otd

German physicist Albert Einstein was born #OTD in 1879.

Best known for developing the theory of relativity, he also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, which contributed significantly to the foundation of quantum theory. He was also a prominent public figure & advocate for pacifism, civil rights, and social justice.

Albert Einstein at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=einstein&submit_search=Go%21

#books #physics

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Zelda Fitzgerald died #OTD in 1948.

She was an American novelist, socialite, and the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Zelda Fitzgerald herself was an important figure in the cultural scene of the 1920s and 1930s, known for her own writing, her artistic talents, and her tumultuous relationship with her husband. She struggled with mental health issues throughout her life and has been the subject of much fascination and analysis in literary and cultural circles.

#books #literature

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#OtD 14 Mar 1879, legendary physicist Albert Einstein was born in Germany. While most famous for his scientific theories, Einstein was also a socialist, and wrote this excellent explanation of the capitalist system and its inherent flaws https://t.co/aCCVJEdD5E https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8591/birth-of-albert-einstein?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

#OtD 10 Mar 1896 surrealist writer, model, anarchist and anti-racist Nancy Cunard was born in London. Active in promoting Black writers, opposing the invasion of Ethiopia, helping Spanish anti-fascist refugees and working with the French resistance. https://t.co/l4bALI8LkH https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8214/nancy-cunard?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

German astronomer Caroline Herschel was born #OTD in 1750.

In 1786, she became the first woman to discover a comet when she spotted Comet C/1786 P1 (Herschel). Over the course of her career, she discovered a total of eight comets and became one of the most accomplished comet hunters of her time. She also made important contributions to cataloging and recording astronomical observations.

Books about Caroline Herschel at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=caroline+herschel&submit_search=Go%21

#books #astronomy #womeninscience

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German mathematician Emmy Noether was born #OTD in 1882.

One of her most significant contributions is Noether's Theorem, which establishes a fundamental connection between symmetries & conservation laws in physics. This theorem has had profound implications in fields such as quantum mechanics, particle physics & field theory. Despite facing discrimination as a woman in academia during her time, Noether persevered & made enduring contributions to mathematics and physics.

#science #mathematics

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#OTD in 1899.

Herbert Putnam is appointed Librarian of Congress in the United States, where he will introduce in practice the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) scheme.

LCC is mainly used by large research and academic libraries, while most public libraries and small academic libraries use the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress_Classification

#books #library #catalogue

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English social reformer and author Caroline Norton was born #OTD in 1808.

Caroline Norton campaigned vigorously for changes to laws concerning divorce, custody rights, & property rights for married women. Her efforts were instrumental in influencing the passage of the Custody of Infants Act 1839 and the Matrimonial Causes Act 1857. In addition to her activism, she was a prolific writer. She authored novels, poetry, and essays.

Caroline Norton at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Caroline+Norton+&submit_search=Go%21

#books #literature

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#OnThisDay, 18 Apr 1905, Baroness Bertha von Suttner becomes the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism.

As well as writing an influential novel, Lay Down Your Arms (1889), she founded the German Peace Society in 1892. In 1907 she was the only woman to attend the Second Hague Peace Convention, and warned that Europe was heading for war once again.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #EuropeanHistory #NobelWomen

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Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh was born #OTD in 1853.

During his short and tumultuous life, van Gogh produced a vast body of work, including over 2,000 paintings, drawings, and sketches. Some of his most famous paintings include "The Starry Night," "Sunflowers," and "Irises." His art often reflects his emotional struggles, including his battles with mental illness and feelings of isolation.

Books by Van Gogh at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/40599

#books #art #literature

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#OtD 28 Mar 1915 anarchist Emma Goldman delivered a lecture in NYC on family planning, despite having previously been arrested for doing so. Although she gave explicit information on birth control and police were present, she wasn't arrested this time. https://t.co/NzwpQf46Qr https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10031/emma-goldman-birth-control-lecture-in-nyc?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

American physician and endocrinologist Rebecca Lee Dorsey died #OTD in 1954. She is known as the world's first female endocrinologist and the first woman physician to practice in Los Angeles.

Dorsey was said to have been the attending physician at over 4,000 births during her lifetime, to have founded a nursing school and organized the city's first maternity ward, and to have administered the first diphtheria inoculation in Los Angeles in about 1893.

#health #medicine #womeninscience

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Physicist Caroline Herzenberg was born #OTD in 1932. She is known for pioneering early work in Mössbauer spectroscopy, including an analysis of the first samples returned from the moon by the Apollo astronauts.

