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).

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 2

First first lady Martha Washington born (1731); Baseball legend Babe Ruth retires (1935); Queen Elizabeth II is coronated (1953); Soccer star Abby Wambach born (1980); Rock 'n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley dies (2008).

June 1

Anne Boleyn crowned queen of England (1533); Actress Marilyn Monroe born (1926); Actor Morgan Freeman born (1937); Activist Helen Keller dies (1968); Heimlich maneuver first introduced (1974); CNN launches as first 24-hour cable news network (1980)

May 31

Poet Walt Whitman born (1819); London’s Big Ben ticks for the first time (1859); Clint Eastwood born (1930); Brooke Shields born (1965); Watergate secret source "Deep Throat" is revealed (2005).

Walt Whitman

"Few poets have had such lasting impact as Walt Whitman."https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70243/walt-whitman-101?utm_source=join1440&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

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); Crew Dragon Demo-2 becomes first commercial flight to International Space Station (2020).

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).

May 28

Native American athlete Jim Thorpe born (1887); Volkswagen founded in Germany (1937); Singer Gladys Knight born (1944); Poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou dies (2014).

Rick Derringer

"Rick Derringer is a legendary figure in the world of rock music, known for his incredible guitar skills and captivating performances."https://facts.net/celebrity/16-astounding-facts-about-rick-derringer/?utm_source=grow&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=automailer&utm_content=rec#google_vignette

May 27

Marine biologist and author Rachel Carson born (1907); US statesman Henry Kissinger born (1923); Ford ends manufacture of iconic Model T (1927); Golden Gate Bridge opens in California (1937); Outkast rapper André 3000 born (1975).

May 25

US Constitutional Convention opens in Philadelphia (1787); US writer Ralph Waldo Emerson born (1803); Babe Ruth hits 714th (and last) home run (1935); US actress Octavia Spencer born (1970); Original "Star Wars" film released (1977); George Floyd killed during arrest by Minneapolis police, sparking protests (2020)

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).

George Wendt

"George Wendt, an American actor and comedian who earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for his performance as Norm Peterson on the beloved NBC comedy series “Cheers,” died Tuesday morning at his home."

https://variety.com/2025/tv/obituaries-people-news/george-wendt-dead-cheers-1236404992/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

George Wendt

"Actor George Wendt, who once played the ever-loyal Norm on "Cheers," died Tuesday morning at his home at the age of 76, his family confirmed in a statement through his publicist."https://www-nbcnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna208080?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17477774212932&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fobituaries%2Fgeorge-wendt-cheers-dies-76-rcna208080

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 19

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, is beheaded (1536); TE Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, dies (1935); André the Giant born (1946); Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis dies (1994); Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle (2018).

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 18

Supreme Court rules “separate but equal” in Plessy v. Ferguson case (1896); Pope John Paul II born in Poland (1920); Comedian Tina Fey born (1970); India detonates its first nuclear test bomb “Smiling Buddha” (1974); Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington state (1980); Musician Chris Cornell dies (2017)

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).

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).

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 10

First American transcontinental railroad is completed (1869); Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of the UK (1940); Former NASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space, born (1958); Actress Joan Crawford dies (1977); Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa (1994).

May 11

First chartered hospital in the US founded in Philadelphia (1751); Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí born (1904); Hit musical "Cats" debuts in London (1981); American singer Sabrina Carpenter born (1999); "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" author Douglas Adams dies (2001)

May 12

Modern nursing innovator Florence Nightingale born (1820); Actress Katharine Hepburn born (1907); Charles Lindbergh’s son found dead two months after being kidnapped (1932); Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk born (1968); Ex-President Jimmy Carter visits Cuba, the first American president to visit since 1959 revolution (2002).

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). 

Pope

"Once upon a time, it was said that the idea of an American pope was unthinkable. In the beginning, it was for basically logistical reasons – steamships from the New World took so long to reach Rome that American cardinals often arrived too late to vote, and in any event they were never part of the political sausage-grinding before the conclave began."

https://cruxnow.com/papal-transition/2025/05/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-robert-francis-prevost?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

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 5

Napoleon Bonaparte dies while in exile (1821); Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexican victory in the Battle of Puebla (1862); Alan Shepard becomes first American in outer space (1961); Singer-songwriter Adele born (1988).

