Beethoven Dies: Music's Titan Falls Silent
Ludwig van Beethoven began losing his hearing in his late 20s. By his mid-30s he was contemplating suicide and wrote what's called the Heiligenstadt Testament — a letter to his brothers never sent, saying he'd considered ending his life but couldn't, because he hadn't yet produced what he felt capable of. He kept composing. By the time he wrote his Ninth Symphony he was completely deaf — he conducted the premiere in 1824, and when it ended he kept beating time, unaware the orchestra had stopped. A soloist had to turn him around to see the audience's standing ovation. He never heard the final chord. He died in 1827, and it's estimated 20,000 people attended his funeral procession through Vienna.
March 26, 1827
199 years ago
What Else Happened on March 26
Emperor Maurice elevated his son Theodosius to the rank of co-emperor, formally securing the Theodosian dynasty’s hold on the Byzantine throne. This calculated …
The first Eid al-Fitr wasn't planned—it emerged from exhaustion. After Muhammad and his followers completed the first mandatory Ramadan fast in 624 CE, they gat…
en la península ibérica, los nobles hispanos acaudillados por Sisenando y con la ayuda del rey franco Dagoberto, derrotan y deponen al rey visigodo Suintila.
en Asturias, 519 nobles proclaman a Don Pelayo primer rey.
élection et intronisation du pape Étienne II.
The body vanished during a donkey ride outside Cairo, but the Fatimid court pretended their caliph was still alive for six weeks. Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah had terr…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.