MetaFilter posts tagged with Anniversary

Frédéric Chopin's bicentennial

Joe Beese — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:48:40 -0800

2010 is the bicentennial of the birth of Frédéric François Chopin - a reluctant instrumental virtuoso, an immortal Romantic composer, and all-around bastard. If I wanted to introduce a kid to Chopin, I'd play him the attention-grabbing Etude op.10 no.1 in C major (266kb PDF) - here performed magnificently by Maurizio Pollini.

Long Long Ago, before Google AdWords...

Lutoslawski — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:48:52 -0800

Happy Birthday, Digital Advertising! 15 years ago today, the first banner ads appeared on HotWired.com - and had a 78% click-through rate.

"It was the worst day of my life."

Lutoslawski — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:15:43 -0800

25 years ago today, Vicki Dunbar Nelson and Jean Hepner played the longest tournament rally in tennis history, lasting 29 minutes and 642 shots (SLNYT). NPR interview with Ms. Nelson, 25 years later. The longest non-tournament rally was accomplished by the Rossetti Brothers in 2008, with 25,944 strokes over 14 hours and 31 minutes.

Knut Hamsun.

hydatius — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:29:42 -0800

Street Time for Hamsun. This month marks 150 years since the birth of the Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun, Nobel laureate in 1920. As well as the opening of a new centre dedicated to the man and his work, a whole range of events have been held in relation to this anniversary. It has also been the occasion for academic conferences, commemorative coins, tourism campaigns, and stamps. A writer of brilliance; a deeply problematic legacy. Previously on mefi.

D-don't you l-like my new look?

Askiba — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:01:54 -0800

"That was one of the most memorable scenes for me. Namely because his expression made it look like he wasn’t terrified of the fact he was hanging, but what was watching him hang." System Shock 2, the highly influential sci-fi horror game, was released 10 years ago today. It's been 10 years, and the game's effects can still be seen. System Shock 2 was one of the few games that created a (good) hybrid of both first person shooter and role playing game, with heavy emphasis on each. It is also one of the very few games to use audio logs. The effect of the logs is chilling. The biggest legacy of the game is largely in its story. A science fiction slash horror story, you awake onboard the Von Braun to find the space ship overtaken by a hideous infestation, and the memories start there. Most personal stories go to the effect of "scariest game ever"; even Penny Arcade had its own comments. Most credit the game's terrifying sound effects... but don't forget SHODAN! SHODAN came to be known as one of the most frightening robotic villains in games; her damaged, robotic voice recalls a very, very bitter GLADoS. She's probably one of the game's most recognizable icons, and a large part of the scares. The game also has another small legacy- the door code found in the beginning of the game, "45100", has shown up in later games involving System Shock 2 dev members, including Bioshock. Rock Paper Shotgun has an excellent article on the development of the game. One of the developers also did a three page write up on the successes and failures of the dev team back in December 1999. Bioshock is known as being a "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2. System Shock's rights eventually went over to EA, and rumors of a sequel quickly surfaced, but no news of any progress has appeared in recent months. A dedicated fan community quickly sprung up around the game. Due to a strange programming error, the graphics were low quality even for the time of release. Fan projects such as SHTUP and Rebirth improved the game's graphics, and a patch was created by Irrational Studios, the developer, to balance the game and add a multiplayer mode. A patch was also released to allow support for more modern operating systems. Of course, due to the game's age, the community is less active then in recent years, with a year between recent postings on one of the game's more active fan sites. Sadly, the game did poorly. While receiving critical acclaim from reviewers around the globe, it failed to sell well (in comparison to the recently released Half Life) Any interesting tales to share from the halls of the Von Braun, fellow Marines/Navy Cadets/OSA Recruits? Quick personal anecdote: the Sgt. Bronson death log probably freaked me out the most in the game, no question. Also, the Tommy Saurez and Siddons love plot was also really compelling, especially its overall large effect on the story. (Bonus: You can listen to all the audio logs (for all the nostalgia it will surely bring) on this webpage, but warning: SPOILERS, and music plays when you enter (can be turned off near the top))

Naked Lunch turns 50

Houyhnhnm — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:23:16 -0800

Naked Lunch, the infamous novel by American writer William S. Burroughs and the subject of the final literary obscenity trial in the United States, turns 50 this year. To celebrate the anniversary, the first collection of critical essays devoted to the novel will be published this month and a three-day "homage and symposium" will be held in July at the University of London Institute in Paris, with complementary celebrations taking place in New York and other cities throughout the rest of 2009.

