1st May
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Empire State Building – William F. Lamb, opened 01/05/1931. The Empire State Building takes its name from the nickname for New York which is known as the Empire State. It was designed in the distinctive Art deco style and was the world's tallest building for almost forty years. According to official records, five workers died during the construction. Over the years, more than thirty people have committed suicide from the top of the building. The first suicide occurred even before its completion, by a worker who had been laid off. In December 1979, Elvita Adams jumped from the 86th floor, only to be blown back onto the 85th floor and left with a broken hip. On this day … 1923 American author of the satirical novel Catch-22 Joseph Heller was born. Quote of the day About ten minutes. Duke of Wellington (born 01/05/1769), after a vicar asked him what he would like his sermon to be about. Did you know …? During exceptionally high winds the Empire State Building has been known to sway several feet to either side. |
2nd May
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Aerial Screw (1493) – Leonardo da Vinci, who died 02/05/1519 This is the first known drawing of any helicopter-like machine. Leonardo was a master of mechanical principles; he utilized leverage and cantilevering, pulleys, cranks and gears, but as with many of da Vinci’s ideas, he never actually built and tested it – but his notes and drawings mapped out exactly how the device would operate. It was to be powered by four men standing on a central platform turning cranks to rotate the shaft. With enough rotation, da Vinci believed the invention would lift off the ground. Unfortunately, due to weight constrictions, modern scientists do not believe da Vinci’s invention would have been able to take flight. On this day … 1975 English footballer David Beckham was born. 1993 A tycoon bought the first Ferrari car to be sold in China, for the equivalent of almost 900 years of an average worker's wage packet. Did you know …? Red is a very common colour for Ferraris because in the 1920s red was the national racing colour of Italy. 
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3rd May
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Dora Maar au chat (1941) – Pablo Picasso This painting of Picasso's lover, with a small cat on the back of her chair was sold on 03/05/2006 at Sotheby's to an anonymous Russian buyer for $95,216,000, making it the world's second most expensive painting ever sold at auction. The artist’s relationship with Maar was one of intellectual exchange and intense passion—Dora was an artist, spoke Picasso’s native Spanish, and shared his political concerns. She even assisted with the execution of the monumental Guernica and produced the only photo-documentary of the work in progress. She was an intellectual force – a characteristic that both stimulated and challenged Picasso, and her influence on him resulted in some of his most powerful and daring portraits of his 75-year career. On this day … 1991 Polish-American writer Jerzy Kosinski committed suicide. His suicide note read: ‘I am going to put myself to sleep now for a bit longer than usual. Call it Eternity.’ Quote of the day The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing. JamesBrown, American soul singer born 03/05/1928. Did you know …? Picasso’s lover Dora Maar was also the model for his famous Weeping Woman. They met when she was 28 and he was 54. |
4th May
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Entertainment Weekly cover featuring the Dixie Chicks (04/05/2003) After speaking out again George W. Bush and the war in Iraq, The Dixie Chicks appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. The nude but strategically covered women had their skin painted with the insults that had been directed at them, including ‘Dixie Sluts’ and ‘Saddam's Angels’. On this day … 1655 Inventor of the modern piano Bartolomeo Cristofori was born in Padua in the Republic of Venice. 1675 King Charles II of England orders the construction of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. 1821 Napoleon Bonaparte died. 1970 Four students were killed by the National Guard during an anti-war demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio. Did you know …? Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica into a family of noble Italian ancestry. |
5th May
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Dirty White Trash (with Gulls)(1998) – Tim Noble & Sue Webster The artwork contains six months’ worth of rubbish, two taxidermy seagulls and a light projector, and depicts Noble and Webster after a night of partying. On this day … 1760 The first public hanging took place in Tyburn in London, when Earl Ferrers was executed for murdering his steward. Did you know …? One of the earliest arranged excursions on the new railways in the 1840s was a day trip to see a public hanging in Bodmin jail in Cornwall. 
