 |
| Bernadette Soubirous when a child. |
The first person born in Antarctica was Emilio Marcos Palma of Argentina on January 7, 1978. He was born in Fortín Sargento Cabral at the Esperanza Base near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and weighed 3.4 kg (7 lb 8 oz). His father, Captain Jorge Emilio Palma, was head of the Argentine army detachment at the base.
For more January 7 anniversaries, including Galileo observations with his telescope of Jupiter's four largest moons. the opening of the first American commercial bank, and the invention of the first motion picture film, check out OnThatDay.
King Richard II of England was born on January 6, 1367 in Bordeaux, France, during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III. He was the son of Edward, the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan of Kent, "The Fair Maid of Kent." Richard became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. His father died before him, so he became king in 1377, when he was just 10 years old. Richard was deposed in 1399 by Henry of Bolingbroke (Henry IV), taken prisoner and died in captivity later that year.
King Richard II of England was born on January 6, 1367 in Bordeaux, France, during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III. He was the son of Edward, the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan of Kent, "The Fair Maid of Kent." Richard became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. His father died before him, so he became king in 1377, when he was just 10 years old. Richard was deposed in 1399 by Henry of Bolingbroke (Henry IV), taken prisoner and died in captivity later that year.
Joan of Arc was born on January 6, 1412 in the village of Domrémy, in East France. Joan's father was Jacques D'Arc a well to do but illiterate, peasant farmer. Joan worked in harvest fields and guarded the animals at pasture. After a divine vision, she disguised herself as a man and led the French army to several victories during the Hundred Years' War. After being captured by the Burgundians, the 19-year-old Joan was burned at the stake for heresy. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.
 |
| Joan of Arc |
For more January 6 anniversaries, including the marriages of George Washington to Martha Dandridge Custis, and Albert Einstein to Mileva Marić, Samuel Morse's first demonstration of his telegraph system, and the death of Theodore Roosevelt, check out OnThatDay.
King Camp Gillette was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on January 5, 1855 and brought up in Chicago. After working for several years as a traveling salesman for a hardware company, Gillette decided he wanted to invent something disposable that would be in constant demand. After years of experimentation he developed a disposable steel blade and razor. He established the Gillette Safety Razor Company in 1901.
King Camp Gillette was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on January 5, 1855 and brought up in Chicago. After working for several years as a traveling salesman for a hardware company, Gillette decided he wanted to invent something disposable that would be in constant demand. After years of experimentation he developed a disposable steel blade and razor. He established the Gillette Safety Razor Company in 1901.
 |
| King Camp Gillette |
Dorothy Elizabeth Levitt, Britain’s first woman racing driver, was born on January 5, 1882. In 1909 Levittt advised female drivers to use a hand mirror to see the road behind them — thus inventing the rear-view mirror — and also carry a handgun if they were travelling alone. Dorothy Levitt taught Queen Alexandra and the Royal Princesses how to drive.
For more January 5 anniversaries, including the first British North American colony to declare its independence, the publication of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and the first one-day cricket international, check out OnThatDay.
Louis Braille was born near Paris on January 4, 1809. Despite having been warned not to play with his father's tools, young Louis picked up a sharp knife and tried to cut a piece of leather. The blade slipped, gouging one of his eyes. The wound became dangerously infected. which spread to his good eye leaving him blind aged 3.
Louis Braille was born near Paris on January 4, 1809. Despite having been warned not to play with his father's tools, young Louis picked up a sharp knife and tried to cut a piece of leather. The blade slipped, gouging one of his eyes. The wound became dangerously infected. which spread to his good eye leaving him blind aged 3.
Louis received a scholarship to France's Royal Institute for Blind Youth and while still a student there, he developed a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired.
 |
| By Son of Groucho from Scotland - Braille's memorial in the Panthéon |
For more January 4 anniversaries, including the admission of Utah as the 45th U.S. state, the publication of Billboard's first music chart, and Burma's independence from the United Kingdom check out OnThatDay.
Clement Attlee, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, was born in Putney, London on January 3, 1883 to Henry Attlee, a solicitor, and Ellen Bravery Watson. His Labour government carried out their manifesto commitment for nationalization of basic industries and public utilities. By 1951 about 20% of the British economy had been taken into public ownership. They also presided over the decolonization of a large part of the British Empire including India and Pakistan.
Clement Attlee, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, was born in Putney, London on January 3, 1883 to Henry Attlee, a solicitor, and Ellen Bravery Watson. His Labour government carried out their manifesto commitment for nationalization of basic industries and public utilities. By 1951 about 20% of the British economy had been taken into public ownership. They also presided over the decolonization of a large part of the British Empire including India and Pakistan.
 |
| Portrait by George Harcourt 1946 |
Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit author J. R. R. Tolkien was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on January 3, 1892. He was known to his family as Ronald. John came from his grandfather and great-grandfather, and Reuel was his father's middle name. By the age of 16, he'd lost both parents. A catholic priest, Father Francis Morgan, took over his upbringing.
The oldest conjoined twins ever (female) Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova were born January 3, 1950 in the Soviet Union and lived 53 years and 104 days. Masha and Dasha were a rare form of conjoined twins - two heads, four arms and two legs.
German race driver Michael Schumacher was born in Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on January 3, 1969 to Rolf Schumacher, and his wife Elisabeth. When Schumacher was four, his father attached a motorcycle engine to his pedal kart. The contraption didn’t work so well and Michael crashed it into a lamp post, however he started getting interest in motor sport from that time.
For more January 3 anniversaries, including the patenting of the first paraffin-covered paper drinking straw, the incorporation of Apple Inc and the creation of the bitcoin cryptocurrency network, check out OnThatDay.
British Army officer James Wolfe was born at the local vicarage on January 2, 1727 at Westerham, Kent to Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Edward Wolfe, and the former Henrietta Thompson. James Wolfe first entered military service at age thirteen, when he joined his father's Marine regiment. He fought in the War of Austrian Succession and the Jacobite uprising, and after being promoted to Brigadier General, he played an important part in securing Great Britain's victory in the Seven Years War.
British Army officer James Wolfe was born at the local vicarage on January 2, 1727 at Westerham, Kent to Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Edward Wolfe, and the former Henrietta Thompson. James Wolfe first entered military service at age thirteen, when he joined his father's Marine regiment. He fought in the War of Austrian Succession and the Jacobite uprising, and after being promoted to Brigadier General, he played an important part in securing Great Britain's victory in the Seven Years War.
 |
Joseph
Highmore: Portrait of Major-General James Wolfe |
Isaac Asimov was born in Russia to a Jewish family on January 2, 1920. He was taken to the United States when he was three, and learnt English and Yiddish as his native languages. Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 books during his lifetime. He is best known for his science fiction novels, which have influenced science-fiction on television and in the cinema
For more January 2 anniversaries, including the marriage of Lord Byron to Annabella Milbanke, the premiere of Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman opera and the first Christian service broadcast on radio, check out OnThatDay.
Paul Revere was born on January 1, 1734. Revere acquired a reputation as a designer and maker of elegant silverware; his finely wrought tankards, bowls, and pitchers were much prized, and his tea sets served the Boston aristocracy for a century. However, he is best known for his midnight ride to alert the colonial militia in April 1775 to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Paul Revere was born on January 1, 1734. Revere acquired a reputation as a designer and maker of elegant silverware; his finely wrought tankards, bowls, and pitchers were much prized, and his tea sets served the Boston aristocracy for a century. However, he is best known for his midnight ride to alert the colonial militia in April 1775 to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord.
 |
| J S Copley - Paul Revere |
The author J. D. Salinger was born Jerome David Salinger in Manhattan, New York on January 1, 1919. While taking night classes at Columbia University, he met Whit Burnett, a professor who also edited magazine. Burnett told Salinger that his stories were skilful and accomplished, accepting The Young Folks, a vignette about several aimless youths, for publication in Story. His novel The Catcher in the Ryeabout a disaffected teenager named Holden Cauldfield was published in 1951 and became an immediate popular success.
For more January 1 anniversaries, including the creation of The City of Greater New York, the beginning of the Pentecostal movement and the marriage of Bill Gates to Melinda French check out OnThatDay.
Charles Edward Stuart (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’), the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, France and Ireland was born in the Palazzo Muti, Rome on December 31, 1720. His father, Prince James Stuart the old pretender, had been given the residence by Pope Clement XI. Charles' grandfather was James II of England. Bonnie Prince Charlie is best remembered for his role in the 1745 rising; his defeat at Culloden in April 1746 effectively ended the Stuart cause.
Charles Edward Stuart (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’), the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, France and Ireland was born in the Palazzo Muti, Rome on December 31, 1720. His father, Prince James Stuart the old pretender, had been given the residence by Pope Clement XI. Charles' grandfather was James II of England. Bonnie Prince Charlie is best remembered for his role in the 1745 rising; his defeat at Culloden in April 1746 effectively ended the Stuart cause.
 |
| Prince Charles Edward Stuart by Louis Tocqué |
Cosmetic pioneer Elizabeth Arden was born in Canada on December 31, 1881 where her parents had emigrated from Cornwall. Her real name was Florence Nightingale Graham. With her rival Helena Rubinstein, Arden made makeup acceptable to "respectable" American women, to whom Arden introduced eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick tinted to match their outfits.
For more December 31 anniversaries, including the first Time Square New Year's Eve Ball, the world’s first breath tests and the marriage of Gregory Peck to Greta Kukkonen, check out OnThatDay.
Author and poet Rudyard Kipling was born on December 30, 1865 in Bombay (now Mumbai), in British India. He was named after Rudyard Lake, a reservoir in Staffordshire in the English Midlands, which was the place where his parents first met. His most successful novel Kim (1901) has an Indian setting, as do his collection of short stories written for children, Jungle Book (1894). In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first English-language writer to receive the prize.
Author and poet Rudyard Kipling was born on December 30, 1865 in Bombay (now Mumbai), in British India. He was named after Rudyard Lake, a reservoir in Staffordshire in the English Midlands, which was the place where his parents first met. His most successful novel Kim (1901) has an Indian setting, as do his collection of short stories written for children, Jungle Book (1894). In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first English-language writer to receive the prize.
 |
| Kipling with his father circa 1890 |
Bill Haast, the director of the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, was born on December 30, 1910. He founded the Miami Serpentarium in 1947, where he extracted venom from snakes in front of paying customers. Haast had been bitten 172 times by the time he reached the age of 97 and his blood was used to save 21 snakebite victims.
Chinese chemist and pharmacist Tu Youyou was born on December 30, 1930. Tu Youyou, a woman with no medical degree, anonymously found the cure for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 1977—38 years later, she was given the Nobel Prize. Tu says she was influenced by a traditional Chinese herbal medicine source,The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergency Treatments, written in 340 by Ge Hong.
Tiger Woods was born Eldrick Tont Woods on December 30, 1975 in Cypress, California, to Earl and Kultida "Tida" Woods. He was nicknamed "Tiger" by his father after an old Vietnam War friend called "Tiger" Vuong Dang Phong. Woods started playing golf aged two under the tutelage of his father, who was one of Kansas State University's first African-American college baseball players. The youngest player to complete the PGA Career Grand Slam, Woods has won 15 majors, including 5 Masters Tournaments.
For more December 30 anniversaries, including the marriages of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin, Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Webb, John Philip Sousa and Jane van Middlesworth Bellis, Al Capone and Mary ("Mae") Coughlin and Angela Merkel and Joachim Sauer, check out OnThatDay.
Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh was born on December 29, 1766. In 1823 he came up with a method of producing waterproof cloth by binding together two layers of fabric with india rubber dissolved in naphtha. He used the waterproof cloth to make the first ever raincoats.
Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh was born on December 29, 1766. In 1823 he came up with a method of producing waterproof cloth by binding together two layers of fabric with india rubber dissolved in naphtha. He used the waterproof cloth to make the first ever raincoats.
Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, was born in a log cabin in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1808, to town constable Jacob Johnson and Mary ("Polly") McDonough. The only U.S. president never to have gone to school, Andrew Johnson was later taught to read by his wife, Eliza McCardle Johnson. A Democrat, as president he was continually conflicting with the Republican-dominated Congress, culminating in his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1868.
 |
| President Andrew Johnson |
William Gladstone was born on December 29, 1809 at 62 Rodney Street, Liverpool. He served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four terms beginning in 1868 and ending in 1894. Although Gladstone was born and brought up in Liverpool, and always retained a touch of Lancashire accent, he was of Scottish descent on both of his parents' sides.
For more December 29 anniversaries, including the installation of gas lighting in the White House, the last major conflict between U.S. military forces and Native Americans and the publication of James Joyce's novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, check out OnThatDay.
The 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, was born in Staunton, Virginia, on December 28, 1856. "Woodrow" was his middle name. His first name was Thomas. In 1885, he obtained a Ph.D. in history and political science at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Wilson was the only US President to hold a doctorate degree, making him the highest educated head of state in American history.
Elizabeth Carr, the first American test-tube baby, was born at 7:46 am on December 28, 1981. She came into this world two and a half years after the world’s first test tube baby, Oldham, England-born Louise Brown. Elizabeth was delivered at Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, weighing 5 pounds 12 ounces. She is now a journalist.
The 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, was born in Staunton, Virginia, on December 28, 1856. "Woodrow" was his middle name. His first name was Thomas. In 1885, he obtained a Ph.D. in history and political science at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Wilson was the only US President to hold a doctorate degree, making him the highest educated head of state in American history.
 |
| Wilson c. mid-1870s |
Elizabeth Carr, the first American test-tube baby, was born at 7:46 am on December 28, 1981. She came into this world two and a half years after the world’s first test tube baby, Oldham, England-born Louise Brown. Elizabeth was delivered at Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, weighing 5 pounds 12 ounces. She is now a journalist.
For more December 28 anniversaries, including the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune, Iowa becoming the 29th US state and the first ice hockey player to score 8 points in one NHL game, check out OnThatDay.