May 4

Abraham Lincoln buried in Springfield, Illinois (1865); US officially takes over Panama Canal construction (1904); Actress Audrey Hepburn born (1929) First Grammy Awards ceremony held (1959); Yugoslavian dictator Josip Tito dies (1980)

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 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).

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 28

“To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee born (1926); Italian dictator Benito Mussolini executed (1945); US Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan born (1960); Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France (1969); Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dies (2021).

April 26

John Wilkes Booth killed 12 days after assassinating President Lincoln (1865); 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 27

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven composes "Für Elise" (1810); UK House of Commons presided over by first time in 700-year history (1992); British author and women's advocate Mary Wollstonecraft born (1759); US President Ulysses S. Grant born (1822); Explorer Ferdinand Magellan dies (1521) 

NATIONAL BABE RUTH DAY

"On April 27, baseball fans worldwide honor one of baseball's all-time greatest players on National Babe Ruth Day."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-babe-ruth-day-april-27?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13256650&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

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 21

American author Mark Twain dies (1910); Queen Elizabeth II born (1926); 100,000 students begin protests at Tiananmen Square (1989); Singer-songwriter Nina Simone dies (2003); Musician Prince dies (2016).

April 20

Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' performed for first time (1611); Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride, revolutionizing physics (1902); League of Nations dissolved, powers transferred to United Nations (1946); "Star Trek" actor George Takei born (1937); Mother Angelica, founder of Catholic TV network, born (1923); "Dracula" author Bram Stoker dies (1912)

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).

NATIONAL ELLIS ISLAND FAMILY HISTORY DAY

"Each year on April 17th, National Ellis Island Family History Day encourages families to explore their ancestry and discover family who immigrated through Ellis Island."https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-ellis-island-family-history-day-april-17?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13217608&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

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).

April 15

President Abraham Lincoln dies (1865); RMS Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 (1912); Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier, becomes first Black major league baseball player (1947); Actress Emma Watson born (1990); Two bombs explode at Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 264 (2013).

Rachel Louise Carson

 (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose sea trilogy (1941–1955) and book Silent Spring (1962) are credited with advancing marine conservation and the global environmental movement.Carson began her career as an aquatic biologist in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and became a full-time nature writer in the 1950s. Her widely praised 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us won her a U.S. National Book Award,[2][3] recognition as a gifted writer and financial security. Its success prompted the republication of her first book, Under the Sea Wind (1941), in 1952, which was followed by The Edge of the Sea in 1955 — both were also bestsellers. This sea trilogy explores the whole of ocean life from the shores to the depths.Late in the 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation, especially some problems she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. The result was the book Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented share of the American people. Although Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. It also inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.[4] Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter.

April 11

"Webster’s Dictionary" is first published (1828); President Abraham Lincoln is mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth, dies the next day (1865); Marine biologist and environmentalist Rachel Carson dies (1964); Human Genome Project is completed (2003).

NATIONAL THOMAS JEFFERSON DAY

"National Thomas Jefferson Day each year on April 13th honors the birth of the third President of The United States, Thomas Jefferson, who was born on April 13, 1743."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-thomas-jefferson-day-april-13?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13167697&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

April 13

The Sikh religion is formalized (1699); Handel's "Messiah" makes its world premiere in Dublin (1742); the Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded (1870); Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov born (1963); American novelist Eudora Welty born (1909); American astronomer Annie Jump Cannon dies (1941)

April 12

Patent for first portable typewriter issued in the US (1892); American Red Cross founder Clara Barton dies (1912); Franklin D. Roosevelt dies (1945); David Letterman born (1947); Yuri Gagarin becomes first person in space (1961); Boxing great Joe Louis dies (1981).

April 11

Ethel Kennedy, philanthropist and widow of Bobby Kennedy, born (1928); Civil Rights Act of 1968 is signed (1968); Apollo 13 launches (1970); American novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies (2007).

