June 17

1119 – Charles the Good becomes earl of Flanders 1462 – Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreatfrom Wallachia. 1579 – Sir Francis Drake lands on coast of California at Drakes Bay, names it “New Albion” 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal...
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

River To River Festival Offers Free Dance, Music, Theater, and Open-Door Museums

The 15th annual River to River Festival, Lower Manhattan’s annual, free summer arts celebration, began yesterday and will continue through Sunday, June 26. The 11 days of live dance, music, theater and visual arts will present more than 80 separate performances and events, spread across dozens of Lower Manhattan venues, to a total audience of...
Dancers Wally Cardona and Jennifer Lacey perform "The Set Up" at Cannon's Walk in the South Street Seaport, as part of the 2015 River To River Festival Photo: Darial Sneed

Rowing The Atlantic

Dr. Stein Hoff began his row across the Atlantic on Sunday morning May 15th, 120 years after George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen. Here’s his facebook link to track his voyage. Ordeal over – for this time. Day 33, Thursday 16th June. Still here! And optimistic again. Reasonable night, no big splashes. Bar 1010, rising, coolish...
Dr. Stein Hoff photo by Stanley Fine

June 16

1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots, imprisoned in Lochleven Castle prison Scotland 1779 – Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of the US, and the siege of Gibraltar begins. 1784 – Holland forbids orange clothes 1823 – King Willem I opens shipyard at Rotterdam-Antwerp 1879 – Gilbert & Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore” debuts at...
Mary, Queen of Scots