Switzerland becomes neutral in 1515 On this day in 1515, a small confederation in the western Alps decides to keep out of any future armed conflict by means of a declaration, renouncing further wars of aggression and expansion. From then…
Richard Paul Lohse born in 1902 Richard Paul Lohse was born in Zürich in 1902. In 1918, Lohse joined the advertising agency Max Dalang where he trained to be an advertising artist. In the 1930s, his work as a graphic…
History: Ben Shahn born in 1898 Ben Shahn (September 12, 1898 - March 14, 1969) was an American painter and graphic artist whose work displayed a combination of realism and abstraction, thus addressing various social and political causes. Shahn immigrated…
History: Burkhard Mangold born in 1873 On this day in 1873, the Swiss artist was born in Basel, Switzerland. Mangold worked as a designer, glass painter, and poster artist. He initially studied and worked as a painter in Basel (1890-1893)…
History: California 31st state of the United States in 1850 California had been only part of the United States territory for two years (following the Mexican-American War) when it was admitted to the Union as the 31st state of the…
History: New Amsterdam becomes New York in 1664 New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded by colonists from the Dutch Republic in 1624 on Lower Manhattan; the post was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city…
Today is National Beer Lovers Day ”Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.” ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger Beer is one of the world’s most popular alcoholic drink. It has been around for centuries dating as…
History: United States nicknamed Uncle Sam On this day in 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the…
History: First tank produced in 1915 On this day in 1915, a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolls off the assembly line in England. Developed by the British in 1914 in response to the trench warfare of World War I,…
History: Freddie Mercury born in 1946 He was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar (Sept. 5, 1946) but would later change his name to Freddie Mercury - the flamboyant lead singer of the iconic rock group Queen, who was known for…