Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the “King of Pop”, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Over a career that spanned more than four decades, his achievements transformed the music industry, broke racial barriers, and …

In September 1955, Tehran was at the center of heated debates and media attention concerning the government’s opium supply and the violent incidents that occurred at dispensaries—known locally as pacharagh. These establishments, which had existed in various forms for centuries, were deeply embedded in Iran’s social fabric, but they also symbolized vice, addiction, and, in the eyes of reformers, the …

The decades leading up to the 1979 Iranian Revolution were years of rapid cultural transformation. Tehran, the bustling capital, witnessed a surge of modernization under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, where Western cultural influences merged with Iranian traditions. Nightclubs, cabarets, and cinemas flourished, becoming key elements of the city’s nightlife. Among the prominent figures shaping this entertainment world was Parviz Hejazi, …

Parvaneh Amir-Afshari (born March 17, 1945), widely known by her stage name Homeyra , is one of the most celebrated figures of Iranian music. With a career spanning more than half a century, she has become a symbol of the golden age of Persian traditional and pop music, admired for her extraordinary vocal range and emotional depth. According to her …

The cabaret industry in Iran, although relatively short-lived in its classic form, occupies a fascinating chapter in the cultural and social history of the country. Unlike Europe, where cabarets developed in the late 19th century as artistic and satirical venues, and unlike the United States, where jazz clubs and musical theaters shaped nightlife, the Iranian cabaret grew from a complex …

On the evening of Saturday, September 5, 2025, the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra marked its 100th anniversary with a concert held at the Persepolis World Heritage Complex, one of Iran’s most iconic historical sites. The orchestra performed a repertoire that included the enduring patriotic piece “O Iran”, alongside Armenian and international symphonic works. The event, attended by high-ranking Iranian and Armenian …

The event of September 17, 1978, widely remembered in Iran as Black Friday (Shanbeh-ye Siah) and in some accounts as the “September 17 Massacre”, stands as one of the most decisive and tragic moments in the final year of the Pahlavi monarchy. On that Friday morning, in Tehran’s Jhaleh Square (today Martyrs’ Square on Mojahedin-e-Islam Street), government forces opened fire …

Houshmand Aghili (August 2, 1937 – September 14, 1404) was an Iranian singer, composer, and performer of traditional and classical Persian music. Over the span of seven decades, his voice became associated with refinement, elegance, and nostalgia, bridging generations both inside Iran and in the diaspora. Aghili’s career began in the mid-1950s, and from the very start, his training under …

On Thursday evening, September 3, at Takhti Stadium in Ardabil, a unique football match took place—one that went beyond the usual boundaries of sports competition. The event was not part of a league fixture or a professional tournament; it was a charity football match organized in support of the release of Malian prisoners. The teams consisted of Namavaran Ardabil, a …

In the early days of Shahrivar 1343 (September 1964), the people of Tehran witnessed a sight unlike any before in their city’s history: the passing of the Olympic torch through their streets. The torch, lit on the slopes of Mount Olympia in Greece, symbolized the ideals of peace, unity, and competition that the modern Olympic Games carried across borders and …