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Chicago Tribune
17-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Disneyland opens
Today is Thursday, July 17, the 198th day of 2025. There are 167 days left in the year. Today in History: On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, after its $17 million, yearlong construction; the park drew a million visitors in its first 10 weeks. Also on this date: In 1862, during the Civil War, Congress approved the Second Confiscation Act, which declared that all slaves taking refuge behind Union lines were to be set free. In 1902, Willis Carrier produced a set of designs for what would become the world's first modern air-conditioning system. In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks. In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began as right-wing army generals launched a coup attempt against the Second Spanish Republic. In 1944, during World War II, 320 men, two-thirds of them African-Americans, were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California. In 1945, following Nazi Germany's surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower link-up of its kind. In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of suspended walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a tea dance. In 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Europe-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, New York, shortly after departing John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people on board. In 2014, all 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were killed when the Boeing 777 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine; both Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists denied responsibility. In 2020, civil rights icon John Lewis, whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died at age 80. In 2022, a report said nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to a mass shooting that left 21 people dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, but 'egregiously poor decision-making' resulted in a chaotic scene that lasted more than an hour before the gunman was finally confronted and killed. Today's Birthdays: Former sportscaster Verne Lundquist is 85. Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom is 78. Rock musician Terry 'Geezer' Butler is 76. Actor Lucie Arnaz is 74. Actor David Hasselhoff is 73. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is 71. Film director Wong Kar-wai is 67. Television producer Mark Burnett is 65. Singer Regina Belle is 62. Country music artist Craig Morgan is 61. Rock musician Lou Barlow is 59. Actor Bitty Schram (TV: 'Monk') is 57. Actor Jason Clarke is 56. Movie director F. Gary Gray is 56. Country singer Luke Bryan is 49. Film director/screenwriter Justine Triet is 47. R&B singer Jeremih is 38. Actor Billie Lourd is 33. NHL center Connor Bedard is 20.
Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Today in History: Disneyland's opening day
In 1902, Willis Carrier produced a set of designs for what would become the world's first modern air-conditioning system. Advertisement In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks. In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began as right-wing army generals launched a coup attempt against the Second Spanish Republic. In 1944, during World War II, 320 men, two-thirds of them African-Americans, were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California. In 1945, following Nazi Germany's surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. Advertisement In 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, after its $17 million, yearlong construction; the park drew a million visitors in its first 10 weeks. In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower link-up of its kind. In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of suspended walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a tea dance. In 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Europe-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, New York, shortly after departing John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people on board. In 2014, all 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were killed when the Boeing 777 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine; both Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists denied responsibility. In 2020, civil rights icon John Lewis, whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, In 2022, a report said nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to a mass shooting that left 21 people dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, but 'egregiously poor decision-making' resulted in a chaotic scene that lasted more than an hour before the gunman was finally confronted and killed.
Muscat Daily
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Neo-Russian art exhibition opens at National Museum
Muscat – The National Museum on Saturday inaugurated the Neo-Russian Style exhibition, presented in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, under the patronage of H E Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. The exhibition is part of the wider cultural initiative 'The Russian Seasons' and will run until November 2, 2025. Showcasing a collection of artworks and historical pieces, the exhibition highlights the Neo-Russian style that developed during the reigns of Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Visitors can explore applied arts, portraits, court costumes and imperial gifts that reflect the grandeur of Imperial Russia. Among the highlights are a silver presentation dish given to Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna by oilmen of the Absheron Peninsula in 1888, and a silver saltcellar presented to Emperor Nicholas II after his Eastern journey in 1890–1891. Also on display are a lace fan once owned by Empress Maria Feodorovna, a portrait by Sofya Yunker-Kramskaya, and elaborate masquerade costumes worn by members of the Russian aristocracy, including a grand costume worn by Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna at the 1903 Winter Palace masquerade. Jamal Hassan al Moosawi, Secretary-General of the National Museum, described the exhibition as a cornerstone of Oman-Russia cultural cooperation and part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with Russian institutions. He said the museum plans further collaborations, including musical seasons at Bayt Al Greiza, an exhibition on Omani fine art with the State Tretyakov Gallery, and Imperial Russia and the East in partnership with the Moscow Kremlin Museums. H E Oleg Vladimirovich Levin, Ambassador of Russia to Oman, called the exhibition a strong example of cultural diplomacy and a bridge between two nations that share an appreciation for heritage. Professor Dr Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum and member of the National Museum's Board of Trustees, noted the historical importance of the pieces on display in a video address, adding that future joint initiatives include a new exhibition at the Oman Hall in St Petersburg. The Neo-Russian Style exhibition follows other successful joint projects under the Russian Seasons banner. Earlier this year, the National Museum hosted Gifts of the Emirs of Bukhara and Central Asia to the Russian Imperial Court. Meanwhile, the Oman Hall at the Hermitage has attracted strong interest, with its second major exhibition, 'The Omani Empire Between Asia and Africa', drawing more than 414,000 visitors between December 2023 and January 2025.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
A sky train, a death rail, a station with no staff: 200 years on, trains have come a long way
The fastest commuter train in the world, in Shanghai, China, has no wheels; it uses magnetic levitation for a smoother, faster ride. The longest route in the world sits within just one country: Russia. It spans nearly 9,300 km. The world's highest railway station, part of the Qinghai-Tibet railway line built by China, sits more than 4,000 metres above sea level. Tucked amid the Himalayas, one of its stations is so remote, it has no staff at all. The air is so thin, passengers cannot alight. (Read on for more on this). Where else do the railways create a little bit of history every day? Take a tour. Largest rail network: USA The railroad was so pivotal in the US that towns lived and died by its proximity (until the roads took over, hurling themselves across the vast expanses with greater ease, and taking over where the trains had once ruled). Between the 1830s and 1850s, the reach of these tracks expanded so rapidly, it birthed a generation of rail barons — people who had invested in these ventures, and were now raking it in. It also birthed the Panic of 1873, as overextended banks and companies now facing a dip, took a tumble together. The tracks laid down still serve the country, though. The US has the largest rail network in the world: over 250,000 km of track. Today, this vast network is used overwhelmingly for freight, in a country where cars, private transportation and cheap oil take precedence. The longest line: The Trans-Siberian link, Russia This is a single line that essentially spans a continent. It reaches from Moscow in western Russia all the way to Vladivostok in the far east. It was built as a power move, by the Russian tsar Alexander III and his son and successor Nicholas II. But really, it was built, between 1891 and 1916, by generations of prisoners. To keep costs down, convicts were put to work on the project. Parts of it came to be nicknamed the Death Road because of its high toll. The model would be so successful that it would live on as Russia turned communist and Joseph Stalin took over. Dissenters, resistant landowners and political prisoners were sent to camps scattered across this vast land, to work on roads, canals, railroads and in mines. The horrors of this punishment, with many labourers never heard from again, inspired Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's remarkable non-fiction work, The Gulag Archipelago, released in 1973, two decades after Stalin's death. The Trans-Siberian Railway remains the longest single rail link in the world, spanning nearly 9,300 km. The journey from Moscow to Vladivostok takes up to eight days (depending on the route and rake), and passes through eight time zones. The world's busiest station: Shinjuku, Japan Serving over 3.5 million passengers a day, the Shinjuku station sits in Tokyo's busy business and entertainment district, linking the densely populated city and its suburbs, and connecting commuters with major hubs of bus transit and the airport. In an indication of its scale, the station has more than 200 exits. World's highest railway station: Tanggula, Tibet This unstaffed station is also the highest in the world, sitting 5,068 metres above sea level. Built by China as part of the Qinghai-Tibet line, the 'sky train', as it has been nicknamed, halts here for a few minutes, so that passengers can take in the breathtaking views. They cannot alight; the air is too thin. The train itself has an internal air-pressure system, and supplemental oxygen piped through it. Busiest railway system: India (With input from Vandana Dubey)
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Louvre Acquires Rare Fabergé Triptych From Imperial Russia
