After 15 years of construction, the Sydney Opera House is dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II. The $80 million structure, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and funded by the profits of the Opera House Lotteries, was built on Bennelong Point, in Sydney, Australia. Famous for its geometric roof shells, the structure contains several large auditoriums and presents an average of 3,000 events a year to an estimated two million people. The first performance in the complex was the Australian Opera's production of Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace, which was held in the 1,547-seat Opera Theatre. Today, the Opera House remains Sydney's best-known landmark.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Congress investigates Reds in Hollywood, 1947
- American Revolution
- Congress creates the Continental Association, 1774
- Automotive
- Last Volvo PV rolls off the assembly line, 1965
- Civil War
- Controversial Union General Daniel Sickles is born, 1819
- Cold War
- The Red Scare comes to Hollywood, 1947
- Crime
- 2 Live Crew members are acquitted of obscenity charges, 1990
- Disaster
- Natural gas explosions rock Cleveland, 1944
- General Interest
- Battle of Navarino, 1827
- Mao's Long March concludes, 1935
- MacArthur returns, 1944
- Sydney Opera House opens, 1973
- Libyan Dictator Moammar Gadhafi is Killed, 2011
- Hollywood
- Burt Lancaster dies, 1994
- Literary
- French poet Arthur Rimbaud is born, 1853
- Music
- Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash, 1977
- Old West
- U.S. Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase, 1803
- Presidential
- Kennedy press secretary misleads press, 1962
- Sports
- Fosbury flops to an Olympic record, 1968
- Vietnam War
- Relations between South Vietnam, the United States, and Cambodia deteriorate, 1964
- Watergate special prosecutor dismissed, 1973
- World War I
- Turks send British officer to negotiate armistice terms , 1918
- World War II
- U.S. forces land at Leyte Island in the Philippines, 1944
Oct 20, 1973:
Sydney Opera House opens
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Oct 20 - Oct 26
- Oct 20, 1827
- Battle of Navarino
- Oct 20, 1935
- Mao's Long March concludes
- Oct 20, 1944
- MacArthur returns
- Oct 20, 1973
- Sydney Opera House opens
- Oct 20, 2011
- Libyan Dictator Moammar Gadhafi is Killed
- Oct 21, 1797
- USS Constitution launched
- Oct 21, 1805
- Battle of Trafalgar
- Oct 21, 1959
- Von Braun moves to NASA
- Oct 22, 1797
- The first parachutist
- Oct 22, 1975
- Gay sergeant challenges the Air Force
- Oct 23, 42 B.C.
- Brutus commits suicide
- Oct 23, 1855
- Rival governments in bleeding Kansas
- Oct 23, 1983
- Beirut barracks blown up
- Oct 24, 1648
- Thirty Years War ends
- Oct 24, 1945
- U.N. formally established
- Oct 24, 1969
- Burton buys Liz a diamond
- Oct 24, 2003
- The Concorde makes its final flight
- Oct 25, 1415
- Battle of Agincourt
- Oct 25, 1854
- Charge of the Light Brigade
- Oct 25, 1929
- Cabinet member guilty in Teapot Dome scandal
- Oct 26, 1825
- Erie Canal opens
- Oct 26, 1944
- Battle of Leyte Gulf ends
- Oct 26, 1984
- Infant receives baboon heart
Advertisement
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Pick a DateEditor’s Picks
-
Ultimate History Quiz
Challenge yourself with thousands of questions about American and global history.
-
Bet You Didn't Know: London Landmarks
Get all the facts on London's most iconic buildings and places.
-
Ice Road Showdown
Could you make it as an ice road trucker? Show your driving skills in the new game.
-
Civil War 150
Explore the people, places, events and technology that defined the Civil War.
Shop HISTORY
-
-
Ancient Battles and Buildings Collection
See the engineering achievements that stand as the stepping stones for modern civilization.
$71.99
Buy Now