German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler was born on December 27, 1571, at the Free Imperial City of Weil der Stadt (50 miles west of Stuttgart). Johannes was introduced to astronomy at an early age, and observed at the age of six the Great Comet of 1577. Today Kepler is best known for his laws of planetary motion, his fundamental work in the field of optics, and his improved version of the refracting telescope.
German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler was born on December 27, 1571, at the Free Imperial City of Weil der Stadt (50 miles west of Stuttgart). Johannes was introduced to astronomy at an early age, and observed at the age of six the Great Comet of 1577. Today Kepler is best known for his laws of planetary motion, his fundamental work in the field of optics, and his improved version of the refracting telescope.
 |
| Johannes Kepler |
Oscar Wilde's mother, Lady Jane Wilde, was born on December 27, 1821. A revolutionary poet under the pen name "Speranza" and authority on Celtic folklore, Lady Wilde read the Young Irelanders' poetry to Oscar and his brother Willie, inculcating a love of these poets in her sons. Oscar adored his mother, who was heartbroken when her son was imprisoned. She refused to leave her house and died when he was in jail.
French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822, in Dole, Jura, in the French Jura mountains. Louis' childhood was spent among the vineyard covered slopes of the Jura mountains. His chief interest and talent lay in painting and he also enjoyed fishing. Pasteur is remembered today for his breakthroughs in the causes and prevention of diseases, including the creation of the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax and his discoveries of the principles of microbial fermentation and pasteurization.
Marlene Dietrich was born on December 27, 1901 in Leberstrasse 65 on the Rote Insel in Schöneberg, now a district of Berlin, Germany. She is considered to have been the first German actress to become successful in Hollywood. Her big break came in 1930, when she was cast in The Blue Angel as Lola-Lola, a cabaret singer.
For more December 27 anniversaries, including the departure of The Beagle with Charles Darwin on board, the premiere of J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan and the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on Earth, check out OnThatDay.
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was born in Iesi, near Ancona, Italy on December 26, 1194 to the emperor Henry VI and forty-year-old Constance of Sicily. King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220, he spoke six languages (Latin, Sicilian, Middle High German, Langues d'oïl, Greek and Arabic. Frederick was an avid patron of science and the arts and is often considered the most cultured man of his age. He was also the first king to formally outlaw trial by ordeal, which had come to be viewed as superstitious.
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was born in Iesi, near Ancona, Italy on December 26, 1194 to the emperor Henry VI and forty-year-old Constance of Sicily. King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220, he spoke six languages (Latin, Sicilian, Middle High German, Langues d'oïl, Greek and Arabic. Frederick was an avid patron of science and the arts and is often considered the most cultured man of his age. He was also the first king to formally outlaw trial by ordeal, which had come to be viewed as superstitious.
 |
| The birth of Frederick II |
Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893 in the village of Shaoshan village, in Xiangtan county, Hunan province. in South China. The eldest son of four children, his father, Mao Yichang, was a a grasping money lender and middle class peasant farmer who through hard work and peasant shrewdness had grown comparatively prosperous. The chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949, Mao Zedong's rule is estimated to have caused the deaths of approximately 70 million people.
For more December 26 anniversaries, including the first performance of Shakespeare's King Lear, the first ever inter-club football match and the debut of the world's first full-length feature movie, check out OnThatDay.
When the Roman Emperor Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world in around 5BC, a carpenter called Joseph was forced to register in his hometown of Bethlehem. He was accompanied by his young pregnant fiancé, Mary, whose baby had been conceived by the Holy Spirit.
When the Roman Emperor Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world in around 5BC, a carpenter called Joseph was forced to register in his hometown of Bethlehem. He was accompanied by his young pregnant fiancé, Mary, whose baby had been conceived by the Holy Spirit.
The baby was named Jesus meaning "Yahweh is salvation". He was born inauspiciously in a cave in Bethlehem thus fulfilling a prophecy in the Jewish sacred book of Micah, and laid in an animal's feeding trough. Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, the church in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25.
 |
| "Adoration of the Shepherds" by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622 Wikipedia Commons |
Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day, December 25. 1642. Isaac was born at Woolsthorpe House, near the hamlet of Colstenworth in Lincolnshire. He was born prematurely. Isaac wasn't expected to live beyond a few hours, but proved everyone wrong in style. One of the most influential scientists of all time, Newton formulated the three basic laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit for developing the infinitesimal calculus.
American nurse and humanitarian Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1821. Clara Barton was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War. She later became involved with the International Red Cross while visiting Europe. In 1881 she founded the American Red Cross. She was noteworthy for doing humanitarian work at a time when relatively few women worked outside the home.
For more December 25 births, including William Wordsworth's sister Dorothy, cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein and Hollywood actor Humphrey Bogart check out OnThatDay.
King John of England was born on December 24, 1167 at Beaumont Palace, which had been built outside the north gate of Oxford to serve as a royal palace conveniently close to the royal hunting-lodge at Woodstock. John was born to Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was his father's favorite son, though as the youngest, he could expect no inheritance (hence his nickname, "Lackland"). However, the deaths of his older brothers left John in a position to become King of England.
King John of England was born on December 24, 1167 at Beaumont Palace, which had been built outside the north gate of Oxford to serve as a royal palace conveniently close to the royal hunting-lodge at Woodstock. John was born to Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was his father's favorite son, though as the youngest, he could expect no inheritance (hence his nickname, "Lackland"). However, the deaths of his older brothers left John in a position to become King of England.
 |
| King John Wikipedia |
American filmmaker, businessman and pilot Howard Hughes was born in Humble, Texas on December 24, 1905 to a rich family, As a boy, Howard showed an ability to build things with wires and scraps of metal. He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an influential figure in the aviation industry. Hughes spent the last ten years of his life as a recluse living in hotels in many cities, always taking up residence in the top floor penthouse.
For more December 24 anniversaries, including the founding of Nashville, the marriage of Sir Walter Scott to Charlotte Margaret Carpenter and the first performance of "Silent Night." check out OnThatDay.
Alexander I, the Emperor of Russia, reigned from 1801 to 1825. Born Aleksandr Pavlovich on December 23, 1777 in Saint Petersburg, he was the eldest son of Tsar Paul I and Empress Maria Feodorovna (née Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg).
Joseph Smith Jr, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born on December 23, 1805. The son of a Vermont farmer, Joseph Smith, Jr claimed that at the age of 14, while praying in a wooded area near his home, he was confronted by two heavenly messengers. The angels told Smith not to join any existing churches because all taught incorrect doctrines. The true church, he was informed, is not yet present on earth.
Alexander I, the Emperor of Russia, reigned from 1801 to 1825. Born Aleksandr Pavlovich on December 23, 1777 in Saint Petersburg, he was the eldest son of Tsar Paul I and Empress Maria Feodorovna (née Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg).
Alexander's reign was marked by a period of significant social and political reform. He implemented measures to improve the condition of serfs, a class of enslaved people within the Russian Empire. These reforms, though limited in scope, represented a shift towards a more humane treatment of this oppressed population.
American entrepreneur and philanthropist Sarah Breedlove, known as Madam C. J. Walker, was born on December 23, 1867. Madam C. J. Walker is regarded as the first female self-made millionaire in America. She made her fortune by developing and marketing a successful line of beauty and hair products for black women under the company she founded, Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company.
 |
| Madame CJ Walker |
For more December 23 anniversaries, including the UK’s first beauty contest, Bell Lab's secret demonstration of the transistor and the first successful kidney transplants between living patients check out OnThatDay.
Spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher Guru Gobind Singh was born on December 22, 1666. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded in 1675, Gobind Singh was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at the age of nine. Sikhism took on a distinct identity in 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh founded the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh's other notable contributions to Sikhism also include introducing the Five Ks, the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times.
Spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher Guru Gobind Singh was born on December 22, 1666. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded in 1675, Gobind Singh was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at the age of nine. Sikhism took on a distinct identity in 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh founded the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh's other notable contributions to Sikhism also include introducing the Five Ks, the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times.
Italian composer Giacomo Puccini was born on December 22, 1858, in Lucca, Tuscany, one of nine children. The heads of his family for four generations had been professional musicians and Giacomo was chosen to carry on the Puccini musical tradition. Considered second only to Giuseppe Verdi as an Italian opera composer in his day. Puccini's most renowned works are La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904) and Turandot (1924).
 |
| Giacomo Puccini |
A baby gorilla named Colo entered the world at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio on December 22, 1956 becoming the first-ever gorilla born in captivity. Her name was a combination of Columbus and Ohio. Weighing in at approximately 4 pounds, Colo, a western lowland gorilla, was the daughter of Millie and Mac, two gorillas captured in French Cameroon, who were brought to the Columbus Zoo in 1951.
For more December 22 anniversaries, including Fred Astaire's first big screen dance with Ginger Rogers, the opening of the Lincoln Tunnel and the marriage of Madonna to film director Guy Ritchie check out OnThatDay
Saint Thomas Becket was born in Cheapside, London on December 21, 1119 (or 1120 according to later tradition.) He came from relatively humble origins, his father, Gilbert Beckett, meaning "Little Beak", was part of a Norman family of knights, who originally came from Rouen in France. He was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170.
Saint Thomas Becket was born in Cheapside, London on December 21, 1119 (or 1120 according to later tradition.) He came from relatively humble origins, his father, Gilbert Beckett, meaning "Little Beak", was part of a Norman family of knights, who originally came from Rouen in France. He was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170.
 |
| 14th-century depiction of Becket with King Henry II Wikipedia Commons |
Benjamin Disraeli was born on December 21, 1804 at 22 Theobalds Road, London. His family was a prosperous Sephardic family connected in the London literary world. Before attaining political power, he wrote a number of novels, of which the best known are the romances, Sybil and Vivian Grey. Disraeli twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and played a central role in the creation of the modern Conservative Party, defining its policies and its broad outreach.
The actress Jane Fonda was born December 21, 1937. She is the daughter of Henry Fonda, the sister of Peter Fonda and aunt of Bridget Fonda - all of whom were/are actors. Fonda won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice in the 1970s; Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). Her other memorable film roles include Cat Ballou, Barefoot in the Park, Julia, The China Syndrome and On Golden Pond. She is also known for vocalizing her opposition to the Vietnam war and her Jane Fonda's Workout video series.
Chinese opera singer and spy, Shi Pei Pu, was born on December 21, 1938. He masqueraded as a woman and used a 20 year long sexual affair with a French diplomat to steal intelligence. Pu even purchased a child and convinced the diplomat it was his.
For more December 21 anniversaries, including the invention of basketball, the discovery of radium and the first human voice to be transmitted by radio, check out OnThatDay.
The English music hall star Dan Leno was born on December 20, 1860. He was best known for his dame roles in the annual pantomimes that were popular at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from 1888 to 1904. He was paid £200 for each of the pantomime seasons. Leno later became known as ‘the King’s Jester’ after entertaining Edward VII at Sandringham.
The English music hall star Dan Leno was born on December 20, 1860. He was best known for his dame roles in the annual pantomimes that were popular at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from 1888 to 1904. He was paid £200 for each of the pantomime seasons. Leno later became known as ‘the King’s Jester’ after entertaining Edward VII at Sandringham.
Maria Skobtsova was born Elizaveta Pilenko on December 20, 1891 in Riga, Latvia, then part of the Russian Empire. A Russian noblewoman, poet and nun, Mother Maria devoted her life to the poor. As a member of the French Resistance during World War II, her convent became a haven for persecuted Jewish women and children. Money poured in to help them to flee from France and hundreds escaped. She died in the terrible Ravensbruck concentration camp and was canonized a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
For more December 20 anniversaries, including the death of Martin Luther's wife Katharina von Bora, the publication of Grimm's Fairy Tales and the release of It's a Wonderful Life, check out OnThatDay.
Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the eldest child of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette, was born at Versailles December 19, 1778. Marie-Antoinette was forced to endure the humiliation of a public birth in her Bedchamber, in front of hundreds of courtiers. The Queen actually passed out through a combination of embarrassment and pain. It was the last time such a ritual was permitted as Marie-Antoinette refused to give birth in public ever again. Marie Thérèse was allowed to leave France once the Terror was over, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday and she lived to the age of 72.
Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the eldest child of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette, was born at Versailles December 19, 1778. Marie-Antoinette was forced to endure the humiliation of a public birth in her Bedchamber, in front of hundreds of courtiers. The Queen actually passed out through a combination of embarrassment and pain. It was the last time such a ritual was permitted as Marie-Antoinette refused to give birth in public ever again. Marie Thérèse was allowed to leave France once the Terror was over, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday and she lived to the age of 72.
 |
| Marie-Thérèse in Vienna in 1796 |
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was born on December 19, 1906 in Kamenskoe (now Dniprodzerzhynsk in Ukraine), to metalworker Ilya Yakovlevich Brezhnev and his wife, Natalia Denisovna. At different times during his life, Brezhnev specified his ethnic origin alternately as either Ukrainian or Russian, opting for the latter as he rose within the Communist Party. His eighteen-year term as as General Secretary of the governing Communist Party was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in duration.
For more December 19 anniversaries, including the first photograph of the Moon through a telescope, the launch of BBC's World Service and the release of James Cameron's Titanic movie, check out OnThatDay.
Charles Wesley was born on December 18, 1707 in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, where his father was rector. He was born several weeks before his time and appeared more dead than alive but was carefully wrapped in warm wool. Charles' father Samuel was a poet and he passed on his poetic gifts to his son. Charles Wesley wrote over 6000 hymns, more than any other male. (Fanny Crosby wrote 8000). It is said Methodism was born in song and Charles was the chief songwriter.
Charles Wesley was born on December 18, 1707 in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, where his father was rector. He was born several weeks before his time and appeared more dead than alive but was carefully wrapped in warm wool. Charles' father Samuel was a poet and he passed on his poetic gifts to his son. Charles Wesley wrote over 6000 hymns, more than any other male. (Fanny Crosby wrote 8000). It is said Methodism was born in song and Charles was the chief songwriter.
 |
| Portrait by John Russell |
Joseph Stalin was born Ioseb Jughashvili on December 18, 1879 at Gory near Tbilisi in Georgia. He later adopted the name "Stalin" meaning "Man of Steel" which Lenin had given him. Ioseb's father, Besarion "Beso" Jughashvili, was a drunkard Georgian shoemaker who beat his son. One of Stalin's friends from childhood wrote, "Those undeserved and fearful beatings made the boy as hard and heartless as his father."
