Today is Bastille Day! Bastille Day is a national holiday in France, celebrated annually on July 14. It is quite similar to the Independence Day festivities in the United States. The Bastille was a stronghold built in Paris in the…
Today in History: Happy Birthday, Paris Happy Birthday, Paris! On this day in 1951, Paris celebrated turning 2,000 years old. But it is likely that the City of Lights was already founded around 250 B.C. Paris is home to some…
Today in History: First UEFA European Nations Cup (now UEFA Euro) in 1960 The first European soccer championship opened in France in 1960. The event is held every four years in the even-numbered year between the World Cup tournaments. In…
Today in History: The Bikini Two small pieces of fabric caused major turmoil at the beaches at the end of the 1940s. French fashion designer Louis Reard gave them a name: bikini. The first bikini was presented on July 5,…
History: Cunard founded in 1840 Samuel Cunard founded the first transatlantic boat service, a company called the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, which quickly became known as the Cunard Line. Samuel Cunard himself took part in…
Today in History: The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York in 1885 On this day in 1885, the dismantled Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean from France in 350 individual…
Today in History: Christo born in 1935 The avant-garde artist known as Christo (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff) was born on this day in 1935 in Bulgaria. Christo is famous for his spectacular, large-scale installations. He and his wife have wrapped the Reichstag…
Today is National Red Rose Day National Red Rose Day honors the flower that is a symbol of love and romance. Red roses were used in many early cultures as decorations in wedding ceremonies and wedding attire. It was through…
First Indoor Swimming Pool opens in London in 1742 On this day in 1742, the world's first indoor pool - the Bagnio - opened its doors in London. London in the 18th century had a stench all its own, the…
Today in History: Golden Gate Bridge opens in 1937 On this day in 1937 on the opening day of the Golden Gate Bridge, some 200,000 pedestrians appeared to cross the bay between San Francisco and Marin County. A day later,…