Lascaux Cave Paintings Discovered - HISTORY

First studied by the French archaeologist Henri-Édouard-Prosper Breuil, the Lascaux grotto consists of a main cavern 66 feet wide and 16 feet high. The walls of ... SkiptomaincontentLiveTVShowsThisDayInHistoryScheduleTopicsStoriesVideosHISTORYPodcastsHistoryVaultShopAdChoicesAdvertiseClosedCaptioningCopyrightPolicyCorporateInformationEmploymentOpportunitiesFAQ/ContactUsPrivacyNoticeTermsofUseTVParentalGuidelinesRSSFeedsAccessibilitySupportPrivacySettingsSeptember5,2022ShowsThisDayInHistoryScheduleTopicsStories THISDAYINHISTORYSeptember1212345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031NearMontignac,France,acollectionofprehistoriccavepaintingsarediscoveredbyfourteenagerswhostumbledupontheancientartworkafterfollowingtheirdogdownanarrowentranceintoacavern.The15,000-to17,000-year-oldpaintings,consistingmostlyofanimalrepresentations,areamongthefinestexamplesofartfromtheUpperPaleolithicperiod.FirststudiedbytheFrencharchaeologistHenri-Édouard-ProsperBreuil,theLascauxgrottoconsistsofamaincavern66feetwideand16feethigh.Thewallsofthecavernaredecoratedwithsome600paintedanddrawnanimalsandsymbolsandnearly1,500engravings.Thepicturesdepictinexcellentdetailnumeroustypesofanimals,includinghorses,reddeer,stags,bovines,felines,andwhatappeartobemythicalcreatures.Thereisonlyonehumanfiguredepictedinthecave:abird-headedmanwithanerectphallus.Archaeologistsbelievethatthecavewasusedoveralongperiodoftimeasacenterforhuntingandreligiousrites.TheLascauxgrottowasopenedtothepublicin1948butwasclosedin1963becauseartificiallightshadfadedthevividcolorsofthepaintingsandcausedalgaetogrowoversomeofthem.AreplicaoftheLascauxcavewasopenednearbyin1983andreceivestensofthousandsofvisitorsannually.READMORE:ThePrehistoricAges:HowHumansLivedBeforeWrittenRecordsFACTCHECK:Westriveforaccuracyandfairness.Butifyouseesomethingthatdoesn'tlookright,clickheretocontactus!HISTORYreviewsandupdatesitscontentregularlytoensureitiscompleteandaccurate.ALSOONTHISDAYUSPolitics2009TeaPartyprotestdrawsthousandstoWashington,D.C.OnSeptember12,2009,thousandsofprotestersparticipateinthe“TaxpayerMarchonWashington,”oneoftheearliestandbiggestTeaPartymovementevents.Marchersinthenation’scapitalcloggedstreetsneartheCapitol,railingagainstPresidentBarackObama’shealthcare...readmoreSports1995HarlemGlobetrotters’8,829-gamewinningstreaksnappedOnSeptember12,1995,inVienna,Austria,theHarlemGlobetrotterstipoffthethirdgameofan11-gameexhibitionseriesinEuropeagainstateamofretiredbasketballstarsledbyKareemAbdul-Jabbar,aptlynamed"Kareem'sAll-Stars."Unliketheprevious8,829games,the...readmoreInventions&Science1993NewfloatingbridgeopensinSeattle;I-90stretchesfromcoasttocoastOnSeptember12,1993,therebuiltLaceyV.MurrowBridgeoverLakeWashingtonopensinSeattle.Thenewbridge,whichwasactuallytheeastboundlanesofInterstate90(thewestboundlanescrossthelakeonaseparatebridge),connectsthecityanditseasternsuburbs.It...readmoreRussia1953NikitaKhrushchevelectedSovietleaderSixmonthsafterthedeathofSovietleaderJosephStalin,NikitaKhrushchevsucceedshimwithhiselectionasfirstsecretaryoftheCommunistPartyoftheSovietUnion.BornintoaUkrainianpeasantfamilyin1894,KhrushchevworkedasaminemechanicbeforejoiningtheSoviet...readmoreBlackHistory1974ViolenceeruptsinBostonoverdesegregationbusingInBoston,Massachusetts,oppositiontocourt-orderedschool“busing”turnsviolentontheopeningdayofclasses.SchoolbusescarryingAfricanAmericanchildrenwerepeltedwitheggs,bricks,andbottles,andpoliceincombatgearfoughttocontrolangrywhiteprotesters...readmoreWorldWarII1942TheLaconiaissunkAGermanU-boatsinksaBritishtroopship,theLaconia,killingmorethan1,400menonSeptember12,1942.ThecommanderoftheGermansub,Capt.WernerHartenstein,realizingthatItaliansPOWswereamongthepassengers,strovetoaidin...readmoreSignupnowtolearnaboutThisDayinHistorystraightfromyourinbox.SignUpSports1951SugarRayRobinsonwinsbackbeltOnSeptember12,1951,formermiddleweightchampionSugarRayRobinsondefeatsRandyTurpintowinbackthebeltinfrontof61,370spectatorsatthePoloGroundsinNewYorkCity.Robinson,aNewYorkCitynative,hadlostthebelttoTurpintwomonthspriorinTurpin’snative...readmoreU.S.Presidents1953JohnF.KennedymarriesJacquelineBouvierinNewport,RhodeIslandMassachusettsSenatorJohnF.Kennedy,thefuture35thpresidentoftheUnitedStates,marriesJacquelineBouvierinNewport,RhodeIsland onSeptember12,1953.Sevenyearslater,thecouplewouldbecometheyoungestpresidentandfirstladyinAmericanhistory.Jacqueline...readmoreArt,Literature,andFilmHistory1972HopalongCassidyridesoffintohislastsunsetAfternearly40yearsofridingacrossmillionsofAmericanTVandmoviescreens,thecowboyactorWilliamBoyd,bestknownforhisroleasHopalongCassidy,diesonSeptember12,1972attheageof77.Boyd’sgreatestachievementwastobethefirstcowboyactortomakethe...readmoreArt,Literature,andFilmHistory1944Singer-songwriterBarryWhiteisbornBorninGalveston,Texas,onSeptember12,1944,BarryWhite—or“theMaestro”—wentontostunninglysuccessfulcareerasapopsingerthatspannedfivedecades,andmadehimastarofthediscoera.Havingwrittenseveralnewsongsandrecordedhisvocalsfordemopurposesonly,...readmoreArt,Literature,andFilmHistory1846PoetsElizabethBarrettandRobertBrowningelopeElizabethBarrettelopeswithRobertBrowingonSeptember12,1846.BarrettwasalreadyarespectedpoetwhohadpublishedliterarycriticismandGreektranslationsinadditiontopoetry.Herfirstvolumeofpoetry,TheSeraphimandOtherPoems,appearedin1838,followedby...readmoreArt,Literature,andFilmHistory2004Firstseasonof“Entourage”—aTVshowaboutlifeinHollywood—comestoanendOnSeptember12,2004,thefirstseasonofthetelevisioncomedyseriesEntourage,aboutahotyoungactorinHollywoodandtheposseofpeoplesurroundinghim,comestoanendonHBO.Entourage,whichdebutedonJuly18,2004,starredAdrianGrenierastheup-and-comingmovie...readmoreNaturalDisasters&Environment1988HurricaneGilbertslamsJamaicaHurricaneGilbertslamsintoJamaica,killinghundredsofpeople,onSeptember12,1988.ThestormwentontocausedeathanddestructioninMexicoandspurabatchoftornadoesinTexas.OnSeptember10,GilbertattainedhurricanestatuswestoftheDominicanRepublic....readmoreCLOSECLOSECLOSECLOSE