Enrico Caruso, legendary tenor, died on August 2 1921 in Naples

Italian operatic tenor Enrico Caruso (born 25 February 1873 in Naples) died on 2 August 1921 in his hometown. Discovered while singing in a church choir, he studied with Guglielmo Vergine and later with conductor Vincenzo Lombardi, launching a career that spanned major houses such as La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera and venues across Europe and the Americas.

Caruso was the first tenor to record commercially (1902) and participated in early radio broadcasts of opera. He married Dorothy Benjamin in 1918 and continued performing until health problems forced his retirement in 1920. After a collapse on stage in December 1920, doctors diagnosed irreversible lung damage, and he returned to Naples, where he passed away at age 48.