November 16

Blues musician WC Handy born (1873); UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, is founded (1945); Benazir Bhutto elected prime minister of Pakistan, becomes first woman in modern history to lead Muslim-majority country (1988); Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman dies (2006).

November 15

Articles of Confederation is adopted by Continental Congress (1777); Artist Georgia O’Keeffe born (1887); Two million people protest Vietnam War across the US (1969); Famed anthropologist Margaret Mead dies (1978); World population tops 8 billion (2022).

November 14

French painter Claude Monet born (1840); "Moby-Dick" is first published (1851); Albert Einstein first presents quantum theory of light (1908); Booker T. Washington dies (1915); Condoleezza Rice born (1954).

November 13

Walt Disney’s groundbreaking animated film "Fantasia" premieres (1940); Whoopi Goldberg born (1955); Montgomery bus boycott pushes US Supreme Court to rule Alabama bus segregation illegal (1956); First up-close photo of Saturn sent back from spacecraft Voyager I (1980).

November 12

American suffragist and civil rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton born (1815); Josef Stalin gains undisputed control of the Soviet Union (1927); Actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly born (1929); Actor Ryan Gosling born (1980); Comic book writer Stan Lee dies (2018).

November 11

Nat Turner is hanged after organizing rebellion of enslaved persons (1831); Armistice signed by Germany and Allies, ending World War I (1918); Armistice Day, now known as Veterans Day, observed for first time in the US (1919); American novelist Kurt Vonnegut born (1922); Demi Moore born (1962).

November 9

Napoleon Bonaparte leads coup and becomes dictator of France (1799); American poet and Pulitzer Prize-winner Anne Sexton born (1928); Astronomer Carl Sagan born (1934); First issue of Rolling Stone published (1967).

November 8

Astronomer Edmond Halley born (1656); X-rays are discovered (1895); Singer Minnie Riperton born (1947); Edward Brooke becomes first African American since Reconstruction elected to US Senate (1966); "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek dies (2020). 

November 7

Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist Marie Curie born (1867); Jeannette Rankin becomes first woman elected to US Congress (1916); Evangelist Billy Graham born (1918); Eleanor Roosevelt dies (1962); Earvin "Magic" Johnson announces HIV-positive diagnosis (1991).

November 6

Basketball inventor Dr. James Naismith born (1861); Teddy Roosevelt travels to Panama and becomes first president to make diplomatic tour outside the US (1906); The UN formally condemns apartheid in South Africa (1962); Hollywood great Gene Tierney dies (1991).

November 4

Journalist Walter Cronkite born (1916); Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes first woman elected governor in the US (1924); Former first lady Laura Bush born (1946); Iran hostage crisis begins (1979); Barack Obama becomes first African American elected US president (2008).

November 3

 "Gone with the Wind" actress Vivien Leigh born (1913); Writer Sinclair Lewis is first American to win Nobel Prize for literature (1930); Franklin D. Roosevelt is first and only US president elected to third term (1940); Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death (2006); Google unveils Android (2007).

November 2

Marie Antoinette born (1755); Nobel Prize-winning playwright George Bernard Shaw dies (1950); First president of South Vietnam Ngô Đình Diệm assassinated (1963); Indian actor and "King of Bollywood" Shah Rukh Khan born (1965); Martin Luther King Jr. Day is created in the US (1983).

November 1

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling exhibited to public for first time (1512); Earthquake and tsunami in Lisbon kill 60,000-90,000 people (1755); Apple CEO Tim Cook born (1960); Bollywood actress and Miss World 1994 winner Aishwarya Rai Bachchan born (1973); Football great Walter Payton dies (1999).

October 31

English poet John Keats born (1795); Magician Harry Houdini dies (1926); Mount Rushmore National Memorial is completed (1941); Actor and comedian John Candy born (1950); First female prime minister of India Indira Gandhi is assassinated (1984).

October 30

President John Adams born (1735); Orson Welles broadcasts "The War of the Worlds" radio hoax, causing mass panic in US (1938); Muhammad Ali defeats George Foreman in historic Rumble in the Jungle (1974); Ivanka Trump born (1981). 

October 29

Sir Walter Raleigh is executed (1618); "Joy of Painting" host Bob Ross born (1942); Actress Winona Ryder born (1971); Actress Gabrielle Union born (1972); Astronaut John Glenn becomes the oldest NASA astronaut in space at age 77 (1998).

October 28

"Gulliver’s Travels" is first published (1726); Polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk born (1914); Bill Gates born (1955); Julia Roberts born (1967); Actor Matthew Perry dies (2023).

October 26

Erie Canal opens (1825); Women’s rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton dies (1902); Hillary Clinton born (1947); Hattie McDaniel, first Black Academy Award winner, dies (1952); Last known natural case of smallpox detected (1977).

October 25

Artist Pablo Picasso born (1881); Benjamin O. Davis Sr. becomes first Black general in US Army (1940); Katy Perry born (1984); Hall of Fame golfer Payne Stewart dies in plane crash (1999).

October 24

Black Thursday US stock market crash, exchange falls 11% in one day (1929); Jackie Robinson dies (1972); Rapper Drake born (1986); Rosa Parks dies (2005); Bloody Friday worldwide stock market crash with most indexes dropping 10% in single day (2008).

October 23

First National Women’s Rights Convention begins (1850); Comedian and "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson born (1925); Soccer legend Pelé born (1940); Suicide bombings at US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, kill 241 US military personnel (1983); 130 die in Moscow theater hostage crisis (2002).

October 22

Original Metropolitan Opera House opens in New York City (1883); Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine born (1917); Actress Annette Funicello born (1942); President John F. Kennedy alerts Americans to Cuban missile crisis (1962); Reggae artist Shaggy born (1968).

October 21

USS Constitution first launched (1797); Inventor Alfred Nobel, founder of Nobel Prizes, born (1833); Actress Carrie Fisher born (1956); Guggenheim Museum opens to the public (1959); Poet and novelist Jack Kerouac dies (1969); Kim Kardashian born (1980).

October 19

British Gen. Charles Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, effectively ending the Revolutionary War (1781); John Jay becomes first US chief justice (1789); Actor and director Jon Favreau born (1966); Black Monday stock market crash; Dow Jones drops 22% in one day (1987).

October 18

"Moby-Dick" is first published (1851); The US purchases Alaska from Russia (1867); Thomas Edison dies (1931); Astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch conduct first all-female spacewalk (2019); Former Secretary of State Colin Powell dies (2021).

October 17

Actress Rita Hayworth born (1918); Mae Jemison, first Black woman in space, born (1956); Eminem born (1972); Mother Teresa wins Nobel Peace Prize (1979); Earthquake near San Francisco kills 63 (1989).

October 16

Marie Antoinette executed (1793); Author Oscar Wilde born (1854); The Walt Disney Co. founded (1923); Actress Angela Lansbury born (1925); Tony-, Academy-, and Emmy-winning actress Shirley Booth dies (1992).

October 15

"I Love Lucy" airs for first time (1951); Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, the Duchess of York, born (1959); Black Panther Party is created (1966); Wayne Gretzky becomes all-time NHL points leader (1989); Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen dies (2018).

October 14

President Dwight D. Eisenhower born (1890); Chuck Yeager becomes first person to fly faster than speed of sound (1947); Cuban Missile Crisis begins (1962); Martin Luther King Jr. wins Nobel Peace Prize (1964); American photographer Dody Weston Thompson dies (2012).

Christopher Columbus

"Famed explorer Christopher Columbus was likely Spanish and Jewish, according to a new genetic study conducted by Spanish scientists that aimed to shed light on a centuries-old mystery."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg2049ezpko

October 12

Christopher Columbus reaches the Caribbean, believes he reached the Indies (1492); American playwright Alice Childress born (1916); Wilt Chamberlain dies (1999); USS Cole is attacked by suicide bombers, killing 17 American sailors (2000); Eliud Kipchoge becomes first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon (2019)

October 11

Earthquake in Aleppo, Syria, kills 230,000 people (1138); Eleanor Roosevelt born (1884); "Saturday Night Live" premieres (1975); Kathryn D. Sullivan becomes first American woman to perform a spacewalk (1984); ... and Alexei Leonov, first person to ever perform a spacewalk, dies (2019).

GENERAL PULASKI MEMORIAL DAY

"General Pulaski Memorial Day on October 11, honors a Polish hero of the American Revolution."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/general-pulaski-memorial-day-october-11?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11298523&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

October

October 10

United States Naval Academy opens (1845); American actress Helen Hayes born (1900); Filmmaker Orson Welles dies (1985); Hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship ends (1985); "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve dies (2004).

October 9

John Lennon born (1940); Landslide in Italy kills more than 2,000 (1963); Cuban Revolution figure Che Guevara is executed (1967); Women and girl's education activist Malala Yousafzai survives assassination attempt (2012).

October 8

American politician John Hancock dies (1793); Great Chicago Fire begins, killing about 300 people and destroying most of the city (1871); Actress Sigourney Weaver born (1949); "Cats" debuts on Broadway (1982); Office of Homeland Security is created in the wake of 9/11 attacks (2001).

October 7

Edgar Allan Poe dies (1849); World’s oldest airline still operating, KLM, is founded (1919); American cellist Yo-Yo Ma born (1955); US invasion of Afghanistan begins (2001). 

October 4

Rembrandt dies (1669); Orient Express makes first run from Paris to Romania (1883); Hollywood legend Charlton Heston born (1923); Sputnik 1 is first artificial satellite to orbit Earth (1957); Rocker Janis Joplin dies (1970).

