One of the great landmarks of the World opens on this day at Bennelong Point, in Sydney, Australia. It is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Sydney Opera House took 15 years to construct and cost $80million (funded by a lottery).

It was designed by Danish Architect Jørn Utzon.

Today it is estimated that 2 million people visit the venue every year. 3,000 events are hosted there annually.

The first ever performance, in the 1,547 seater Opera Theatre, was of Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace by the Australian Opera Company.