One more curtain call … the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto opened on this day in 1907, making it the longest continually operating theatre in North America. Even with a budget to build 'the finest theatre on the continent', the…

On August 25, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, from Dover to Calais. His second attempt at the feat took him close to 22 hours, and while a straight-line swim would have…

The legend of the Loch Ness Monster began on this day 1450 years ago, when Irish monk Columba banished a 'water beast' to the depths after it killed a man who had been swimming in the River Ness. (Although the…

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…