October 5

Harry Truman makes first US presidential television address from the White House (1947); Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson born (1958); Public Broadcasting Service launches (1970); Actress Kate Winslet born (1975); Steve Jobs dies (2011).

October 3

American singer-songwriter Chubby Checker born (1941); Gwen Stefani born (1969); East and West Germany are unified (1990); OJ Simpson acquitted of murdering ex-wife and her friend (1995); "Psycho" actress Janet Leigh dies (2004).

October 2

Mahatma Gandhi born (1869); Fashion designer Donna Karan born (1948); Thurgood Marshall sworn in as first Black Supreme Court justice (1967); Rock Hudson is first major US celebrity to die from AIDS-related complications (1985); Tom Petty dies (2017).

October 1

Yosemite National Park is established (1890); Bonnie Parker, half of the infamous crime duo Bonnie and Clyde, born (1910); President Jimmy Carter born (1924); Actress Dame Julie Andrews born (1935); Walt Disney World opens (1971); 58 killed, 869 injured from mass shooting in Las Vegas (2017).

September 30

American novelist and screenwriter Truman Capote born (1924); Babe Ruth is first player to hit 60 home runs in a season (1927); Actor James Dean dies in a car crash (1955); President John F. Kennedy authorizes federal troops to integrate University of Mississippi (1962); Oscar-winning actress Simone Signoret dies (1985).

September 27

Rosetta Stone is first deciphered (1822); First Black US senator Hiram Revels born (1827); Production of Ford Model T begins (1908); Legendary athlete Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias dies (1956); Actress Jenna Ortega born (2002). 

September 28

Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin's potential as global antibiotic (1928); Ted Williams is last major league baseball player to end season batting over .400 (1941); Jazz legend Miles Davis dies (1991); American tennis great and color barrier breaker Althea Gibson dies (2003); Rapper Coolio dies (2022).

September 26

Thomas Jefferson is appointed the first US secretary of state (1789); Albert Einstein publishes paper on the special theory of relativity (1905); Last recorded album by The Beatles, "Abbey Road," is released (1969); Serena Williams born (1981); Actor Paul Newman dies (2008).

September 25

US Congress passes the Bill of Rights (1789); "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve born (1952); The Little Rock Nine integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas (1957); Catherine Zeta-Jones born (1969); Golfer Arnold Palmer dies (2016).

September 23

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald born (1896); American astronomer Charlotte Moore Sitterly born (1898); Devils Tower in Wyoming is proclaimed the first American national monument (1906); "Muppets" creator Jim Henson born (1936). 

September 24

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald born (1896); American astronomer Charlotte Moore Sitterly born (1898); Devils Tower in Wyoming is proclaimed the first American national monument (1906); "Muppets" creator Jim Henson born (1936). 

September 20

American author Upton Sinclair born (1878); Legendary basketball coach Red Auerbach born (1917); Actress Sophia Loren born (1934); Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match (1973); Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico, resulting in 3,000 deaths and $90B in damage (2017).

September 21

Science fiction author HG Wells born (1866); "The Hobbit" is published (1937); Actor Bill Murray born (1950); Senate confirms Sandra Day O’Connor as first female Supreme Court justice (1981); Track and field legend Florence Griffith Joyner dies (1998).

September 19

President James Garfield dies from gunshot wounds (1881); British cultural icon and model Twiggy born (1949); First-ever underground nuclear test takes place in Nevada (1957); Jimmy Fallon born (1974); Deepwater Horizon oil spill is sealed after five-month oil leak (2010).

September 18

George Washington lays first cornerstone for the US Capitol (1793); New York Times founded (1851); Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg born (1959); Jimi Hendrix dies (1970); Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies (2020). 

September 16

Pilgrims depart from England on the Mayflower (1620); Actress Lauren Bacall born (1924); American musician BB King born (1925); Historian and author Henry Louis Gates Jr. born (1950); Golfer Bryson DeChambeau born (1993).

September 14

President William McKinley dies of gunshot wounds (1901); Soviet probe Luna 2 becomes the first human-made object to reach the moon (1959); Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is founded (1960); Actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly dies (1982); Singer Amy Winehouse born (1983).

September 13

Francis Scott Key writes America’s national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" (1814); Actor and producer Tyler Perry born (1969); Israel and Palestine sign peace accord (1993); Rapper Tupac Shakur dies six days after a drive-by shooting (1996); Ann Richards, educator and former governor of Texas, dies (2006).

September 12

Henry Hudson begins exploration of what will become known as the Hudson River (1609); Iconic track and field athlete Jesse Owens born (1913); Singer Barry White born (1944); Mae Jemison becomes first Black woman in space (1992); Johnny Cash dies (2003).

September 11

College football coach Bear Bryant born (1913); Chilean President Salvador Allende dies by suicide in midst of coup d'état (1973); Pete Rose breaks baseball’s all-time hits record (1985); Coordinated terrorist attacks in the US kill 2,977, injure over 6,000 others (2001); US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, attacked resulting in death of four Americans (2012).

September 10

Golf legend Arnold Palmer born (1929); Jack Ma, Chinese billionaire and cofounder of Alibaba, born (1964); Jane Wyman, actress and first wife of former President Ronald Reagan, dies (2007); Large Hadron Collider is tested for first time (2008); Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida (2017).

September 9

United States of America officially gets its name (1776); Actor Hugh Grant born (1960); Actor Adam Sandler born (1966); People's Republic of China founding father Mao Zedong dies (1976); Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning monarch of the UK at more than 63 years with crown (2015).

NATIONAL GRANDMA MOSES DAY

NATIONAL GRANDMA MOSES DAY | SEPTEMBER 7 "National Grandma Moses Day on September 7th celebrates the birth of Anna Mary Robertson Moses." https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-grandma-moses-day-september-7?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10951529&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

September 7

Uncle Sam first used as nickname for the US (1813); Rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly born (1936); "I Will Survive" singer Gloria Gaynor born (1943); Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio (1963); Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot, dies six days later (1996).

September 6

Magellan’s ship Victoria completes circumnavigation of the globe (1522); Social work pioneer Jane Addams born (1860); Munich massacre takes place at Munich Olympic Games; 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed by terrorist group (1972); Idris Elba born (1972); Actor Burt Reynolds dies (2018).

September 5

First Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia (1774); Actress Raquel Welch born (1940); Freddie Mercury born (1946); Voyager 1 is launched, is currently most distant human-made object from Earth (1977); Mother Teresa dies (1997).

September 4

Edmond Halley observes Halley’s comet for first time (1682); Beyoncé born (1981); Google is founded (1998); Crocodile Hunter host Steve Irwin killed by a stingray (2006); Comedian Joan Rivers dies (2014).

September 3

Treaty of Paris signed, ending American Revolutionary War (1783); Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Marguerite Higgins born (1920); Author Malcolm Gladwell born (1963); Football coaching legend Vince Lombardi dies (1970).