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6th May
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Led Zeppelin album cover of the Hindenburg disaster (06/05/1937) The Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship. As it came in to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey the airship suddenly burst into flames and dropped to the ground in a little over half a minute. Of the 36 passengers and 61 crew on board, 13 passengers and 22 crew died, as well as one member of the ground crew, making a total of 36 lives lost in the disaster. A variety of hypotheses have been put forward for both the cause of ignition and the initial fuel for the ensuing fire. The incident shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and marked the end of the airship era. In 1969 this black-and-white image of the burning Hindenburg became even more iconic when it was used for the cover design for English rock band Led Zeppelin’s first album. On this day … 1626 Manhattan Island was bought from Red Indians by Peter Minuit for goods to the equivalent of $24. 1856 Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was born – he is considered the father of psychoanalysis. 1954 Roger Bannister ran the first ever sub-4 minute mile in 3mins 59.4secs at the Iffley Road track, Oxford. 1961 American film actor George Clooney was born. Quotes of the day Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast. Marlene Dietrich, German-American actress and singer who died 06/05/1992 On the death of her philandering husband, King Edward VII, who died 06/05/1910, Queen Alexandra said: Now at least I know where he is! Did you know …? Running a mile in four minutes translates to a speed of 15 miles per hour (24.14 km/h, or 14.91 seconds per 100 metres). |
7th May
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The Sea of Ice (1824) - Caspar David Friedrich, who died 07/05/1840 Caspar David Friedrich was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his landscapes which often feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning mists, bare trees or Gothic ruins. This work depicts a shipwreck in the middle of a broken ice-sheet, the pieces of which have piled up after the impact to form a kind of tomb sticking up into the sky. Since its creation the painting has influenced numerous artists and sculptors, but at time the work was seen as too radical in composition, and went unsold until after Friedrich's death sixteen years later. On this day … 1840 Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born. Quote of the day A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence. Of belief in miracles: The gazing populace receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition and promotes wonder. David Hume, Scottish philosopher and economist born 07/05/1711 Did you know …? David Hume attended the University of Edinburgh at the unusually early age of twelve at a time when fourteen was normal. |
8th May
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Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (1898) – Paul Gauguin, who died 08/05/1903 Gauguin painted this during his time in Tahiti, and he believed it to be his greatest work. He indicated that the painting should be read from right to left, with the three major figure groups illustrating the questions posed in the title. The three women with a child represent the beginning of life; the middle group symbolizes the daily existence of young adulthood; and in the final group, according to the artist, ‘an old woman approaching death appears reconciled and resigned to her thoughts’. On this day … 1886 Coca-Cola was first produced by Dr John Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. 1945 V-E (Victory in Europe) Day; after Germany signed an unconditional surrender it was announced WWII had ended in Europe. 1975 Spanish pop singer Enrique Iglesias was born. 1980 World Health Organization announced smallpox had been eradicated. Quote of the day That which seems the height of absurdity in one generation often becomes the height of wisdom in the next. Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives. John Stuart Mill, British philosopher who died 08/05/1873 Did you know …? Contrary to what you may read, Coca-Cola was never green. In the past it has been bottled in green glass bottles, but the drink itself has always been brown. |
9th May
The Image of the day
Punch and Judy (1662) The Punch and Judy show has roots in the 16th-century Italian commedia dell'arte. The figure of Punch derives from the Neapolitan stock character of Pulcinella, which was anglicized to Punchinello. He is a manifestation of the Lord of Misrule and Trickster figures of deep-rooted mythologies. Punch's wife was originally called ‘Joan.’ The figure who later became Mr. Punch made his first recorded appearance in England at Covent Garden on 9 May 1662, which is traditionally considered Punch's UK birthday. The diarist Samuel Pepys observed a marionette show featuring an early version of the Punch character in Covent Garden in London. It was performed by an Italian puppet showman, Pietro Gimonde, a.k.a. ‘Signor Bologna’. On this day … 1788 The British parliament accepted the abolition of the slave trade. 1960 The U.S. became the first country to use the birth control pill legally. Quote of the day Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, who was born 09/05/1860. Did you know …? Before his death, J. M. Barrie gave the rights to the Peter Pan works to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. |
10th May
