History: Nutcracker premiered in St. Petersburg in 1892 On this day in 1892, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Although the original production was not a success, the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted…
History: Audrey Hepburn born in 1929 On this day in 1929, screen legend Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston) was born in Brussels, Belgium. The British film and fashion icon was one of Hollywood's largest movie stars during the 1950s…
History: Keith Haring born in 1958 Keith Haring (1958-1990) was an influential American artist and social activist who rose to prominence during the 1980s. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Haring's distinctive visual language was characterized by bold lines, vivid colors, and…
History: Cap Arcona sunk in 1945 On this day in 1945, the German ship "Cap Arcona" laden with prisoners was sunk by the Royal Air Force in the East Sea. It is estimated that 5,800 people on board were killed…
History: First World’s Fair opens in London On May 1, 1851, Great Britain’s Prince Albert opened the first World’s Fair – then referred to as the Great Exhibition - in Hyde Park, London. The idea for an international fair was…
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…
History: Herbert Matter born in 1907 On this day in 1907, 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 Deberny…