OCTOBER 21st

On this date in:
1797	The U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was launched in Boston Harbor.
1805	A British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French and Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson was killed in the battle.
1917	American soldiers first saw action in World War I on the front lines in France.
1967	Tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters marched in Washington, D.C.
1971	President Richard M. Nixon nominated Lewis F. Powell and William H. Rehnquist to the U.S. Supreme Court.
1975	Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk hit a ball that struck the left field foul pole in Boston's Fenway Park for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 7-6 victory in 12 innings over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 6 of the World Series.
1988	Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, were indicted in New York on charges of fraud and racketeering.
2001	Washington postal worker Thomas L. Morris Jr. died of inhaled anthrax.
2002	A car packed with explosives blew up next to a bus in northern Israel during rush hour; 14 people were killed in addition to two suicide attackers.
2003	Invoking a hastily-passed law, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ordered a feeding tube reinserted into Terry Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman at the center of a bitter right-to-die battle.
2003	The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding that Israel tear down a barrier jutting into the West Bank.

Article of the day

Guggenheim Museum opens in New York City

On this day in 1959, on New York City's Fifth Avenue, thousands of people line up outside a bizarrely shaped white concrete building that resembled a giant upside-down cupcake. It was opening day at the new Guggenheim Museum, home to one of the world's top collections of contemporary art.

Mining tycoon Solomon R. Guggenheim began collecting art seriously when he retired in the 1930s. With the help of Hilla Rebay, a German baroness and artist, Guggenheim displayed his purchases for the first time in 1939 in a former car showroom in New York. Within a few years, the collection--including works by Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Marc Chagall--had outgrown the small space. In 1943, Rebay contacted architect Frank Lloyd Wright and asked him to take on the work of designing not just a museum, but a "temple of spirit," where people would learn to see art in a new way.

Over the next 16 years, until his death six months before the museum opened, Wright worked to bring his unique vision to life. To Wright's fans, the museum that opened on October 21, 1959, was a work of art in itself. Inside, a long ramp spiraled upwards for a total of a quarter-mile around a large central rotunda, topped by a domed glass ceiling. Reflecting Wright's love of nature, the 50,000-meter space resembled a giant seashell, with each room opening fluidly into the next.

Wright's groundbreaking design drew criticism as well as admiration. Some felt the oddly-shaped building didn't complement the artwork. They complained the museum was less about art and more about Frank Lloyd Wright. On the flip side, many others thought the architect had achieved his goal: a museum where building and art work together to create "an uninterrupted, beautiful symphony."

Located on New York's impressive Museum Mile, at the edge of Central Park, the Guggenheim has become one of the city's most popular attractions. In 1993, the original building was renovated and expanded to create even more exhibition space. Today, Wright's creation continues to inspire awe, as well as odd comparisons--a Jello mold! a washing machine! a pile of twisted ribbon!--for many of the 900,000-plus visitors who visit the Guggenheim each year.

Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=VideoArticle&id=5458

Today Birthdays

83	Joyce Randolph Actress ("The Honeymooners")
80	Whitey Ford Baseball Hall of Famer
68	Manfred Mann Rock musician
67	Steve Cropper Rock musician (Booker T. & the MG's)
66	Elvin Bishop Singer
66	Judy Sheindlin TV personality ("Judge Judy")
63	Everett McGill Actor
62	Lee Loughnane Rock musician (Chicago)
59	Benjamin Netanyahu Former Israeli prime minister
55	Charlotte Caffey Rock musician (The Go Go's)
52	Carrie Fisher Actress, author
51	Julian Cope Rock singer
51	Steve Lukather Rock musician (Toto)
49	Ken Watanabe Actor ("Letters from Iwo Jima")
38	Che Colovita Lemon Rock musician
37	Nick Oliveri Rock musician
35	Charlie Lowell Rock musician (Jars of Clay)
32	Jeremy Miller Actor ("Growing Pains")
30	Will Estes Actor ("American Dreams")
28	Kim Kardashian TV personality
26	Matt Dallas Actor ("Kyle XY")