Today in History - July 9: Only six people, including a Hollywood superstar, paid for iconic but baffling paintings
Andy Warhol premiered one of the most controversial, baffling and famous exhibitions on July 9, 1962.
The pop artist's exhibition was 32 paintings of cans of soup, all practically identical.
The first of the soup cans was purchased for $100 by the actor Dennis Hopper.
He later sold the painting back to the gallery owner, who wanted to preserve all 32 as a set.
Campbell's Soup Company initially considered legal action over the apparent trademark breach.
But they decided the publicity of the exhibition was better than any money they could make from a lawsuit.
The company soon commissioned Warhol to make another painting for their chairman as a retirement gift.
Aficionados and detractors have spent years trying to understand the meaning of the soup can paintings.
But the answer was simple. Warhol painted soup cans because he liked soup.
An out-of-work painter broke into Buckingham Palace and confronted the Queen in her bedroom on July 9, 1982.
The Queen spoke to Michael Fagan as he sat at the edge of her bed about 7am that morning.
She phoned the palace switchboard for police, but none arrived. Eventually a palace footman compelled Fagan away and gave him a shot of whisky.
He was not charged over the break-in but spent three months in a psychiatric facility.
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