Is it just us, or are there a disproportionate number of birthdays
in 2006? Granted, we've never really counted them up before, but
this year we've noticed there are some seriously significant
milestones happening - and, lucky for you, there's some sort of
party to go along with each one. Since we don't think that
celebrating just one birthday per year is enough, raise your
glasses and wish a
bonne anniversaire to the following
pieces of history. - Kevin Raub
-Twister, (40)
Milton Bradley's Twister turns 40 in 2006 - the same number of
years since
Johnny Carson championed the ultimate party game on
The Tonight Show (he played with Eva Gabor), giving it the
sort of endorsement that separates here-today-gone-tomorrow games
with those that … well … have been around for 40 years. Milton
Bradley is commemorating the occasion with the
Twister Dance
DVD ($30).
-Eames Lounge and Ottoman (50)
An icon of mid-century modern design, the Eames Lounge and Ottoman
by Charles and
Ray Eames made its debut in 1956 and proved to be a
classic. In honor of its golden anniversary,
Herman Miller has put
together a traveling exhibition, The Eames Lounge Chair: An Icon of
Modern Design, as well as a limited-edition version of the set,
made with sustainably sourced tropical wood ($6,500).
-Play-Doh (50)
What's childhood without this American classic?
Hasbro is giving away $50,000 in a sweepstakes commemorating the
1956 invention of this modeling compound turned iconic toy. We were
hoping for a new color too. Oh well - money is almost as good.
-San Francisco Earthquake (100)
The tremor that ripped
San Francisco apart 100 years ago was one of
the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. The 8.25 quake (in
comparison, 1989's Loma Prieta quake measured a paltry 6.7)
displaced 250,000 people and caused a whopping $350 million in
damage. So what is the city doing this year? Hosting a conference,
of course.
-Pablo Picasso (125)
There is no way
Pablo Picasso would have ever lived to see his
125th birthday - what with all that absinthe he drank - but his
work lives on in museums around the globe. Throughout the year,
exhibitions in Málaga (his birthplace),
Madrid, and
Barcelona will
honor his legacy.
-Nikola Tesla (150)
No, he wasn't involved with the '80s rock band. Serbian-American
scientist
Nikola Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, the
basis for most alternating-current electrical power - as well as
lots of other stuff we don't understand. The Tesla Society is
swinging for the fences for the 150th anniversary of his birth,
even proposing that the International Belgrade Airport be renamed
in his honor.
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (250)
The most famous Austrian of all time was born 250 years ago in
Salzberg. His birth city and
Vienna have planned concerts,
exhibitions, tours, auctions, and plenty more. Simply put, you
won't be visiting
Austria this year without getting an earful of
Mozart. And that's a good thing.
-Benjamin Franklin (300)
Benjamin Franklin's tercentenary is being celebrated with a
traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better
World, which hits
Philadelphia, St. Louis,
Houston, Denver,
Atlanta, and
Paris throughout the year. The folks in Philly even
came up with the catchy little slogan, "Philly's Got Benergy,"
which sounds a bit like a Hollywood "It" couple to us.
-Australia (400)
Europeans first landed in
Australia in 1606, the beginning of the
continent's documented history. And though most of the celebratory
events are still in the planning stages, why not throw some shrimp
on the barbie, kick back with a Foster's oilcan, and sing "Happy
Birthday" in your best Aussie drawl? Or you could just rent
Crocodile Dundee and call it a night.
-Rembrandt van Rijn (400)
Dutch painter Rembrandt, one of the most important European artists in history, was born in 1606 (the same year Dutch sailors reached Australia, incidentally). The Dutch are pumping nearly $5 million into the celebrations, planning everything from Rembrandt-centric cycling and sailing packages to special exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum and Rembrandt House Museum. As if you needed an excuse to go to Amsterdam.