September 16

In September 1880, a group of Cornell University students launched The Cornell Daily Sun to provide an independent voice on campus. The inaugural issue featured local news, editorials, and updates on university life, reflecting the interests of the college community. Under the leadership of its founding editors, the paper quickly gained readership among students and faculty. Its establishment marked a significant moment in student journalism, empowering young writers to shape opinion. Over the decades, The Sun has chronicled campus events and national developments while serving as a training ground for future journalists. Today, it is recognized as one of the oldest continuously independent college newspapers in the United States.

On September 16, 1966, the Metropolitan Opera House officially opened its doors at New York City's Lincoln Center complex. The inaugural performance was the world premiere of Samuel Barber's grand opera Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Designed by architect Wallace K. Harrison, the new opera house featured state-of-the-art acoustics and a seating capacity for over 3,700 attendees. Its opening heralded a new cultural era for New York's performing arts scene and reaffirmed the city's status as a global arts capital. Over the decades, the house has hosted countless landmark productions and remains a centerpiece of American operatic life.