On this Day

ON THIS DAY: Apollo 8, first crewed mission to orbit the moon (1968)

On 21 December 1968, the space exploration milestone of Apollo 8 began as the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon was successfully launched...

ON THIS DAY: “It’s a wonderful life” premieres in New York (1946)

On 20 December 1946, the classic Christmas film "It's a Wonderful Life" premiered in New York City. Directed by the legendary Frank Capra and...

ON THIS DAY: Charles Dickens publishes “A Christmas carol” (1843)

On this day, 19 December 1843, the beloved British author Charles Dickens released A Christmas Carol, a novella that would become one of the...

ON THIS DAY: Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” premieres (1892)

On 18 December 1892, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet The Nutcracker premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. This enchanting performance, based...

ON THIS DAY: The Wright Brothers’ historic first flight (1903)

On December 17, 1903, in a remote fishing village in the United States, two bicycle makers flew the first aeroplane, changing the world forever....