Bob Marley

Robert Nesta Marley OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of the genre, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style.[2][3] Marley increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a global figure in popular culture.[4][5] He became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality.[6] Marley is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms.[7][8] Marley also supported the legalisation of cannabis and advocated for Pan-Africanism.[9] In 1976, Marley survived an attempted assassination in his home, which was believed to be politically motivated.[10]Born in Nine Mile, Jamaica, Marley began his career in 1963, after forming the group Teenagers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, which became the Wailers. In 1965, they released their debut studio album, The Wailing Wailers, which included the single "One Love", a reworking of "People Get Ready". It was popular worldwide and established the group as a rising figure in reggae.[11] The Wailers released 11 more studio albums, and after signing to Island Records, changed their name to Bob Marley and the Wailers. While initially employing louder instrumentation and singing, they began engaging in rhythmic-based song construction in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which coincided with Marley's conversion to Rastafari. Around this time, Marley relocated to London, and the group embodied their musical shift with the release of the album The Best of The Wailers (1971).[12]Bob Marley and the Wailers began to gain international attention after signing to Island and touring in support of the albums Catch a Fire and Burnin' (both 1973). Following their disbandment a year later, Marley carried on under the band's name.[13] The album Natty Dread (1974) received positive reviews. In 1975, following the global popularity of Eric Clapton's version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff",[14] Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica, a live version of "No Woman, No Cry", from the Live! album.[15] This was followed by his breakthrough album in the United States, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which reached the Top 50 of the Billboard Soul Charts.[16] A few months later, Marley survived an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica and permanently relocated to London. There, he recorded the album Exodus, which incorporated elements of blues, soul, and British rock and had commercial and critical success. In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma; he died in May 1981, shortly after baptism into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Fans around the world expressed their grief, and he received a state funeral in Jamaica.The greatest hits album Legend was released in 1984 and became the best-selling reggae album of all time.[17] Marley also ranks as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records worldwide.[18] He was posthumously honoured by Jamaica soon after his death with a designated Order of Merit by his nation. In 1994, Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 11 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[19] and No. 98 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[20] His other achievements include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and induction into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.Born in Nine Mile, Jamaica, Marley began his career in 1963, after forming the group Teenagers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, which became the Wailers. In 1965, they released their debut studio album, The Wailing Wailers, which included the single "One Love", a reworking of "People Get Ready". It was popular worldwide and established the group as a rising figure in reggae.[11] The Wailers released 11 more studio albums, and after signing to Island Records, changed their name to Bob Marley and the Wailers. While initially employing louder instrumentation and singing, they began engaging in rhythmic-based song construction in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which coincided with Marley's conversion to Rastafari. Around this time, Marley relocated to London, and the group embodied their musical shift with the release of the album The Best of The Wailers (1971).[12]Bob Marley and the Wailers began to gain international attention after signing to Island and touring in support of the albums Catch a Fire and Burnin' (both 1973). Following their disbandment a year later, Marley carried on under the band's name.[13] The album Natty Dread (1974) received positive reviews. In 1975, following the global popularity of Eric Clapton's version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff",[14] Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica, a live version of "No Woman, No Cry", from the Live! album.[15] This was followed by his breakthrough album in the United States, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which reached the Top 50 of the Billboard Soul Charts.[16] A few months later, Marley survived an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica and permanently relocated to London. There, he recorded the album Exodus, which incorporated elements of blues, soul, and British rock and had commercial and critical success. In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma; he died in May 1981, shortly after baptism into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Fans around the world expressed their grief, and he received a state funeral in Jamaica.The greatest hits album Legend was released in 1984 and became the best-selling reggae album of all time.[17] Marley also ranks as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records worldwide.[18] He was posthumously honoured by Jamaica soon after his death with a designated Order of Merit by his nation. In 1994, Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 11 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[19] and No. 98 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[20] His other achievements include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and induction into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.Born in Nine Mile, Jamaica, Marley began his career in 1963, after forming the group Teenagers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, which became the Wailers. In 1965, they released their debut studio album, The Wailing Wailers, which included the single "One Love", a reworking of "People Get Ready". It was popular worldwide and established the group as a rising figure in reggae.[11] The Wailers released 11 more studio albums, and after signing to Island Records, changed their name to Bob Marley and the Wailers. While initially employing louder instrumentation and singing, they began engaging in rhythmic-based song construction in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which coincided with Marley's conversion to Rastafari. Around this time, Marley relocated to London, and the group embodied their musical shift with the release of the album The Best of The Wailers (1971).[12]Bob Marley and the Wailers began to gain international attention after signing to Island and touring in support of the albums Catch a Fire and Burnin' (both 1973). Following their disbandment a year later, Marley carried on under the band's name.[13] The album Natty Dread (1974) received positive reviews. In 1975, following the global popularity of Eric Clapton's version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff",[14] Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica, a live version of "No Woman, No Cry", from the Live! album.[15] This was followed by his breakthrough album in the United States, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which reached the Top 50 of the Billboard Soul Charts.[16] A few months later, Marley survived an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica and permanently relocated to London. There, he recorded the album Exodus, which incorporated elements of blues, soul, and British rock and had commercial and critical success. In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma; he died in May 1981, shortly after baptism into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Fans around the world expressed their grief, and he received a state funeral in Jamaica.The greatest hits album Legend was released in 1984 and became the best-selling reggae album of all time.[17] Marley also ranks as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records worldwide.[18] He was posthumously honoured by Jamaica soon after his death with a designated Order of Merit by his nation. In 1994, Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 11 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[19] and No. 98 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[20] His other achievements include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and induction into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

August 30

Baseball great Ted Williams born (1918); Warren Buffett born (1930); Thurgood Marshall becomes first Black Supreme Court justice (1967); Cameron Diaz born (1972); Guion Bluford becomes first Black person in space (1983).

August 29

"Casablanca" actress Ingrid Bergman born, dies (1915, 1982); Senator John McCain born (1936); Michael Jackson born (1958); Netflix is founded (1997); Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in Louisiana, kills more than 1,800 (2005).

August 28

Black teenager Emmett Till is brutally lynched after wrongfully being accused of offending a white woman (1955); MLK delivers "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, DC (1963); Shania Twain born (1965); Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorce (1996); Actor Chadwick Boseman dies (2020).

August 27

Krakatoa volcano eruption, among the largest in recorded history, kills around 40,000 (1883); President Lyndon B. Johnson born (1908); "Guinness Book of World Records" first published (1955); Sociologist and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois dies (1963); American vaudevillian Gracie Allen dies (1964).

August 26

Mother Teresa born (1910); 19th Amendment, granting US women right to vote, takes effect (1920); First televised Major League Baseball game (1939); 13 US military personnel, more than 169 Afghans killed during suicide bombing at Kabul airport (2021); Television host Bob Barker dies (2023).

Julius Caesar

"Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire."

https://www.unrv.com/julius-caesar/index.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+081+-+7423123&sh_kit=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01

August 24

Mount Vesuvius erupts, killing up to 15,000 people (79); Thomas Edison files patent for the Kinetoscope, an early motion-picture viewer (1891); Brazilian author Paulo Coelho born (1947); Windows 95 released (1995).

August 23

Actor River Phoenix born (1970); Salad Bowl strike begins; largest farmworker strike in US history (1970); Kobe Bryant born (1978); 12-time Olympic swimming medalist Natalie Coughlin born (1982); World Wide Web opens to the public (1991).

August 22

First Geneva Convention held (1864); American poet Dorothy Parker born (1893); Cadillac Motor Co. founded (1902); Althea Gibson is first African American to compete in a US national tennis tournament (1950); Black Panther Party founder Huey Newton is murdered (1989).

August 21

Nat Turner leads rebellion of enslaved people (1831); "Mona Lisa" stolen from The Louvre Museum, is recovered two years later (1911); Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain born (1936); Hawaii becomes 50th US state (1959); Usain Bolt born (1986).

August 20

First around-the-world telegram sent (1911); "Valley of the Dolls" author Jacqueline Susann is born (1918); Actress Amy Adams born (1974); NASA launches Viking 1 probe toward Mars (1975); Comedian Jerry Lewis dies (2017).

August 19

Fashion designer Coco Chanel born (1883); Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500, hosts first race (1909); Former President Bill Clinton born (1946); Comedian Groucho Marx dies (1977); Final US combat brigade leaves Iraq (2010).

August 17

Actress Mae West born (1893); Robert De Niro born (1943); George Orwell's "Animal Farm" published (1945); President Bill Clinton admits to improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky (1998); Michael Phelps becomes first person to win eight gold medals in single Olympics (2008).

August 16

Gold is discovered in Canada’s Yukon Territory, sparks Klondike gold rush (1896); Babe Ruth dies (1948); Sports Illustrated is first published (1954); Madonna is born (1958); Elvis Presley dies (1977); Aretha Franklin dies (2018).

August 15

Napoleon Bonaparte born (1769); Iconic chef and TV host Julia Child born (1912); Panama Canal opens (1914); Woodstock music festival begins (1969); Civil rights activist Julian Bond dies (2015).

August 14

Steve Martin born (1945); Magic Johnson born (1959); Halle Berry born (1966); Blackout in the US and Canada affects 53 million (2003); US Embassy in Cuba opens for first time in 54 years (2015).

August 13

Sharpshooter Annie Oakley born (1860); Florence Nightingale, pioneer of modern nursing, dies (1910); Fidel Castro born (1926); Construction of the Berlin Wall begins (1961); Baseball great Mickey Mantle dies (1995); Celebrity chef Julia Child dies (2004).

Queen Elizabeth II

"Few figures loom larger in modern history than Queen Elizabeth II, who died at age 96 on September 8, 2022, after reigning for a record-setting 70 years."

https://interestingfacts.com/queen-elizabeth-facts/

August 12

Egyptian queen Cleopatra dies by suicide (30 BCE, estimated); James Bond creator Ian Fleming dies (1964); IBM personal computer is released (1981); Largest ever Tyrannosaurus rex discovered (1990); Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall dies (2014).

August 10

The Louvre opens in Paris (1793); Smithsonian Institution established (1846); Former President Herbert Hoover born (1874); "Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins born (1962); Jeffrey Epstein found dead in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges (2019).

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus

"Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, better known as Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, was the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to rule the Roman Empire."

https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/nero.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+077+-+7369720&sh_kit=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01

August 9

The US drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing over 40,000 (1945); Whitney Houston born (1963); Actress Sharon Tate, four others murdered by Manson Family (1969); Gerald Ford becomes US president as Richard Nixon resigns (1974); Musician Jerry Garcia dies (1995).

August 8

Thomas Edison patents the mimeograph (1876); Writer Shirley Jackson dies (1965); President Richard Nixon announces his resignation (1974); Roger Federer born (1981); Olivia Newton-John dies (2022). 

August 7

Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche born (1904); Operation Desert Shield preps the US to enter Gulf War (1990); US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania are bombed, killing 224 and wounding 4,500 (1998); Track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone born (1999); Journalist Peter Jennings dies (2005).

August 6

Actress Lucille Ball born (1911); Pop artist Andy Warhol born (1928); "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, killing more than 70,000 (1945); Actress Michelle Yeoh born (1962); Voting Rights Act signed (1965); Curiosity rover lands on Mars (2012).

August 5

Space pioneer Neil Armstrong born (1930); Marilyn Monroe found dead in her Los Angeles home (1962); The US, the UK, and the Soviet Union sign Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963); Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison dies (2019).

August 3

Singer Tony Bennett born (1926); Martha Stewart born (1941); Rival basketball leagues merge to form the NBA (1949); Tom Brady born (1977); 23 killed and 23 injured in mass shooting in El Paso, Texas (2019).

August 2

Declaration of Independence is signed (1776); American actress Myrna Loy born (1905); Alexander Graham Bell dies (1922); Author and activist James Baldwin born (1924); Iraq invades Kuwait, leading to Gulf War (1990).