April 10

“The Great Gatsby” published (1925); Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta born (1930); Football personality John Madden born (1936); Paul McCartney leaves The Beatles (1970); Good Friday Agreement is signed (1998).

April 9

Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War (1865); Actor and activist Paul Robeson born (1898); Architect Frank Lloyd Wright dies (1959); Golfer and LPGA cofounder Marilynn Smith dies (2019).

April 8

Actress Robin Wright born (1966); Pablo Picasso dies (1973); Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s home run record (1974); Frank Robinson becomes first Black manager of a major league baseball team (1975); Margaret Thatcher dies (2013).

April 7

English poet William Wordsworth born (1770); Jazz singer Billie Holiday born (1915); World Health Organization is established (1948); The US breaks diplomatic ties with Iran during Iran Hostage Crisis (1980); Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirmed as the first Black female US Supreme Court justice (2022). 

Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner

"Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner (8 November 1834, Berlin – 25 April 1882, Leipzig) was a German astrophysicist who studied optical illusions. He was also an early psychical investigator."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Karl_Friedrich_Z%C3%B6llner

April 5

Booker T. Washington born (1856); Actress Bette Davis born (1908); Actor Gregory Peck born (1916); Former Secretary of State Colin Powell born (1937); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar surpasses Wilt Chamberlain as all-time leading scorer in the NBA at the time (1984); Kurt Cobain dies (1994).

April 6

The first modern Olympics begin in Athens, Greece (1896); US declares war on Germany in WWI (1917); First Tony Awards ceremony held in New York City (1947); Italian Renaissance painter Raphael born (1483); Actor Paul Rudd born (1969); Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov dies (1992)

April 4

Ninth US President William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia, shortest presidency ever at just 31 days (1841); American poet and activist Maya Angelou born (1928); NATO is created (1949); Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated (1968).

April 3

American politician Boss Tweed born (1823); Actress Doris Day born (1922); Eddie Murphy born (1961); First mobile phone call is made (1973); Apple releases the first iPad (2010).

April 2

Ludwig van Beethoven premieres his First Symphony (1800); Danish author Hans Christian Andersen born (1805); Samuel Morse, inventor of Morse code, dies (1872); Singer Marvin Gaye born (1939); Pope John Paul II dies (2005).

April 1

Actress Debbie Reynolds born (1932); Apple Computer founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak ... and don't forget Ronald Wayne (1976); Iran officially becomes an Islamic republic after the Shah is overthrown (1979); Singer Marvin Gaye shot and killed by his father (1984).

March 31

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

March 30

The Florida Territory is incorporated in the US (1822); Physician C.W. Long uses ether for first time as surgical anesthesia (1842); SpaceX launches first re-used rocket into space (2017); Painter Vincent van Gogh born (1853); Singer Celine Dion born (1968); Actor Chance Perdomo dies in motorcycle accident (2024)

March 29

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

March 28

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

March 27

Poet Walt Whitman dies (1892); Sandra Day O'Connor, first female US Supreme Court justice, born (1930); Journalist Bob Woodward, known for reporting on Watergate scandal, born (1943); Singer Diana Ross born (1944); Bangladesh declares independence from Pakistan (1971). 

March 26

Poet Walt Whitman dies (1892); Sandra Day O'Connor, first female US Supreme Court justice, born (1930); Journalist Bob Woodward, known for reporting on Watergate scandal, born (1943); Singer Diana Ross born (1944); Bangladesh declares independence from Pakistan (1971). 

March 25

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered (1655); Journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett dies (1931); Singer Aretha Franklin born (1942); Sir Elton John born (1947); Children's author Beverly Cleary dies (2021). 

March 24

World famous magician Harry Houdini born (1874); Author Jules Verne dies (1905); Dorothy Height, civil and women’s rights activist, born (1912); Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs aground, eventually spills 11 million gallons of oil (1989). 

March 22

First Stanley Cup championship played (1894); Legendary musical theater composer Andrew Lloyd Webber born (1948); Sports broadcaster Bob Costas born (1952); Mensch and 1440 superfan Joe Donnelly born (1955); Reese Witherspoon born (1976).

