95 Years Ago

[history, Writer's Almanac]

Thanks to the podcast of The Writer's Almanac, I learned that "On this day in 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in Paris. It was one of the most audacious art thefts of all time. Vincenzo Peruggia walked into the museum, headed straight for the world's most famous painting, took it off the wall, hid it beneath his clothes, and walked out. The whole nation of France was stunned. There was a popular rumor in Paris that the Germans had stolen da Vinci's masterpiece to humiliate the French. Police had no leads until two years later, when Peruggia tried to ransom the painting. He was caught, the painting was unharmed, and the Mona Lisa was returned to the Louvre, where it still is today, with much better security."

I wish this map was bigger but if it was I am sure it would just end up on eBay. ;)