The now legendary Apollo Theater first opened in 1914 as Hurtig & Seamon"s New Burlesque Theater. It became the Apollo in 1934, when it was opened to black patrons, who by then had transformed Harlem into a thriving center of African American culture. Amateur Night at the theater began the first year the Apollo opened, and it’s been a defining part of the Apollo experience ever since. Amateur Night has also been instrumental in launching the show business careers of numerous stars, including Jimi Hendrix, and on this day in 1934, a teenage Ella Fitzgerald, who won the amateur contest, starting her down a path toward becoming one of the most iconic singing voices of the 20th century. Tonight, the Apollo is hosting its Grand Finale for the 2018 Amateur Night season. Perhaps somebody taking the stage tonight will go on to greater fame?
A showcase for future fame
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Mapping courage in the Seventh Ward
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Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece
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Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park shines
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World Environment Day
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A legend and a legendary home
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Mack Arch Rock
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National Park Week begins
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Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
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Travel Sunday: Sintra, Portugal
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Killer whales in Spildra, Norway
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Darwin Day
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International Day of Mangrove Conservation
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Stepping stones in Tollymore Forest Park, Northern Ireland
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Cross this bridge if you dare
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A day of death and rebirth
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Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
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Antarctica Day
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When science looks like magic
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A big birthday for Big Bend
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Saffron in bloom
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An opulent backdrop for a historic event
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A hint of spring
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The party’s just starting
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Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
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Is that a face in the sand?
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Art in the chapel
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Dancers perform ‘Revelations’
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The eloquence of elephants
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Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world
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World Oceans Day