For more December 18 birthdays, including the English clown Joseph Grimaldi, the movie director Steven Spielberg , and the actor Brad Pitt, check out OnThatDay.
The philosopher Émilie Du Châtelet was born on December 17, 1706. When she was twenty-seven, married, and the mother of three children she began a sixteen-year liaison with the Enlightenment writer Voltaire. "I found, in 1733, a young woman who thought as I did," Voltaire wrote in his memoirs of the Divine Emilie, "and who decided to spend several years in the country, cultivating her mind."
The philosopher Émilie Du Châtelet was born on December 17, 1706. When she was twenty-seven, married, and the mother of three children she began a sixteen-year liaison with the Enlightenment writer Voltaire. "I found, in 1733, a young woman who thought as I did," Voltaire wrote in his memoirs of the Divine Emilie, "and who decided to spend several years in the country, cultivating her mind."
William Floyd, one of the men of the First Continental Congress and signer of the Constitution of the United States of America, was born in Brookhaven, Long Island, on December 17, 1734. The William Floyd Parkway is named after him.
Chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy was born in Penzance, Cornwall on December 17, 1778 to a wood carver and small farmer father. A keen naturalist as a boy he was encouraged to take up science by Davies Goddy, a figure of local importance who gave the boy the run of his lab. He is best remembered today for isolating, a series of elements for the first time, including sodium potassium, calcium and magnesium. as well as discovering the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine. He also invented the Davy Lamp, which was used in coal mines because it was a safer alternative to previous mine lamps.
 |
| Sir Humphry Davy, Bt, by Thomas Phillips (died 1845). |
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Flores, a barrio of Buenos Aires in Argentina. He was born to Italian immigrant parents - railway worker Mario Bergoglio and his wife, Regina. He earned a master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires before deciding to follow his religious vocation, In March 1958 Bergoglio entered the Society of Jesus in Cordoba as a novice. Pope Francis took over as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church over Benedict XVI in March 2013.
For more December 17 anniversaries, including the excommunication of King Henry VIII of England, the sale of the first bowler hat and the debut of The Simpsons, check out OnThatDay.
There is no actual record of Ludwig Van Beethoven's birth. He is traditionally assumed to have been born on December 16, 1770 because his baptism was recorded as taking place in a Roman Catholic service at the Parish of St. Regius on the following day, but the real natal date and hour are unknown.
For more December 16 anniversaries, including the completion by Felix Mendelsson of his The Hebrides Overture, the marriage of Benito Mussolini and Rachele Guidi and the first song to be sung in space, check out OnThatDay.
The Roman emperor Nero was born in December 15, 37 in Antium (modern Anzio and Nettuno), near Rome. He was the only son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina. When he was 11 his mother married the emperor Claudius. Following the death of his adoptive father, Claudius, Nero became Emperor aged 17. During his reign, he persecuted and killed Christians and was accused of setting fire to the city of Rome to provide space for his grand palace.
There is no actual record of Ludwig Van Beethoven's birth. He is traditionally assumed to have been born on December 16, 1770 because his baptism was recorded as taking place in a Roman Catholic service at the Parish of St. Regius on the following day, but the real natal date and hour are unknown.
Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at Steventon rectory. Jane's father, Rev George Austen was an educated gentlemanly parson of moderate means, who was the vicar at Steventon for over 40 years. Jane was modest about her education, saying: “I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible vanity, the most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an authoress.” However her six published novels are popular today not only for their romantic storylines, but also for their biting irony, realism, humor, and social commentary.
 |
| Watercolour-and-pencil portrait of Jane Austen by Cassandra Austen (1773-1845) - Wikipedia |
For more December 16 anniversaries, including the completion by Felix Mendelsson of his The Hebrides Overture, the marriage of Benito Mussolini and Rachele Guidi and the first song to be sung in space, check out OnThatDay.
The Roman emperor Nero was born in December 15, 37 in Antium (modern Anzio and Nettuno), near Rome. He was the only son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina. When he was 11 his mother married the emperor Claudius. Following the death of his adoptive father, Claudius, Nero became Emperor aged 17. During his reign, he persecuted and killed Christians and was accused of setting fire to the city of Rome to provide space for his grand palace.
 |
| Nero and Agrippina. Agrippina crowns her young son Nero with a laurel wreath |
For more December 15 anniversaries, including the first organized speedway, the first soft landing on another planet by a spacecraft and the reopening of The Leaning Tower of Pisa check out OnThatDay.
Michel de Nostradame (Latinised as Nostradamus) was born on December 14, 1503 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Provence, France. After the death of Nostradamus' wife and two children, he became interested in the occult. He started to produce an annual almanac, the first being published in 1550. They were published two or three times each year and taken together, these almanacs contain at least 6,338 predictions.
Michel de Nostradame (Latinised as Nostradamus) was born on December 14, 1503 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Provence, France. After the death of Nostradamus' wife and two children, he became interested in the occult. He started to produce an annual almanac, the first being published in 1550. They were published two or three times each year and taken together, these almanacs contain at least 6,338 predictions.
The astronomer Tycho Brahe was born at his family's ancestral seat of Knutstorp Castle near Svalöv in then Danish Scania on December 14, 1546. His discovery and report of the 1572 supernova brought him recognition. Brahe was the last great naked eye astronomer, in the days before telescopes, making the most accurate measurements of the positions of stars and planets. His accurate observations of the planets enabled Johannes Kepler to prove that planets orbit the Sun in ellipses.
George VI of the UK was born Albert Windsor at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on December 14, 1895. His father was Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V) and his mother the Duchess of York (later Queen Mary,). He took the throne after his older brother Edward defied royal protocol by marrying an American divorcee and ruled from 1936 until 1952. George's popularity soared during World War II when he was seen as sharing the hardships of the common people.
For more December 14 anniversaries, including Alabama becoming the 22nd U.S. state, the death of Prince Albert and Roald Amundsen's team becoming the first to reach the South Pole, check out OnThatDay.
Henry IV of France was born on December 13, 1553 in Pau, a city on the northern edge of the Pyrenees, in SW France. His parents were Queen Joan III of Navarre and her consort, Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, King of Navarre. He was the first monarch of France from the House of Bourbon, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. "Good King Henry" (le bon roi Henri) was remembered for his geniality and his great concern about the welfare of his subjects.
Henry IV of France was born on December 13, 1553 in Pau, a city on the northern edge of the Pyrenees, in SW France. His parents were Queen Joan III of Navarre and her consort, Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, King of Navarre. He was the first monarch of France from the House of Bourbon, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. "Good King Henry" (le bon roi Henri) was remembered for his geniality and his great concern about the welfare of his subjects.
German electrical engineer Werner von Siemens was born in Lenthe, in the Kingdom of Hanover in the German Confederation, on December 13, 1816. He founded Siemens & Halske with Johann Georg Halske in 1847. In 1848, the company built the first long-distance telegraph line in Europe; 500 km from Berlin to Frankfurt am Main. The company has been known as Siemens since 1966 and is today the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe.
The boxer Archie Moore was born on December 13, 1916. He was the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time at nine years, four months and 24 days (December 1952 – May 1962). Moore also had one of the longest professional careers in the history of the sport, fighting professionally for almost 30 years.
The singer Taylor Swift was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania on December 13, 1989 to Scott, a financial adviser, and Andrea, a former mutual fund marketing executive. She was named after musician James Taylor. Swift's mother believed that a gender-neutral name would help forge a business career. Taylor Swift's maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, was a professional opera singer, and inspired Taylor to become a singer.
For more December 13 anniversaries, including the founding of Europe's first national bank, the highest scoring game in NBA history and the marriage of Margaret and Dennis Thatcher, check out OnThatDay.
Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in an upstairs tenement at 415 Monroe Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was the only child of Italian immigrants. Francis weighed 13 pounds and 7oz when he was born in 1915 - almost double the average of a newborn. Francis was so big he suffered scars to his ear and the side of his face from the forceps used to help deliver him. began his career by singing swing music with Tommy Dorsey and became one of the 20th century's most popular and influential musical artists.
Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in an upstairs tenement at 415 Monroe Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was the only child of Italian immigrants. Francis weighed 13 pounds and 7oz when he was born in 1915 - almost double the average of a newborn. Francis was so big he suffered scars to his ear and the side of his face from the forceps used to help deliver him. began his career by singing swing music with Tommy Dorsey and became one of the 20th century's most popular and influential musical artists.
 |
| Sinatra in Pal Joey (1957) |
The English playwright John Osborne was born on December 12, 1929. Osborne made his name with Look Back in Anger (1956), which proved a landmark in the history of the British theatre and a major contribution to the image of the Angry Young Man.
For more December 12 anniversaries, including the debut of the first cartoon with speech bubbles, production of Saab's first car and the marriage of Princess Anne to Timothy Laurence, check out OnThatDay.
Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster was born on December 11, 1781. In 1817 he invented the kaleidoscope, an optical toy where the user sees many beautiful, colorful patterns. The word "kaleidoscope" is derived from the Ancient Greek kalos, "beautiful, beauty", eidos, "that which is seen: form, shape" and skope, "to look to, to examine."
American astronomer Annie Jump Cannon was born December 11, 1863. She manually classified more stars in a lifetime than anyone else, around 350,000 stars. Cannon could classify a single star, fully, in approximately 20 seconds. and used a magnifying glass for the majority of the (faint) stars.
Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster was born on December 11, 1781. In 1817 he invented the kaleidoscope, an optical toy where the user sees many beautiful, colorful patterns. The word "kaleidoscope" is derived from the Ancient Greek kalos, "beautiful, beauty", eidos, "that which is seen: form, shape" and skope, "to look to, to examine."
French composer Hector Berlioz was born in La Cote-St-Andre, in the French Alps, on December 11, 1803. His father, a prosperous physician with a love for music, invited many music masters to settle in the town so the boy would be exposed to a rich musical environment. He learned the basics of composition as well as to play the flute and guitar. His best known works include Symphonie fantastique and the Requiem. Treatise on Instrumentation, Berlioz's 1843 book on modern instrumentation and orchestration became a standard reference work.
 |
| The young Berlioz |
For more December 11 anniversaries, including The Siege of Maarat, Indiana becoming the 19th U.S. state, and the opening for service of the world's longest railway and deepest traffic tunnel, check out OnThatDay.
Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace was born on December 10, 1815. She was the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Milbanke. Lovelace is chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She is often described as the world's first computer programmer.
Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 at the family's homestead in Amherst, Massachusetts into a prominent, but not wealthy, family. Emily's Amherst Academy principal later recalled that Dickinson was "very bright" and "an excellent scholar, of exemplary deportment, faithful in all school duties.” A reclusive, she wrote close to eighteen hundred poems of which only ten were published during her relatively short lifetime. Many of them deal with the theme of mortality.
Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace was born on December 10, 1815. She was the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Milbanke. Lovelace is chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She is often described as the world's first computer programmer.
 |
| Watercolor portrait of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (Ada Lovelace) |
Scottish doctor Alexander Wood was born on December 10, 1817. He invented in 1853 a hypodermic syringe with a needle fine enough to pierce the skin. Wood's innovation allowed drugs to be administered intravenously without the patient's skin having to be cut first. It is said he found inspiration in the sting of a honeybee.
For more December 10 anniversaries, including the marriage of George Sand to François Casimir Dudevant, the installation of the world's first traffic light system and the first commercial hybrid car, check out OnThatDay.
English poet and philosopher John Milton was born in Bread Street, London, on December 9, 1608, the son of John Milton senior and his wife, Sarah Jeffrey. His father - who contributed a collection of madrigals in honor of Elizabeth I - encouraged his son's ambitions; John jnr was writing poetry by the age of ten. Milton published his blank verse masterpiece, , in 1667 after he'd lost his sight. His other works include Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.
English poet and philosopher John Milton was born in Bread Street, London, on December 9, 1608, the son of John Milton senior and his wife, Sarah Jeffrey. His father - who contributed a collection of madrigals in honor of Elizabeth I - encouraged his son's ambitions; John jnr was writing poetry by the age of ten. Milton published his blank verse masterpiece, , in 1667 after he'd lost his sight. His other works include Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.
 |
| John Milton at age 10 by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen |
Joseph Pilates, the creator of the Pilates fitness system, was born on December 9, 1883. Pilates was a German working in England when World War 1 broke out. While interned in a prison camp (Knockaloe) on the Isle of Man, he developed a method of exercise prisoners could perform in confined space using just their own body weight. The fitness system now known as Pilates is practiced worldwide.
Clarence Birdseye was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 9, 1886. An American inventor, entrepreneur, and naturalist, he invented and perfecting a system of packing fresh food into waxed cardboard boxes and flash-freezing under high pressure. In 1924 Clarence Birdseye organized his own company, Birdseye Seafoods, Inc. This was the beginning of the frozen foods industry.
Lorraine Collett, Sun-Maid's famous mascot, was born on December 9, 1892. In 1915 a raisin company executive spotted a teenage girl called Lorraine Collett drying her curly brown hair and wearing her mother's red bonnet in the backyard of her family's home. They hired her for a stunt promotion that had her dropping raisins from an airplane. Soon Collett became the company's first mascot called, "Sun Maid."
 |
| Original painting of Collett as the Sun-Maid Girl, ca. 1915 |
For more December 9 anniversaries, including the establishment of New York City's first daily newspaper, the first mixed race US state governor and Coronation Street's debut episode. check out OnThatDay.
Mary Queen of Scots was born on December 8, 1542 at Linlithglow Palace near Falkirk, Scotland during a cold winter. She was born to James V, King of Scotland, and his French second wife, Mary of Guise. Mary was said to have been born prematurely and was the only legitimate child of James to survive him. The six-day-old Mary became the Queen of Scotland on the death of her father.
