors. While we think of it as Italian, noodles were actually made in Asia as far back as 2000 BC. Italy now has over 350…
History: The Walt Disney Company is founded in 1923 A leader in the international entertainment industry, the company was created by brothers Walt and Roy as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. Today, the company is synonymous with cartoons and animated…
Today in History: Mauzan born in 1883 Achille Lucien Mauzan was born on the French Riviera but moved to Italy in 1905. He was known as a decorative illustrator, though he also painted and sculpted. After studying at the Ecole…
History: Le Corbusier presents Unité d'habitation in 1952 The Unité d'habitation (Housing Unit) is a modernist residential housing design principle developed by the architect Le Corbusier, with the collaboration of painter-architect Nadir Afonso. The concept formed the basis of several…
History: United States Navy founded in 1775 On this day in 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the first American naval force. Thus began the long and prestigious heritage of the United States Navy. Between 1922 and 1972, the Navy…