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The Menin Road (1919) – Paul Nash, who was born 11/05/1889 The Menin Road is a large oil painting by Paul Nash that depicts a First World War battlefield. Nash was commissioned to paint a battlefield scene for the proposed, but never built, national Hall of Remembrance. The painting is considered one of the most iconic images of World War One and is now held by the Imperial War Museum. Nash originally intended to call the painting A Flanders Battlefield but he eventually decided to name it The Menin Road. The actual road itself, the modern N8, was the main route between Ypres and Menin and passed the sites of several other battles including Sanctuary Wood, Hooge Crater, Inverness Copse and Hellfire Corner. Nash knew the area well both from the spring of 1917, when he served in the British Army on the Western Front and from later that year when he returned to the war zone as an official war artist. On this day … 1906 The Simplon Tunnel was officially opened at Brig, Switzerland. 1907 Initiated in America by Miss Anna Jarvis, Mother's Day was held for the first time in Philadelphia. 1960 Bono, lead singer of the Irish rock group U2, was born. Quotes of the day Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela, who was inaugurated as South Africa's first black president on 10/05/1994. Did you know …? Nelson Mandela’s real name is Rolihlahla. He was given the English name Nelson by his teacher on his first day at school at the age of seven. |
11th May
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Swans reflecting elephants (1939) - Salvador Dalí', who was born 11/05/1904 This painting contains one of Dalí's famous double images, created using the reflection in a lake. The three swans in front of bleak, leafless trees are reflected in the lake so that the swans' necks become the elephants' trunks and the trees become the legs of the elephants. In the background of the painting is a Catalonian landscape. On this day … 1812 British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated in the House of Commons. 1889 English artist Paul Nash was born (see image of the day for 10th May). 1981 Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley died. 1997 Garry Kasparov was visibly shaken after his defeat after only 19 moves in the deciding game with the IBM super-computer 'Deep Blue' in New York. Quotes of the day For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. Richard Feynman, American theoretical physicist born 11/05/1918 The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad. Salvador Dalí', Spanish-Catalan surrealist painter who was born 11/05/1904. Did you know …? In his investigation of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster Richard Feynman discovered that NASA's own engineers estimated the chance of a catastrophe at closer to 1 in 200, rather than the 1 in 100,000 chance claimed by NASA’s managers. |
12th May
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Reverie (1868) – Dante Gabriel Rossetti, born 12/05/1828 The model for this portrait was Jane Morris, the wife of the textile designer and writer William Morris. Rossetti became obsessed with Jane, and had a long-lasting and complicated liaison with her. The pose in this coloured chalk picture is the closest in Rossetti's work to one of the photographs of Jane Morris. It also refers to a traditional way of representing thoughtfulness or contemplation, with head on hand and elbow on knee. Rossetti died of kidney disease at the age of 53. He was addicted to chloral hydrate, a sedative and hypnotic pharmaceutical drug. He also suffered from alcohol psychosis for some time, brought on by the excessive amounts of whisky he used to drown out the bitter taste of the chloral hydrate. On this day … 1820 Florence Nightingale was born. She famously worked as a nurse during the Crimean War and was the founder of modern nursing. 1928 American singer-songwriter Burt Bacharach was born. 1936 American painter and printmaker Frank Stella was born. Quote of the day They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon. And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand. They danced by the light of the moon from The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, who was born 12/05/1812 Did you know …? Grapes are grown around the world more than any other fruit. |
13th May
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Bottle and Fishes (1909 – 1912) – Georges Braque, born 13/05/1882 Georges Braque was a 20th-century French painter who played a major role in the development of Cubism. Braque’s work between 1908 and 1912 is closely associated with that of his colleague Pablo Picasso. Their respective Cubist works were indistinguishable for many years, yet the quiet nature of Braque was partially eclipsed by the fame and notoriety of Picasso. Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century. In Cubist artwork, objects are analysed, broken up and reassembled in an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context. On this day … 1907 English writer Dame Daphne du Maurier was born. 1950 Stevland Judkins was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He is better known as American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. 1994 Four Weddings and a Funeral was released. The film popularised the W. H. Auden poem Funeral Blues. 1995 33-year-old British mother of two Alison Hargreaves became the first woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest without oxygen or the aid of sherpas. Quote of the day He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song, I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. from Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden Did you know …? Three months after conquering Everest Alison Hargreaves died on the slopes of K2 while returning from the summit. |
14th May