Mary Queen of Scots was born on December 8, 1542 at Linlithglow Palace near Falkirk, Scotland during a cold winter. She was born to James V, King of Scotland, and his French second wife, Mary of Guise. Mary was said to have been born prematurely and was the only legitimate child of James to survive him. The six-day-old Mary became the Queen of Scotland on the death of her father.
Mary spent most of her childhood in France while Scotland was ruled by regents. In 1558, she married the Dauphin of France, Francis(later Francis II). Following his death she married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and after his death she married James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. After the Scottish nobles rose in rebellion, Mary was forced to abdicate in favor of her son was James VI (later James I. of England). Mary fled to England where her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, had her tried and executed for treason.
For more December 8 anniversaries, including Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech, the adoption of the Flag of Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, check out OnThatDay.
Saint Columba was born to Fedlimid and Eithne of the Cenel Conaill in Gartan, near Lough Gartan, in modern County Donegal, in Ireland on December 7, 521. The Apostle to the Picts left his homeland in 563 in his small rowing boat with twelve companions in order to evangelize the northern tribes in Britain. He is credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland.
Saint Columba was born to Fedlimid and Eithne of the Cenel Conaill in Gartan, near Lough Gartan, in modern County Donegal, in Ireland on December 7, 521. The Apostle to the Picts left his homeland in 563 in his small rowing boat with twelve companions in order to evangelize the northern tribes in Britain. He is credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland.
Richard W Sears, co-founder of Sears, was born on December 7, 1863. One of the oldest operating retail operations in America. began by accident in 1886 when railroad station agent Richard W. Sears received a box of watches by mistake. He began selling the timepieces to his colleagues in Redwood Falls, Minnesota before branching out into mail order catalogs.
English author Anne Fine was born on December 7, 1947. Fine started writing novels in 1971 when, at home with her first baby, a snowstorm stopped her going to the local library. She is best known for her 1987 satirical novel Madame Doubtfire, which Twentieth Century Fox filmed as Mrs. Doubtfire.
For more December 7 anniversaries, including The Great Storm of 1703 making landfall, the first television commercial and the first use of Instant Replay check out OnThatDay.
Henry VI of England was born on December 6, 1421 at Windsor Castle. He succeeded to the throne as King of England the day after his father's death, Henry V, on September 1, 1422 at the age of nine months. He was the youngest person ever to be the English monarch. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents.
Henry VI of England was born on December 6, 1421 at Windsor Castle. He succeeded to the throne as King of England the day after his father's death, Henry V, on September 1, 1422 at the age of nine months. He was the youngest person ever to be the English monarch. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents.
%5B1%5D.jpg) |
| Wikipedia Commons |
French chemist Nicolas LeBlanc was born on December 6, 1742. He devised in about 1790 of a process for manufacturing soda ash from brine (a form of salt), which transformed soapmaking from a handicraft to an industry. LeBlanc devised his method of producing soda ash to win a prize offered by the French Academy of Sciences, but the Revolutionary government merely granted him a patent.
For more December 6 anniversaries, including the first edition of Encyclopedia Britannica, the first gramophone recording, and the first licensed taxi cabs check out OnThatDay.
Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782. The 8th President of the United States, Van Buren was the first president to be born as a citizen of the United States and the first president not of British or Scots-Irish ancestry (he came from Dutch stock).
Civil War and Indian Wars commander George Armstrong Custer was born in New Rumley, Harrison County, Ohio on December 5, 1839. Custer was ranked 34th out of 34 in his West Point United States military Academy graduating class.
Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782. The 8th President of the United States, Van Buren was the first president to be born as a citizen of the United States and the first president not of British or Scots-Irish ancestry (he came from Dutch stock).
Civil War and Indian Wars commander George Armstrong Custer was born in New Rumley, Harrison County, Ohio on December 5, 1839. Custer was ranked 34th out of 34 in his West Point United States military Academy graduating class.
 |
| Cadet George Armstrong "Autie" Custer, ca. 1859 Wikipedia Commons |
Walt Disney was born in Hermosa, Chicago, Illinois on December 5, 1901. Disney became interested in personalizing animals' characters after carelessly killing a small owl as a young boy. He felt guilty and vowed never again to kill a living creature.
For more December 5 anniversaries, including the first man killed by a train, the end of prohibition and the first cloned primates, check out OnThatDay.
Edith Cavell was born on December 4, 1865 in Swardeston, a village near Norwich, where her father was vicar for 45 years. Throughout her life her strong Anglican beliefs propelled her to help all those who needed help. At the outbreak of World War I, she was running a clinic and nursing school in Brussels, Belgium. Following the German occupation, Cavell began sheltering British soldiers and funneling them out to the neutral Netherlands.
Edith Cavell was born on December 4, 1865 in Swardeston, a village near Norwich, where her father was vicar for 45 years. Throughout her life her strong Anglican beliefs propelled her to help all those who needed help. At the outbreak of World War I, she was running a clinic and nursing school in Brussels, Belgium. Following the German occupation, Cavell began sheltering British soldiers and funneling them out to the neutral Netherlands.
 |
Edith Cavell in a garden in Brussels with her two dogs before the outbreak of war |
Cavell was arrested by the Germans and charged with harboring Allied soldiers. Cavell was executed by a German firing squad on October 12, 1915.
For more December 4 anniversaries, including the election of the only English Pope, the world's first Sunday newspaper and the publication of Wuthering Heights, check out OnThatDay.
English inventor and pioneer of the spinning industry Samuel Crompton was born on December 3, 1753. Building on the work of James Hargreaves and Richard Arkwright he invented the spinning mule, which transformed spinning from a hand-operated cottage industry to the machine-operated factory process of today. The mule was the most common spinning machine from 1790 until about 1900 and was still used for fine yarns until the early 1980s.
Joseph Conrad was born on December 3, 1857 in Berdychiv, in a part of Ukraine that was at the time of his birth under Russian rule. He became a naturalized British subject in 1886. Conrad is famous for his novels Lord Jim, Nostromo, Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Agent and has been described as ‘one of the greatest English novelists’.
English inventor and pioneer of the spinning industry Samuel Crompton was born on December 3, 1753. Building on the work of James Hargreaves and Richard Arkwright he invented the spinning mule, which transformed spinning from a hand-operated cottage industry to the machine-operated factory process of today. The mule was the most common spinning machine from 1790 until about 1900 and was still used for fine yarns until the early 1980s.
Joseph Conrad was born on December 3, 1857 in Berdychiv, in a part of Ukraine that was at the time of his birth under Russian rule. He became a naturalized British subject in 1886. Conrad is famous for his novels Lord Jim, Nostromo, Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Agent and has been described as ‘one of the greatest English novelists’.
 |
| Joseph Conrad |
For more December 3 anniversaries, including Illinois becoming the 21st U.S. state, the first demonstration of neon lighting, and the first successful human heart transplant, check out OnThatDay
Charles T Studd was born on December 2, 1860. An outstanding cricketer, he represented England in international matches against Australia before serving as a missionary in China, India and Africa. Studd founded in 1913 the Heart of Africa Mission, which later became the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade, (now called WEC International) a mission that currently has over 1,800 workers evangelizing throughout the world.
Maria Callas was born Sophia Cecelia Kalos at Flower Hospital (now the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center), at 1249 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, on December 2, 1923 to Greek parents. Blessed with a soprano voice of fine range and a gift for dramatic expression, Callas was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century.
Charles T Studd was born on December 2, 1860. An outstanding cricketer, he represented England in international matches against Australia before serving as a missionary in China, India and Africa. Studd founded in 1913 the Heart of Africa Mission, which later became the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade, (now called WEC International) a mission that currently has over 1,800 workers evangelizing throughout the world.
Maria Callas was born Sophia Cecelia Kalos at Flower Hospital (now the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center), at 1249 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, on December 2, 1923 to Greek parents. Blessed with a soprano voice of fine range and a gift for dramatic expression, Callas was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century.
For more December 2 anniversaries, including the consecration of the new St Paul's Cathedral, the opening of New York City's LaGuardia Airport and the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart check out OnThatDay.
Actor, director and screenwriter Woody Allen was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in the Bronx, New York City, on December 1, 1935. As a boy growing up in Brooklyn, Woody spent most of his time alone in his room practicing magic tricks or playing his clarinet. Although depicting himself as nerd in his movies, Woody was a popular student and adept baseball and basketball player at high school. His most celebrated films as a director include Annie Hall, Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters.
Actor, director and screenwriter Woody Allen was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in the Bronx, New York City, on December 1, 1935. As a boy growing up in Brooklyn, Woody spent most of his time alone in his room practicing magic tricks or playing his clarinet. Although depicting himself as nerd in his movies, Woody was a popular student and adept baseball and basketball player at high school. His most celebrated films as a director include Annie Hall, Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters.
The comedian Richard Pryor was born in Peoria, Illinois on December 1, 1940, where his family ran a brothel. Richard’s father, LeRoy Pryor, was a notoriously violent pimp and his mother, Gertrude, was a prostitute who periodically dropped out of his life for long stretches. It was Richard's nan Marie Carter, who served as his main guardian and caretaker. Known for his cutting-edge and often controversial stand-up material, Pryor was listed at number one on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians.
For more December 1 anniversaries, including the first American drive-in automobile service gas station, the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the premiere of the longest movie ever made check out OnThatDay.
Anglo-Irish satirist and cleric Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. He was the second child and only son of Jonathan Swift and his wife Abigail Erick (or Herrick). Jonathan was born seven months after his father's death from syphilis. The author of the satirical Gulliver's Travels, he also served as Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.
American novelist Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, which is now part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Louisa grew up in the company of her father's friends, the essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson and the naturalist Henry David Thoreau. Emerson said prophetically of young Louisa Alcott's early attempts to write. "She is a natural source of stories... she is and is to be the poet of children."
Anglo-Irish satirist and cleric Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. He was the second child and only son of Jonathan Swift and his wife Abigail Erick (or Herrick). Jonathan was born seven months after his father's death from syphilis. The author of the satirical Gulliver's Travels, he also served as Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.
 |
| Portrait by Charles Jervas |
The religious philosopher John Toland was born in Ardagh on the Inishowen Peninsula in northwestern Ireland on November 30, 1670. Toland was one of the pioneers of the deist movement, the predominant philosophy of the Anglican Church in the late 17th and pre Wesley 18th century.
American humorist and writer Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835 in Florida, a small town in Missouri. His storekeeper father John Marshall Clemens died of pleurisy when Samuel was 12 leaving many debts. After his father died Samuel was so full of remorse for his naughtiness during his father's lifetime that it worried his mother..
British prime minister and writer Winston Churchill was born two months prematurely on November 30, 1874, in a bedroom in Blenheim Palace, the 21,000 acre estate of the Dukes of Marlborough. Winston's birth was caused by his mother slipping and falling while out walking at the property.
The shortest man on record, Chandra Bahadur Dangi, was born on November 30, 1939. A primordial dwarf from Nepal, he stood at just 54.6 cm (1 ft 9 1⁄2 in) shorter than five cans of Coke stacked on top of each other.
For more November 30th anniversaries, including the first country to ban capital punishment, the first-ever international football match, and the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller album check out
OnThatDay.
American novelist Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, which is now part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Louisa grew up in the company of her father's friends, the essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson and the naturalist Henry David Thoreau. Emerson said prophetically of young Louisa Alcott's early attempts to write. "She is a natural source of stories... she is and is to be the poet of children."
 |
| Louisa May Alcott |
British academic and writer Clive Staples Lewis (better known as C.S. Lewis) was born in Belfast, Ireland, on November 29, 1898. When Lewis was seven, his family moved into "Little Lea." A 3-storey house with an acre and half of garden on the outskirts of Belfast A hand carved wardrobe in one of the upstairs rooms at Little Lea became the inspiration for The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe.
Emma Morano was an Italian supercentenarian who was born on November 29, 1899. Prior to her death on April 15, 2017, she was the last living person to have been verified as being born in the 1800s. When asked about the secret of her longevity, Morano said that she had never used drugs, ate three eggs a day, drank a glass of homemade brandy, and enjoyed a chocolate sometimes, but, above all, she thought positively about the future.
For more November 29th anniversaries, including the founding of San Jose, California, the marriage of Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, to Helen Palmer and the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom, check out OnThatDay.
John Bunyan was born on November 28, 1628 at Harrowden, one mile east of Elstow near Bedford. His father was a tinker (A person who makes and mends pots and kettles). Bunyan followed his father into the tinkering business. A puritan preacher, Bunyan wrote over 60 published works, including books, tracts and even children's poetry. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, which has been translated in over 200 languages. By 1692, four years after the author's death, an estimated 100,000 copies had been printed in England.
John Bunyan was born on November 28, 1628 at Harrowden, one mile east of Elstow near Bedford. His father was a tinker (A person who makes and mends pots and kettles). Bunyan followed his father into the tinkering business. A puritan preacher, Bunyan wrote over 60 published works, including books, tracts and even children's poetry. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, which has been translated in over 200 languages. By 1692, four years after the author's death, an estimated 100,000 copies had been printed in England.
 |
| John Bunyan by Thomas Sadler 1684 |
The poet, painter and printmaker William Blake was born at 28 Broad Street (now Broadwick St) in the Soho district of London on November 28, 1757. A visionary from early childhood, once he told his parents he had seen a tree full of angels and the prophet Ezekiel, which angered his father who thought his son a liar. Largely unknown during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age.
Edwin Pearce Christy, the founder of the Christy Minstrels show, was born on November 28, 1815. Christy is credited with creating many of the features of the classic minstrel show - the white-faced Mr. Interlocutor, the end men, Tambo and Bones, and the semi-circle of black face musicians.