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is among the most talented and insightful individuals to ever share our planet. His indelible legacy as a masterful painter persists to this day, as works such as the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper” can attest. In addition to being a prolific Renaissance artist, Leonardo was also a brilliant theorist. His views on the human condition were ahead of their time and remain as relevant today as they were more than 500 years ago. Leonardo kept an extensive series of notebooks and journals to chronicle his thoughts on topics such as painting, anatomy, botany, and paleontology, to name just a few. These original sources provide us with an invaluable direct look into the mind of this great polymath, whose brilliant philosophical observations have inspired countless others over the centuries.

August 1

"Moby-Dick" author Herman Melville born (1819); American frontierswoman Calamity Jane dies (1903); Sniper kills 14, wounds 31 at University of Texas (1966); MTV launches with "Video Killed the Radio Star" as first video (1981).

July 31

Seventeenth US president Andrew Johnson dies (1875); Entrepreneur Mark Cuban born (1958); "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling born (1965); START I signed by the US and Soviet Union to begin nuclear arms reduction (1991); Basketball legend Bill Russell dies (2022).

Lucius Septimius Bassianus

"Lucius Septimius Bassianus, later to be known as Emperor Caracalla, was the elder of two sons of the emperor Septimius Severus." https://www.unrv.com/decline-of-empire/caracalla.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+067+-+7219386&sh_kit=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01

Elagabalus

"Only one Roman emperor has managed to surpass Caligula's reputation for deranged behaviour and homicidal debauchery, and that is the man who takes his name from the god he attempted to impose on Rome: Elagabalus." https://www.unrv.com/decline-of-empire/elagabalus-syrian-emperor.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+067+-+7219386&sh_kit=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01

July 30

British author Emily Brontë born (1818); Automobile pioneer Henry Ford born (1863); Uruguay wins first World Cup (1930); Arnold Schwarzenegger born (1947); British singer Kate Bush born (1958); Medicare and Medicaid established in the US (1965).

Walter Elias Disney

Wherever the young Disney went, he drew. At high school he became the cartoonist for the school newspaper and took night courses at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. He lied about his age to join the Red Cross just before the end of World War I, and during the war he drew cartoons on the side of his ambulance and had some work published in Stars and Stripes. Then, at 18, he began an apprenticeship at a commercial art studio. Disney became increasingly interested in animation in the burgeoning silent film industry, and in 1921 founded his Laugh-O-Gram Studio. His short cartoons didn’t earn enough money, and the studio went bankrupt in 1923. Later that year he moved to Hollywood and founded the Disney Brothers Studio‍ with his brother Roy — the same studio that would later become the world-famous Walt Disney Company. With the help of his creation, Mickey Mouse, Disney became more and more successful during the following decade, despite plenty of bumps along the road. He won his first Academy Award in 1932, his second a year later, and went on to win 22 Oscars during his career — more than anyone else in history. Beloved animated classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo, and Sleeping Beauty made Disney a cultural icon, and his theme parks, merchandise, and other interests made him a wealthy man. Disney died in 1966, but remains a towering figure in pop culture. Today, he is widely quoted online, for his words of inspiration and his business and leadership acumen. But, much like Mark Twain and Winston Churchill, he has also been attached to many famous quotes that he never actually said. Here, we set the record straight with 9 quotes often misattributed to the legendary animator.

July 29

Vincent van Gogh dies (1890); NASA is established (1958); 750 million people worldwide watch wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (1981); Nobel Prize-winning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin dies (1994).

Titus Flavius Vespasianus

"Born in 9 AD, near the end of the reign of Augustus, Titus Flavius Vespasianus was raised an equestrian in the turbulent political environment of Tiberius' reign." https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/vespasian.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+065+-+7215709&sh_kit=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01

July 27

US Department of State is established (1789); Figure skating legend Peggy Fleming born (1948); House brings impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon (1974); NBA player Reggie Lewis collapses and dies at practice (1993); Comedian and actor Bob Hope dies (2003).

July 26

US postal system established (1775); Federal Bureau of Investigation is founded (1908); Actress Dame Helen Mirren born (1945); Former Argentine first lady Eva Perón dies (1952); Sinéad O'Connor dies (2023).

July 25

DNA scientist Rosalind Franklin born (1920); Football great Walter Payton born (1953 or 1954); First baby born via in vitro fertilization (1978); Rock Hudson is first major celeb to announce AIDS diagnosis (1985); Concorde Air France crash kills 113 (2000).

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as President of the United States for more than 12 years, helping the nation navigate through times of great difficulty and uncertainty. Roosevelt led Americans out of the Great Depression, enacted a sweeping series of reforms known as the New Deal, and ushered the nation through World War II. Through these trying times, FDR’s words often provided reassurance to the American people, who looked to their leader for regular guidance in an otherwise unpredictable world. Several FDR quotes maintain a high degree of popularity today, such as his oft-repeated words, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Odds are we’ve also all heard him describe the attack on Pearl Harbor as “a date which will live in infamy.” But Roosevelt’s legacy extends far beyond those two popular quotations. The former President was a prodigious speaker who delivered hundreds — if not thousands — of speeches during his extensive political career. Each time FDR took the dais, he spoke with a level of intelligence and eloquence that made every speech notable and quoteworthy.

Rumi

Poet, spiritual teacher, mystical dancer, and cultural leader: The writer known as Rumi held many roles in the 13th century, and continues to be one of the most popular poets in the world today. Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī was born in Afghanistan in 1207. He traveled through Uzbekistan, Iran, and Syria, and spent much of his life in Turkey before his death in 1273. He wrote in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Greek, and is widely seen as the most influential mystical writer in the Muslim tradition. His deeply human and universally inspiring works have now been translated in more than 20 languages and sold millions of copies. Rumi’s father and grandfather were traditional Muslim preachers and scholars, and Rumi followed in their footsteps. But when he met a wandering holy man named Shams of Tabriz in 1244, he embarked on a new life journey into mysticism and poetry. Rumi’s relationship with Shams and his mourning of Shams’ death a few years after they met fueled his prolific writing. Rumi wrote tens of thousands of individual pieces, many of which were devotional songs for Shams, the prophet Muhammad, and God, along with his masterwork, The Masnavi, which is composed of 26,000 couplets (two lines of verse that form a poetic unit). He described transcendent love, the holy nature of everyday experiences, joy, grief, and more with an accessible, lyrical voice. Many of his poems were written as he spun in a whirling dance or were composed to be sung in gatherings of Sufis (Islamic mystics). Both during his life and after, Rumi’s vibrant musings appealed to people of many faiths and backgrounds. As one of the key translators of Rumi’s work, Coleman Barks, wrote, “He wants us to be more alive, to wake up … He wants us to see our beauty, in the mirror and in each other."

July 24

Jacques Cartier claims Canada for France (1534); Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart born (1897); Machu Picchu is rediscovered (1911); Apollo 11 splashes safely in the Pacific (1969); Jennifer Lopez born (1969).

NATIONAL AMELIA EARHART DAY

"Each year on July 24, National Amelia Earhart Day honors the achievements of the aviation pioneer on the date of her birth." https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-amelia-earhart-day-july-24?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10514247&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

July 23

Ulysses S. Grant dies (1885); 43 killed, over 1,000 injured in Detroit Riot (1967); British actor Daniel Radcliffe born (1989); Hale-Bopp comet is discovered (1995); Amy Winehouse dies (2011); Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, dies (2012).

July 22

"America the Beautiful" written (1893); Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta born (1932); Infamous gangster John Dillinger killed by federal agents (1934); "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek born (1940); Singer and actress Selena Gomez born (1992).

July 20

Mount Everest explorer Sir Edmund Hillary born (1919); Bruce Lee dies (1973); Viking 1 is first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars (1976); Model Gisele Bündchen born (1980).

July 19

Inventor and businessman Samuel Colt born (1814); First US women’s rights convention held (1848); Maurice Garin becomes first winner of Tour de France (1903); Sports journalist Stuart Scott born (1965); First GPS signal transmitted (1977).

July 18

Novelist Jane Austen dies (1817); Nelson Mandela born (1918); Astronaut and politician John Glenn born (1921); Nadia Comăneci gets first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history (1976); Actress Priyanka Chopra born (1982).

July 17

Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California (1955); Jazz singer Billie Holiday dies (1959); Broadcast legend Walter Cronkite dies (2009); Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down, 298 killed (2014); Politician and civil rights leader John Lewis dies (2020).

July 16

Rosetta Stone is found in Egypt (1799); Businesswoman and journalist Arianna Huffington born (1950); Fashion designer Gianni Versace is murdered (1997); Twitter is launched (2006).

July 11

District of Columbia established as capital of the US (1790); Journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett born (1862); First successful atom bomb test (1945); JD Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" published (1951); Apollo 11 launches with first astronauts who will walk on the moon (1969).

Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius

"The rise of Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius, more simply known as Antoninus Pius, could be considered an unlikely yet fortunate turn of events."

https://www.unrv.com/five-good-emperors/antoninus-pius.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+051+-+7149304

Gaius Pontius

"Gaius Pontius came from a leading Samnite family - a large confederation of Sabellic tribes who occupied the mountains of central and southern Italy."

https://www.unrv.com/bio/gaius-pontius.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+050+-+7149221#google_vignette

July 13

Julius Caesar born (100 BCE); First World Cup begins in Uruguay (1930); Sir Patrick Stewart born (1940); Artist Frida Kahlo dies (1954); Live Aid concert raises more than $125M for Africa famine relief (1985).

July 12

US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton dies (1804); The Rolling Stones perform first concert (1962); Geraldine Ferraro is first American female major-party VP candidate (1984); Activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai born (1997).

