Happy 87th birthday playwright Edward Albee.
On this day in 1867 Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Don Carlos premiered in Paris.
On this day in 1562, kissing in public was banned and made punishable by death in Naples, Italy.
On this day in 1978 the first radio episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams was transmitted on BBC Radio 4.
On this day in 1946 at the 18th Academy Awards, Joan Crawford was named “Best Actress” for her performance in Mildred Pierce.
Born on this day in 1619 Cyrano de Bergerac, French author and playwright.
On this day in 1954 the musical The Girl in Pink Tights opened at the Mark Hellinger Theater.
On this day in 1913 Gabriel Fauré‘s opera Pénélope premiered in Monte Carlo.
On this day in 1869, the Booth Theater at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue in New York City opened with a gala performance of Romeo and Juliet.
On this day in 1965 The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, was released.
On this day in 86 B.C., Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, entered Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus.
On this day in 1925, “Tea for Two” recorded by Marion Harris reached #1 on the Billboard chart.
On this day in 1974 the first issue of People magazine went on sale.
Born on this day in 1920 actor Tony Randall.
On this day in 1607 L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi received its première performance.
This day in 1455 is the traditional anniversary date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type.
On this day in 1879 in Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opened the first of many “five and dime” stores.
On this day in 1972 President Nixon arrived in the People’s Republic of China.
On this day in 1944 the “Batman and Robin” newspaper comic strip premiered.
On this day in 1930 Luigi Pirandello‘s Come Tu Mi Vuoi premiered in Milan.
On this day in 1598 Boris Godunov was chosen tsar of Russia.
On this day in 1950, the longest-running prime-time game show What’s My Line premiered on CBS.
On this day in 1686 Jean Baptiste Lully’s Armide premiered in Paris.
On this day in 1939 Victor Fleming replaced George Cukor as director of Gone With the Wind.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
