2015 Event The smaller of twin cubs born to giant panda Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has died; though both cubs appeared to be healthy at birth, the smaller cub failed to gain weight and may have caught a respiratory infection 2015 Event Giant panda Mei Xiang gives birth to twin cubs at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.; the cubs appear healthy but will alternate between an incubator and nursing time with their mother 2014 Event The Washington, D.C. zoo is holding a Chinese first-birthday ceremony for celebrity giant panda baby Bao Bao; the cub will be sent to China when she turns 4 2012 Event The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., announces a successful artificial insemination as Mei Xiang gives birth to her second giant panda cub 2012 Event Japan mourns the loss of a 6-day old rare giant panda, born naturally in captivity at a Tokyo zoo 1995 Death Robert Gibb, zoo/theme park creator, dies at 57 1994 Event Tropical Butterfly Garden at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens 1993 Birthday Primera, an Andean condor, hatched at Cleveland Zoo, 5th born in captivity 1989 Birthday Baby lion-tailed macaques, at Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle 1988 Event Renovated Central Park Zoo reopens after 4 years 1981 Event Cleveland Metroparks Administrative offices move from downtown to Zoo 1981 Event Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Amphitheater is dedicated 1979 Event Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Primate and Cat Building is dedicated 1975 Event Cleveland Metroparks assume operating responsibilities for Zoo 1974 Event Wings release "Band on the Run" and "Zoo Gang" in UK 1972 Birthday Michael Bays, born in Enrico, California, actor, Bronx Zoo, Days of Our Live 1968 Event Cleveland Metroparks begins operating Zoo 1965 Death Porcupine, in Washington D.C. zoo, dies at 27; oldest known rodent 1962 Event Lion and Tiger Veldt at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is dedicated 1962 Birthday Steve Irwin, born in Essedon, Australia, wildlife expert, television personality, 'The Crocodile Hunter', wildlife documentary series, owned and operated Australia Zoo 1959 Event Edward Franklin Albee's "zoo story," premieres in Berlin 1959 Event 1st exhibit of bongos at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens 1959 Event Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Children's Petting Farm opens 1956 Event Pachyderm Building at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens 1954 Death Red deer, in Milwaukee Zoo, oldest known deer, dies at 26 1953 Birthday Jean-Claude Lauzon, Montreal, director and writer, Leola, Night Zoo 1950 Event Bird Building at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is dedicated 1937 Event WPA extends L-Taraval streetcar to San Francisco Zoo (at Sloat Blvd) 1937 Birthday Robert Gibb, zoo/theme park creator 1931 Event Whipsnade Zoo opens in Whipsnade Beds England 1928 Birthday Edward Albee, born in Washington, D.C., playwright, Virgina Woolfe, Zoo Story 1922 Event 1st duck-billed platypus publicly exhibited in U.S., at New York zoo 1916 Event San Diego Zoo founded 1914 Death Martha, last known passenger pigeon, dies at Cincinnati Zoo 1906 Death Australian wombat; oldest known marsupial, dies in London Zoo at 26 1886 Birthday Anton Portielje, Dutch radio host/zoo director, Artis 1882 Event Amsterdam Artis Zoo opens aquarium 1881 Death Japanese giant salamander, dies in Dutch zoo at 55; oldest amphibian 1879 Birthday Leendert Round, Dutch sculptor, entrance Rotterdam Zoo 1874 Event 1st U.S. zoo opens in Philadelphia 1793 Event 1st public zoo opens in Paris