March 21

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

March 23

Patrick Henry delivers "Give me liberty" speech in Richmond, Virginia (1775); Elisha Otis installs first elevator in New York City (1857); Ever Given container ship runs aground in Suez Canal, blocks traffic for six days (2021); Psychologist and "Art of Loving" author Erich Fromm born (1900); Singer Chaka Khan born (1953); Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies (2022)

March 20

Sir Walter Raleigh freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment (1616); Fred "Mister" Rogers born (1928); KFC founded by Colonel Harland Sanders (1930); Author Lois Lowry born (1937); Kenny Rogers dies (2020).

March 19

American novelist Philip Roth born (1933); Glenn Close born (1947); Bruce Willis born (1955); Texas Western, now known as UTEP, is first basketball team to win NCAA Championship with all-Black starting lineup (1966); Iraq War begins (2003).

March 18

President Grover Cleveland born (1837); Actress and first Black Miss America Vanessa Williams born (1963); Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes first person to walk in space (1965); Queen Latifah born (1970); Chuck Berry dies (2017). 

March 17

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

Clive Staples Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1898 to a family of avid readers. Lewis, too, was soon immersed in literature: He started reading at just 3 years old, and by age 5, he had begun writing stories about a fantasy land populated by “dressed animals.”

Years later, a 19-year-old Lewis served in World War I with the Somerset Light Infantry. He experienced trench warfare on the front line in the Somme, the horrors of which he carried with him for the rest of his life.



Lewis first met J.R.R. Tolkien in 1926, and the two men developed a lifelong friendship. Lewis, who had become an atheist early in life, found his way back to theism and Christianity under Tolkien’s guidance. Tolkien, meanwhile, openly credited Lewis as a major source of creative encouragement: “Only from him,” wrote Tolkien, “did I ever get the idea that my ‘stuff’ could be more than a private hobby. But for his interest and unceasing eagerness for more I should never have brought The Lord of the Rings to a conclusion."

Lewis himself was a prolific writer of both fiction and nonfiction. The latter included books and essays of Christian apologetics in which he passionately promotes and defends Christianity. Christian themes are also highly prevalent in his works of popular fiction, which include The Screwtape Letters, The Space Trilogy, and, most famously, The Chronicles of Narnia.

March 16

World's first liquid-fueled rocket launched in Massachusetts (1926); Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar records first 100 century batting score (2012); Dow Jones sees largest single-day point drop ever at 2,997 (2020); US president James Madison born (1751); Singer-songwriter Patty Griffin born (1964); Roman emperor Tiberius dies (37 CE)

March 15

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

March 14

Eli Whitney patents cotton gin (1794); Albert Einstein born (1879); Stephen Curry born (1988); Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles born (1997); Stephen Hawking dies (2018).

March 13

Uranus discovered (1781); President Benjamin Harrison dies (1901); Susan B. Anthony dies (1906); Tennis star Coco Gauff born (2004); Pope Francis' papacy begins (2013).

March 12

Writer and author Jack Kerouac born (1922); Mahatma Gandhi begins 200-mile protest march against British salt tax (1930); Actress and singer Liza Minnelli born (1946); Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker dies (1955).

March 11

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

March 10

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

March 9

Italian soccer club Inter Milan founded (1908); Barbie doll debuts at American International Toy Fair (1959); Space Shuttle 'Discovery' makes final of 39 flights (2011); Italian cartographer and namesake of the Americas, Amerigo Vespucci, born (1451); US Olympic gold-winning gymnast Sunisa Lee born (2003)

March 8

First stock car race held in Daytona Beach (1936); International Women's Day becomes official United Nations holiday (1977); Baseball player Joe DiMaggio dies (1999); Sam Simon, director and codeveloper of "The Simpsons," dies (2015).

March 7

Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone (1876); Actor Bryan Cranston born (1956); Bloody Sunday as 600 civil rights protesters attacked by police in Selma, Alabama (1965); American poet Amanda Gorman born (1998); Director Stanley Kubrick dies (1999).

March 6

Michelangelo born (1475); Davy Crockett and 186 others are killed at the Battle of the Alamo (1836); Aspirin is patented (1899); Shaquille O’Neal born (1972); Artist Georgia O’Keeffe dies (1986).

