Spotlight on ..

NY World's Fair View Poster
The pencil sharpener, television, FM radio, fluorescent light and the typewriter were just a few of the new inventions introduced to the public at the NY World's Fair, which opened on this date in 1939. With the theme "World of Tomorrow," the fair attracted large crowds to the pavilions in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens. They were looking to science and technology to provide the new post-Depression prosperity everyone hoped for. One of the most popular pavilions housed the General Motors Futurama exhibit designed by Norman Bel Geddes. Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first US president to appear on TV when NBC began its regular broadcasting with live coverage of the Fair; the signal was transmitted from the Empire State Building. Later, Walt Disney based his vision of Disneyland on the 1939 NY World's Fair.

Turn Off the TV View Poster

William Shakespeare View Poster
Most literary critics agree that William Shakespeare was the greatest playwright in the English language. Playwright Ben Jonson said of him, "Shakespeare was not of an age, but for all time." And, indeed, his work — produced during the Elizabethan era — is as popular and vibrant 400 years later. The "Bard of Avon" was equally successful writing poetry and plays, comedy and tragedy. He published over 150 sonnets and dozens of plays, among them Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet and Macbeth. Shakespeare is believed to have been born on April 23, 1564, and died exactly 52 years later, on April 23, 1616.

Planet Earth View Poster
Today is Earth Day, a day when some 140 nations celebrate the environment. Activities include street fairs, television programs, lectures, and exhibits focusing on issues like global warming,deforestation, and pollution of our soil, water and air. Though the original Earth Day was proposed for March 21 — the date of the vernal equinox — on April 22, 1970, US SenatorGaylord Nelson sponsored a nationwide event that evolved into the current annual international celebration. This year's theme, The Green Generation, will mark the start of a two-year campaign to encourage people to use alternate energy sources, develop new technologies and teach effective ways of preserving the planet.

Rome's Forum and Colliseum View Poster
According to tradition, Rome, the Eternal City, was founded on this date in 753 BCE. Legend has it that twins Romulus and Remus were born to the mythical god Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia.Though abandoned by their parents as babies, the two were allegedly found and raised on Palatine Hill. They grew up strong and handsome, and decided to found a city; Romulus determined it should be located at the site where they were found, and the city was named for him. Remus became envious of Romulus, provoking Romulus to slay his twin brother.

Miro's 'The Singer' View Poster
Abstract painter and sculptor Joan Miró was born on this date in 1893. A practitioner of surrealist automatism, Miró did not call himself a surrealist; this allowed him to experiment freely with different media. Miró's use of vivid primary colors, delicate lines and abstract shapes make his pieces very easy to identify. He created collages and tapestries, painted murals for hotels in New York and Cincinnati, and created ceramic decorations for the UNESCO buildings in Paris. Many of Miró's pieces hang in the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Blarney Castle
in Ireland View Poster

Happy 62nd birthday to basketball giant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Famous for his skyhook and dunk shot, Abdul-Jabbar so dominated the center court when he played for UCLA that the NCAA finally outlawed dunking. Abdul-Jabbar still holds the NBA record for leading scorer with 38,387 points, and he is the only player to be named NCAA Basketball Tournament's Most Outstanding Player three times (1967-69). In 1994, President Bill Clinton named Abdul-Jabbar one of "The Great Ones" in the first National Sports Awards, along with Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Wilma Rudolph and Ted Williams.

Tax Day View Poster

'Titanic' Ad View Poster
It had taken three years to build the RMS Titanic, and at the time of her journey, she was the largest ship on the seas. The luxury liner was billed as being "unsinkable," so sinking was the last thing on the minds of the more than 2,200 passengers and crew members who set sail on her maiden journey, on April 10, 1912. Many were asleep when she hit an iceberg four days later, at 11:40 PM. A little more than two hours after that, the boat sank. More than 1,500 died in the disaster, most of them having frozen in the frigid waters. One of the survivors, crew member Violet Jessop, had been on board when the Titanic's sister ship, RMS Olympic, collided with the HMS Hawke in 1911, and she went on to survive the sinking of the third ship in the trio, the HMHS Britannic in 1916.

Bill Haley and His Comets

Fifty-five years ago today, Bill Haley and His Comets recorded "Rock Around the Clock." Though the group's "Shake, Rattle and Roll" was a bigger hit when it was first released, "Rock Around the Clock" was the song that went down in history as the one that ushered in the era of rock 'n' roll. The song didn't take off at first. Several months later, though, it was used in the film The Blackboard Jungle, playing over the credits, and it was rereleased as a single. This time it was a hit, holding the No. 1 spot in the American Billboard charts for eight weeks; it was also the first single to sell over a million copies in both Britain and Germany.

Billie Holiday View Poster

North Pole View Poster

Gazing at the Sky View Poster

It's been 400 years since Galileo Galilei began to stargaze with the high-powered astronomical telescope that he invented, thus opening the sky to greater research and scientific discovery. The UN has declared this year the International Year of Astronomy, to celebrate astronomy's impact on science and culture. One of the cornerstone projects of the year began on April 2 and will conclude tomorrow — 100 Hours of Astronomy, with one of the key goals of the four-day event being to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo first did in 1609. Today is also the opening day of Yuri's Night, a global celebration of all that has been achieved in space. Traditionally held on April 12th, the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned space launch, this year's expanded festivities are scheduled from today through April 12th.