Image: Herzenberg as Finalist in the 1949 Science Talent Search

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#OtD 2 Apr 1863 the Richmond Bread Riot took place. Women took to the streets of Richmond, Virginia, to protest food shortages. The riot grew, with attacks on government warehouses and grocery stores, but was quelled when the army was deployed https://t.co/xznb642FyJ https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9152/richmond-bread-riot?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

#OtD 2 Apr 1976 filming the first Star Wars movie began at Elstree Studios, UK. George Lucas was surprised by the UK crew's working practices, starting and finishing work exactly on time and taking two set tea breaks a day https://t.co/a2ZTCHiW0A https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9158/star-wars-filming-disrupted-by-tea-breaks?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

English novelist and poet Charlotte Brontë died #OTD in 1855.

She is best known for her novel Jane Eyre, which she published under the gender neutral pen name Currer Bell. Along with "Jane Eyre," her other notable works include "Shirley" (1849) and "Villette" (1853). Brontë's writing is celebrated for its exploration of social issues, particularly the role of women in Victorian society.

Books by Charlotte Brontë at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/408

#books #literature #poetry

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"Every sensitive person carries in himself old cities enclosed by ancient walls."

Swiss writer Robert Walser was born #OTD in 1878.

One of Walser's most notable works is his collection of short prose pieces titled "Der Spaziergang" (1917). Walser's writing fell out of favor after his death in 1956, but experienced a revival in the late 20th century, thanks in part to the efforts of literary scholars and translators.

Books by Robert Walser at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/26294

#books #literature

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#art #history: double diaboliques for connoisseurs of french cinema - & particularly simone signoret (born #otd in 1921), who was never afraid of risking her career to stay true to her endeavours in left-wing activism, human rights & social justice. she & her husband, yves montand, often showed solidarity with activists & striking workers by physically turning up to demonstrations to support them. [A SHORT THREAD]
#france #simoneSignoret #solidarity #activism #cinema #illustration

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#OnThisDay, 3 Apr 1913, suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst is sentenced to three years' penal servitude, and announces she will go on hunger strike.

#WomenInHistory #History #OTD #BritishHistory #VotesForWomen #Histodons

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#OnThisDay, 3 Apr 1979, Jane Byrne wins the Chicago mayoral election. She is the first woman to be mayor of the city and is sworn in on 16 April. She hires the first black woman to be a school superintendent in the city, and stops the police raiding gay bars.

Lori Lightfoot was the second woman to hold the post, from 2019 to 2023. She’s the first black woman and the first LGBT+ mayor since the post was created in 1837.

#WomenInHistory #History #OTD #AmericanHistory #Histodons

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#OtD 4 Apr 1968 Martin Luther King Jr, legendary civil rights activist and non-violence advocate, was assassinated in Memphis, sparking riots across the US. He was in the city supporting a strike of garbage workers. Learn more: https://t.co/0WQYwT5ie9 https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/products/an-act-of-state-the-execution-of-martin-luther-king-william-f-pepper?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

#OTD

April 4, 1968, #CivilRights leader Reverend #MartinLutherKing Jr., was shot & killed while standing on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in #Memphis, #Tennessee. Considered one of the greatest Americans to ever live, he was assassinated 56 years ago today.

#PoliticalViolence #WhiteSupremacy

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French philosopher, an influential early socialist thinker, and one of the founders of utopian socialism Charles Fourier was born #OTD in 1772.

He developed a comprehensive system of societal organization known as Fourierism which influenced many writers and thinkers such as Dostoevsky, André Breton, Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse and many others. He is is credited with having originated the word feminism in 1837.

About Fourier at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=charles+fourier&submit_search=Go%21

#books #literature #philosophy

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American pediatrician and microbiologist Hattie Alexander was born #OTD in 1901.

She is particularly renowned for her groundbreaking work on the treatment and prevention of Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) infections, which cause meningitis, pneumonia, and other serious illnesses, especially in children. In the course of her research on antibiotics, she noted and reported the appearance of antibiotic-resistant strains of Hib which was caused by random genetic mutations in DNA.

#microbiology

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Why is a bridge in Sarajevo named after two women?

#OnThisDay, 5 Apr 1992, Suada Dilberović, a Muslim, and Olga Sučić, a Catholic, are killed whilst protesting for peace in Sarajevo during the outbreak of the Bosnian war. They are the first civilian casualties in what became the Siege of Sarajevo. The siege lasted 1,425 days, and over 5,000 civilians were killed during it.

The bridge they died on has been renamed in their memory.

#WomenInHistory #EuropeanHistory #OTD #History #Histodons

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