Seneca

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, (better known as Seneca the Younger) was a well respected philosopher, statesman, and playwright. Born in Cordoba, Spain and raised in Rome, Seneca went on to become one of the most influential figures of the Stoic school of philosophy.Seneca’s philosophy encourages people to examine their inner selves and to live in more harmony with nature.

March 5

Five American colonists shot by British troops in Boston Massacre (1770); Josef Stalin dies (1953); Singer Patsy Cline dies (1963); Actress Eva Mendes born (1974); Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez dies (2013).

March 4

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

March 1

Articles of Confederation are ratified, go into effect in the US (1781); Writer Ralph Ellison born (1914); Harry Belafonte born (1927); The Peace Corps is established (1961); Actress Lupita Nyong'o born (1983); Justin Bieber born (1994).

March 2

Manhattan's Martha Washington Hotel opens, first exclusively for women (1903); Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA single-game scoring record at 100 (1962); James Bond actor Daniel Craig born (1968); English novelist of 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' DH Lawrence dies (1930)

March 3

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

February 28

Coaching legend Dean Smith born (1931); Record 106 million people watch series finale of "M*A*S*H" (1983); Persian Gulf War ends (1991); Basketball star Luka Dončić born (1999); Actress Jane Russell dies (2011).

W. Clement Stone

W. Clement Stone was an entrepreneur, writer and motivational speaker, who believed in the power of positive thinking and taking action to achieve one’s goals.Born in 1902, W. Clement Stone grew up in an underprivileged family, facing numerous hardships. However, he was determined to overcome these challenges and build a successful life for himself.

With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, W. Clement Stone went on to co-found The Combined Insurance Company of America, which became one of the largest insurance companies in the United States.W. Clement Stone’s philosophy centered around the idea that our thoughts and actions shape our reality, and by harnessing the power of positive thinking, we can overcome obstacles and create a life of abundance and fulfillment.

February 27

Author John Steinbeck born (1902); Actress Elizabeth Taylor born (1932); Nobel Prize-winning physiologist Ivan Pavlov dies (1936); 22nd Amendment is ratified, limiting US presidents to only being elected to two terms (1951); Mister Rogers dies (2003).

February 26

Fashion designer Levi Strauss born (1829); Grand Canyon National Park established (1919); Musician Johnny Cash born (1932); Musician Erykah Badu born (1971); World Trade Center bombing kills six, injures more than 1,000 (1993).

February 25

Hiram Revels becomes first African American in US Congress (1870); Beatles guitarist George Harrison born (1943); Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeats Sonny Liston to win his first world heavyweight title (1964); Actress Téa Leoni born (1966); Playwright and poet Tennessee Williams dies (1983).

February 24

Marbury v. Madison establishes principle of judicial review in the US (1803); Nike cofounder Phil Knight born (1938); Steve Jobs born (1955); "Hidden Figures" NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson dies (2020); Russia begins full-scale invasion of Ukraine (2022).

February 23

Physicist Werner Heisenberg describes uncertainty principle (1927); Iconic flag-raising photo taken on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi (1945); Historian WEB Du Bois born (1868); Actress Emily Blunt born (1983); Flaco, Eurasian eagle-owl, dies in Lower Manhattan nine months after escaping from Central Park Zoo (2024)

February 22

President George Washington born (1732); Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin born (1962); Drew Barrymore born (1975); "Miracle on Ice" as the US defeats the Soviet Union in hockey at Winter Olympics (1980); Andy Warhol dies (1987).

February 21

 "The Communist Manifesto" published by Karl Marx (1848); Musician Nina Simone born (1933); NASCAR founded (1948); Malcolm X assassinated (1965); Rev. Billy Graham dies (2018).

February 20

Frederick Douglass dies (1895); Sidney Poitier born (1927); John Glenn becomes first American to orbit Earth (1962); Kurt Cobain born (1967); Rihanna born (1988); Olivia Rodrigo born (2003).

February 19

Thomas Edison awarded patent for the phonograph (1878); Musician Smokey Robinson born (1940); Battle of Iwo Jima begins (1945); Actress Millie Bobby Brown born (2004); “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee dies (2016).

