May 25, 1878: "HMS Pinafore" Makes Gilbert & Sullivan Legends

William S. Gilbert (left) and Arthur Sullivan

May 25, 1878: H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor, premieres at the Opera Comique in London. It runs for 571 performances, and makes stars of its authors, Gilbert and Sullivan.

William Schwenck Gilbert was born on November 18, 1836 in Central London. As a young man, he illustrated the novels written by his father, a former naval surgeon. The father's Royal Navy background inspired much of the son's comedic writing, which began in magazines in the early 1860s.

Arthur Seymour Sullivan was born on May 13, 1842 in Lambeth, South London. He also drew on his father's military experience, as a military bandmaster. Thus, he became a Chapel Royal chorister, and even composed a work that was played at the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. In 1871, he wrote the music to the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers," whose lyrics were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865.

Sullivan was writing comic operas as early as 1863, but was not successful until meeting Gilbert in 1870. Together, they wrote minor hits. Pinafore was their 1st major hit, and included "He Is an Englishman," "I Am the Monarch of the Sea," "When I Was a Lad" and "A British Tar," which are still known today.

It launched them on a career that made them Britain's foremost musical composers of the 19th Century. Among their other successful works were The Pirates of Penzance in 1879, with its legendary "Major-General's Song"; The Mikado in 1885; The Yeomen of the Guard in 1888; and The Gondoliers in 1889.

In 1890, after this long and profitable creative partnership, Gilbert quarrelled with Sullivan and Carte concerning expenses at the Savoy Theatre; the dispute is referred to as the "carpet quarrel". Gilbert won the ensuing lawsuit, but the argument caused hurt feelings among the partnership. Although Gilbert and Sullivan were persuaded to collaborate on two last operas, they were not as successful as the previous ones. Their finale was The Grand Duke, in 1896.

Sullivan was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1883; Gilbert, by King Edward VII in 1907. Sullivan's health was never good, and died of heart failure in London on November 25, 1900, at 58. Gilbert lived on until May 29, 1911, dying from a heart attack at his country estate, Grim's Dyke, in Northwest London, at 74.

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May 25, 1878 was a Saturday. This was the birthdate of African-American actor and dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, in Richmond, Virginia.

The only major professional sports league in America at the time was baseball's National League. There were only 6 teams in the League that season, and all 6 were in action on this day:

* The Boston Red Stockings beat the Providence Grays, 17-10 at the original version of the South End Grounds in Boston. The Grays won the Pennant in 1879 and 1884, but went out of business after the 1885 season. The Red Stockings won the Pennant in 1877 and 1878; became the Boston Beaneaters, and won the Pennant in 1883, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897 and 1898; became the Braves, and won the Pennant in 1914 and 1948; then moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and Atlanta in 1966.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago White Stockings, 10-8 at Lakefront Park in Chicago. The Reds went out of business after the season, and the Reds team that exists today can only trace itself back to a team founded in 1882 in the American Association. The White Stockings went through some name changes, becoming the Cubs in 1903.

* And the Milwaukee Grays beat the Indianapolis Blues, 10-7 at Eclipse Park in Milwaukee. Both teams folded after the season, and the NL brought on new teams for 1879.