On This Day (April 18)

[MSFixR]

• 1506 – Construction of the current St. Peter's Basilica (interior pictured) in Vatican City, to replace the old St. Peter's Basilica built in the 4th century, began.
  
  
  Interior of St. Peter's Basilica
  
  
• 1819 - Franz von Suppé, Austrian composer born. (d. 1895) (Suppé was a composer and conductor of the Romantic period notable for his four dozen operettas.)
  
  
  Light Cavalry Overture
  
  
• 1906 - The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire destroys much of San Francisco, California.
• 1936 - Ottorino Respighi, Italian composer died. (b. 1879) (Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his Roman trilogy and the three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances.)
  
  
  The Pines of Rome, Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (Part 1)
  
  
  The Pines of Rome, Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (Part 2)
  
  
  The Pines of Rome, Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (Part 3)
  Hear the Roman legions march by in the latter half of this part.
  
  
• 1942 – World War II: Sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet carried out the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, the first Allied attack on the Japanese home islands.
• 1955 - Albert Einstein, Nobel laureate died. (b. 1879)
• 1983 – A suicide bomber destroyed the United States Embassy in Beirut with a car bomb, killing over 60 people.
• 1988 – Iran-Iraq War: U.S. naval forces launched Operation Praying Mantis in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf and the subsequent damage to the American frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts.
• 1996 – Israeli forces shelled Qana, Lebanon during Operation Grapes of Wrath, killing over 100 civilians and injuring over 110 others at a UN compound.

Picture of the Day



The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a venomous coral reef fish from the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It was also introduced to the east coast of the United States, and can be found from Florida to Long Island, New York. This specimen was found at Tasik Ria, Manado, Indonesia.

[angelbunny225]

FISHY