Almost six years ago I wrote a brief article for Google Sightseeing. Today marks my 200th full-length1 post, so I'm indulging myself with a look back at a few of my personal favourites. My first post was about the National…

Call Inspector Clouseau! On August 21, 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The case was a mystery for two years until the thief (a museum employee who believed the painting belonged in Italy) was discovered when attempting…

Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen was born on this day in 1910. His most famous work is probably the Gateway Arch in St Louis, though he has worked on many significant buildings, and was a noted contemporary furniture designer in the…

On August 19, 1768, St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg was inaugurated. An estimated ten thousand tree trunks were embedded in the swampy ground to provide a stable base for the immense structure. Unfortunately the primitive spray-painting method used to…

On this day 45 years ago, the Woodstock festival wrapped up on Max Yasgur's farm, with bands playing through the night, including Crosby, Still, Nash and Young. Although the crowd had peaked at around 400,000 during the weekend, when Jimi…

At the turn of the millennium, an effort was launched by a Swiss foundation to identify the 'New 7 Wonders of the World', through a "decidedly unscientific" polling method allowing the public to vote - online or by phone -…