Abraham Lincoln

"Abraham Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and helped bring about the abolition of slavery. But the 16th president also had a lighter side."

https://historyfacts.com/famous-figures/article/funny-facts-about-president-abraham-lincoln/

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus

"Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (62 - 113 AD), nephew and later adopted son of Pliny the Elder, was an influential orator and statesman of the early empire. "

https://www.unrv.com/culture/pliny-the-younger.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+048+-+7148963

July 11

President John Quincy Adams born (1767); Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounds Alexander Hamilton in duel (1804); "To Kill a Mockingbird" is published (1960); Iconic actor Laurence Olivier dies (1989); Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson dies (2007).

July 10

Iconic inventor Nikola Tesla born (1856); Scopes Monkey Trial begins (1925); Tennis player Arthur Ashe born (1943); Actress Sofia Vergara born (1972); Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega sentenced to 40 years in prison in Miami on drug charges (1992).

July 9

14th Amendment ratified in the US, granting citizenship to African Americans (1868); First Wimbledon tournament begins (1877); Actor Tom Hanks born (1956); Andy Warhol's iconic "Campbell's Soup Cans" make its debut (1962); Musician Courtney Love born (1964).

Sulla

"The life of Sulla is one of stark contrast, and yet striking similarities, to those of Marius, and later, Julius Caesar."

https://www.unrv.com/empire/lucius-cornelius-sulla.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+046+-+7148799#google_vignette

Gladiatorial Games

"By the 1st century BC, the gladiatorial games were becoming more and more common as a form of entertainment (and mob distraction)."

https://www.unrv.com/roman-republic/spartacus.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+046+-+7148799

Marcus Licinius Crassus

"Marcus Licinius Crassus (115-53 BC) was the son of a Censor and of a prestigious Plebeian family."

https://www.unrv.com/roman-republic/crassus.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+046+-+7148799

Confucius

Kung-fu-tsu, better known to the Western world as Confucius, was a philosopher, sage, and teacher whose wisdom has shaped Chinese thought for over 2,000 years. Born into a China that was a mosaic of small and often warring states, Confucius developed a philosophy that sought to bring peace and prosperity to all people.

Confucianism was deeply rooted in ethics, virtue, and correct behavior. It taught that each person could contribute to universal harmony if they practiced self-discipline, cultivated their characters, and performed the roles that had been allotted to them. Not everyone could be born a king or lord, but being a good parent or dutiful child could be just as nourishing to the soul and important to a peaceful existence.

To Confucius, happiness came not through gluttony and self-indulgence, but through frugality and duty to others. He believed fulfilling the needs of others could also fill oneself with serenity and gratitude. Forgoing one’s duty to serve, on the other hand, could have wider damaging effects: A ruler who ignored the needs of their subjects might unbalance the cosmos and suffer a reign beset with natural disasters.

Confucius set out four simple virtues that he believed were enough to keep the world in its proper order: benevolence, moral wisdom, righteousness, and observance of traditional rituals. According to Confucianism, ritual brings together a community in peace and helps to cultivate “ren,” a Chinese word meaning humanity, goodness, and love. Confucius taught that once we understand our shared humanity, we open ourselves up to feelings of altruism, respect for one another, and even friendship.

In Confucius’ idea of the ideal state, the rulers were kind, religion was properly celebrated, and the wise were treasured. Despite living in difficult times and often in exile, Confucius spent his life seeking to help others achieve this.

After Confucius’ death in 479 BCE, his disciples spread around the country to advise Chinese rulers in his worldview and political theories. In time, Confucianism became the dominant philosophy in China and other parts of eastern Asia, and remained so for centuries. Confucius’ sayings have endured to this day (and many others have been falsely attributed to the sage). 

Pompey

"When Pompey and the Senate fled Rome from Caesar in 49 BC, he did so without an army. As a result, he was forced to draw upon the eastern provinces and allied client states for recruits and supplies. "https://www.unrv.com/julius-caesar/veni-vidi-vici.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+045+-+7148554

Comitia Tributa

"During the Republic, the Pontifex was elected by the Comitia Tributa and served for life, while during the Empire, the position was generally held by the Emperor himself."https://www.unrv.com/culture/pontifex-maximus.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+045+-+7148554

July 8

Businessman and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller born (1839); "Gone with the Wind" actress Vivien Leigh dies (1967); Atlantis is launched as final mission of US Space Shuttle program (2011); Former first lady and social activist Betty Ford dies (2011); Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assassinated (2022).

Morrigon

"While there seem to be many differences of opinion with regards to the nature of the goddess Morrigan, the general consensus among sources is that she is a goddess of war, death and fertility."

https://www.unrv.com/culture/morrigan.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+044+-+7145101

July 6

Artist Frida Kahlo born (1907); First MLB All-Star Game held (1933); President George W. Bush born (1946); Althea Gibson becomes first African American to win Wimbledon (1957); Musician Louis Armstrong dies (1971).

July 5

26th Amendment signed, lowers voting age from 21 to 18 in the US (1971); Arthur Ashe becomes first Black man to win Wimbledon (1975); Dolly the Sheep becomes first cloned mammal (1996); Baseball great Ted Williams dies (2002).

July 3

Battle of Gettysburg ends on Pickett’s Charge (1863); Dow Jones publishes its first stock average (1884); Actor Tom Cruise born (1962); Musician Jim Morrison dies (1971); Actress Olivia Munn born (1980).

Publius Septimius Geta

"Publius Septimius Geta was born on 7 March 189 AD at Mediolanuni. He was the second son of emperor Septimius Severus."

https://www.unrv.com/emperors/geta.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+039+-+7132438#google_vignette

Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Marcus Tullius Cicero was born in 106 BC, hailing from a local equestrian family in Arpinum."

https://www.unrv.com/roman-republic/cicero.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+039+-+7132438

July 2

Thurgood Marshall, first Black US Supreme Court justice, born (1908); Amelia Earhart disappears on round-the-world flight (1937); Ernest Hemingway dies (1961); Businessman Sam Walton opens first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas (1962); Civil Rights Act is signed into law (1964).

July 1

Civil War Battle of Gettysburg begins (1863); Canada becomes a country (1867); Abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe dies (1896); Princess Diana born (1961); China regains sovereignty over Hong Kong (1997).

Tiberius Claudius Nero

"Upon the death of Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Nero stood as the last logical choice in a long and tumultuous line of potential heirs."

https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/tiberius.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+037+-+7132099

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, is considered one of the greatest writers in American literature. Born in Missouri in 1835, he became a renowned writer, humorist, and lecturer, much esteemed and treasured by the general public — so much so that his friend, inventor Thomas Edison, once said, “An average American loves his family. If he has any love left over for some other person, he generally selects Mark Twain.”

Twain’s influence over American culture and literature has not faded since his passing in 1910. His books, including classics like Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, continue to be read and studied across the nation today.  He also remains one of the most quotable (and misquoted) figures in the history of the English language — a testament to the timeless nature of his words.To better understand the monumental character of the man, here are a few things you might not know about the magnificent Mark Twain.

TWAIN WAS QUITE A HANDFUL AS A BOY

Twain was born Samuel Clemens on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He was two months premature and was quite sickly for the first 10 years of his life. As such, his mother, Jane Clemens, spoiled him to the extent that he became something of a mischief-maker — not unlike the young Tom Sawyer. When Twain’s mother was in her 80s, he asked her about his early years of ill health and whether she was “uneasy” about him. “Yes, the whole time,” she replied. “Afraid I wouldn’t live?” asked Twain. “No,” she said, “afraid you would.”

TWAIN WAS A STEAMBOAT PILOT

As a teenager, Twain wanted nothing more than to be a steamboat pilot. “Pilot was the grandest position of all,” he later wrote. “The pilot, even in those days of trivial wages, had a princely salary—from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a month, and no board to pay.”Twain became an apprentice pilot and, after more than two years, received his pilot's license. He worked as a pilot until the Civil War broke out in 1861.HE WAS NO STRANGER TO TRAGEDYTwain's childhood was marked by tragedy. Three of his six siblings died from disease while they were still children, and his father died of pneumonia when Twain was 12.Later, while training as a steamboat pilot, he invited his younger brother, Henry, to come work with him on the riverboat Pennsylvania. Henry was killed when one of the boat’s boilers exploded; Twain was not on board at the time, but he blamed himself for the rest of his life.

TWAIN’S PEN NAME COMES FROM HIS STEAMBOAT DAYS

Twain used a number of peculiar noms de plume before deciding on “Mark Twain,” including W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab, Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Sergeant Fathom, and Josh. His pseudonym Mark Twain first appeared in print in 1863.Twain himself wrote that his pen name came from his years working on the Mississippi River, where riverboatmen would cry out “mark twain” to indicate a depth of two fathoms (12 feet), which was safe for a steamboat to navigate.

TWAIN ALMOST GOT HIMSELF INTO A DUEL

When he was 28, Twain managed to get himself in such a mess that he ended up challenging the editor of a rival newspaper to a duel. It all started with one of Twain’s satirical articles—written while drunk—about a charity fundraiser was published in Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise. It caused quite a scandal.The precise details of the events have been clouded by conflicting accounts and later embellishments, but at least three challenges to duels were issued, one by Twain himself, and two from men demanding a faceoff with Twain. All the bluster eventually died down without a single shot fired.

TWAIN PREFERRED CATS TO PEOPLE

At one point in his life, Twain owned 19 cats, with names ranging from Beelzebub to Blatherskite to Buffalo Bill. He was obsessed with cats — they appear frequently in his stories — and seemed to prefer their company to that of people. “If man could be crossed with the cat,” he once wrote, “it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat."