The German philosopher Friedrich Engels, was born on November 28, 1820. As a young man, Engels was sent by his father to Manchester, England in a vain attempt to calm his ‘liberal ideas.’ Engels first met his fellow socialist Karl Marx at the Café de la Régence in Paris in 1844. Together, they produced many influential papers that criticized capitalism and laid the foundation for Marxism, including The Communist Manifesto in 1848.
 |
| Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels |
Helen Magill White, the first American female student to earn a PhD, was born on November 28, 1853. Raised by a Quaker father who believed she should have the same education as her brothers, Helen attended Boston University, where in 1877, she earned a doctorate in Greek. Her thesis "The Greek Drama" was discovered at Cornell in 2018.
For more November 28th anniversaries, including the marriage of George Stephenson and Anne Henderson, first official automobile race in America and Truman Capote’s Black & White Ball, check out OnThatDay.
Born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942, rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix was primarily of African American descent, with Irish and Cherokee ancestors. He started his musical career by playing a simple kitchen broom, before finding his first proper instrument, a one-stringed ukulele, while clearing trash from a woman's home. Hendrix began playing the guitar at the age of 15 after acquiring his first acoustic guitar, for $5. Despite being entirely self-taught, he became one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music; Rolling Stone Magazine gave Hendrix the title of Most Important Guitarist of All-Time.
Born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942, rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix was primarily of African American descent, with Irish and Cherokee ancestors. He started his musical career by playing a simple kitchen broom, before finding his first proper instrument, a one-stringed ukulele, while clearing trash from a woman's home. Hendrix began playing the guitar at the age of 15 after acquiring his first acoustic guitar, for $5. Despite being entirely self-taught, he became one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music; Rolling Stone Magazine gave Hendrix the title of Most Important Guitarist of All-Time.
For more November 27th anniversaries, including first Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, the first woman to play major professional basketball, and Tom Hanks' big break check out OnThatDay.
Massachusetts clergyman and teaching elder John Harvard was born on November 26, 1607 in Southwark, Surrey, England. In the spring or summer of 1637, Harvard emigrated to New England. When he died of tuberculosis the following year, he bequeathed £780 (half of his monetary estate) together with his library of some 400 volumes to the recently founded and unnamed school in nearby Cambridge. The school named itself Harvard College in 1639 in his honor.
Massachusetts clergyman and teaching elder John Harvard was born on November 26, 1607 in Southwark, Surrey, England. In the spring or summer of 1637, Harvard emigrated to New England. When he died of tuberculosis the following year, he bequeathed £780 (half of his monetary estate) together with his library of some 400 volumes to the recently founded and unnamed school in nearby Cambridge. The school named itself Harvard College in 1639 in his honor.
American engineer Willis Carrier was born on November 26, 1876. Carrier invented the first electric air conditioning unit in 1902 after he was commissioned to come up with the design by a printing company whose work was being wrecked by humidity in the factory. The installation marked the birth of air conditioning because of the addition of humidity control.
 |
| Carrier in 1915 |
Entrepreneur Karan Bilimoria was born in Hyderabad, India on November 26, 1961. At the age of 27, Bilimoria founded Cobra Beer in a little flat in Fulham, London. While a student at Cambridge, Bilmoria had noticed regular lager was too gassy and ale too bitter to go with curry in the city’s Indian restaurants. He came up with a concept in 1989 for a beer designed to accompany food – in particular, Indian food and curry.
For more November 26th anniversaries, including the marriage of Nicholas II of Russia and Princess Alexandra, the premiere of the film Casablanca, and the sale of the first instant Polaroid cameras, check out OnThatDay.
Businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in a Dunfermline weavers cottage in Scotland. Carnegie came over to the USA as a boy, where he got a job as a steel factory worker. In 1892 he created the Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he retired, Carnegie used his large amounts of money to fund schools, libraries and universities.
Businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in a Dunfermline weavers cottage in Scotland. Carnegie came over to the USA as a boy, where he got a job as a steel factory worker. In 1892 he created the Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he retired, Carnegie used his large amounts of money to fund schools, libraries and universities.
Carrie Amelia Nation, the radical teetotaler was born on November 25, 1846. Nation was an imposing 6ft tall 175 lb figure, who dressed like a deaconess. Her alcoholic first husband had left Carrie with an abiding hatred for liquor and saloons and she embarked on a crusade touring America saloons where she berated customers and tried to damage as much of the places as she could with her hatchet.
Fish food manufacturer Albert P. Halfhill was born in Ohio on November 25, 1847. Halfhill originated the idea of removing the natural fish oil of tuna and substituting it with a vegetable oil before cooking it with compressed hot steam to produce a desirable food. Halfhill is considered the father of the tuna packing industry and was the first to use the slogan "chicken of the sea" as a sales gimmick.
Pope John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in a stone farm house on November 25, 1881 in Sotto il Monte, a small country village 40 miles from Milan. His father was a sharecropper who had saved enough money to buy a plot of his own. "Italians come to ruin most generally three times - women, gambling and farming," Roncalli later said. "My family chose the slowest one." Head of the Catholic Church from 1958 to 1963, his pontificate is best known for his calling the historic Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).
For more November 25th anniversaries, including the first parking summons in Britain, the presentation by Einstein of his equations of general relativity, and the opening of the longest running West End show, check out OnThatDay.
Abbé Charles-Michel de l-Épée, the "Father of the Deaf", was born on November 24, 1712 in Versailles, France. In 1620, the Spanish priest Juan Pablo Bonet wrote a text about teaching deaf people to speak, using gestures as a tool. The sign language created by Bonet was used by Abbé Charles-Michel de l-Épée to create a finger-spelling alphabet in the 18th century. This alphabet has changed very little since then, and is still used today in France and North America.
Abbé Charles-Michel de l-Épée, the "Father of the Deaf", was born on November 24, 1712 in Versailles, France. In 1620, the Spanish priest Juan Pablo Bonet wrote a text about teaching deaf people to speak, using gestures as a tool. The sign language created by Bonet was used by Abbé Charles-Michel de l-Épée to create a finger-spelling alphabet in the 18th century. This alphabet has changed very little since then, and is still used today in France and North America.
The serial killer Ted Bundy was born on November 24, 1946 in Burlington, Vermont. He was a law student who is believed to have killed at least 36 females, both adults and children, during the 1970s. Convicted in 1979 on several charges, including the murder of a 12-year-old girl, Bundy was sentenced to death. He was executed in Florida in 1989 after a string of unsuccessful appeals.
The cricketer Ian Botham was born on November 24, 1955. His famous play during the 1981 Ashes series between England and Australia becoming known as Botham’s Ashes. On the 4th day of the Headingley Test, England was predicted to lose by the Bookies at an odds of 500-1. They came back to win the match after Botham's innings of 149 not-out.
For more November 24th anniversaries, including the first Lutheran pastor ordained in the US, the marriage of Richard Wagner to Minna Planer, and the death of Freddie Mercury, check out OnThatDay.
Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. His father, Benjamin was a prominent state legislator, farmer, and tavern-keeper, who later became governor of New Hampshire. As president, he faced criticism for being a Northerner who sympathized with the South. His support of the Kansas–Nebraska Act and enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act did little to dispel this reputation, and his time in office is regarded to have led to the Civil War. Many view him as one of the worst US presidents ever.
.jpg)
Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. His father, Benjamin was a prominent state legislator, farmer, and tavern-keeper, who later became governor of New Hampshire. As president, he faced criticism for being a Northerner who sympathized with the South. His support of the Kansas–Nebraska Act and enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act did little to dispel this reputation, and his time in office is regarded to have led to the Civil War. Many view him as one of the worst US presidents ever.
.jpg)
The Western outlaw William H. "Billy the Kid" Bonney was born in New York City on November 23, 1859. Bonney moved west with his family to Indiana and then New Mexico. He was arrested for the first time for stealing a basket of laundry six days after his 16th birthday. Bonney's notoriety grew in December 1880 when the Las Vegas Gazette in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and The Sun in New York City carried stories about his crimes. He was shot dead at age twenty-one by sheriff Pat Garrett.
For more November 23rd anniversaries, including the development of the first machine for manufacturing horseshoes, the first man to reach a depth of 100 m (330 ft) undersea without breathing equipment and the introduction of the first smartphone, check out OnThatDay.
Abigail Adams, USA's second First Lady, was born on November 22, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts to Elizabeth and Reverend William Smith, a Congregationalist minister. She is remembered for the many letters she wrote to her husband, John Adams, while he stayed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Continental Congresses.
Abigail Adams, USA's second First Lady, was born on November 22, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts to Elizabeth and Reverend William Smith, a Congregationalist minister. She is remembered for the many letters she wrote to her husband, John Adams, while he stayed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Continental Congresses.
 |
| Portrait of Adams by Benjamin Blyth, 1766 |
Thomas Cook was born on November 22, 1808 at 9 Quick Close in the village of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. The founder of the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son, he organized his first international tour in 1855, taking two groups on a 'grand circular tour' of of Belgium, Germany and France, ending in Paris for the Exhibition.
English novelist Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, was born on November 22, 1819 at Gaff House, Chilvers Coton, a micro-metropolis near Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Her novels portrayed rural Victorian society, particularly its intellectual hypocrisy, with realism and irony. Though highly esteemed by critics in her day, Eliot's novels had tiny print runs compared with popular writers such as Dickens.
Tennis star Boris Becker was born on November 22, 1967 in Leimen, Germany, the only son of Elvira and Karl-Heinz Becker. Karl-Heinz Becker, an architect, designed the tennis center where Becker and Steffi Graf played against each other as children. Boris Becker became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon's men's singles title in 1985. He is also the youngest men's Wimbledon champ in history (at age 17 years, 7 months).
South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was born to Henke and Sheila Pistorius on November 22, 1986 in Sandton, Johannesburg, in what was then Transvaal Province (now Gauteng Province) of South Africa. He had his lower legs amputated at the age of 11 months, having been born without a fibula in either leg. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Pistorius became the first double-leg amputee to compete in the Olympics, after a long legal battle.
For more November 22nd anniversaries, including the killing of the pirate Blackbeard, the debut of Ravel's Boléro, and the first interracial kiss on US TV, check out OnThatDay.
John Bale was born on November 21, 1495. A one-time Carmelite monk, he became a playwright, who in 1538 wrote a drama, King Johan, which is considered the first English historical play. Of his mysteries and miracle plays only five have been preserved.
John Bale was born on November 21, 1495. A one-time Carmelite monk, he became a playwright, who in 1538 wrote a drama, King Johan, which is considered the first English historical play. Of his mysteries and miracle plays only five have been preserved.
 |
| John Bale |
The French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher Voltaire was born François-Marie Arouet in Paris on November 21, 1694 to Parisian attorney François Arouet and Marie-Marguerite Daumart or D'Aumard. He became known for his wit and his satirization of intolerance and religious dogma. Voltaire was a nom de plume. an anagram of Arovet L(e) I(eune), the Latinized spelling of his surname. He adopted the name after his first spell in prison in 1718.
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert's first child, named Victoria, was born on November 21, 1840. Eight more children would be born during the exceptionally happy marriage between the royal couple (four sons and five daughters).
For more November 21st anniversaries, including the first manned balloon flight, the opening of the USA's first bowl-shaped stadium, and the swearing in of the first female US Senator, check out OnThatDay.
Astronomer Edwin Hubble was born on November 20, 1889. Hubble's name is most recognized for the Hubble Space Telescope, which was named in his honor. His proof that there are entire galaxies outside our own changed the scientific view of the universe.
Astronomer Edwin Hubble was born on November 20, 1889. Hubble's name is most recognized for the Hubble Space Telescope, which was named in his honor. His proof that there are entire galaxies outside our own changed the scientific view of the universe.
Joe Biden Jr. was born November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden (née Finnegan) and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. A member of the Democratic Party, Biden was first sworn in as a Delaware Senator aged 30 which made him the sixth-youngest Senator to ever hold office. He served as a United States senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009.
 |
| Official portrait, 2021 |
Biden served as the 47th vice president for two terms under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017. He defeated incumbent president Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
For more November 20th anniversaries, including the War of Jenkins' Ear, the premiere of Beethoven's only opera, and the introduction of Windows 1.0, check out OnThatDay.
Socialite Paris Hilton claimed in 2017 to have invented the selfie with Britney Spears on November 19, 2006. "11 years ago today, Me and Britney invented the selfie!” Hilton wrote on November 19, 2017. People quickly shut her down with various examples of others who got there before her.
Socialite Paris Hilton claimed in 2017 to have invented the selfie with Britney Spears on November 19, 2006. "11 years ago today, Me and Britney invented the selfie!” Hilton wrote on November 19, 2017. People quickly shut her down with various examples of others who got there before her.
The 13th century Chinese used Chow Chows to pull dog sleds, and this was remarked upon by Marco Polo.
 |
| Chow Chow |
The addition of milk, much improving chocolate as a drink, was a London innovation in the early 1700s.
Dramatist and librettist William Schwenck Gilbert was born on November 18, 1836, in London. As a toddler, Gilbert was kidnapped by bandits in Naples during a family holiday in 1839. The men convinced the child’s nurse they’d come to take him to his parents. He was returned after they paid a £25 ransom. He is best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operettas which include The Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance.
.jpg) |
| Gilbert in 1878 |
For more November 18th anniversaries, including Christopher Columbus first sighting the island now known as Puerto Rico, the first cabaret, and the first US TV sitcom check out OnThatDay.
Confectioner and inventor of canning, Nicolas Appert, was born in Châlons-en-Champagne, France on November 17, 1749. In 1795 Napoleon Bonaparte who at the time was in charge of the French army of the interior, offered a prize for a practical way of preserving food for his marching army. On hearing of this potential reward, Nicholas-Francois Appert, a maker of conserves of fruit started experimenting with cooking food in open kettles, then sealing food into glass jars using waxed cork bungs, wired into place. The jars were then heated by submersion in boiling water for varying lengths of time. Using this method he succeeded in preserving dairy products, fruits, jellies, juices, marmalades and vegetables and claimed the 12, 000 franc prize.