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Hyena Stomp (1962) – Frank Stella, born 12/05/1936 Frank Stella is an American painter and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism. The title of this work comes from a track by the American jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton. Stella was thinking about syncopation while working on the painting. On this day … 1969 Australian actress Cate Blanchett was born. 1973 Skylab 1, the first space station, was launched from America. 1998 American singer and actor Frank Sinatra died. 2015 American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist B. B. King died. Quote of the day The most brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious form of expression it has been my displeasure to hear. Frank Sinatra describing rock and roll music in a magazine article in 1957. Did you know …? The average person falls asleep at night in seven minutes. |
15th May
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Three Flags (1958) – Jasper Johns, born 15/05/1930 Jasper Johns is best known for his paintings Flag (1954–55), White Flag (1955) and this one. He painted Flag after having a dream of the American flag. His work is often described as a Neo-Dadaist, as opposed to pop art, even though his subject matter often includes images and objects from popular culture. All three paintings are in different museums in New York City. On this day … 1940 Dick and Mac McDonald opened the first McDonald’s in San Bernadino, California. 1953 English multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield was born. He recorded his instrumental album Tubular Bells at the age of 19 and played more than half the instruments on it himself; it sold 16 million copies. 1967 American realist painter Edward Hopper died. (see image of the day for 16th May) 1856 American author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Frank Baum was born. Quote of the day Wizard of Oz: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universita Committeeatum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby confer upon you the honorary degree of Th.D. Scarecrow: Th.D.? Wizard: Yeah ... that ... that's Doctor of Thinkology. From the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz Did you know …? Frank Baum came up with the name for Oz when he looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z. |
16th May
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Nighthawks (1942) – Edward Hopper, who died 15/05/1967. Nighthawks is an oil on canvas painting by Edward Hopper that portrays people in a downtown diner late at night. It is Hopper's most famous work and is one of the most recognizable paintings in American art. Within months of its completion, it was sold to the Art Institute of Chicago for $3,000 (equivalent to approximately $42,900 in 2013) and has remained there ever since. Because it is so well known the painting has been parodied in popular culture many times, and it also influenced the 'future noir' look of the film Blade Runner; director Ridley Scott said ‘I was constantly waving a reproduction of this painting under the noses of the production team to illustrate the look and mood I was after’. On this day … 1717 French philosopher Voltaire was imprisoned in the Bastille. 1718 British inventor James Puckle patented the world's first machine gun. 1952 Irish actor Pierce Brosnan was born. Quotes of the day When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion. Voltaire In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. Voltaire Did you know …? James Puckle designed two versions of the machine gun: one, intended for use against Christian enemies, fired conventional round bullets, while the second variant, designed to be used against the Muslim Turks, fired square bullets, which were considered to be more damaging and would, according to its patent, convince the Turks of the ‘benefits of Christian civilization’. |
17th May
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Birth of Venus (c. 1486) – Sandro Botticelli, who died 17/05/1510 Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, and the Birth of Venus is probably his most famous painting. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as an adult woman, arriving at the sea-shore. On Venus' right is Zephyrus, God of Winds, and he carries with him the gentle breeze Aura and together they blow the Goddess of Love ashore. The Horae, Goddess of the Seasons, waits to receive Venus and spreads out a flower covered robe ready for the Love Goddess' arrival. The painting is on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. On this day … 1792 Twenty-four merchants formed the New York Stock Exchange at 70 Wall Street. 2004 Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. Quote of the day I did not fully understand the dread term ‘terminal illness’ until I saw Heathrow for myself. Dennis Potter , English writer born 17/05/1935 Did you know …? Finland has 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands. |
18th May
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The Clash’s London Calling album cover (1979) – design by Ray Lowry, photograph by Pennie Smith London Calling is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Clash. The album cover features a photograph of bassist Paul Simonon smashing his guitar during a concert in New York City. In 2002 Smith's photograph was named the best rock and roll photograph of all time by Q magazine, commenting that ‘it captures the ultimate rock 'n' roll moment – total loss of control’. The cover artwork was designed by Lowry and was an homage to the design of Elvis Presley's self-titled debut album. The cover was named the ninth best album cover of all time by Q magazine in 2001. On this day … 1949 English rock musician Rick Wakeman was born. 1980 Lead singer of the English band Joy Division Ian Curtis committed suicide, age 23. Did you know …? A yawn usually lasts for approximately six seconds. Quote of the day If I were a medical man, I should prescribe a holiday to any patient who considered his work important. Bertrand Russell, English philosopher who was born 18/05/1872 |