February 18

Artist Michelangelo died (1564); “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” published in the US (1885); Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto (1930); Novelist Toni Morrison born (1931); Auto racing legend Dale Earnhardt killed in crash at Daytona 500 (2001).

February 17

Football player and actor Jim Brown born (1936); Vanguard 2 launched as first weather satellite (1959); Michael Jordan born (1963); Volkswagen Beetle passes Ford Model T to become world’s bestselling car (1972); Golf great Mickey Wright dies (2020).

February 16

Fidel Castro assumes power in Cuba (1959); First 911 emergency line goes into operation in Haleyville, Alabama (1968); Hezbollah is founded (1985); "Reading Rainbow" host LeVar Burton born (1957); Singer The Weeknd born (1990); Russian activist Alexei Navalny dies in prison (2024)

Charlie Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and controversy.Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. His father was absent and his mother struggled financially – he was sent to a workhouse twice before age nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the Fred Karno company, which took him to the United States. He was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon introduced and adopted the Tramp as his screen persona. He directed his own films and continued to hone his craft as he moved to Essanay Studios, where the Tramp persona was developed emotionally in The Tramp (1915). He then attracted a large fanbase and demanded more money as he moved to Mutual and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the world's best-paid and best-known figures.In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which gave him complete control over his films. His first feature-length film was The Kid (1921), followed by A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), and The Circus (1928). He initially refused to move to sound films in the 1930s, instead producing City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) without dialogue. His first sound film was The Great Dictator (1940), which satirised Adolf Hitler. The 1940s were marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his popularity declined rapidly. He was accused of communist sympathies, and some members of the press and public were scandalised by his involvement in a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the U.S. in 1952 and settle in Switzerland. He abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957), and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967).Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements. He received an Honorary Academy Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century" in 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work. He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked on lists of the greatest films.

February 15

Astronomer Galileo Galilei born (1564); Women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony born (1820); Musician Nat King Cole dies (1965); Soviet-Afghan War ends as all Soviet troops depart Afghanistan (1989); Actress Raquel Welch dies (2023). 

February 14

Saint Valentine dies (269); Abolitionist Frederick Douglass born (1818); Pale Blue Dot photo taken by Voyager 1 (1990); Dolly the sheep dies; was first cloned mammal (2003); Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting; 17 killed and 17 injured (2018).

February 13

Chuck Yeager, first pilot to break sound barrier, born (1923); Talk show host and politician Jerry Springer born (1944); Nashville sit-ins begin (1960); French opera singer Lily Pons dies (1976).

February 12

President Abraham Lincoln born (1809); Biologist Charles Darwin born (1809); Children’s author Judy Blume born (1938); President Bill Clinton acquitted on impeachment charges (1999); “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz dies (2000).

February 11

Inventor Thomas Edison born (1847); Jennifer Aniston born (1969); Iranian Revolution begins as Ayatollah Khomeini comes to power (1979); Nelson Mandela released from prison after 27 years in South Africa (1990)

February 10

French and Indian War ends (1763); “Roots” author Alex Haley dies (1992); American playwright Arthur Miller dies (2005); Hollywood legend and diplomat Shirley Temple dies (2014).

February 9

Volleyball is invented, initially known as mintonette (1895); World's first intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka, becomes operational (1959); NFL star Saquon Barkley born (1997); "Crime and Punishment" author Fyodor Dostoyevsky dies (1881)

February 8

Author Jules Verne born (1828); Boy Scouts of America is founded (1910); Hollywood legend Lana Turner born (1921); Actor James Dean born (1931); Nasdaq Stock Market index opens (1971).

February 7

Charles Dickens born (1812); The US bans all Cuban imports and exports (1962); Garth Brooks born (1962); "Beatlemania" arrives in America (1964); Author and pilot Anne Morrow Lindbergh dies (2001).

February 6

Babe Ruth born (1895); Former President Ronald Reagan born (1911); Bob Marley born (1945); King George VI dies, Elizabeth II becomes queen (1952); Singer Rick Astley born (1966); Tennis legend and activist Arthur Ashe dies (1993).

