It was on this date in 1904 that Giacomo Puccini's Madame Butterfly premiered in Milan. It was originally a flop. And it was on this date in 1913 that a huge exhibition premiered in New York that first featured cubism, futurism, and other "isms". It showed Americans something outside realistic art.

It was on this date in 600 that Pope Gregory the Great put out an edict saying that all people should say "God bless you" whenever anyone sneezes. And it was on this date in 1943 that Winston Churchill became very ill and nearly passed away.

It was on this date in 1867 when Austrian composer Johann Strauss II's "The Blue Danube" waltz premiered. And it was on this date in 1936 that Adolf Hitler announced the creation of the VW Beetle automobile.

It was on this date in 270 A.D. that the origins of Valentine's Day began. And it was on this date in 1899 that the first trainload of fruit was transported across the country.

It was on this date in 1960 that Jack Paar left the Tonight Show as host live on-air. And it was on this date in 1963 that Julia Child started the tv show, The French Chef.

It was on this date in 1971 that Carole King's album, Tapestry debuted. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide.

It was on this date in 1895 that William Morgan showed off the game he invented - volleyball. And it was on this date in 1964 that Hasbro released the first G.I. Joe action figure.

It was on this date in 1861 that the Confederate States of America was formed. This was also the date in 1945 that Coach Paul Brown was offered a job with the All-American Football Conference. The team he coached would become the Cleveland Browns.

It was on this date in 1943 that shoes became rationed for the war effort of the Second World War.

It was on this date in 1854 that a name was suggested for a new political party based on abolishing slavery in the western territories - the Republican Party. And it was on this date in 1859 that one of the oldest bibles was unearthed. The Codex Sinaiticus was discovered in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

It was on this date in 1876 that Albert G. Spaulding invested $800 in a sporting company that eventually manufactured the first official baseball. And it was on this date in 1930 that former President William Howard Taft resigned from the U.S. Supreme Court and passed away a little over a month later.

It was on this date in 1349 that it is said that the Black Death was at its peak in London. Plague deaths averaged about 200 deaths a day in the city.