Confectioner and inventor of canning, Nicolas Appert, was born in Châlons-en-Champagne, France on November 17, 1749. In 1795 Napoleon Bonaparte who at the time was in charge of the French army of the interior, offered a prize for a practical way of preserving food for his marching army. On hearing of this potential reward, Nicholas-Francois Appert, a maker of conserves of fruit started experimenting with cooking food in open kettles, then sealing food into glass jars using waxed cork bungs, wired into place. The jars were then heated by submersion in boiling water for varying lengths of time. Using this method he succeeded in preserving dairy products, fruits, jellies, juices, marmalades and vegetables and claimed the 12, 000 franc prize.
 |
| Nicolas Appert |
Appert published a book, Art de Conserver, in 1810, which generously made his preservation process available to all. This was the first cookbook of its kind on modern food preservation method.
Appert's method was so simple that it quickly became widespread. Because of this he is known as the "father of canning."
For more November 17th anniversaries, including the inauguration of The Suez Canal, the enthroning of the Dalai Lama, and the marriage of Lyndon Baines Johnson to Claudia Alta Taylor, check out OnThatDay.
William Christopher Handy, commonly known as W.C. Handy, was an American blues composer and musician, born on November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. He is often referred to as the "Father of the Blues" due to his significant contributions to the genre.
Handy was a skilled composer, bandleader, and cornet player. He played a crucial role in popularizing the blues by incorporating it into mainstream music. Handy was classically trained but became deeply influenced by the African American folk music he encountered, particularly the blues.
France-Albert René, who was the President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004 was born on November 16, 1934. He is known by government officials and party members as "the Boss." René ruled as sole leader under a socialist one-party system until 1993, when he was forced to introduce a multi-party system. He stepped down in 2004 in favor of his vice-president, James Michel.
William Christopher Handy, commonly known as W.C. Handy, was an American blues composer and musician, born on November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. He is often referred to as the "Father of the Blues" due to his significant contributions to the genre.
Handy was a skilled composer, bandleader, and cornet player. He played a crucial role in popularizing the blues by incorporating it into mainstream music. Handy was classically trained but became deeply influenced by the African American folk music he encountered, particularly the blues.
One of his most famous compositions is the song "St. Louis Blues," which became a seminal piece in the blues genre. Other notable compositions include "Memphis Blues" and "Beale Street Blues." These works helped to shape the blues and contributed to its recognition as a distinct and influential musical form.
 |
| France-Albert René By Joe Laurence / Seychelles News Agency |
For more November 16th anniversaries, including Frédéric Chopin's last public concert, the admission of Oklahoma as the 46th U.S. state. and the marriage of Serena Williams to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, check out OnThatDay.
The astronomer William Herschel was born on November 15, 1738 in the Electorate of Hanover in Germany, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He came to England as a refugee in 1757, in the aftermath of the French victory in the Seven Years War. His discovery of the planet Uranus, was a spectacular triumph, and soon every astronomer in Europe had heard of William Herschel. During his career, he constructed more than four hundred telescopes and discovered infrared radiation and two of Uranus' major moons.
.jpg)
For more November 15th anniversaries, including the first stock ticker, the founding of Rolex and the issuing of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, check out OnThatDay.
The founder of French Impressionist painting, Claude Monet, was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. to wholesale grocer Claude Adolphe Monet and singer Louise Justine Aubrée Monet. Though he was baptized as Oscar-Claude, his parents called him simply Oscar. Monet was obsessed with the optical effects of light and color. He aimed to emphasis the impression the painting intended to convey rather than its detail. He carried his original fragmented technique to the final extreme with paintings such as Water Lilies.
The astronomer William Herschel was born on November 15, 1738 in the Electorate of Hanover in Germany, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He came to England as a refugee in 1757, in the aftermath of the French victory in the Seven Years War. His discovery of the planet Uranus, was a spectacular triumph, and soon every astronomer in Europe had heard of William Herschel. During his career, he constructed more than four hundred telescopes and discovered infrared radiation and two of Uranus' major moons.
German polyglot Emil Krebs was born on November 15, 1867. Krebs mastered 68 languages in speech and writing - including Mandarin and all those spoken in today’s European Union - and studied 120 other languages. His private library contained the Bible in 61 different languages. After Krebs died, his brain was recovered and is still kept as an ‘elite brain’ at the Vogt Institute for Brain Research at Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf.
American modernist artist Georgia O'Keeffe was born on November 15, 1887, the daughter of dairy farmers. She was named after her mother's father, George Victor Totto, a Hungarian count. O'Keefe, who was best known for her giant paintings of flowers, holds the record for the most expensive painting by a female artist sold at auction. Her 1932 work Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (see below) made $44,405,000 at Sotheby’s in New York in 2014.
.jpg)
ABBA's Anni-Frid Lyngstad was born in the Norwegian village of Bjørkåsen on November 15, 1945 to a Norwegian mother and German soldier father — the result of a Nazi project to ‘enrich’ the Aryan gene pool. Her mother and grandmother were branded as traitors and ostracised in their home village in Norway, and were forced to flee to Sweden. She had moderate success as a singer in Sweden, but did not reach international fame until she joined ABBA, which has sold over 150 million albums and singles worldwide.
The founder of French Impressionist painting, Claude Monet, was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. to wholesale grocer Claude Adolphe Monet and singer Louise Justine Aubrée Monet. Though he was baptized as Oscar-Claude, his parents called him simply Oscar. Monet was obsessed with the optical effects of light and color. He aimed to emphasis the impression the painting intended to convey rather than its detail. He carried his original fragmented technique to the final extreme with paintings such as Water Lilies.
 |
| Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge 1897-99 |
King Charles III of the United Kingdom, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Buckingham Palace at 9.14pm on November 14, 1948. When the one-month-old Prince Charles was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace, the water used was from the River Jordan. He was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, having been next-in-line since 1952. When he became the UK monarch, Charles III was the oldest person ever to ascend the throne.
For more November 14th anniversaries, including the first ever labor strike in history, the first lighthouse built on a rock in the open sea and the marriage of Princess Anne to Captain Mark Phillips, check out OnThatDay.
Bishop and theologian Augustine of Hippo was born on November 13, 354 in the municipium of Thagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) in Roman Africa. Augustine admitted in his autobiography Confessions, that as a boy he "told lies to my tutors, my masters and my parents all for the love of games and the craving for stage shows." Young Augustine also stole pears from a neighbor's tree, and the sin troubled him for the rest of his life. Below is the earliest known portrait of Saint Augustine in a 6th-century fresco, Lateran, Rome.
Bishop and theologian Augustine of Hippo was born on November 13, 354 in the municipium of Thagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) in Roman Africa. Augustine admitted in his autobiography Confessions, that as a boy he "told lies to my tutors, my masters and my parents all for the love of games and the craving for stage shows." Young Augustine also stole pears from a neighbor's tree, and the sin troubled him for the rest of his life. Below is the earliest known portrait of Saint Augustine in a 6th-century fresco, Lateran, Rome.
Edward III of England was born at Windsor Castle on November 13, 1312. His mother was Queen Isabella of France, his father Edward II. He transformed the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe.
British statesman John Montagu, The Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was born on November 13, 1718. Montagu was a notorious gambler, often going from pub to pub in London on gambling marathons. To satisfy his hunger, while continuing to gamble, he ordered roast beef between pieces of bread for a snack while he was at the gaming tables; it allowed him to keep one hand free to play while he ate. This became known as the "sandwich".
English music educator Sarah Ann Glover was born on November 13. 1785. Glover's father was Curate of St Laurence's Church, Norwich, England, and she developed the Norwich sol-fa learning system to aid teachers with a cappella singing. The Norwich sol-fa system, which was concerned with making relationships aurally apparent, changed "si" to "ti" so that every syllable might begin with a different letter.
Robert Louis Stevenson was born the only son of Thomas Stevenson, and his wife Margaret Isabella on November 13, 1850, at 8 Howard Place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, is best known for his classic works such as Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and Kidnapped.
For more November 13th birthdays, including The Russian premiere of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B Flat, the premiere of Fantasia and the first man-made snow check out OnThatDay.
The Russian composer Alexander Borodin was born in Saint Petersburg on November 12, 1833. He was the illegitimate son of Prince Luka Spanovich Gedianov, an elderly nobleman, and the beautiful and intelligent 24-year-old Avdotya Konstantinova Antonova. To save any public embarrassment, he was registered under the name of one of the Prince’s serfs, Pofiry Borodin. Although best known today as a romantic composer, Borodin was one of the foremost chemists of his time, being particularly noted for his work on aldehydes.
The Russian composer Alexander Borodin was born in Saint Petersburg on November 12, 1833. He was the illegitimate son of Prince Luka Spanovich Gedianov, an elderly nobleman, and the beautiful and intelligent 24-year-old Avdotya Konstantinova Antonova. To save any public embarrassment, he was registered under the name of one of the Prince’s serfs, Pofiry Borodin. Although best known today as a romantic composer, Borodin was one of the foremost chemists of his time, being particularly noted for his work on aldehydes.
The French Auguste Rodin was born on November 12, 1840. Rodin is best known for creating one of the most recognized of all sculptures, The Thinker, in 1889. The most renowned European sculptor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he remains one of the few sculptors widely known outside the visual arts community.
The actress Grace Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, John B. Kelly Sr, owned a successful brickwork contracting company and she was brought up in the family home in the East Falls district of Philadelphia. She made four all time classic Hollywood movies, including three by Alfred Hitchock: Dial M for Murder, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. Grace Kelly gave up her acting career aged 26 when she married Prince Rainier III and became Princess of Monaco.
The actor Ryan Gosling was born on November 12, 1980. He was born at the same hospital in London, Ontario as the pop star Justin Bieber and co-star Rachel McAdams. A Mickey Mouse Club child actor. he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in the romantic musical La La Land (2016). He has also starred in the films The Notebook, DriveCrazy, Stupid, Love and First Man.
For more November 12th anniversaries, including the marriage of Philip II of Spain to his cousin, Maria Manuela of Portugal, the UK Conservative party's first annual conference and the opening of Abbey Road studios, check out OnThatDay.
The second of seven children in Moscow, Fydor Dostoyevsky was born at the Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor in Moscow on November 11, 1821 where his father was an army doctor. Fyodor's cruel and despotic father, Mikhail, was a military surgeon in a Moscow hospital and also a musician. Dostoyevsky's literary works engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. His most acclaimed works include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880).
Leonardo DiCaprio was born in Hollywood, California on November 11, 1974. Leonardo's name derives from his legal secretary German-born mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while standing in front of a da Vinci painting in Italy. As an actor, DiCaprio achieved international stardom in the epic romance Titanic, and later became a favorite of Martin Scorsese, starring in the director's films including Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Martin Luther was born to Hans Luder and his wife Margarethe (née Lindemann) on November 10, 1483. He entered this world at the back of a stall at Eisleben market. in Eisleben, Saxony, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Luther was baptized as a Catholic the next morning on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours after whom he was named. In 1517 Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation when he criticized the Catholic Church's sale of indulgence in his 95 theses, which he nailed to the door of a Wittenburg church.
The second of seven children in Moscow, Fydor Dostoyevsky was born at the Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor in Moscow on November 11, 1821 where his father was an army doctor. Fyodor's cruel and despotic father, Mikhail, was a military surgeon in a Moscow hospital and also a musician. Dostoyevsky's literary works engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. His most acclaimed works include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880).
Benito Mussolini's father Alessandro was born on November 11, 1854. He was a socialist blacksmith, who bored his customers with his relentless propaganda. Mussolini named his son Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini after three leaders he admired: Benito Juárez, Amilcare Cipriani, and Andrea Costa. The two were close and Alessandro taught his son about revolutionary leaders he admired such as Karl Marx.
 |
| Alessandro Mussolini |
George Smith Patton Jr. was born on November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, to a wealthy family, George Smith Patton Sr. and his wife Ruth Wilson. George's early years were marred by difficulties in spelling and reading, which has led some historians to speculate that he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia. As a US general, Patton led a succession of victorious attacks in the Mediterranean theater and in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II.
According to James Bond's authorized biography, the fictional Secret Service agent was born on November 11, 1920. The son of Andrew Bond and Monique Delacroix, James Bond’s father was Andrew Bond, a Scottish businessman. His mother was Monique Delacroix, from Switzerland. Both of his parents were killed in a mountain climbing accident during a holiday in the French Alps when he was only 11. He was educated at Eton, like his creator Ian Fleming.
Kim Peek, who was the inspiration for the autistic savant character Raymond Babbitt in the movie, Rain Man was born on November 11, 1951. He could read both pages of an open book at once, one page with one eye and the other page with the other eye. Peek memorized the words in the 12,000 books he finished.
Leonardo DiCaprio was born in Hollywood, California on November 11, 1974. Leonardo's name derives from his legal secretary German-born mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while standing in front of a da Vinci painting in Italy. As an actor, DiCaprio achieved international stardom in the epic romance Titanic, and later became a favorite of Martin Scorsese, starring in the director's films including Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street.
For more November 11th anniversaries, including the marriage of US president James Garfield to Lucretia Rudolph, release of Billie Holiday's first hit and the start of the Dust Bowl era, check out .
OnThatDay.
Martin Luther was born to Hans Luder and his wife Margarethe (née Lindemann) on November 10, 1483. He entered this world at the back of a stall at Eisleben market. in Eisleben, Saxony, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Luther was baptized as a Catholic the next morning on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours after whom he was named. In 1517 Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation when he criticized the Catholic Church's sale of indulgence in his 95 theses, which he nailed to the door of a Wittenburg church.
 |
| A posthumous portrait of Luther as an Augustinian friar |
George II of Great Britain was born on November 10, 1683 in the city of Hanover in Germany. He was the son of George Louis, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I of Great Britain), and his wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle. He was the last British monarch born outside the British Isles. King of Great Britain from 1727 until his death in 1760, George II was the last British monarch to command his troops in battle, at the Battle of Dettingen in June 1743.
For more November 10th anniversaries, including the patenting of the windscreen wiper, the marriage of Rita Hayworth to Orson Welles and the premiere of Sesame Street, check out OnThatDay.
