Georges Bizet (1838–75) was a French composer, mainly of opera, whose final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed in the opera repertory. As a young composer during the 1860s he struggled for recognition; he began many theatrical projects, but found that the main Parisian opera theatres preferred the established classics to the works of newcomers. Two early operas—Les pêcheurs de perles and La jolie fille de Perth—failed to achieve initial success on the stage. The production of Carmen was delayed through fears that its themes of betrayal and murder would offend audiences; after its premiere in 1875, Bizet was convinced that the work was a failure. He died of a heart attack three months later, aged 36, unaware that Carmen would prove an enduring success. After his death Bizet's other work was largely forgotten. Manuscripts were given away or lost, and published versions were often the result of revision by other hands. As his operas began to be performed more frequently in the 20th century, commentators increasingly acclaimed Bizet as a brilliant and original composer, whose premature death was a significant loss to French musical theatre. Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Bizet> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1760: George III became King of Great Britain and Ireland. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom> 1875: The first performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, one of his most popular compositions, was given in Boston with Hans von Bülow as soloist. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Tchaikovsky)> 1920: Irish playwright and politician Terence MacSwiney died after 74 days on hunger strike in Brixton Prison, bringing the Irish struggle for independence to international attention. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_MacSwiney> 1944: USS Tang, the United States Navy submarine credited with sinking more ships than any other American submarine, sank when it was struck by its own torpedo. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tang_(SS-306)> 1971: The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, replacing the Republic of China with the People's Republic of China as China's representative at the United Nations. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_and_the_United_Nations> 1983: The United States and Caribbean allies invaded Grenada, six days after Bernard Coard seized power in a violent coup d'état. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: verily: 1. Truly, doubtlessly, in truth. 2. Confidently, certainly. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/verily> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:   Those who compare the age in which their lot has fallen with a golden age which exists only in imagination, may talk of degeneracy and decay; but no man who is correctly informed as to the past, will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present.   --Thomas Macaulay <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Macaulay>