February 5

Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, arrives in Boston (1631); Baseball legend Hank Aaron born (1934); English actress Charlotte Rampling born (1946); Medgar Evers’ murderer convicted after 30 years (1994); President Donald Trump acquitted in his first impeachment trial (2020). 

February 4

George Washington elected first president of the US (1789); Aviation innovator Charles Lindbergh born (1902); Rosa Parks born (1913); Facebook is founded (2004); Actor and playwright Ossie Davis dies (2005). 

February 1

Last frost fair on frozen River Thames held (1814); First Groundhog Day observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (1887); NYC's Grand Central Terminal opens (1913); James Joyce's "Ulysses" published (1922); Actor Paul Mescal born (1996); Actor Carl Weathers dies (2024).

February 2

Last frost fair on frozen River Thames held (1814); First Groundhog Day observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (1887); NYC's Grand Central Terminal opens (1913); James Joyce's "Ulysses" published (1922); Actor Paul Mescal born (1996); Actor Carl Weathers dies (2024).

February 3

Printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg dies (1468); American novelist Gertrude Stein born (1874); Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper killed in plane crash (1959); Luna 9 becomes first spacecraft to make soft landing on the moon (1966).

January 31

Guy Fawkes is executed (1606); 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, passes in Congress (1865); Jackie Robinson born (1919); Actress Kerry Washington born (1977); Justin Timberlake born (1981).

January 30

American flag maker Betsy Ross dies (1836); Franklin D. Roosevelt born (1882); Mahatma Gandhi assassinated (1948); The Beatles give their last public performance (1969); 14 killed on Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland (1972).

January 27

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born (1756); British author Lewis Carroll born (1832); Auschwitz concentration camp liberated (1945); Paris Peace Accords brings end to Vietnam War (1973); Andre the Giant dies (1993); American author JD Salinger dies (2010).

January 28

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” published (1813); Painter Jackson Pollock born (1912); Modern US Coast Guard is founded (1915); Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board (1986); Actress Cicely Tyson dies (2021).

January 29

President William McKinley born (1843); Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" first published (1845); Baseball Hall of Fame announces first inductees (1936); Oprah Winfrey born (1954); Robert Frost dies (1963).

January 25

First Winter Olympics take place in Chamonix, France (1924); Battle of the Bulge comes to an end (1945); Al Capone dies (1947); Alicia Keys born (1981); Mary Tyler Moore dies (2017).

January 24

First Boy Scout troop is organized (1908); Actress Sharon Tate born (1943); Winston Churchill dies (1965); Thurgood Marshall dies (1993); Department of Homeland Security opens (2003).

January 23

American statesman John Hancock born (1737); The US and Vietnam reach peace settlement (1973); Athlete, artist, and activist Paul Robeson dies (1976); Salvador Dalí dies (1989); Madeleine Albright becomes first US female secretary of state (1997).

January 21

Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine (1793); Fashion designer Christian Dior born (1905); Golf great Jack Nicklaus born (1940); Founding father of American cinema Cecil B. DeMille dies (1959); Women’s March sees large-scale protests in more than 160 countries (2017).

January 22

English polymath Francis Bacon born (1561); President Lyndon B. Johnson dies (1973); Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision (1973); Caitlin Clark born (2002); Hank Aaron dies (2021). 

January 21

Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine (1793); Fashion designer Christian Dior born (1905); Golf great Jack Nicklaus born (1940); Founding father of American cinema Cecil B. DeMille dies (1959); Women’s March sees large-scale protests in more than 160 countries (2017).

January 20

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin born (1930); Iran hostage crisis ends as 52 Americans are released after 444 days (1981); Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed for first time (1986); Actress Audrey Hepburn dies (1993); Barack Obama becomes first Black president of the US (2009).

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY

"On the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr Day honors the American clergyman, activist, Civil Rights Movement leader."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/martin-luther-king-jr-day-third-monday-in-january?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12260427&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

January 18

President John Tyler dies (1862); Actor Cary Grant born (1904); WWI Paris Peace Conference begins (1919); Author Rudyard Kipling dies (1936); Willie O’Ree becomes first Black player in the National Hockey League (1958).

