87 years ago today, James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006), was born in Barnwell, South Carolina. The singer and songwriter was a major musical figure of 20th-century music and dance. Brown is often referred to as…
International Tuba Day Today is International Tube Day (celebrated on the first Friday of each year). We do not play the tuba and know little about the instrument's history (you can learn all about the tube at www.tubaday.com) but we…
1931 Empire State Building dedicated in 1931 On this day in 1931, President Herbert Hoover officially dedicates New York City’s Empire State Building, pressing a button from the White House that turns on the building’s lights. Hoover’s gesture, of course,…
Today in History: 1939 New York World’s Fair On April 30, 1939, the New York World’s Fair opened its doors to the public. Using the motto “Building a World for Tomorrow,” the opening ceremony featured a speech by President Franklin…
Today is International Jazz Day! When Louis Armstrong was asked what the definition of jazz was, he famously replied, "If you've got to ask, you'll never know." Today is a worldwide day of celebration of jazz and its unique history.…
Today is Zipper Day From handbags and jackets to trousers and boots, it really is impossible to imagine life without zippers. They are so widespread it is easy to take them for granted. This is where Zipper Day comes along to remind…
Today in History: Beethoven composes “Für Elise” in 1810 “Bagatelle No. 25” (commonly known as "Für Elise", German for For Elise) for solo piano is one of the Ludwig van Beethoven's most popular works and one of the most recognized…
Today in History: Ukraine Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in 1986 On this day in 1986, an explosion and fire at the No. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine resulted in a nuclear meltdown sending radioactivity into the…
Today in History: 1st Boeing 747 Passenger Flight by Lufthansa in 1970 50 years ago today, Lufthansa introduces service on the Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet), the world's largest passenger aircraft at the time. 365 passengers were on board on the…
Today in History: Herbert Matter born in 1907 113 years ago today, The Swiss-born American photographer and graphic designer, Herbert Matter, was born. Matter studied art in Geneva and Paris and worked in France as a designer and photographer for…