Shakespeare's Sonnets Turn 400

Joe Beese — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:59:16 -0800

400 years ago today, Thomas Thorpe entered into the Stationers' Register a book titled "Shake-Speares Sonnets". However, Clinton Heylin argues that - like Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes - the Sonnets were never intended for a wide audience. "In both cases, they were killing time and at the same time dealing with huge personal issues in a private way, which they never conceived of coming out publicly."

An American band

Joe Beese — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:18:07 -0800

They sold out Shea Stadium faster than The Beatles. They played benefit concerts for Bosnia. And they're about to embark upon their 40th anniversary tour. To prepare, here's everything you always wanted to know about Grand Funk Railroad. Absent from the tour will be guitarist/singer Mark Farner - who found Christ and continues a solo career as the Rock Patriot - and manager/producer Terry Knight - who was stabbed to death by his daughter's boyfriend in 2004. (previously)

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

grapefruitmoon — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:37:13 -0800

Today marks the 200th Anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. Let's party like it's 1809! Remarks by current President Obama on Lincoln's bicentennial.

When I was seventeen, it was a very good year

Joe Beese — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:48:41 -0800

The 1984 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll Happy 25th anniversary. May your vinyl never scratch. 1. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. 2. Prince - Purple Rain 3. Los Lobos - How Will The Wolf Survive? 4. The Replacements - Let It Be 5. Tina Turner - Private Dancer 6. R.E.M. - Reckoning 7. The Pretenders - Learning To Crawl 8. Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade 9. Lou Reed - New Sensations 10. Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C. 11. Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual 12. The Bangles - All Over The Place 13. The Ramones - Too Tough To Die 14. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime 15. The dB's - Like This 16. Womack & Womack - Love Wars 17. Laurie Anderson - Mister Heartbreak (previously) 18. Rubén Blades y Seis del Solar - Buscando America 19. Laurie Anderson - United States Live 20. Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets II 21. Neville Brothers - Neville-ization 22. The Smiths - The Smiths 23. Let's Active - Cypress 24. Tom Verlaine - Cover 25. Van Halen - 1984 26. Del-Lords - Frontier Days 27. Linton Kwesi Johnson - Making History 28. George Clinton - You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish 29. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire 30. King Sunny Ade and His African Beats - Aura

But do you pronounce it "Tan Tan"?

Artw — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:41:03 -0800

Happy Birthday Tintin, whatever your sexuality! (maybe you're just confused)

April 14, 1912

Dave Faris — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:45:21 -0800

96 years ago today, the RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the northern Atlantic, taking 1,500 souls with her. Now, they're blaming the rivets.

The #1 Song On This Date in History

purephase — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:29:36 -0800

Ever wondered what the number one song was on your birthday? Anniversary? the day John Lennon was shot?, the attack on Pearl Harbor? (last two links can open iTunes directly).

Well, wonder no more. (via reddit)

Throwing bones in the air as 2001 turns 40

slimepuppy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:40:13 -0800

Throwing bones in the air as 2001 turns 40. Stanley Kubrick's film, 2001: A Space Odyssey turned 40 yesterday and Movie City Indie collated a good selection of links about the film and its maker to commemorate the occasion. Yeah, the links to moviewavs are annoying, but the rest of the content is ace.

Reuters: Bearing Witness

krautland — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:01:01 -0800

Through half a decade of war, a team of 100 Reuters correspondents, photographers, cameramen and support staff have strived to bring the world news from the most dangerous country for the press. This is their testimony - bearing witness to ensure the story of Iraq is not lost.

