“Happy birthday to you” copyright registered

October 13, 1893

ON this day, “Happy Birthday to you” was copyright registered . The melody “Happy Birthday” was originally published as “Good Morning to All” in a book called Song Stories for the Kindergarten written by American siblings Mildred J. Hill and Patty Hill in 1893, although the claim that the sisters composed the tune is disputed.

Patty was a kindergarten principal in Louisville, Kentucky, developing various teaching methods at what is now the Little Loomhouse; Mildred was a pianist and composer.

According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, “Happy Birthday to you” is the most recognised song in the English language. The song’s base lyrics have been translated into at least 18 languages.

White House cornerstone laid

October 13, 1792

THIS day, the cornerstone is laid for a presidential residence in the newly designated capital city of Washington. In 1800, President John Adams became the first president to reside in the executive mansion, which soon became known as the ‘White House’ because of its white-gray Virginia freestone contrasted strikingly with the red brick of nearby buildings.

Today, more than a million tourists visit the White House annually. It is the oldest federal building in the nation’s capital.

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October 16, 1854

ON this day, Oscar Wilde is born in Dublin, Ireland. He grew up in Ireland and went to England to Oxford, where he graduated with honours in 1878. He was a popular society figure known for his wit and flamboyant style. He published his own book of poems in 1881. He spent a year lecturing on poetry in the United States, and remained an eminent writer and poet throughout his life. Wilde died of acute meningitis in 1900.