Isabella of Valois was born on November 9, 1389. She became Britain's youngest ever queen consort when aged 6 she became the second spouse of King Richard II of England. The wedding was a move for peace with France. Queen Isabella reportedly had a close platonic relationship with her husband and was heartbroken when he died five years after their marriage. Six years after becoming a widow, Queen Isabella married her cousin Charles, Duke of Orléans. Isabella died in childbirth at the age of 19, leaving one daughter, Joan.
Isabella of Valois was born on November 9, 1389. She became Britain's youngest ever queen consort when aged 6 she became the second spouse of King Richard II of England. The wedding was a move for peace with France. Queen Isabella reportedly had a close platonic relationship with her husband and was heartbroken when he died five years after their marriage. Six years after becoming a widow, Queen Isabella married her cousin Charles, Duke of Orléans. Isabella died in childbirth at the age of 19, leaving one daughter, Joan.
 |
| Isabella of Valois |
Edward VII of the United Kingdom was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was born at 10:48 in the morning on November 9, 1841 in Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria dumped the newly born baby in the arms of a wet nurse and did not look at him again for six weeks. He was known as Bertie to the family throughout his life, but his reputation as a playboy prince soured his relationship with his mother. He was King of the United Kingdom from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
For more November 9th anniversaries, including The Mayflower sighting land at Cape Cod, the last victim of Jack the Ripper and the first sitting U.S. President to make an official trip outside of the United States, check out OnThatDay.
Bram Stoker, the inventor of the Dracula character, was born on November 8, 1847 at 15 Marino Crescent, Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. The manager of the actor Sir Henry Irving's London's Lyceum Theatre, Stoker began writing in his spare time. He was inspired by a trip to Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast in 1890 to write his vampire fantasy novel. Stoker never visited Transylvania; he simply read travel books for details about the country.
Bram Stoker, the inventor of the Dracula character, was born on November 8, 1847 at 15 Marino Crescent, Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. The manager of the actor Sir Henry Irving's London's Lyceum Theatre, Stoker began writing in his spare time. He was inspired by a trip to Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast in 1890 to write his vampire fantasy novel. Stoker never visited Transylvania; he simply read travel books for details about the country.
English comedian Ken Dodd was born on November 8, 1927 in Knotty Ash, Liverpool. He was the second of three children of a coal merchant, Arthur Dodd, and wife Sarah (née Gray). Ken Dodd kept a ‘giggle map’ of Britain to record which jokes go down best in which parts of the country. He set in 1967 a world record for the longest joke-telling session, telling 1,500 jokes in three and a half hours.
For more November 8th anniversaries, including the death of John Milton, the patenting of Nikola Tesla's radio controlled boat and the election of the youngest ever US president, check out OnThatDay.
English explorer Captain James Cook was born in Marton, (in present-day Middlesbrough) on November 7, 1728. His father, James Cook, was an agricultural laborer who eventually became a bailiff and landowner. At the age of 16, Cook was apprenticed to Mr William Sanderson a grocer and haberdasher in the fishing village of Staithes. According to tradition, it is during his time there that Cook first felt the lure of the sea while gazing out the shop window.
English explorer Captain James Cook was born in Marton, (in present-day Middlesbrough) on November 7, 1728. His father, James Cook, was an agricultural laborer who eventually became a bailiff and landowner. At the age of 16, Cook was apprenticed to Mr William Sanderson a grocer and haberdasher in the fishing village of Staithes. According to tradition, it is during his time there that Cook first felt the lure of the sea while gazing out the shop window.
 |
| Official portrait of Captain James Cook |
Marie Curie was born Marya Sklodowska on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, in the Russian partition of Poland. The fifth and last child of a Warsaw professor, Marie displayed a powerful intelligence and unusually good memory in her education. The discoverer of two radioactive elements: radium and polonium, Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 when she won the award for physics. In 1911, she won the award again for chemistry becoming the first person to win the prize twice.
French author Albert Camus was born on November 7, 1913 in Dréan (then known as Mondovi) in French Algeria. Albert's father, Lucien, was a poor agricultural worker and his mother, an illiterate house cleaner. His philosophical novels which include The Stranger, The Plague and The Fall are known for their association with both existentialism and absurdism. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44 in 1957, the second-youngest recipient in history.
Evangelist Billy Graham was born on a dairy farm near Charlotte, North Carolina on November 7, 1918. His mother and father Morrow Coffey and William Franklin Graham managed the farm. Both parents were devout Christians. Graham was converted in 1934 during a revival meeting in Charlotte led by local evangelist Mordecai Ham. Billy Graham held more than 400 crusades in 185 countries and territories across six continents — reaching 215 million people.
For more November 7th anniversaries, including the first air freight shipment, the first spoken-word election night radio broadcast and the election of the first African American mayor of a major American city, check out OnThatDay.
John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. on November 6, 1854 to João António de Sousa, a trombonist by profession who played with the Marine Band and his German wife Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. Growing up in Civil War era Washington, John Philip heard, and was influenced by, the sounds of drummers and military bands. Known as the American March King, Sousa is remembered for "The Stars and Stripes Forever," the National March of the United States of America.
John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. on November 6, 1854 to João António de Sousa, a trombonist by profession who played with the Marine Band and his German wife Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. Growing up in Civil War era Washington, John Philip heard, and was influenced by, the sounds of drummers and military bands. Known as the American March King, Sousa is remembered for "The Stars and Stripes Forever," the National March of the United States of America.
 |
| Sousa in 1900 |
Yang Kaihui, Mao Zedong's second wife, was born on November 6, 1901.The daughter of Mao's mentor Professor Yang Chang, they married in 1920 without any wedding ceremony or other celebrations. They had three children together but in August 1927, Mao ended their marriage. Yang was beheaded by Chiang Kai Shek's nationalists during the revolution three years later for her refusal to renounce the Chinese Communist Party and her former husband.
For more November 6th anniversaries, including the appointment of the US's first catholic bishop, the first official intercollegiate American football game, and the marriage of Rudolph Valentino to Jean Acker, check out OnThatDay.
Giovanni Battista Belzoni, also known as The Great Belzoni, was born on November 5, 1778. The Italian joined a travelling circus and performed exhibitions of feats of strength and agility as a strongman. Belzoni was also a pioneer archaeologist of Egyptian antiquities. He discovered tombs, explored pyramids, found ancient artifacts, all while foiling assassination attempts, dodging bullets, and fighting the French army.
Giovanni Battista Belzoni, also known as The Great Belzoni, was born on November 5, 1778. The Italian joined a travelling circus and performed exhibitions of feats of strength and agility as a strongman. Belzoni was also a pioneer archaeologist of Egyptian antiquities. He discovered tombs, explored pyramids, found ancient artifacts, all while foiling assassination attempts, dodging bullets, and fighting the French army.
 |
| Portrait of Belzoni by Jan Adam Kruseman, 1824 |
For more November 5th anniversaries, including the completion of the first transcontinental airplane flight, George Foreman becoming boxing's oldest heavyweight champion, and the unveiling of The Android mobile operating system check out OnThatDay.
William III of England was born in The Hague in the Dutch Republic on November 4, 1650. He was the only child of William II, Prince of Orange and Mary, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. Eight days before he was born, his father died from smallpox meaning William became the Sovereign Prince of Orange at the moment of his birth. In 1688, William invaded England in what became known as the Glorious Revolution, deposing his Catholic uncle and father-in-law, James II. He ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland as King William III until his death in 1702.
William III of England was born in The Hague in the Dutch Republic on November 4, 1650. He was the only child of William II, Prince of Orange and Mary, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. Eight days before he was born, his father died from smallpox meaning William became the Sovereign Prince of Orange at the moment of his birth. In 1688, William invaded England in what became known as the Glorious Revolution, deposing his Catholic uncle and father-in-law, James II. He ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland as King William III until his death in 1702.
 |
| Portrait attributed to Thomas Murray, c. 1690 |
Robert L. "Bob" Douglas, the founder of The New York Renaissance basketball team was born on November 4, 1882. Nicknamed the "Father of Black Professional Basketball", Douglas owned and coached the Rens from 1923 to 1949, guiding them to a 2,318-381 record. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on February 5, 1972, the first African American to be enshrined.
Ruth Handler, creator of the Barbie Doll, was born on November 4, 1916. The idea for the Barbie doll came about after Mattel toy partner Ruth Handler watched her daughter, Barbara, cut dolls out of magazines and carefully choose clothes and accessories to clothe them in. All other dolls on the market at the time were baby dolls, but Ruth realized there was enormous potential in a doll with adult features, allowing children to act out their dreams.
American broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri on November 4, 1916. The term ‘anchor’, a central and authoritative news presenter, was coined to describe his coverage of the 1952 presidential election. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll.
For more November 4th anniversaries, including the patenting of the cash register, the publication of Sigmund Freud's Interpretation Of Dreams and the first African American to be elected president of the United States, check out OnThatDay
Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford was born on November 3, 1749. Rutherford discovered nitrogen in 1772, calling it "noxious air" or "phlogisticated air." When Rutherford married Harriet Mitchelson of Middleton in 1786 he became the maternal uncle of the future novelist Sir Walter Scott.
Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford was born on November 3, 1749. Rutherford discovered nitrogen in 1772, calling it "noxious air" or "phlogisticated air." When Rutherford married Harriet Mitchelson of Middleton in 1786 he became the maternal uncle of the future novelist Sir Walter Scott.
 |
| Engraved portrait of Rutherford |
For more November 3rd anniversaries, including the creation of the Church of England, the founding of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and the first animal to enter orbit, check out OnThatDay.
Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania on November 2, 1734 into a family of Quakers - his father had come to the colonies from England in 1713 and settled in Pennsylvania. Boone received his first rifle at the age of 12. He was trained by locals, both Europeans and Indians. One tale that became part of his image was of calmly shooting down a panther as it attempted to pounce on him.
For more November 1st anniversaries, including the premiere of William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, the first dropping of a bomb from an aircraft in combat and horse racing's "match of the century" check out OnThatDay.
Christopher Columbus was born sometime before October 31, 1451 in Genoa. His birthplace is now a historic attraction. He was the son of Domenico Colombo, an Italian wool weaver and Susanna Fontanarossa, the daughter of a wool weaver. Christopher's father also owned a cheese stand and later, a tavern. Although he was not the first European explorer to reach the Americas, his four voyages initiated Spain's colonization.
Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania on November 2, 1734 into a family of Quakers - his father had come to the colonies from England in 1713 and settled in Pennsylvania. Boone received his first rifle at the age of 12. He was trained by locals, both Europeans and Indians. One tale that became part of his image was of calmly shooting down a panther as it attempted to pounce on him.
Marie Antoinette was born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen on November 2, 1755 at the Hofburg Palace, in Vienna. She was the fifteenth out of sixteen children of Holy Roman Emperor Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. A court official described the new baby as "a small, but completely healthy Archduchess." The French Queen from 1774 to 1792 and wife of Louis XVI, as an Austrian Marie Antoinette was disliked and suspected by the French people.
 |
| Marie Antoinette by Jean-Baptiste-André Gautier-Dagoty, 1775 |
The 11th President of the United States, James K Polk, was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on November 2, 1795. James' father, Samuel Polk, was a slaveholder, successful farmer and surveyor of Scots-Irish descent. His mother, Jane Polk (née Knox), was a descendant of a brother of John Knox, the man who brought the Protestant Reformation to Scotland. As president, Knox led the nation to victory in the Mexican-American War, which gave the U.S. most of its present Southwest.
The 29th President of the United States, Warren G Harding, was born November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. His parents originally lived on a farm but decided to go into medical practice as a means of providing their family with a better life. Harding is generally regarded as one of the most scandalous US presidents as a result of a number of incidents later coming to light. They include his involvement in the Teapot Dome bribery scandal and his extramarital affair with Nan Britton.
For more November 2nd anniversaries, including the first organized cheerleading, the BBC debuting a regular television service and the establishment of Samaritans, check out OnThatDay.
English artist Laurence Stephen Lowry was born on November 1, 1887 at 8 Barrett Street Stretford, which was then in Lancashire. Known as L.S. Lowry, he developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men". Lowry was a rent collector by day, and a painter by night. He painted in his old suits, wiping the brushes on his sleeves and lapels. He loved to paint drunk people, but when he visited his local pub, he would drink nothing stronger than orange squash.
 |
| Going to Work by L.S. Lowry (1943) |
Christopher Columbus was born sometime before October 31, 1451 in Genoa. His birthplace is now a historic attraction. He was the son of Domenico Colombo, an Italian wool weaver and Susanna Fontanarossa, the daughter of a wool weaver. Christopher's father also owned a cheese stand and later, a tavern. Although he was not the first European explorer to reach the Americas, his four voyages initiated Spain's colonization.
The romantic poet John Keats was born at the Swan and Hoop inn at Moorgate, London on October 31, 1795. His father, Thomas Keats, worked as a hostler at the stables attached to the Swan and Hoop Inn, an establishment he later managed, and where the growing family lived for some years. John Keats studied to be a surgeon, but abandoned his career for poetry. Although his poems were not generally well received by critics during his lifetime he is now acclaimed for such works as "Ode on a Grecian Urn," and "Ode to a Nightingale."
 |
| Posthumous portrait of Keats by William Hilton |
British physicist and chemist Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was born on October 31, 1828. He is known as an independent early developer of an incandescent light bulb. Swan's primitive electric light utilized a filament of carbonized paper in an evacuated glass bulb. The lack of a good vacuum and an adequate electric source, however, resulted in a short lifetime for the bulb and inefficient light.
The Jewish philanthropist Ida Silverman was born on October 31, 1882. Between 1925 and the late 1940s she logged over 600,000 air-miles traveling throughout the world, speaking and fund raising for the creation of a Jewish state.
The architect Zaha Mohammad Hadid was born on October 31, 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq, to an upper-class Iraqi family. The designer of the London Olympics 2012 Aquatics Centre, she was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize regarded as the ‘Nobel Prize for architecture’ eight years earlier.
For more October 31st anniversaries, including the marriage of Richard II of England to Isabella of Valois, the founding of Proctor & Gamble and the completion of the carving of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore, check out OnThatDay.
