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.
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
Allan Ramsay (1684–1758) – poet, playwright, founder of modern Scots writing, & with a claim to be the father of Romanticism – was born #OTD, 15 Oct
A 🎂 🧵
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🖼️ Allan Ramsay, 1684–1758, by William Aikman – Scottish National Portrait Gallery
(This portrait was owned by Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, who wrote on the back of the canvas: “Here painted on this canvas clout by Aikman’s hand is Ramsay’s snout”)
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/3526
#Scottish #literature #drama #poetry #18thcentury #Romanticism
67 years ❤️ young
Happy Birthday to Joan Marie Larkin aka Joan Jett, punk rock inspired founding member of The Runaways and frontwoman of their band Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, born on this day in 1958 of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
#womenofpunk #joanjett #history #punkrockhistory #otd
Irish writer and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "Æ" George William Russell was born #OTD in 1867.
As a poet, Russell's work often explored themes of spirituality, mysticism, nature, and the Irish landscape. One of Russell's most famous works is "The Candle of Vision" (1918), a mystical autobiography in which he describes his spiritual experiences and encounters with the divine.
Books by George William Russell at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1869
“Knowledge leaves no room for chances.”
American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, politician, diplomat, & author Lew Wallace was born #OTD in 1827.
He is best known for his historical novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" (1880), which became one of the best-selling novels of the 19th century. He wrote several other novels, essays, and biographies, though none achieved the same level of success as Ben-Hur.
Books by Lew Wallace at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/836
#OTD in 1897
The Grand Guignol is opened in Paris by Oscar Méténier.
From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it specialised in naturalistic horror shows. Its name is often used as a general term for graphic, amoral horror entertainment, a genre popular from Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre (for instance Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, and Webster's The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil), to today's splatter films.
British scientist Rosalind Franklin died #OTD in 1958.
Her most famous contribution to science came from her X-ray diffraction images of DNA, particularly Photo 51, which provided crucial evidence for the double helix structure of DNA. Her photo was shared without her knowledge with J. Watson & F. Crick, who used it as a basis for their model of DNA's structure. Their work overshadowed her contribution, & she was not fully recognized for her role until after her death.
American astronomer Annie Jump Cannon died #OTD in 1941.
Cannon developed a system of stellar classification based on spectral characteristics, which became known as the Harvard Classification Scheme (she was one of the "Harvard Computers"). She classified hundreds of thousands of stars, organizing them by temperature and spectral characteristics. Her work laid the foundation for our understanding of stellar evolution and the composition of stars.
#OTD in 1889, writer Walter Lippmann was born.
He "was an American writer, reporter, and political commentator. With a career spanning 60 years, he is famous for being among the first to introduce the concept of the Cold War, coining the term "stereotype" in the modern psychological meaning, as well as critiquing media and
democracy...."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Lippmann
Books by Lippmann at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Walter+Lippmann
#OTD in 1914.
The first English-language performance of George Bernard Shaw's comedy Pygmalion at His Majesty's Theatre is given in London starring Mrs. Patrick Campbell and Herbert Beerbohm Tree, and famously including the Act III line "Not bloody likely!".
Shaw's play has been adapted many times, most notably as the 1938 film Pygmalion, the 1956 stage musical My Fair Lady, and its 1964 film version.
Pygmalion at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/3825
French author Georges Duhamel died #OTD in 1966.
One of Duhamel's most famous works is the "Chronique des Pasquier" series, which consists of ten novels that follow the lives of the Pasquier family over several generations. Duhamel was also known for his essays and philosophical reflections on literature, art, and the human condition. He was also a committed pacifist and humanist.
Books by Georges Duhamel at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1445
"Movement will cease before we are weary of being useful."
Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci was born #OTD in 1452.
Leonardo's notebooks are perhaps as famous as his artworks, containing sketches, diagrams, and notes on a wide range of subjects. He made significant contributions to anatomy through his detailed anatomical drawings, which were far ahead of his time. He also conducted experiments in various scientific fields, including optics and aerodynamics.
British novelist and dramatist Charles Reade died #OTD in 1884.
One of Reade's most famous novels is "The Cloister and the Hearth" (1861). Other notable works by Reade include "It Is Never Too Late to Mend" (1856), "Hard Cash" (1863), and "Put Yourself in His Place" (1870). Reade also published three elaborate studies of character: Griffith Gaunt (1866), A Terrible Temptation (1871), A Simpleton (1873).
Books by Charles Reade at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/618
#OTD in 1888, writer T.S. Eliot is born in St. Louis, Missouri, US.
