On this day… – Review
By App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: Sophia Teutschler
Version #: 1.0
Date Released: 2010-03-22
Developer: On this day...
Price: 0.00
User Rating:
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On This Day is built for a simple purpose, but it’s built quite nicely. It’s an app that lists important historical events that happened "on this day" in the past years. In addition to landmark events, it also shows a list of famous personalities and celebrities who are either celebrating their birthday or whose death anniversary it is on that day. All these bits of information are presented using a smooth and shiny interface inspired by a desk notepad or a wall chart of sorts.
As mentioned, the daily content is divided into three sections: Events, Births, and Deaths. Only a few are initially displayed under each category, but a "More" link accompanied by a numerical count of additional entries is provided, tapping on which will reveal the other entries. Each entry has some of its words, such as key names and places, hyperlinked, and tapping on them will activate a built-in browser that lets you read the corresponding Wikipedia articles on an interface that is exactly the same as the one used for the popular Wikipedia iPhone app, Articles. It’s worth mentioning that the developers of On This Day and Articles are one and the same, and that Articles should be already installed on your device to view the Wikipedia articles on On This Day in the manner specified. Otherwise, you can opt to load the article in Safari instead.
Note that On This Day is not concerned with "today" only. You can choose to jump to a particularly date by tapping on the ‘i’ button at the bottom right corner of the screen. A calendar, which for some reason does not follow the conventional format of displaying seven days in a row and instead implements a 4 by 7 matrix, is then shown. Simply tap on any day on the calendar to view the important events, births and deaths that took place on that day.
Quick Take
Value:Medium.
Would I Buy Again:Yes.
Learning Curve:Very, Very Low.
Who Is It For:Trivia fiends and people who just want to know which celebrities they share their birthdays with.
What I Like:The shiny interface. Integration of the excellent Wikipedia article browser from Articles.
What I Don't Like:Calendar does not follow conventional format. iPhone app Articles need to be downloaded beforehand for built-in Articles-type browser to be enabled.
Final Statement:On This Day is a great way to expand your encyclopedic knowledge and a good source of conversation starters.
