Welcome to ON THIS DAY! Each day, we'll look at a few moments from history and popular culture. We'll show you where you can rediscover classic movies and music, or read more about great moments in history. We'll point you to e-books, downloadable and streamable music and film, and e-audio; and of course, we haven't forgotten about physical books or DVDs.

	On this day in 1863, Pietro Mascagni was born. Mascagni's masterpiece, the one-act opera Cavalleria Rusticana, was written as an entry in a music publisher's competition. He had written some choral and orchestral music, with minor success, but Cavalleria Rusticana was his first opera, and it was a massive success that he was never able to match. It remains by far Mascagni's most frequently performed work. Cavalleria Rusticana is available for streaming or download at Freegal.
	On this day in 1910, Louis Prima was born. Prima was a bandleader and gravel-voiced singer with a knack for adapting to the musical trends of the day. He had a successful big band in the 1940s. In the 1950s, he performed with his wife, Keely Smith, as a popular Las Vegas lounge act; her smooth elegance contrasted with his boisterous energy. Several of Prima's albums are available for streaming or download at Freegal.
	And on this day in 1941, the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. All eight battleships stationed at the base were damaged; four were sunk. The attack led the United States to declare war on Japan the following day. Because there had been no warning, and the attack came at a time when there had been no declaration of war between the two countries, the attack on Pearl Harbor was ultimately ruled to be a war crime. Steven M. Gillon's Pearl Harbor describes the attack and the days that followed; it's available as an e-audio from Hoopla, or in print.