History: Rio de Janeiro founded in 1565
History: Rio de Janeiro founded On this day in 1565, the city of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro (River of January) was founded on the flat sandy beaches between Sugar Loaf and Morro Cara de Cao. The name of…
History: The world’s first opera premiered in 1607
History: The world's first opera premiered in 1607 Written by Claudio Monteverdi, L'Orfeo is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus and tells the story of his descent to Hades and his fruitless attempt to bring his dead bride Eurydice…
History: David Klein born in 1918
History: David Klein born in 1918 On this day in 1918, the American advertising designer David Klein was born in El Paso, Texas. Klein is probably best known for the iconic travel posters he created for Trans World Airlines (TWA)…
Today is Presidents Day
Today is Presidents Day Presidents Day is a federal holiday which, in the United States, is observed on the third Monday in February. This day is set aside, by more and more of America’s population, to honor all of the…
History: North German Lloyd founded in 1857
History: North German Lloyd founded in 1857 On this day in 1857, the German shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) (North German Lloyd) was founded by Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen. NDL became one of the most important German…
History: Thomas Edison patented the phonograph in 1878.
History: Thomas Edison patented the phonograph in 1878. It was the first machine able to reproduce recorded sound. In its later forms, the device was also called a gramophone, record player (since the 1940s), or, more recently, a turntable. Inquiries…
History: First Ironman in Hawaii in 1978
Today in History: First Ironman in Hawaii in 1978 On this day in 1978, the first "Ironman Triathlon" was held in Kailua-Konain, The world championship has been held annually since 1978 (with an additional race in 1982) and is preceded…
History Today: Premiere of “Madame Butterfly”
History Today: Premiere of "Madame Butterfly" It was not all smooth sailing for Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly" at its world premiere at La Scala in Milan, Italy in 1904. Quite the opposite, the opening was interrupted by its hostile…
History: Castro sworn in as Cuban PM in 1959
History: Castro sworn in as Cuban PM in 1959 On this day in 1959, Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro becomes the country's youngest ever premier. Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a guerrilla campaign that…
History: Burial chamber of Tutankhamun opened in 1923
History: Burial chamber of Pharoh Tutankhamun is opened in 1923 On this day in 1923, in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen, the best-preserved pharaonic tomb ever found…