March 31

Eiffel Tower opens in Paris (1889); Workers’ rights leader Cesar Chavez born (1927); RIP American track legend Jesse Owens (1980); Singer-songwriter Selena killed (1995); Rapper Nipsey Hussle killed (2019).

March 30

Vincent van Gogh born (1853); Treaty of Paris ends Crimean War (1856); HBD Celine Dion (1968); President Ronald Reagan survives assassination attempt (1981); RIP American musician Bill Withers (2020).

March 29

US President John Tyler born—and he still has one living grandson (1790); Baseball player Cy Young born (1867); Walmart founder Sam Walton born (1918); Dow Jones closes above 10,000 for first time (1999); RIP actress Patty Duke (2016).

March 28

RIP English novelist Virginia Woolf (1941); RIP Native American Olympian and athlete Jim Thorpe (1953); RIP musician W.C. Handy (1958); Earthquake in western Turkey kills over 1,000 (1970); HBD Lady Gaga (1986).

EDITH WHARTON

1920: THE AGE OF INNOCENCE BY EDITH WHARTON

Ah, good conversation — there's nothing like it, is there? The air of ideas is the only air worth breathing.

Edith Wharton’s masterpiece “The Age of Innocence” follows protagonist Newland Archer as he attempts to reconcile his true feelings with the shallow and often misguided world in which he lives. This quote speaks to the collaborative power of the mind, suggesting that it’s in conversation with one another that we discover our best ideas.

Booth Tarkington

Whatever does not pretend at all has style enough.

Set in a fictionalized Indianapolis, “The Magnificent Ambersons” follows the decline of the wealthy Amberson family across three generations. The book was adapted into a silent film called “Pampered Youth” in 1925 and then a film directed by Orson Welles in 1942. It is full of wisdom, such as this quote speaking to integrity and authenticity. In a world where people try to fit in, being yourself is all the style one needs.

"Never stay up on the barren heights of cleverness, but come down into the green valleys of silliness."Ludwig Wittgenstein

Despite chairing the University of Cambridge philosophy department for eight years, Ludwig Wittgenstein was described by his biographer as a “reluctant professor.” He did not believe that philosophy should be approached like a job, and he often attempted to dissuade his students from pursuing academic careers. Indeed, Wittgenstein changed direction in his professional life numerous times. For a while, he lived in a wooden hut that he had built next to a Norwegian fjord; he later contemplated farm work in the Soviet Union. Deriving from a 1948 journal entry that Wittgenstein wrote at age 59, this bit of advice reminds us that the celebrated author was, unfailingly, young at heart. Wittgenstein was wary of anyone who tried to elevate themselves above others by sounding smart. Instead, he preferred the authenticity of those willing to laugh at themselves.

"You can't learn style. Style, I think, is in your DNA." Iris Apfel

Iris Apfel is a 100-year-old fashion icon who dresses herself in a vibrant collage of colors and textures. NYC's Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art once exhibited her clothes and accessories, and Apfel has been called upon to design everything from makeup to kitchen appliances. Her childhood obsession with fabric scraps led Apfel and her late husband, Carl, to found the textile company Old World Weavers, which they ran from 1950 to 1992. The company produced its own versions of exotic textiles that the couple spotted abroad, resulting in work that decorated the White House during nine consecutive administrations. Speaking to “The Talks” in 2016, Apfel discouraged chasing trends. If you present yourself to the world in a way that feels authentic, it breeds a confidence that will take you far.

March 25

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin born (1942); HBD Sir Elton John (1947); Saudi Arabian King Faisal assassinated by his nephew (1975); HBD race car driver Danica Patrick (1982); RIP children's author Beverly Cleary (2021).

March 26

RIP poet Walt Whitman (1892); HBD Sandra Day O'Connor, first female US Supreme Court justice (1930); HBD journalist Bob Woodward, known for reporting on Watergate scandal (1943); HBD singer Diana Ross (1944); Bangladesh declares independence from Pakistan (1971). 

Harry Houdini

 (/huːˈdiːni/, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts.^[3] His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician Robert-Houdin (1805–1871).

He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the United States and then as "Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it.

In 1904, thousands watched as he tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. He was also quick to sue anyone who imitated his escape stunts.

Houdini made several movies but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator and aimed to become the first man to fly a powered aircraft in Australia.^[4]

March 24

World famous magician Harry Houdini born (1874); RIP author Jules Verne (1905); Dorothy Height, civil and women’s rights activist, born (1912); Happy 70th, 1440 reader Bill Shotto (1952); Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs aground, eventually spills 11 million gallons of oil (1989). 

Marie Curie

"We must believe that we are gifted for something."