19th May
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Mr and Mrs Andrews (c. 1750) – Thomas Gainsborough This painting is an unusual combination of two common types of painting of the period: a double portrait, here of a recently married couple, and a landscape view of the English countryside. Today it is one of Gainsborough’s most famous works, but it remained in the family of the sitters until 1960 and was very little known before it appeared in an exhibition in 1927, after which it was regularly requested for other exhibitions in Britain and abroad, and praised by critics for its charm and freshness. By the post-war years its iconic status was established, and it was one of four paintings chosen to represent British art in an exhibition in Paris celebrating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. On this day … 1499 Catherine of Aragon, was married by proxy to Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales. Catherine was 13 and Arthur was 12. 1536 Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded. The charges against her included adultery, incest, and witchcraft. She was the first English queen to be publicly executed. 1925 Malcolm X, African-American human rights activist was born. 1933 Maltese author Edward de Bono was born. 1945 Guitarist and songwriter of the English rock band The Who Pete Townshend was born. Quote of the day Inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity, and gifted with an egotistical imagination. (describing his political opponent William Gladstone) British politician and twice Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who died 19/05/1898 Did you know …? Malcolm Little began signing his name Malcolm X in 1950. The reason was that the ‘X’ replaced the name given to his ancestors by white slave owners. |
20th May
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I Shop Therefore I Am (1987) – Barbara Kruger Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist. Much of her work pairs found photographs with pithy and assertive text (often in white letters against a red background) that challenges the viewer. Much of her text calls attention to ideas such as feminism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire, frequently appropriating images from mainstream magazines and using bold phrases to frame them in a new context. On this day … 1506 Explorer Christopher Columbus died. 1799 French novelist Honoré De Balzac was born. 1944 British rock singer Joe Cocker was born. Quote of the day A girl can wait for the right man to come along but in the meantime that still doesn't mean she can't have a wonderful time with all the wrong ones. Cher, American singer and actress, born 20/05/1946 Did you know …? The first four domestic appliances to be electrified were the sewing machine, the fan, the tea kettle, and the toaster. |
21st May
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The Tea (1880) – Mary Cassatt, who was born 22/05/1844 Mary Cassatt was an American painter and printmaker. She was born in Pennsylvania, but lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists. Cassatt often created images of the social and private lives of women, with particular emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children. On this day … 1840 New Zealand became part of the British Empire. 1927 Charles Lindbergh lands in Paris in his plane Spirit of St Louis after completing the first solo air crossing of the Atlantic. Quote of the day An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Edward de Bono, Maltese author born 19/05/1933 Did you know …? New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote, in 1893. |
22nd May
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The Cottingley Fairies (1917) – Elsie Wright This is the first of five photographs taken by 16-year-old Elsie Wright in 1917, showing her cousin Frances with the alleged fairies. Elsie’s father developed the photos and dismissed them as some kind of trick, but his wife had a strong belief in the supernatural and showed them to the speaker at a lecture she attended on spiritualism. The pictures then came to the attention of Sherlock Holmes’ author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle was a passionate believer in spiritualism, and he interpreted the photographs as clear and visible evidence of psychic phenomena. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that the girls admitted the photographs were faked, using cardboard cut-outs of fairies copied from a children's book. On this day … 1908 The airplane was patented by the Wright brothers. 1946 Northern Irish footballer George Best was born. 1959 Morrissey, lead singer of English band The Smiths, was born. Quote of the day When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of the Four (1890) by Arthur Conan Doyle, born 22/05/1859 Did you know …? Buckingham Palace has over six hundred rooms. |
23rd May
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Palmyra, Syria (c. 2nd millennium BC) An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences. Palmyra was an established caravan oasis when it came under Roman control in the mid-first century AD as part of the Roman province of Syria. It grew steadily in importance as a city on the trade route linking Persia, India and China with the Roman Empire, marking the crossroads of several civilisations in the ancient world. On this day … 1533 Henry VIII divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. 1934 American outlaws and robbers Bonnie & Clyde were ambushed and killed by law officers. Quote of the day The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets. John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist and philanthropist who died 23/05/1937 Did you know …? Henry was distantly related to all six of his wives through their common ancestor, King Edward I of England. |