HE WAS A FAN OF INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS

Twain had a great interest in science and innovation. He himself patented three inventions: an elastic strap designed to replace suspenders; a history trivia game about European monarchs; and a self-pasting scrapbook.Twain also became great friends with inventors like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Twain and Tesla  appear in a number of photographs together, and Tesla once cured Twain’s constipation by placing the writer on an electromechanical oscillator.

TWAIN WASN’T THE WORLD’S WISEST INVESTOR

Despite his ingenuity, Twain lost a huge amount of money investing in new inventions and technology. His most disastrous investment was the Paige typesetting machine. He invested around $300,000 on it — around $8 million today — only for the machine to be rendered obsolete before it was finished.He also famously turned down the investment of a lifetime: Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. “I declined,” Twain later explained. “I said I didn't want anything more to do with wildcat speculation.”

HE RAN UP A HUGE AMOUNT OF DEBT — BUT PAID IT ALL BACK

Twain made good money from his writing, but his terrible investments saw him run up a lot of debt and ultimately file for bankruptcy. Being an honorable man, however, he wanted to make things right. In 1895, he set off on a year-long, worldwide lecture tour. It was tough going, but by the end he had earned enough to pay off his creditors in full — even though he was no longer legally obliged to do so.

THE ONLY KNOWN MOVIE FOOTAGE OF TWAIN WAS SHOT BY THOMAS EDISON

In 1909, Thomas Edison visited Twain at Stormfield House, his home in Redding, Connecticut. Edison took his camera and shot what is believed to be the only movie footage of Mark Twain in existence. The short film shows the writer walking outside his home, dressed in his characteristic white suit, and then seated with his two daughters, Clara and Jean. Twain died at Stormfield the following year at the age of 74.

Sulla

"The life of Sulla is one of stark contrast, and yet striking similarities, to those of Marius, and later, Julius Caesar. "

https://www.unrv.com/empire/lucius-cornelius-sulla.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+036+-+7132032#google_vignette

June 29

Original Globe Theatre burns to the ground (1613); English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning dies (1861); NBA star Kawhi Leonard born (1991); US Space Shuttle docks with Russian space station for first time (1995); Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn dies (2003); Apple releases first iPhone (2007).

June 28

Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated, sparking World War I (1914); Treaty of Versailles is signed, formally ending World War I (1919); Stonewall uprising begins (1969); Elon Musk born (1971); Basketball coach Pat Summitt dies (2016).

Paul Bunyan

NATIONAL PAUL BUNYAN DAY

"On June 28, we fondly remember the tales of the big blue ox and a mighty lumberjack."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-paul-bunyan-day-june-28?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10236663&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

June 27

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founder Joseph Smith killed by a mob in jail (1844); Author Paul Laurence Dunbar born (1872); Helen Keller born (1880); The US enters the Korean War (1950); Director JJ Abrams born (1966).

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus

"Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, better known as Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, was the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to rule the Roman Empire."https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/nero.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV%20Roman%20History%20Newsletter%20-%20Issue%20033%20-%207131522

June 26

Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro is assassinated (1541); Sports great Babe Didrikson Zaharias born (1911); Berlin Airlift begins (1948); JFK delivers famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech (1963); Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in the US (2015).

June 25

Korean War begins (1950); Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain born (1956); Actress and model Farrah Fawcett dies (2009); Michael Jackson dies from drug overdose administered by his physician, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter (2009).

June 24

Boxing great Jack Dempsey born (1895); First exhibit by Pablo Picasso opens in Paris (1901); Actress Mindy Kaling born (1979); Soccer star Lionel Messi born (1987); Condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, kills 98 (2021).

Gaius Marius

"Gaius Marius was born near Arpinum, and was the son of a small plebeian farmer."

https://www.unrv.com/empire/gaius-marius.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+030+-+7127967#google_vignette

June 22

Department of Justice established (1870); GI Bill is signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1944); Actress Meryl Streep born (1949); Actress and singer Judy Garland dies (1969); Dancer Fred Astaire dies (1987).

Donald Sutherland

"Donald Sutherland, the tall, lean and long-faced Canadian actor who became a countercultural icon with such films as “The Dirty Dozen,” “MASH,” “Klute” and “Don’t Look Now,” and who subsequently enjoyed a prolific and wide-ranging career in films including “Ordinary People,” “Without Limits” and the “Hunger Games” films, died Thursday in Miami after a long illness, CAA confirmed. He was 88."

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/donald-sutherland-dead-mash-hunger-games-1236043323/

Caesarion

"Caesarion stands as a significant historical figure, being the last pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt."

https://www.unrv.com/fall-republic/caesarion.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+028+-+7124993

June 21

US Constitution is ratified (1788); Benazir Bhutto, first female prime minister of Pakistan, born (1953); Prince William born (1982); Frida Kahlo is first Hispanic woman honored on US postage stamp (2001).

June 20

Samuel Morse patents the telegraph (1840); Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson born (1942); Mobster Bugsy Siegel is murdered (1947); Actress Nicole Kidman born (1967); Manjil–Rudbar earthquake kills 35,000-50,000 (1990).

June 19

First recorded game of baseball (1846); Baseball great Lou Gehrig born (1903); Author Salman Rushdie born (1947); Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed for espionage (1953); Actress Zoe Saldana born (1978); Koko the gorilla dies (2018).

Maximinus Thrax

"Maximinus Thrax, born Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus around 173 AD, was a Roman emperor who ruled from 235 to 238 AD."https://www.unrv.com/emperors/maximinus-thrax.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+025+-+7122950

June 18

The US declares war against Great Britain as War of 1812 begins (1812); Paul McCartney born (1942); Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space (1983); Five people die after submersible implodes while exploring wreckage of the Titanic (2023).

June 17

Battle of Bunker Hill fought (1775); Statue of Liberty arrives in New York as gift from France (1885); Tennis star Venus Williams born (1980); Rapper Kendrick Lamar born (1987); Juneteenth established as US federal holiday (2021).

Caligula

"Caligula, the third Roman emperor, is known for his tumultuous relationship with the Roman Senate during his reign."

https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/caligula/caligula-relationship-roman-senate.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+022+-+7122444

Commodus

"The assassination of Commodus, followed by the short reign of Pertinax and the auction of the empire to Didius Julianus, led to civil war and the rise of Septimius Severus."

https://www.unrv.com/decline-of-empire/septimius-severus.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+022+-+7122444

Kevin O'Leary

"Terrence Thomas Kevin O'Leary (born July 9, 1954), sometimes called Mr. Wonderful or Maple Man, is a Canadian businessman, investor, journalist, and television personality."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_O'Leary

June 14

Stars and Stripes officially adopted as flag of the US (1777); Abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe born (1811); Former President Donald Trump born (1946); High-rise fire in London kills 72 (2017).

June 15

Magna Carta is sealed by King John (1215); Arlington National Cemetery is established (1864); Henry Ossian Flipper becomes first Black graduate from West Point (1877); Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald dies (1996).

June 13

Miranda rights are established (1966); Thurgood Marshall becomes first African American nominated to Supreme Court (1967); Pioneer 10 is first human-made object to exit our solar system (1983); Actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen born (1986).

June 12

Former President George HW Bush born (1924); Anne Frank born (1929); Nelson Mandela sentenced to life in prison in South Africa (1964); President Ronald Reagan delivers famous "tear down this wall" speech (1987); 49 killed in mass shooting at nightclub in Orlando (2016).

June 11

Politician and suffragist Jeannette Rankin born (1880); President John F. Kennedy sends in Alabama National Guard to integrate University of Alabama (1963); Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington are first two women to become generals in the US Armed Forces (1970); Actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee dies (2014).

June 10

Benjamin Franklin conducts famous kite experiment (1752); Hattie McDaniel, first African American to win an Oscar, born (1893); Hollywood legend Judy Garland born (1922); Italy invades France, declares war on France and Great Britain (1940); Musician Ray Charles dies (2004).

Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. The red-headed actress is perhaps best known for her role as klutzy, accident-prone Lucy Ricardo from the 1950s hit series I Love Lucy, but the New York native’s long list of accomplishments extends well beyond her talents on screen.Though she’s remembered as one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood, Ball came from humble beginnings: Ball was born in 1911 in Jamestown, New York. Her father worked for Bell Telephone, a job that required the family to relocate frequently. He died suddenly in 1915 from typhoid fever, an incident that Ball has often cited as her first memory. After his death, she and her younger brother, Fred, were raised by their grandparents.As a child, Ball was reserved, but she knew she wanted to try her hand at show business. At age 14, she enrolled in Manhattan’s John Murray Anderson School for Dramatic Arts, where her classmates included some future leading ladies. "I was a tongue-tied teenager spellbound by the school's star pupil, Bette Davis," Ball once said. The school wasn’t so convinced of Ball’s own talents, though; teachers told her mother that Ball was “too shy” to ever be successful. That feedback didn’t stop Ball, however. She went on to explore a number of different paths, including modeling. Fashion designer Hattie Carnegie hired Ball as her in-house model in 1928, and later, as a model for Chesterfield cigarettes. It was Carnegie who suggested that Ball dye her brunette hair blonde — but Ball’s signature bright red hair wouldn’t come until later.In 1933, Ball moved to Hollywood, determined to pursue acting more seriously. She was able to land a few minor roles, including one as a “Goldwyn Girl” to promote the 1933 film Roman Scandals. One of her bigger roles was a part in 1937’s Stage Door, alongside Ginger Rogers and Katharine Hepburn. She was known somewhat disparagingly (and somewhat fondly) as “The Queen of B Movies” in the 1940s, given the number of second-tier films she was cast in. But among these was one life-changing role: the lead in the musical Too Many Girls. It was on this set that Ball met and fell in love with Desi Arnaz, a Cuban American actor. The couple eloped one year later.What followed was a whirlwind of good fortune, business acumen, and extreme persistence. Ball was cast as the wife on a hit radio comedy series for CBS Radio, My Favorite Husband, in 1948. Following its success, CBS asked Ball to develop the show for television, and the actress agreed — under one condition: that she be able to cast Arnaz as her husband. CBS execs were skeptical, so Ball and Arnaz took their show on the road, literally. They created a vaudeville act and performed on tour, to the delight of audiences nationwide. CBS extended a contract to the couple, and I Love Lucy was born. The show was an immediate hit, quickly breaking records with 23 million viewers and becoming the most-watched show in America by the following year.The series premiered in 1951, with Ball and Arnaz at the helm of their newly formed production company, Desilu Productions. The pair made many groundbreaking decisions, including shoot the series on film versus the less expensive kinescope (they took a pay cut to ensure the quality of the aesthetic); locating their sets in Hollywood rather than New York; and filming the show in front of a live studio audience. Desilu Productions went on to produce other hit TV shows, including The Dick Van Dyke Show and Star Trek.Though the couple’s business partnership was a gold mine, behind the scenes their romantic relationship was faltering, and in 1960, they divorced. Arnaz sold his share of Desilu Productions to Ball, making her the first woman to own a major production studio. The two remained friends and co-parented two children together, Lucie and Desi Jr.Later in life, Ball continued acting, most notably in two spin-offs of I Love Lucy: The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy. When she died in 1989 at the age of 77, she left behind a legacy for generations of actresses and comedians. Here, we’ve rounded up 17 of her most hilarious and inspiring quotes about success, life, and everything in between.

June 8

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright born (1867); Former first lady Barbara Bush born (1925); George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" published (1949); James Earl Ray arrested in London for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (1968).

June 7

Actress Jean Harlow dies (1937); Mathematician Alan Turing dies (1954); Musician Prince born (1958); US Supreme Court legalizes contraception use by married couples (1965); Writer Dorothy Parker dies (1967). 

NATIONAL BOONE DAY

"National Boone Day is observed each year on June 7 to commemorate the day (June 7, 1769) frontiersman Daniel Boone first began exploring the valleys and forests of the present-day Bluegrass State of Kentucky."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-boone-day-june-7?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10043446&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

June 6

American founding father Patrick Henry dies (1799); Securities and Exchange Commission established (1934); D-Day: Allies begin Normandy invasions (1944); Bobby Kennedy dies (1968); Actress Anne Bancroft dies (2005).

June 5

The US moves off gold standard (1933); Bobby Kennedy is shot at campaign rally, dies next day (1968); President Ronald Reagan dies (2004); Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury dies (2012); Fashion designer Kate Spade dies (2018).

June 4

US Congress passes 19th Amendment, granting suffrage to women (1919); Battle of Midway starts (1942); Angelina Jolie born (1975); Hundreds killed at Tiananmen Square protests (1989); Basketball coaching legend John Wooden dies (2010).

Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus

"Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (10 BC - AD 54) became the unlikely 4th emperor of the Julio-Claudian line after the violent murder of his nephew, Gaius (Caligula)."

https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/claudius.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+010+-+7105318

Nero

"In the heart of Nero's reign, the pacification and Romanization of Britain was quickly beginning to pay dividends."

https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/boudicca.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+010+-+7105318

June 3

Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain (1539); Singer and actress Josephine Baker born (1906); Ed White becomes first American to walk in space (1965); Rafael Nadal born (1986); Muhammad Ali dies (2016).

June 1

Marilyn Monroe born (1926); Morgan Freeman born (1937); Helen Keller dies (1968); CNN debuts as world’s first 24-hours news network (1980); General Motors Corp. files for bankruptcy, fourth-largest US bankruptcy in history at the time (2009).

Augustus

"The contribution of Augustus to the consolidation and stabilization of the 'Empire' from a governing and military perspective was immense, but the legacy of the man is perhaps best exemplified in his contribution to public works and infrastructure."

https://www.unrv.com/augustus/index.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+007+-+7096451#google_vignette

May 31

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May 30

Joan of Arc is executed (1431); Historian and philosopher Voltaire dies (1778); First Indianapolis 500 is held (1911); Lincoln Memorial is dedicated (1922).

May 29

Comedian Bob Hope born (1903); President John F. Kennedy born (1917); Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are first to reach Mount Everest summit (1953); Danica Patrick is first woman to lead at Indy 500 (2005).

Titrus

"Following up on the success of Vespasian would be no easy task, and while ancient accounts of Titus are somewhat mixed, he - for the most part - was remembered with the highest praise."

https://unrv.com/early-empire/titus.php?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNRV+Roman+History+Newsletter+-+Issue+004+-+7092955

Morgan Spurlock

"Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock died Thursday due to complications of cancer, per Variety. He was 53."

https://www.al.com/life/2024/05/morgan-spurlock-super-size-me-director-dead-at-53.html?e=ecc4eb5a460f31b456c54514153c0893&lctg=63b06c811ced07920c0db64c&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_whats_happening%202024-05-24&utm_term=Newsletter_whats_happening

May 25

Constitutional Convention convenes in Philadelphia (1787); Author Ralph Waldo Emerson born (1803); Businesswoman Madam CJ Walker dies (1919); "Star Wars" premieres in theaters (1977); George Floyd is killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis (2020).

May 24

Samuel Morse sends first commercial telegraph message (1844); The Brooklyn Bridge is opened in NYC (1883); Jazz legend Duke Ellington dies (1974); Mass shooting at Uvalde, Texas, results in 21 deaths (2022); Tina Turner dies (2023).  

May 23

Infamous bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are killed by police (1934); John D. Rockefeller dies (1937); German Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann revealed to have been captured in Argentina (1960); Musician Jewel born (1974); James Bond actor Roger Moore dies (2017).

May 22

(First) first lady of the US Martha Washington dies (1802); The Associated Press is founded (1846); Poet Langston Hughes dies (1967); Supermodel Naomi Campbell born (1970); Manchester Arena bombing kills 22 following Ariana Grande concert (2017).

May 21

American Red Cross is founded by Clara Barton (1881); FIFA, world governing body of association football, founded (1904); Amelia Earhart is first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic (1932); Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jane Addams dies (1935); Rapper Notorious BIG born (1972).

May 20

Christopher Columbus dies (1506); Charles Lindbergh makes first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic (1927); Singer-songwriter Cher born (1946); First photograph sent from Hubble Space Telescope (1990).

May 18

Jacqueline Cochran is first woman to break sound barrier (1953); Actress Tina Fey born (1970); Mount St. Helens erupts, killing 57 (1980); Facebook raises $16B; largest initial public offering for a tech company at the time (2012).

May 17

Aristides is first winner of the Kentucky Derby (1875); Brown v. Board of Education decision outlaws racial segregation in public schools (1954); Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard born (1956); First legal same-sex marriages performed in the US (2004); Singer Donna Summer dies (2012).

May 16

First Academy Awards hosted (1929); Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends (1943); Janet Jackson born (1966); Comedian Andy Kaufman dies (1984); "Muppets" creator Jim Henson dies (1990); Sammy Davis Jr. dies (1990). 

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton’s rich musicality, joyful demeanor, and keen business sense have fueled an illustrious career in entertainment spanning 60 years. Ever-sparkling, ever-melodic, the singer-songwriter and actress went from performing barefoot for her siblings on the porch of their cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to creating chart-topping records in country and pop that earned her millions. She is loved for her upbeat and genuine songs, her hallmark feminine and bedazzled style, and her quick wit, big smile, and down-to-earth charm.Parton was born in 1946, the fourth of 12 children. Music was in her family roots, especially on her mother’s side. Her mother, Avie Lee Parton, sang, played guitar, and encouraged her daughter’s talents. Byy age 10, Parton was writing and singing guitar songs on the radio and television. After she debuted at the Grand Ole Opry at age 13, her star quickly rose, and by the 1970s, she had scored several No. 1 country hits, including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” (which Whitney Houston later covered to great acclaim).Parton’s deft songwriting and unique voice still appeal to fans of both country and pop music. Her song “9 to 5,” the title track from her 1980 film debut, was a No. 1 pop hit. She went on to act in several other movies; launch her own theme park, Dollywood; and partner with musical greats like EmmyLou Harris and Alison Krauss on award-winning albums. Her work has been widely recognized and commended, earning her Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, and a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame.From her earliest recordings, Parton was careful to maintain publishing rights to her songs, a decision that secured her fortune and enabled her to give back. She has been an active philanthropist for years, funding literacy programs, medicine, and other causes. Now in her seventies, Parton continues to record compelling music (her most recent album was in 2020) and strum the nation’s heartstrings.

May 15

National Woman Suffrage Association founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1869); Poet Emily Dickinson dies (1886); Mickey Mouse makes first cartoon appearance (1928); Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright born (1937); Soviet Union begins withdrawal of 115,000 troops from Afghanistan (1988).

Oscar Wilde

"Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 and died in 1900. During those all-too-brief years, he built a reputation that would long outlive him."

https://www.interestingfacts.com/oscar-wilde-facts/Yvrd8kKJ8wAItdgs?liu=f990a22b8f045d09d1eb29acc743f7c5&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2152081323

May 14

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embark on their famous expedition (1804); "Star Wars" creator George Lucas born (1944); Skylab, the first US space station, launched (1973); Singer Frank Sinatra dies (1998); Blues musician BB King dies (2015).

