Historical Moments

Painting by Joseph Karl Stieler On this day in 1808 Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his most well-known composition. The first 8 notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony are immediately recognizable. Not only did he premiere– and conduct — the Fifth, but this concert at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna goes down in history as one of his most famous. It also saw the world premier of his Sixth Symphony. Other compositions on the bill that night were Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto, ...

When Whites Went Crazy In Tulsa ► May 31, 1921 ► A Day In History

Otis G. Clark died last week at the ripe old age of 109. Mr. Clark was the last survivor of the terrible Tulsa Race Riot on May 31, 1921, ninety one ...

Day In History ► John and Yoko Bed-In in Montreal ► May 26

Dateline: 1969 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their second Bed-In, this time in Montreal, Quebec. They had wanted to do it in New York City, but Lennon was ...

Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used To Be ► Mr. Bojangles ► May 25

Dateline May 25, 1878 – Bill “Mr. Bojangles” Robinson was born. It hardly matters that the Jerry Jeff Walker song was written about a White guy in jail in New ...

Day In History ► May 2 ► Adolf Hitler Bans Trade Unions

DATELINE – 1933: One of the important events in Adolph Hitler’s inexorable march to dictatorship and WWII was the banning of trade unions. Wisconsin? Are you listening? ‘Merka? Are you ...

Day In History ► May 1 ► Citizen Kane Premiers

DATELINE 1941 – After a fight between William Randolph Hearst and RKO Radio Pictures, Citizen Kane is finally released to the public. This film both created and cemented the reputation ...

Today In History – April 29

There are two events of import on this day in history: President Richard Nixon released transcripts of the so-called Watergate Tapes; the Rodney King verdict was announced.and Los Angeles explodes ...

Today In History – April 28 – Muhammad Ali

DATELINE 1967 – Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the U.S. Army as a Conscientious Objector. The former-Cassius Clay, Ali converted to Islam in 1964. When Uncle Sam called him up ...