Marie Curie 

Polish physicist Marie Curie made history in 1903 as the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, in physics, and then again in 1911 as the only woman to ever (thus far) win a second Nobel, in chemistry. She earned these honors for her groundbreaking work in discovering two new elements: radium and polonium. Though she received much acclaim for her research, Curie also suffered many hardships in her life, including the death of her beloved husband and research partner, Pierre Curie, as well as long-term physical ailments from her work with radioactive materials. Through it all, Curie remained hopeful and optimistic. In her 1937 biography, she wrote, “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

March 23

Patrick Henry delivers "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech (1775); Sir Roger Bannister, first person to run a sub-four-minute mile, born (1929); RIP Elizabeth Taylor (2011); Suez Canal blocked for six days by container ship Ever Given (2021).

March 22

First Stanley Cup championship played (1894); HBD legendary musical theater composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948); HBD sports broadcaster Bob Costas (1952); HBD Reese Witherspoon (1976); Terrorist drives car into crowd in London, killing five and injuring 50 (2017).

March 21

RIP Pocahontas (1617); Martin Luther King Jr. leads third and ultimately successful march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama (1965); The US announces boycott of Summer Olympics in Moscow (1980); HBD Twitter (2006).

Paulo Coelho

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself."

Paulo Coelho

In Paulo Coelho’s novel “The Alchemist,” readers meet a young boy who has fallen in love with “a woman of the desert.” But the boy is afraid to take action on his heart’s desire because he might get hurt in return. That’s understandable — many of us fear putting ourselves out there because it might not work out. But it’s important to remember that the fear is usually worse than any hurt you might experience. We can handle suffering, but when we are afraid we tend to underestimate our own strength. And of course, we may not be met with suffering after all, but we won't know until we muster the courage to go for what we want.

March 19

HBD actress Glenn Close (1947); HBD actor Bruce Willis (1955); RIP American fashion designer Anne Klein (1974); Public television network C-SPAN launches (1979);  NFL strips the city of Phoenix of the 1993 Super Bowl over Arizona's refusal to recognize a paid Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (1991).

March 18

President Grover Cleveland born (1837); HBD actress and first Black Miss America Vanessa Williams (1963); Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes first person to walk in space (1965); HBD Queen Latifah (1970).

March 17

First St. Patrick’s Day parade held (1601); Golf legend Bobby Jones born (1902); Singer Nat King Cole born (1919); National Gallery of Art opens in Washington, DC (1941); HBD soccer great Mia Hamm (1972).

March 16

US Founding Father James Madison born (1751); US Military Academy is established (1802); Comedian Jerry Lewis born (1926); RIP Nobel Prize-winning author Selma Lagerlöf (1940); Dow Jones drops by 2,997, single-largest point drop in history, amid pandemic fears (2020). 

March 15

The Ides of March: Julius Caesar assassinated by Brutus (44 BCE); President Andrew Jackson born (1767); Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg born (1933); Terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, kills 51 (2019).

March 14

Eli Whitney patents cotton gin (1794); HBD Albert Einstein (1879); HBD Stephen Curry (1988); HBD seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles (1997); RIP Stephen Hawking (2018).

March 12

Writer and author of "On the Road" Jack Kerouac born (1922); Mahatma Gandhi begins 200-mile protest march against British salt tax (1930); HBD actress and singer Liza Minnelli (1946); RIP jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (1955); Streaming service Hulu launched to US public (2008).

March 11

Civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy born (1926); RIP Sir Alexander Fleming, scientist who discovered penicillin (1955); Janet Reno confirmed as first female attorney general in the US (1993); Coordinated bombings kill 191 people aboard trains in Madrid (2004); COVID-19 declared a pandemic by World Health Organization (2020).

March 10

 Courrières mining accident kills 1,099 in France (1906); RIP Harriet Tubman (1913); HBD Sharon Stone (1958); Dot-com bubble peaks as the Nasdaq hits 5,048 (2000); Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes, killing 157 (2019).

March 9

Cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci born (1454); First person in space Yuri Gagarin born (1934); Barbie doll debuts at American Toy Fair (1959); Rapper Notorious B.I.G. is shot and killed (1997).

March 8

First stock car race held in Daytona Beach (1936); HBD tattoo artist and entrepreneur Kat Von D (1982); RIP baseball player Joe DiMaggio (1999); Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared en route to Beijing (2014); RIP Sam Simon, director and codeveloper of "The Simpsons" (2015).