The Cowboy Junkies revist their most popular album

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:10:18 -0800

Back in 1987, the Canadian band Cowboy Junkies recorded The Trinity Session (which featured their one big hit, Sweet Jane), ). To celebrate the album's 20th anniversary they brought a few fellow musicians to the church where the album was originally recorded to see what 20 years experience would do to the same set of songs. Here's a video from the session, with Natalie Merchant on backing vocals. More Youtube links of the band: A Common Disaster (Music video) Angel Mine (Music Video) Misguided Angel (Live) Miles from home (Music Video) Sunday Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning (live) Open (Music Video) Townes Van Zandt cover, "To Live is to Fly" (live) U2 cover, "One" (live)

The Smurfs Kick Off Their 50th Smurfiversary!

amyms — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:17:09 -0800

Happy Smurfday! The Smurfs celebrated their 50th birthday today in Belgium, kicking off a tour in which they will team up with UNICEF to promote children's issues worldwide. Grab a piece of smurfberry cake and a glass of sarsaparilla juice and come inside for more Smurfiness. Watch The Smurfs: Smurf Cartoons on YouTube Smurf Cartoons on Google Video Smurf Cartoons on AOL Video Smurf Cartoon Episode Guide (a very comprehensive site) Biography of Smurf Creator "Peyo" (Pierre Culliford) International Smurf Translation Index A Straight Dope report from 2007: Are The Smurfs Anti-Semitic Communists? Smurf Collector's Sites: Blue Cavern Blue Imps And finally, The Official Smurf Site (not much there, unfortunately)

Happy birthday dear CD!

soundofsuburbia — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 03:16:28 -0800

Happy birthday dear CD! Today marks 25 years since the first CD rolled off the production line. Love it, lump it or just use this occasion as an excuse to eat cake.

10 years of "One Country, Two Systems"

trinarian — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:56:03 -0800

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland Chinese after 155 years of colonial British rule. Memories of the day are still online, showing the fear that the promised "One Country, Two Systems" policy was a trojan horse. Ten years later, the promise seems intact. Though universal suffrage seems a distant dream, religious and political freedoms are almost on par with Western standards and the economy has survived shipping its industry north. People are marking the day in different ways, while some just want to offer advice.

Frida Kahlo's 100th

lilywing13 — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:53:16 -0800

"I have had two accidents in my life - the streetcar crash and Diego Rivera." To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Frida Kahlo's birth, the largest ever exhibition of her work is taking place. Frida has been the subject of or inspiration for movies (most recently, this lovely one, although not without some controversy), books (this biography is quite good), a postage stamp, and a brand of tequila (more controversy). People have been interested in her socialist politics and possible victim status. There is an online fan club. She was also featured in Smithsonian Magazine. If anything, Frida was always outspoken.

His gift survived it all

Vidiot — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:57:03 -0800

Today is the centenary of W.H. Auden, one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. Why not commemorate it by attending one of the many events honoring the man and marking the day? Auden wrote about anything and everything; his poems addressed such topics as the advent of World War II ("September 1, 1939", which gained new resonance after 9/11), grief ("Funeral Blues", used to great effect in Four Weddings and a Funeral), physics ("After Reading a Child's Guide to Modern Physics"), commencement addresses ("Under Which Lyre: A Reactionary Tract for the Times") unrequited love ("The More Loving One"), and the way life goes on ("Musée des Beaux Arts"). [more inside]

Les Demoiselles turn 100

bru — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:12:32 -0800

Happy anniversary, modern art. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon are 100 years old and look as fresh and exciting as ever.

Billions and Billions... of Blog Posts

jscalzi — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:27:17 -0800

Carl Sagan has a posse. Today marks the ten year anniversary of the passing of Carl Sagan, scientist and popularizer of science, and bloggers are planning to mark the day with posts about the man and how he's affected their lives. The initiative has the blessing of at least one member of the Sagan clan, and has already spawned a site where those without blogs of their own can post their thoughts online. Yes, Sagan could be prickly at times, and there might have been things he could have been more open about in his lifetime. But few scientists have done more to bring science to the public. These days, we could use another of him. Maybe two.

30 years, where did they go...

Heywood Mogroot — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:45:51 -0800

On July 20, 1976 something really cool was accomplished.

MetaFilter is seven!

kyleg — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:42:16 -0800

Cat-Scan.com is one of the strangest sites I've seen in some time. I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their scanners, or why.