The Abbey Theatre, also known as the National Theatre of Ireland, is located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on December 27, 1904 and, despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has continued to stage performances more or less continuously to the present day. The Abbey was the first state-subsidised theatre in the English-speaking world; from 1925 onwards it has received an annual subsidy from the Irish Free State. In its early years, the theatre was closely associated with the writers of the Celtic revival, many of whom were involved in its foundation and most of whom had plays staged there. The Abbey served as a nursery for many of the leading Irish playwrights and actors of the 20th century. In addition, through its extensive programme of touring abroad and its high visibility to foreign, particularly North American, audiences, it has become an important part of the Irish tourist industry.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1896 Glasgow Subway, the third oldest metro system in the world, began operations in Glasgow, Scotland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Subway 1911 Roald Amundsen and his team became the first people to reach the South Pole. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Amundsen 1918 King Väinö I of Finland renounced the throne after the defeat of Imperial Germany in World War I. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%E4in%F6_I_of_Finland 1989 Chile held its first free election in 16 years, and elected Patricio Aylwin as the new President of the Republic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricio_Aylwin 1995 The Dayton Agreement was signed in Paris, France to end the Yugoslav wars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_wars

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straightaway... And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!" --Anne Frank (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anne_Frank)