January 17

Benjamin Franklin born (1706); Actress Betty White born (1922); Muhammad Ali born (1942); UN Security Council holds its first meeting (1946); Former first lady Michelle Obama born (1964).

NATIONAL CLASSY DAY

"On National Classy Day, we celebrate those who are graced with the ability to live their lives with class, passion, and who are driven to share it with others."

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-classy-day-january-17?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12250276&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

January 16

Hiram Revels, first African American to serve in Congress, dies (1901); 18th Amendment ratified, banning alcohol in the US (1919); R&B and pop singer Aaliyah born (1979); "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda born (1980); Operation Desert Storm of the Persian Gulf War begins (1991).

January 15

Coca-Cola Co. is incorporated (1889); Martin Luther King Jr. born (1929); First Super Bowl is played (1967); Wikipedia is launched (2001); Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan dies (2018).

January 14

Astronomer Edmond Halley dies (1742); “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” author Lewis Carroll dies (1898); Actress Faye Dunaway born (1941); Franklin D. Roosevelt is first president to travel on official business by airplane while in office (1943); NBC’s “Today” debuts (1952).

January 13

Author James Joyce dies (1941); Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus born (1961); Douglas Wilder becomes first elected Black US governor (1990); 32 die as cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off coast of Italy (2012).

STEPHEN FOSTER MEMORIAL DAY

"Stephen Foster Memorial Day on January 13th commemorates the music of the man who composed hundreds of America's first popular songs."https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/stephen-foster-memorial-day-january-13?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12236840&hashed_email=6c23328441e0f46865e8039a24ce7ccf8880f2d7&email=yeremiah%40aol.com

January 11

Alexander Hamilton born (1755 or 1757); Grand Canyon becomes a national monument (1908); First use of insulin to treat diabetes in humans (1922); Mary J. Blige born (1971); Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, dies (2008).

January 10

UN General Assembly gathers for first time (1946); Boxer George Foreman born (1949); The US and Holy See establish diplomatic relations (1984); David Bowie dies (2016).

January 9

"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine (1776); President Richard Nixon born (1913); Activist and singer-songwriter Joan Baez born (1941); Catherine, Princess of Wales born (1982); iPhone makes its debut (2007).

January 8

George Washington delivers first State of the Union address (1790); Elvis Presley born (1935); Fashion designer Carolina Herrera born (1939); Stephen Hawking born (1942); David Bowie born (1947).

Peter Yarrow

"Folk singer Peter Yarrow, best known as a member of the trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at 86."

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/07/nx-s1-4900572/peter-yarrow-paul-mary-obituary?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

January 7

Galileo Galilei discovers first three Jupiter moons (1610); First US presidential election completed (1789); Author Zora Neale Hurston born (1891); Inventor Nikola Tesla dies (1943); NFL star Lamar Jackson born (1997). 

January 6

Joan of Arc born (1412); Telegraph publicly demonstrated for first time (1838); President Teddy Roosevelt dies (1919); US Capitol stormed in attempt to disrupt certification of 2020 electoral results (2021); Actor Sidney Poitier dies (2022). 

January 3

 "The Lord of the Rings" author JRR Tolkien born (1892); The US cuts diplomatic ties with Cuba (1961); Apple is incorporated (1977); Author Joy Adamson murdered (1980); Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega surrenders to the US (1990).

January 4

Boxer Floyd Patterson born (1935); Biographer and journalist Doris Kearns Goodwin born (1943); Luna 1 is first spacecraft to reach vicinity of the moon (1959); Poet TS Eliot dies (1965); Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world, opens in Dubai (2010). 

January 2

Spanish Reconquista completed (1492); Viet Cong achieve first major victory of Vietnam War (1963); President Ronald Reagan sworn in as California governor (1967); President Jimmy Carter ends US-Russia détente (1980). 

December 31

Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000-year lease, begins brewing at Dublin's St. James's Gate (1759); Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting in public for first time (1879); First New Year's Eve celebration held in Times Square (1904); The country of Kiribati skips the day altogether (1994).