Writer of Pop Culture

Cool and refreshing news about pop culture and entertainment.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Painting is Back Where it Belongs (May 28)

On this day in pop culture history, the restoration of a Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic work of art was restored after just … 21 years.

May 28, 2026

3–4 minutes

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Apparently, May 28 is a biblical day. Not only was the restoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper” complete but today is also the day that The Creation Museum first opened its doors in Petersburg, KY.

1999: Leonardo da Vinci’s 21-Year Restoration

Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" — Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper” *(Wikimedia Commons)*

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece of “The Last Supper” was painted around 1495 in Milan, Italy. By the late 1970’s the painting had become badly deteriorated, so in 1978, a major restoration of the painting began. It took 21 years for the restoration to be completed. The painting was finally returned to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France on this day in 1999.

Some critics complained of dramatic changes in color, tone and shape to “The Last Supper”, but most of us would never know the difference.

2007 – The Creation Museum Opens

Inside the Creation Museum *(Wikimedia)*

The 70,000 square foot Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY was established as a resource for the science of creation on this day in 2007. Since then, the place has grown by – biblical proportions. Today the space contains many exhibits including the history of dinosaurs, a walk-through of the Garden of Eden, the building of a life-sized Noah’s Ark, a planetarium, a petting zoo, a 4D special effects theater, a conservatory, zoo, a zip line adventure course and botanical gardens that feature over 6,000 plants in over 500 varieties.

Fun fact: In 2015, founder Ken Ham made headlines when he debated with Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”) about creationism vs. evolution at the museum. As with all debates, some declared Nye the winner and others Ham.

It’s National Hamburger Day

Although it is unclear when the first National Hamburger Day was celebrated for the first time, we know that the name comes from Hamburg, Germany. However, when it comes to hamburger sandwich, that title originated from the United States. It is estimated that 50 billion burgers are eaten in the U.S. every year.

2024 – Goofy Gameshow: ‘The Quiz with Balls’

Four people standing waiting for giant balls to knock them in the water below. One of them is falling in. — *The Quiz with Balls (FOX)*

The weirdest show to premiere in 2024 was The Quiz with Balls. When it premiered, I thought that it was It’s destined to last only one season joining other forgotten train wrecks, but it’s still going.

Hosted by Jay Pharoah, the show with the unfortunate name is said to “pit brains against balls.” During each episode, two families face off answering multiple choice questions while standing on a platform over a pool of water. When a contestant answers a question, a giant ball will roll down a chute. If they get the answer correct, the ball will stop just short of knocking the contestant in the pool. If not, they’re going to get wet. The longer a family stays dry, the more money they’ll get with one member going up for a final $100,000 round.

What Else Happened on May 28?

1892 – The conservation program, Sierra Club is formed.
1928 – American car makers, Dodge and Chrysler merge.
1937 – The Golden Gate Bridge opens for vehicle traffic.
1968 – Creedence Clearwater Revival’s debut album is released.
1982 – Film critic Leonard Maltin appears on Entertainment Tonight for the first time.
2006 – Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run.