The Louvre Museum recently acquired a 19th triptych created by the House of Fabergé and presented as a gift to Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra for the birth of their first child. The Russian artwork will be one of the centerpieces of a new wing in the Louve dedicated to Byzantine Art and Eastern Christianity that will open in 2027. The triptych depicts layers of Russian Christian Orthodox symbolism in a creation made with paint, gems, pearls and organic material from Russia. The historic artwork was acquired by the Société des Amis du Louvre (Society of Friends of the Louvre), for €2.2 million ($2.5 million) and donated to the Louvre. The French organization exists to 'enrich' the collections of the Louvre and to acquire, for donation, objects of artistic, archaeological or historical value. The acquisition was announced publicly in April. The seller was A La Vieille Russie, a well-known New York-based art and antiques dealer. The multi-generational family-owned firm was founded in 1851 in Kyiv then moved to Paris before ending up in its current home in New York in the 1930s. It is a leading dealer and international expert in the works of Carl Fabergé (1846 – 1920), who was also a client. Sébastien Fumaroli, deputy director of the Friends of the Louvre, said the acquisition took about two years to complete. 'This acquisition is the story of a friendship,' Fumaroli said by email. 'The Louvre bought its first Russian icons in the 1950s from the New York gallery A La Vieille Russie. In memory of this legacy, the director of the Byzantium Arts Department, Maximilien Durand, visited Mark Schaffer, the (New York) gallery founder's grandson, at the (TEFAF) Maastricht fair two years ago. I met him again in New York where the triptych was kept in the private collection of the gallery and was not for sale. Both Schaffer and Durand quickly understood that the triptych could become an iconic work of the new department…. By offering the triptych to the museum's new department, The Friends of the Louvre have allowed the history of the collection of Russian icons in the Louvre to continue.' He added, 'What marks the exceptional value of this work is its prestigious provenance perfectly identified. We can follow the history of this work day-by-day through archival documents….What is moving in this work is its original brilliance perfectly preserved beyond the torments of 20th century history, as if we were coming into contact with a world that has disappeared.' Mark Schaffer explained that his grandfather, Alexandre Schaffer, acquired the triptych in 1930-1931 at a time when the Soviet government was selling off its imperial collections to raise funds for its young government, to rid itself of its Imperial past and to suppress religion. Alexander Schaffer acquired the Imperial icon directly from the government-sanctioned office, known as Antiquariat, set up to sell art to the West. He was one of only a few persons who were allowed to purchase items from this dedicated office. 'It's been in our collection ever since,' Mark Schaffer said. 'My grandfather acquired it as part of the active efforts of the young Soviet Union to sell off imperial items.' When speaking about the triptych's current home at the Louve, he said, 'I can't think of a better home for this piece.' The triptych appeared in public in New York once, as part an exhibition by Alexander Schaffer of the Imperial Russian Treasures at the Rockefeller Center in 1934. It was titled, 'Collection of Authentic Art Treasures,' which presented more than 250 works by Carl Fabergé. Other than that, it has remained in the gallery's private collection. The triptych was created in 1895 by Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903), a craftsman of the House of Fabergé. He was responsible for the workmanship of the iconic imperial Easter eggs until his death in 1903. The triptych was presented as a gift in 1895 by the Saint Petersburg aristocracy to Nicholas II and Alexandra for the birth of their first child, Grand Duchess Olga. Both Mark Schaffer and Fumaroli said the triptych was typical of the kind of extravagant gift that a Russian Tsar would receive to mark an important occasion. But even by such a high standard this triptych is special as a work of art and a piece of history. The shape of the triptych evokes the silhouette of a Russian Orthodox church with an onion-shaped dome, as explained by a statement by the Department of Byzantine and Christian Arts in the Orient Louvre Museum. The body of the triptych is made of Karelian birch wood, a rare species native to a region in northwest Russia. 'Its fresh butter color, with pearly reflections, is particularly appreciated in the field of Russian decorative arts of the late 19th century,' the Louvre's Byzantine department said in its statement. 'It was often used in the production of triptychs for the imperial family in the Art Nouveau style by artists of the time.' The face of the triptych has an oil painting. On the central panel, the iconography is divided into two registers. In the lower part, the two 'chosen saints' of the imperial couple stand, Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (4th century), and Saint Alexandra, the legendary wife of the Emperor Diocletian. A bust is depicted Saint Olga. The paintings are executed on an ochre-brown background. The slender figures wear precious garments, enhanced with cabochons and pearls, and adorned with ornaments. Fumaroli said that the range of colors used and the miniature character of the ornamental details 'reflects the renewal of the art of the traditional icon by using 'Modern' forms, characteristic of the Modern Style under Nicholas II. The dark character of this painting contrasts with the brightness of the ornament. When unfolded, it takes the form of a traditional church. The painting of this triptych was made by an artist from the Mstera cooperative, a production center for folklore of ancient Russia.' The triptych is set in a silver and gilt mount, enhanced with colored enamel, precious stones, emeralds, rubies and sapphires and pearls, the Byzantium department said in its statement. A golden lattice on a light blue background forms the frame of the figures of the evangelists on the shutters, while arabesques in the Modern style (which is how Russians referred to Art Nouveau at the time). It emphasize the architectural structure of the object. Fumaroli said bringing this Russian Imperial triptych to the Louvre is in line with its overall mission of bringing important objects to the museum for the benefit of the public. 'The Fabergé Imperial Triptych is a jewel. It corresponds to a time when the icon, under the reign of Nicholas II, is no longer only an art of devotion but becomes an art of contemplation. It is an imperial treasure that belongs to the history of the European courts which is added to the many precious art objects offered by the Friends of the Louvre to the contemplation of the Louvre visitors.'