"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful." Malala Yousafzai

In her 2013 memoir, “I Am Malala,” the young Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai reflected on the nature of courage in the face of injustice. When she was shot by Taliban extremists and left for dead in 2012, at just 15 years old, Yousafzai was not scared away from continuing her humanitarian work. After a miraculous recovery, she became even more impassioned and outspoken about the need for women’s education in Pakistan, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Though the Taliban meant to silence her, Yousafzai instead found her voice was louder than ever, and she has since become a role model to millions worldwide.

"A person without imagination is like a teabag without hot water." Alan Fletcher

Known as the godfather of British graphic design, Alan Fletcher was one of the leading pioneers of independent design after World War II. His trailblazer mentality was evident in his education, as he attended four separate art schools, each more forward-thinking than the last. He is known for his playful use of color and clever witticisms — rare elements in British graphic design at the time, which have since become modern industry staples. Fletcher’s lively sense of innovation encourages us to always think outside the box: Without imagination, we might never discover our true purpose and potential.

"It is a duty to take this risk, to love and feel without defense or reserve."William S. Burroughs

Author William S. Burroughs was a founding member of the Beat Generation, a bohemian literary and social movement that formed after World War II. Burroughs was known for the humor and stark honesty of his writing, which often tackled difficult subjects including addiction and identity. He experimented with new forms of literature, delved into recording music, and traveled extensively throughout his life. His approach to creating and living encourages us to see risk not as an enemy, but as a necessity for a life of love and fulfillment.

March 7

Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone (1876); HBD actor Bryan Cranston (1956); Bloody Sunday as 600 civil rights protesters attacked by police in Selma, Alabama (1965); HBD actress Rachel Weisz (1970); RIP Stanley Kubrick (1999).

Get up quickly — just switch on the white light of the will. Susan Sontag

Author, critic, activist, philosopher, humanist: Susan Sontag was one of America’s most influential intellectuals. Though she published dozens of books, plays, monographs, and films on a vast variety of topics, from photography to AIDS to communism, she thought of herself as a student all her life. In her journals, Sontag recorded her thoughts, notes on her works in progress, and fragments from her voracious reading. This note from October 1973 reads like an instruction to herself. When the whole world is out there, just waiting to be studied, one mustn’t hesitate.

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. Carl Rogers

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.

Carl Rogers

American psychologist Carl Rogers, one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy research, presents this “curious paradox” in his 1961 book “On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy.” Rogers encourages us to stop focusing our energy on trying to improve ourselves and simply learn to accept who we are, flaws and all. Ironically, it’s often that very acceptance that creates space for personal growth and change.

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. Frank Capra

When he was in his early 20s, chemical engineer Frank Capra was working odd jobs near San Francisco, such as pruning fruit trees and selling books door to door. Then he saw a 1922 newspaper ad: Workers were needed at a gymnasium to help adapt a Rudyard Kipling poem into a silent short film. With confidence, Capra — who had grown up in Los Angeles but had no cinematic ties — told the production he was from Hollywood, nabbing his first directorial gig, en route to helming several classic films. By the following decade’s end, he had won three Best Director Oscars, for "It Happened One Night" (1934), "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (1936), and "You Can't Take It With You" (1938). And 1946 saw the release of perhaps his most enduring and beloved film, "It's a Wonderful Life." Capra urged people to follow their instincts, regardless of their past experience. Curiosities should be pursued, for every half-formed idea has the potential to become a work of art.

March 5

RIP Mary Louise Booth, first editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar (1889); Hula-Hoop patented by Arthur Melin (1958); HBD Chinese author Mo Yan and winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature (1955); US Voyager 1 spacecraft flies by Jupiter (1979): HBD American actress Eva Mendes (1974); HBD Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1999).

March 4

Antonio Vivaldi, violinist and composer, born (1678); Jeannette Rankin becomes first female member of US House of Representatives (1917); Frances Perkins becomes secretary of labor, first female member of US Cabinet (1933); RIP actor and comedian John Candy (1994); RIP actor Luke Perry (2019).

March 3

Inventor Alexander Graham Bell born (1847); "The Star-Spangled Banner" becomes the US national anthem (1931); HBD track and field great Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1962); Turkish Airlines flight crashes outside Paris, killing all 346 aboard (1974); RIP Sir Roger Bannister, first person to run a sub-four-minute mile (2018).

March 2

Children’s author Dr. Seuss born (1904); Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Jones born (1919); Former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev born (1931); Wilt Chamberlain sets all-time NBA record with 100 points in a single game (1962).

March 1

Articles of Confederation are ratified, go into effect in the US (1781); Writer Ralph Ellison born (1914); The Peace Corps is established (1961); HBD actress Lupita Nyong'o (1983); HBD Justin Bieber (1994).