24th May
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Imperial Federation Map (1886) – Walter Crane Walter Crane was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential children’s book creator of his generation. He was part of the Arts and Crafts movement and produced an array of paintings, illustrations, children's books, ceramic tiles and other decorative arts. This map was published to mark the Indian and Colonial Exhibition of 1886. It is centred on Greenwich, thus presenting Britain at the centre of the world, with the parts of the Empire under British rule in pink, which would have been quite conventional at that time. The figures in the margins represent the peoples of these lands, and are depicted as though they are bringing tribute to Britannia. On this day … Empire Day: this was a day of national celebration for Britain and her colonies. It took place on the 24th May every year between 1904 and 1958. 1930 Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo to Australia from England. 1960 English actress Kristin Scott Thomas was born. Quote of the day What's money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do. Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter born on this day in 1941. Did you know …? Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (born on this day in 1686) invented the mercury-in-glass thermometer in 1714. |
25th May
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Muhammad Ali defeats Sonny Liston 25/05/1965 - photo by Neil Leiferin The ending of the second Ali-Liston fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Liston went down on his back. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. The referee had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" The moment was captured by ringside photographer Neil Leiferin and became one of the most iconic images in sport. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and the fight was stopped at 2:12. On this day … 1895 Irish author, playwright and poet Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years’ hard labour. 1958 English singer-songwriter Paul Weller was born. 1963 Canadian actor, comedian and film producer Mike Myers was born. Quote of the day Knowledge exists to be imparted. Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet who was born 25/05/1803. Did you know …? On this day in 1935, athlete Jesse Owens set six world records in 45 minutes. At 3.15pm, he shattered the world 100 yards record; ten minutes later, he set a new standard for the long jump; at 3.45 he broke the record for both the 220 yards and 200 metres; and at 4pm, he smashed the record for the 220 yard and 200 metre low hurdles. |
26th May
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Chrysler Building, NYC (opened 27/05/1930) – photos by Margaret Bourke-White The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. At 319 m, the structure was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. The building is considered by many contemporary architects to be one of the finest buildings in New York City. It was the headquarters of the Chrysler Corporation from 1930 until the mid-1950s. Although the building was built and designed specifically for the car manufacturer, the corporation did not pay for the construction of it and never owned it, as Walter P. Chrysler decided to pay for it himself, so that his children could inherit it. On this day … 1703 English diarist and Member of Parliament Samuel Pepys died. 1948 American singer/songwriter with Fleetwood Mac Stevie Nicks was born. 1950 Petrol rationing in Britain ended. 1964 American singer/songwriter Lenny Kravitz was born. Quote of the day America is one of the finest countries anyone ever stole. Bobcat Goldthwait, American actor and comedian, born 26/05/1962 Did you know …? Samuel Pepys’ original diary is held in the Pepys Building at Magdalene College, Cambridge. |
27th May
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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, which opened on this day in 1937 The Golden Gate Bridge which crosses the mile-wide San Francisco Bay was opened in 1937. Until 1964 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, at 1,300 m. The Frommers travel guide considers the Golden Gate Bridge ‘possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world'. The Golden Gate Bridge is the second most used suicide site in the world (after the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge in China) and the most popular place to commit suicide in the United States. The deck is approx. 75 m above the water. After a fall of approximately four seconds, jumpers hit the water at approximately 122 km/h. About 5% of the jumpers survive the initial impact but generally drown or die of hypothermia in the cold water. As of 2006, only 26 people are known to have survived the jump. On this day … 1930 The Chrysler Building became the tallest building in the world when it opened in NYC. 1963 Bob Dylan’s second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, was released. 1994 Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia. Did you know …? The river Danube flows through four capital cities, more than any other river in the world. They are: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. 