"He was a leading figure in English-language Modernist poetry where he reinvigorated the art through his use of language, writing style, and verse structure. He is also noted for his critical essays, which often re-evaluated long-held cultural beliefs."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._Eliot
Eliot's books at PG:
47 years ago today
Parallel Lines is the third studio album by the pop punk / newwave band Blondie, released on this day in 1978, featuring the singles "Hanging on the Telephone", "Heart of Glass", "Sunday Girl" and "One Way or Another"
#punk #newwave #blondie #debbieharry #parallellines #punkrockhistory #otd
#OTD in 1755. Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London.
Johnson's dictionary was not just a list of words with their meanings; it also included extensive quotations from various literary works to illustrate the usage of each word. It played a significant role in standardizing English spelling and usage, helping to establish a common linguistic framework for communication.
Books by Samuel Johnson at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/297
Spanish poet and man of letters Manuel José Quintana was born #OTD in 1772.
Quintana was known for his eloquent poetry and his active involvement in the political and cultural affairs of his time. One of Quintana's most famous works is his poem "La Pelayo," which celebrates the victory of the Spanish forces led by Pelayo over the Moors in the Battle of Covadonga in 722 AD.
Books by Manuel José Quintana at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Manuel+Jos%C3%A9+Quintana&submit_search=Go%21
American journalist & writer of fiction & drama Richard Harding Davis died #OTD in 1916.
In addition to his work as a journalist, Davis was also a prolific author of fiction. He wrote numerous novels and short stories, many of which drew on his experiences as a war correspondent and adventurer. Some of his best-known works include "Soldiers of Fortune" (1897), "The Bar Sinister" (1903), and "The Lost Road" (1913).
Books by Richard Harding Davis at PG
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/181
#OnThisDay, 15 Apr 1960, Ella Baker convenes a conference of 126 independent student protest groups. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) forms as a result. SNCC coordinated and assisted direct-action challenges to segregation in the USA.
Baker was a civil rights activist for five decades, and advocated grassroots activism. She also criticised the misogyny she encountered within the movement.
Very early #OnThisDay, 23 Sept 1943, Pearl Witherington parachutes into Nazi-occupied France as a Special Operations Executive courier. The British SOE supported the French Resistance. A courier was tasked with moving papers and equipment around their network.
Witherington takes over leadership of her network, eventually commanding 1,500 maquis and overseeing the surrender of 18,000 German troops.
#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #EuropeanHistory #WorldWar2 #Histodons
April, the last full fixture of the spring:
“Feet, Scottish, feet!” – they rucked the fear of God
Into Blackheath. Their club was everything…
—“London Scottish”, by Mick Imlah (1956–2009) – born #OTD, 26 September.
Published in THE LOST LEADER (Faber, 2008)
1/5
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/london-scottish/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #warpoetry #WW1 #rugby #LondonScottish
French astronomer Charles Messier died #OTD in 1817.
He is best known for his catalog, the Messier Catalog (contains 110 objects), which lists various astronomical objects, including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. Messier was primarily interested in comet hunting, and his catalog was created to help him and other astronomers differentiate between permanent celestial objects and comets, which could easily be mistaken for new discoveries.
Italian poet and librettist Pietro Metastasio died #OTD in 1782.
His librettos were characterized by their lyrical quality, emotional depth, and dramatic structure, which made them well-suited for musical adaptation. Some of his most famous works include "La clemenza di Tito," which was later set to music by Mozart, "Didone abbandonata," and "Artaserse."
Books by Pietro Metastasio at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4069
#OTD in 1885.
Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog. This vaccine bwas produced by growing the virus in rabbits, and then weakening it by drying the affected nerve tissue. The vaccine had been tested in 50 dogs before its first human trial. The treatment's success laid the foundations for the manufacture of many other vaccines.
![Lithograph, "Vue d’un phalanstère, village français [composé] d’apres la théorie sociétaire de Ch. Fourier", H. Fugère. Date uncertain, but from 19th century. 860.05, Houghton Library, Harvard University](/proxy/post_attachment/152525/628e13e6de.jpg "Lithograph, \"Vue d’un phalanstère, village français [composé] d’apres la théorie sociétaire de Ch. Fourier\", H. Fugère. Date uncertain, but from 19th century. 860.05, Houghton Library, Harvard University")
![Annie Jump Cannon at her desk at the Harvard College Observatory.
Description: First hired by Harvard College Observatory to carry out astronomical calculations, Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941) eventually became one of the foremost American astronomers, known especially for her work on variable stars. This photograph shows her at her desk at the observatory. Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer Medium: Black and white photographic print Persistent URL: [1] Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives Accession number: SIA2008-0647](/proxy/post_attachment/160685/47d947fcef.jpg "Annie Jump Cannon at her desk at the Harvard College Observatory.
Description: First hired by Harvard College Observatory to carry out astronomical calculations, Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941) eventually became one of the foremost American astronomers, known especially for her work on variable stars. This photograph shows her at her desk at the observatory. Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer Medium: Black and white photographic print Persistent URL: [1] Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives Accession number: SIA2008-0647")