May 13

The US declares war against Mexico in dispute over Texas (1846); "Golden Girls" actress Bea Arthur born (1922); Stevie Wonder born (1950); Pope John Paul II is shot, survives assassination attempt (1981); Actress and singer Doris Day dies (2019).

May 11

Composer and songwriter Irving Berlin born (1888); Salvador Dalí born (1904); Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded (1927); Bob Marley dies (1981); Deep Blue becomes the first computer to defeat a world champion in chess (1997).

May 10

Paul Revere dies (1818); First American transcontinental railroad is completed (1869); Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of the UK (1940); Actress Joan Crawford dies (1977); Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa (1994).

May 9

Billy Joel born (1949); Impeachment proceedings begin against President Richard Nixon (1974); Singer and civil rights activist Lena Horne dies (2010); Rock legend Little Richard dies (2020).

May 8

Poet Phillis Wheatley born (1753); President Harry Truman born (1884); Boxing legend Sonny Liston born (1932); Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe (1945); Smallpox is eradicated (1980).

May 7

Edwin H. Land, inventor of instant photography, born (1909); Ishirō Honda, Japanese film director and cowriter of 1954 film "Godzilla," born (1911); German submarine sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 (1915); Eva "Evita" Perón born (1919); Sony Corporation founded (1946).

May 6

Famed neurologist Sigmund Freud born (1856); Baseball great Willie Mays born (1931); Hindenburg disaster kills 36 (1937); Roger Bannister becomes first person to run a mile in under four minutes (1954); Actress and singer Marlene Dietrich dies (1992).

May 4

Actress Audrey Hepburn born (1929); First Grammy Awards held (1959); Four killed, nine wounded after National Guard open fire at Kent State University (1970); Margaret Thatcher becomes first female prime minister of the UK (1979).

May 3

Philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli born (1469); Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson born (1921); Musician James Brown born (1933); Margaret Mitchell wins Pulitzer for "Gone with the Wind" novel (1937); First bulk spam email is sent (1978).

May 2

Leonardo da Vinci dies (1519); Playwright Tennessee Williams wins Pulitzer Prize for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955); Fashion designer Donatella Versace born (1955); Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson born (1972); Osama bin Laden is killed by US special operations forces (2011).

May 1

Frontierswoman and sharpshooter Calamity Jane born (1852); Dwarf planet Pluto is named (1930); Empire State Building opens in NYC (1931); Country artist Tim McGraw born (1967); Actress Olympia Dukakis dies (2021).

April 30

George Washington inaugurated (1789); Aviator Bessie Coleman, first African American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license, dies (1926); Blues musician Muddy Waters dies (1983); World Wide Web launches into public domain by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee (1993).

Helen Keller

After becoming deaf and blind at age two, Helen Keller faced her challenges with a singular optimism and strength. She became a trailblazing advocate for disability rights, and the first person who was deaf and blind to earn a college degree in the United States. She graduated in 1904, at a time when women were significantly outnumbered by men in higher education, special education was in its infancy, and the disability rights movement was just beginning to pick up steam.

Keller’s mastery of multiple forms of communication, and lifelong activism on behalf of people with disabilities, women, Black people, and other socially sidelined groups, brought her international celebrity. She lectured throughout the U.S. and abroad, and authored 14 books, including a famous memoir published in 1905, The Story of My Life, which was translated into 50 languages and remains in print.

While Keller embraced the limelight, she did so in order to campaign for fair treatment and equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, race, or disability. She supported the growth of several major U.S. institutions, including Helen Keller International, the ACLU, and the NAACP. She believed true happiness came from helping and working in partnership with others, aligning oneself with a higher purpose, and from within oneself.

Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama. When she was two years old, she became deaf and blind due to a fever. Her early childhood was reportedly filled with tantrums and disruptive behaviors. But when Keller was seven years old, her parents hired Anne Sullivan, a recent graduate from the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, to work with their daughter. Sullivan’s arrival and her persistent and creative instruction were a turning point in Keller’s life.

After initial struggles, a breakthrough occurred when Sullivan repeatedly ran water over one of Keller’s palms while finger spelling the word “water” into the other. After many tries, Keller was able to connect the tactile experience of flowing water with the letter signals.

After comprehending the sign for water, she was able to learn 30 more signs that same day. Working with Sullivan stoked her ambitions to pursue an education and learn to speak. Keller was eventually able to communicate through finger spelling, typing, Braille, touch-lip reading, and speech.

The friendship that developed between Keller and her mentor, Sullivan, spanned decades, and the pair lived together during different periods of their lives. Like Keller, Sullivan was a member of the disability community — she had vision impairments that increased as she aged.

During her teenage years and young adulthood, Keller painstakingly learned to speak in a way that could be understood by people who could hear. She went to multiple schools for people who were deaf and a preparatory school for women before setting her sights on a new goal: attending college.

Meanwhile, Keller’s advancements became publicly known and drew the attention of influential people including Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Henry H. Rogers, an oil magnate who offered to pay Keller’s tuition for Radcliffe College. In 1899, when she passed her entrance exams, only 36% of college students were women.

Sullivan accompanied Keller at Radcliffe, interpreting in classes, until Keller graduated cum laude in 1904 at age 24. She was the first individual who was blind and deaf to earn a higher education degree in the U.S. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life, was published a year later in 1905 and was widely read.

After graduation, Keller set out to share what she had learned and to advocate for people with disabilities. From universities to the halls of Congress, she lectured and testified on her experiences in support of blind and deaf communities. She is considered an early pioneer of the disability rights movement, which began to pick up steam in the early 1900s.

Keller participated in numerous social movements of her era, including women's suffrage. In 1915, she cofounded Helen Keller International to address blindness and malnutrition around the world. She also helped found the ACLU and was an active member in the American Federation for the Blind, the Socialist Party, and other organizations. Despite being raised in the post-Reconstruction era South, she supported the recently founded NAACP advocating for civil rights for Black people.

Keller was an intrepid world traveler and activist. In 1946, she became the counselor of international relations for the American Foundation for Overseas Blind. During the next 11 years, she spread her message across five continents and 35 countries. For her efforts, Keller was awarded several honorary degrees and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her autobiography inspired the 1957 television drama The Miracle Worker, as well as a Broadway play and film of the same title.

Despite facing many challenges, Keller lived a life full of meaning and happiness before her death in 1968 at age 87. Sullivan died in 1936 at the age of 70, after becoming nearly blind. She spent much of her life by Keller’s side. Beginning with a single hand sign, the impact of these two women’s accomplishments rippled throughout the global disability rights community, and beyond. Through the words Keller worked so hard to impart, their story endures today as a beacon of hope and possibility.

April 29

Jazz legend Duke Ellington born (1899); Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson born (1933); Film director Alfred Hitchcock dies (1980); Los Angeles riots begin following acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King (1992); Prince William and Kate Middleton get married (2011).

April 27

Ferdinand Magellan dies (1521); Ralph Waldo Emerson dies (1882); Coretta Scott King born (1927); Nelson Mandela wins election to become first Black president of South Africa (1994); New York City’s Freedom Tower construction begins (2006).

April 26

John Wilkes Booth killed 12 days after assassinating President Lincoln (1865); Former first lady Melania Trump born (1970); The worst nuclear disaster in history occurs in Chernobyl (1986); Lucille Ball dies (1989); Deadliest tornado in history kills 1,300 in Bangladesh (1989).

April 25

Workers break ground on Suez Canal (1859); The US declares war on Spain to begin Spanish-American War (1898); Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald born (1917); Al Pacino born (1940); Singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte dies (2023).

April 24

US Library of Congress founded (1800); Easter Rising begins (1916); Barbra Streisand born (1942); Hubble Space Telescope is launched (1990); Estée Lauder dies (2004).

April 23

English playwright William Shakespeare dies (1616); Hollywood legend and diplomat Shirley Temple born (1928); American punk rock band Ramones release first album (1976); Workers’ rights leader Cesar Chavez dies (1993); The first video is uploaded on YouTube (2005).

April 22

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Ellen Glasgow born (1873); Earth Day first celebrated in the US (1970); Photographer Ansel Adams dies (1984); President Richard Nixon dies (1994); Former NFL football player Pat Tillman killed during the war in Afghanistan (2004). 

April 20

Thirteen people murdered in Columbine High School mass shooting (1999); Danica Patrick is first woman to win IndyCar race (2008); Dorothy Height, civil and women’s rights activist, dies (2010); Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes, killing 11 and starting monthslong oil spill (2010).

April 19

 Battles of Lexington and Concord begin the American Revolutionary War (1775); Charles Darwin dies (1882); Boston Marathon held for first time (1897); Actress Ashley Judd born (1968); Oklahoma City bombing kills 168 (1995).

April 18

Paul Revere makes famous ride during American Revolution (1775); Yankee Stadium opens (1923); Albert Einstein dies (1955); Conan O'Brien born (1963); Dick Clark dies (2012).

April 17

Benjamin Franklin dies (1790); Bay of Pigs Invasion begins in Cuba (1961); Apollo 13 returns safely to Earth (1970); Victoria Beckham born (1974); Former first lady Barbara Bush dies (2018).

April 16

Actor Charlie Chaplin born (1889); Harriet Quimby is first woman to fly across English Channel (1912); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar born (1947); Singer-songwriter Selena Quintanilla-Pérez born (1971); 32 die, 17 injured in Virginia Tech mass shooting (2007)