Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. Beginning as a cellist and conductor, Offenbach first wrote small-scale one-act pieces, limited by theatrical licensing laws. These eased by 1858 when he premiered his first full-length operetta, Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld). La belle Hélène (1864) and other successes followed. The risqué humour (often about sexual intrigue) and gentle satire in these pieces, together with Offenbach's facility for melody, made them internationally known, and he was a powerful influence on later operetta and musical theatre composers. His best-known works were continually revived during the 20th century, and many of his operettas continue to be staged in the 21st century. The Tales of Hoffmann remains part of the standard opera repertory.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Offenbach

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1870:

Following the transfer of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company, Manitoba was established as a province of Canada. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba

1943:

The all-female Emilia Plater Independent Women's Battalion was formed in the Soviet Union's First Polish Army. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilia_Plater_Independent_Women%27s_Battalion

2009:

Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed in northwestern Iran, killing all 168 people aboard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Airlines_Flight_7908

2012:

South Korean rapper Psy released his hit single "Gangnam Style". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam_Style

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

cisalpine: 1. On this side of the Alps (chiefly the south side where Rome is located). 2. Alternative letter-case form of Cisalpine (“of or pertaining to Gallicanism (“the doctrine that the church of France is autonomous, especially in relation to the pope”); of or pertaining to cisalpinism (“a movement in 18th–19th century Britain among Roman Catholics which took the view that allegiance to the Crown was compatible with allegiance to the pope, and that Roman Catholics should be emancipated from various legal restrictions”)”) https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cisalpine

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The choice we make in this election will shape the future of America and the world for decades to come. I believe that with all my soul. I know that millions of my fellow Americans believe it as well. And some have a different view as to the direction our country should take. Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy. It is part of human nature. Politics must never be a killing field. I believe politics ought to be an arena for peaceful debate, to pursue justice, to make decisions guided by the Declaration of Independence and our constitution. We stand for an America not of extremism and fury, but of decency and grace. All of us now face a time of testing as the election approaches. The higher the stakes, the more fervent the passion becomes. This places an added burden on each of us to ensure no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence.   --Joe Biden https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden