558 Constantinople, History: Justinian I ordered that the collapsed dome of the Hagia Sophia be rebuilt, and it was. Been there. Seen that.
1700 Philadelphia, Politics: William Penn began the first of a series of monthly meeting advocating black emancipation.
1815 Bathurst, History: The first road over the Blue Mountains was complete at a place that Governor Lachlan Macquarie called Bathurst in honour of the colonial secretary in London who had secured the funding for the project.
1824 Vienna, Music: Beethoven’s 9th, the Choral, symphony premiered. Some regard this as the greatest work of the greatest composer.
1994 Oslo, Art: Norwegian police recovered Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ (1893) three months after it was stolen. Munch painted the subject several times per the illustration below. After the theft many anonymous and contradictory demands were received. The police judged them to be opportunistic as none offered any proof of possession. By forensic means the police tracked down the villains, a task made simpler because the leader of the foursome had been convicted in 1988 of stealing another Munch painting and his finger prints, DNA, and address were on file.
Skip to content