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28th May
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Iconic 'Bond film' images (1962 – 64) The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, "007", who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. The pictures here (clockwise from the left) are the iconic Aston Martin DB5 which first appeared in Goldfinger (1964), the gun barrel sequence which features in nearly every Bond film, and Swiss actress Ursula Andress coming out of the water in Dr No (1962). Her bikini is cited as the best known bikini of all time and an iconic moment in cinematic and fashion history. On this day … 1908 English author and creator of James Bond Ian Fleming was born. 1961 An article The Forgotten Prisoners was published in the Observer, after which the organisation Amnesty International was formed. 1967 65-year-old English yachtsman Francis Chichester arrived at Plymouth, having sailed around the world single-handedly in his Gypsy Moth IV. He became the first person to achieve a true circumnavigation of the world solo from West to East via the great Capes. Did you know …? Due to Ursula Andress's heavy Swiss-German accent, her character's voice in Dr No was provided by a voice actress. 
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29th May
Image of the day
Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay (29/05/1953) who became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest on this day in 1953. Edmund Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist, and Tenzing Norgay was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer. They were part of a British expedition to Everest, and the achievement was celebrated as a British success, even though neither Hillary nor Tenzing were British. They spent only about 15 minutes at the summit. News of the expedition reached Britain on the day of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the press called the successful ascent a coronation gift. On this day … 1606 Caravaggio killed Ranuccio Tomassoni. 1967 English singer-songwriter and former member of Oasis Noel Gallagher was born. Quote of the day Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. John F. Kennedy, American president who was born 29/05/1917. Did you know …? Born Michelangelo Merisi, Caravaggio took his name from the small town outside Milan where he was born. He was arrested eleven times in six years, mostly for swordfighting and brawling, but once for throwing an artichoke at an insolent waiter. |
30th May
Image of the day
Fabergé Coronation Egg (1897) – Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian jeweller who was born 30/05/1846 A Fabergé egg is one of a limited number of jewelled eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé and his company between 1885 and 1917. The most famous are those made for the Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers, often called the 'Imperial' Fabergé eggs. The House of Fabergé made about 50 eggs, of which 43 have survived. Two more were planned for Easter 1918, but were not delivered, due to the Russian Revolution. On this day … 1431 19-year-old heroine of France Joan of Arc was executed by burning. 1640 Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens died. 1778 French writer and philosopher Francois-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, died. Quote of the day Belief is a very peculiar thing: we tend to put more store in a belief we like than a fact we hate. Stephen Tobolowsky, American actor born 30/05/1951 Did you know …? It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. A sneeze travels at over 100 mph. |
31st May
Image of the day
Cartoon by William Heath Robinson, who was born 31/05/1872 W. Heath Robinson was an English cartoonist and illustrator best known for drawings of ridiculously complicated machines for achieving simple objectives. In the U.K., the term "Heath Robinson" entered the language during the 1914–1918 war as a description of any unnecessarily complex and implausible device. ‘a Heath Robinson affair’ is perhaps more often used in relation to temporary fixes using ingenuity and whatever is to hand, often string and tape, or unlikely cannibalisations. Its continuing popularity was undoubtedly linked to Second World War Britain's shortages and the need to ‘make do and mend’. On this day … 1859 Big Ben began telling the time. 1912 American pioneer of powered flight Wilbur Wright died. 1930 American actor and film director Clint Eastwood was born. 1996 American psychologist and writer Timothy Leary died; he was known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs and was once described by President Richard Nixon as ‘the most dangerous man in America’. Did you know …? Catholics are not allowed to use IVF treatment. Muslims are allowed to use IVF, but only if the sperm and eggs used come from the (married) couple trying to conceive; using donor sperm is considered adultery. 
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