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts (now Quincy, Massachusetts). His father, John Adams Sr, worked as a farmer and cobbler and his mother came from a prominent family of scientists and medical doctors. The second president of the United States, from 1797 to 1801, Adams was the only president elected under the banner of the Federalist Party. The main accomplishment of his presidency was a peaceful resolution of the undeclared naval war with France.
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts (now Quincy, Massachusetts). His father, John Adams Sr, worked as a farmer and cobbler and his mother came from a prominent family of scientists and medical doctors. The second president of the United States, from 1797 to 1801, Adams was the only president elected under the banner of the Federalist Party. The main accomplishment of his presidency was a peaceful resolution of the undeclared naval war with France.
 |
| President John Adams by Asher B. Durand |
For more October 30th anniversaries, including the marriage of Robert Baden-Powell to Olave St Clair Soames, the largest explosive device ever detonated and the completion of The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, check out OnThatDay.
Surgeon-Captain Rick Jolly was born on October 29, 1946. A British Army surgeon in the Falklands conflict, he saved every life under his care, both British and Argentine. Jolly was the only man decorated by both Britain and Argentina for his services in the war. He went on to practice and give lectures to medical establishments on his experiences.
Surgeon-Captain Rick Jolly was born on October 29, 1946. A British Army surgeon in the Falklands conflict, he saved every life under his care, both British and Argentine. Jolly was the only man decorated by both Britain and Argentina for his services in the war. He went on to practice and give lectures to medical establishments on his experiences.
For more October 29th anniversaries, including the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, the first ever computer-to-computer link and the first spacecraft to visit an asteroid, check out OnThatDay.
Bill Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955. His father was a lawyer and his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way. Gates co-founded Microsoft, which he grew to become one of the most successful companies in history. From 1995 to 2017, he held the Forbes title of the richest person in the world all but four of those years. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was launched in 2000 is reported to be the largest private foundation in the world.
Bill Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955. His father was a lawyer and his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way. Gates co-founded Microsoft, which he grew to become one of the most successful companies in history. From 1995 to 2017, he held the Forbes title of the richest person in the world all but four of those years. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was launched in 2000 is reported to be the largest private foundation in the world.
 |
| Bill Gates in 2017 |
For more October 28th anniversaries, including the founding of Macy's, the uncovering of the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen and the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, check out OnThatDay
Niccolo Paganini regarded by many people to be the greatest violin virtuoso ever, was born on October 27, 1782. Paganini was so good that he was thought to be the son of the Devil or to have sold his soul for his talent. As a result, he was forced to publish his mother's letters to him in order to prove that he had human parents.
For more October 27th anniversaries, including the first patent for water skis, the introduction of nylon stockings to the American public and the first passenger to ride in a helicopter, check out OnThatDay.
Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 at Edgewater Hospital in Chicago and raised in Park Ridge, a suburb located 15 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
Niccolo Paganini regarded by many people to be the greatest violin virtuoso ever, was born on October 27, 1782. Paganini was so good that he was thought to be the son of the Devil or to have sold his soul for his talent. As a result, he was forced to publish his mother's letters to him in order to prove that he had human parents.
 |
| Portrait of young Paganini |
Stevens T. Mason was born on October 27, 1811. He served as the first Governor of Michigan from 1835 to 1840. Elected at age 23 and taking office at 24, Mason was and remains the youngest state governor in American history.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. the 26th President of the United States, was born into a wealthy aristocratic family of Dutch and Scottish descent on October 27, 1858, at 33 (later 28) East 20th Street in New York City. Known as “Teedie”, he was a sickly, delicate, asthmatic child. To overcome this Theodore undertook a strenuous regime of daily exercises. He was the first president to win a Nobel Peace Prize as a result of his successful efforts to broker the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 at Edgewater Hospital in Chicago and raised in Park Ridge, a suburb located 15 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
When Hillary Clinton attended Maine East school, she was elected president of the school’s Young Republicans chapter before she ultimately switched to Democrat.
The First Lady of the United States from 1992 to 2000, Clinton also served as the U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013. In 2016, she became the first woman to be nominated by a major US party as a presidential candidate.
 |
| Clinton in 2016. By Gage Skidmore |
For more October 26th anniversaries, including the opening of The Erie Canal, The "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's maiden commercial flight, check out OnThatDay.
Johann Strauss the Younger ('The Waltz King") was born in Vienna, Austria, on October 25, 1825. He was the eldest son of Johann Strauss the Elder who was popular in Europe as a conductor and composer. His two younger brothers, Josef and Eduard), also became noted composers. Strauss the younger created over 500 works, including over 400 waltzes and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna. Some of his most famous works include "The Blue Danube" and the "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka".
Johann Strauss the Younger ('The Waltz King") was born in Vienna, Austria, on October 25, 1825. He was the eldest son of Johann Strauss the Elder who was popular in Europe as a conductor and composer. His two younger brothers, Josef and Eduard), also became noted composers. Strauss the younger created over 500 works, including over 400 waltzes and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna. Some of his most famous works include "The Blue Danube" and the "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka".
 |
| Johann Strauss in his younger years |
French composer Georges Bizet was born in Paris on October 25, 1838. His father was a singing teacher, and his mother, a gifted pianist. Young Georges was a child prodigy and when only nine, he entered the great Paris Conservatory of Music and rapidly developed into a brilliant pianist. Bizet achieved few successes in his lifetime; he died of a heart attack three months after the premiere of Carmen unaware that it would prove one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertoire.
The Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in the city of Málaga in the Andalusian region of Spain. His mother María Picasso y López had a difficult labor. The midwife, thinking baby Pablo was stillborn left him abandoned on the table, but fortunately his uncle, Don Salvador, hurried for a doctor who revived him with a lung full of cigar smoke. He is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore.
The American singer Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984.
Both her parents are pastors and Katy grew up listening to gospel music - secular music was banned at home. In 2001, she released a Christian album named after herself, Katy Hudson. It sold fewer than 200 copies when it was first released.
Krista and Tatiana Hogan (born October 25, 2006) are Canadians conjoined twins, who are joined at the head. Their brains are connected by a thalamic bridge which gives them unique neurological capabilities.The twins can feel and taste what the other is experiencing, hear each other’s thoughts without having to speak and see through one another’s eyes.
For more October 25th anniversaries, including The Battle Of Agincourt, the opening of New York City's George Washington Bridge and the sentencing of Nelson Mandela, check out OnThatDay.
Dutch scientist Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek was born on October 24, 1632. Using his handcrafted microscopes, van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and describe microorganisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules (from Latin animalculum = "tiny animal"). Van Leeuwenhoek was also the first to document microscopic observations of muscle fibers, bacteria, spermatozoa, and blood flow in capillaries.
Dutch scientist Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek was born on October 24, 1632. Using his handcrafted microscopes, van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and describe microorganisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules (from Latin animalculum = "tiny animal"). Van Leeuwenhoek was also the first to document microscopic observations of muscle fibers, bacteria, spermatozoa, and blood flow in capillaries.
 |
| A portrait of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek by Jan Verkolje |
For more October 24th anniversaries, including the founding of the world's first football club, "Black Thursday" on the New York Stock Exchange and the first photograph of the Earth from outer space check out OnThatDay.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was born Íñigo López on October 23, 1491 in the municipality of Azpeitia at the castle of Loyola in today's Basque Country, near the Pyrenees in Spain. The youngest of thirteen children, Íñigo López was brought up by María de Garín, the local blacksmith's wife, after his own mother died soon after his birth. The co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) he became its first Superior General at Paris in 1541. During the Counter-Reformation, he gained prominence as a religious leader. Bellow is Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Vision of Christ and God the Father at La Storta by Domenichino
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was born Íñigo López on October 23, 1491 in the municipality of Azpeitia at the castle of Loyola in today's Basque Country, near the Pyrenees in Spain. The youngest of thirteen children, Íñigo López was brought up by María de Garín, the local blacksmith's wife, after his own mother died soon after his birth. The co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) he became its first Superior General at Paris in 1541. During the Counter-Reformation, he gained prominence as a religious leader. Bellow is Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Vision of Christ and God the Father at La Storta by Domenichino
Brazilian footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born to a poor family on October 23, 1940, in Tres Coracoes, Brazil. Named after the inventor Thomas Edison, his nickname Pelé arose when he mispronounced the name of a local goalkeeper called Bile. It does not mean anything. Voted Football Player of the Century by the IFFHS in 1999, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all-time. In his career he played in 1,363 matches and scored 1,281 goals, the most ever football career goals.
For more October 23rd anniversaries, including the incident that provoked the War of Jenkins’ Ear, the beginning of The Hungarian Revolution and the marriage of Katy Perry and Russell Brand check out OnThatDay.
Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France was born to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette on October 22, 1781. By early 1788 Louis Joseph was suffering from frequent high fevers and the Royal Physicians informed the royal couple that he was terminally ill with consumption. Marie-Antoinette spent most of her time nursing him during his last agonizing months. On June 4, 1789, Louis Joseph died at the age of seven after which the King sank into sporadic bouts of clinical depression.
Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France was born to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette on October 22, 1781. By early 1788 Louis Joseph was suffering from frequent high fevers and the Royal Physicians informed the royal couple that he was terminally ill with consumption. Marie-Antoinette spent most of her time nursing him during his last agonizing months. On June 4, 1789, Louis Joseph died at the age of seven after which the King sank into sporadic bouts of clinical depression.
 |
| Louis Joseph Portrait by Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller, 1784 |
Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt was born on October 22, 1811, in the village of Doborján in Sopron County, in the Kingdom of Hungary. Franz displayed a huge musical talent at a young age, easily sight-reading multiple staves at once. He made his first public performances at the age of nine. They were such a success that on one occasion Beethoven, who was in the audience, rushed up on stage and kissed him.
French actress Sarah Bernhardt was born in Paris as Rosine Bernardt on October 22, 1844, the daughter of Julie Bernardt and an unknown father. She made her name in 1869 at the Odéon in the breeches part of Zanetto in Francois Francois Coppée's The Passer-by. Bernhardt starred in some of the most popular French plays of her era including Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo and L'Aiglon by Edmond Rostand. Hugo praised her "golden voice" while Rostand called her "the queen of the pose and the princess of the gesture."
For more October 22nd anniversaries, including the Grand Opening of New York's Metropolitan Opera House the first casualties of American forces in Vietnam, and the marriage of Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, check out OnThatDay.
Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and first emperor of China's Ming dynasty, was born on October 21, 1328. Zhu Yuanzhang rose to command the force that conquered China and ended the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, forcing the Mongols to retreat to the Central Asian steppes. Following his seizure of the Yuan capital, Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing), Zhu ascended the throne of China on January 22, 1368. This initiated the Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.The English romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in the country town of Ottery St Mary, Devonshire, England on October 21, 1772. His father, the Reverend John Coleridge (1718–1781), was a well-respected vicar of the parish and headmaster of Henry VIII's Free Grammar School at Ottery. Coleridge wrote about 750 poems in total and is best remembered for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and his poetry volume collaboration with William Wordsworth, Lyrical Ballads.
Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and first emperor of China's Ming dynasty, was born on October 21, 1328. Zhu Yuanzhang rose to command the force that conquered China and ended the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, forcing the Mongols to retreat to the Central Asian steppes. Following his seizure of the Yuan capital, Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing), Zhu ascended the throne of China on January 22, 1368. This initiated the Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.The English romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in the country town of Ottery St Mary, Devonshire, England on October 21, 1772. His father, the Reverend John Coleridge (1718–1781), was a well-respected vicar of the parish and headmaster of Henry VIII's Free Grammar School at Ottery. Coleridge wrote about 750 poems in total and is best remembered for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and his poetry volume collaboration with William Wordsworth, Lyrical Ballads.
 |
| Coleridge in 1795 |
Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize, was born on October 21, 1833. Nobel was a Swedish chemist and millionaire, who invented dynamite and established almost 100 arms factories.The Nobel Prizes came about when a brother of Nobel died and a French newspaper mistakenly printed Alfred's obituary under the headline: "The merchant of death is dead." Desperate to leave a positive legacy, he decided to bequeath his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes "to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”.
For more October 21st anniversaries, including the patenting of Portland cement, the first Japanese kamikaze attack and the publication of the Ernest Hemingway novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, check out OnThatDay.
English mathematician-physicist and architect Christopher Wren was born on October 20, 1632 at East Knoyle in Wiltshire, England. His father, also Christopher Wren, was at that time the rector of East Knoyle. In 1635, Christopher Wren snr was appointed Dean of Windsor by Charles I and the family moved to Windsor. Young Christopher spent his early years at Windsor Castle where his father was Dean. He used to play there with the future Charles II.
 |
| Christopher Wren by Godfrey Kneller 1711 |
Mao Zedong's first wife, Luo Yixiu, was born on October 20, 1889. When Mao finished primary education at the age of 13 his father had him married to the 17-year-old Luo Yigu, uniting their land-owning families. Mao refused to recognize her as his wife, becoming a fierce critic of arranged marriage and temporarily moving away. Luo was locally disgraced and died in 1910.
English scientist Sir James Chadwick, CH, FRS was born on October 20, 1891. He was awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the neutron three years earlier. Chadwick had originally intended studying mathematics, but he was interviewed by a physicist who assumed Chadwick wanted to study physics. He was too shy to contradict him, so ended up enrolling as a physics major.
For more October 20th anniversaries, including the settling of the Canada–United States border, the first daytime radio soap opera program and the marriage of Jackie Kennedy to Aristotle Onassis, check out On That Day.
English critic, essayist and poet Leigh Hunt was born October 19, 1784, at Southgate, London, where his parents had settled after leaving the United States. Hunt co-founded The Examiner, a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles.
English critic, essayist and poet Leigh Hunt was born October 19, 1784, at Southgate, London, where his parents had settled after leaving the United States. Hunt co-founded The Examiner, a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles.
 |
| Leigh Hunt; portrait by Benjamin Haydon |
Leigh Hunt’s liberal journal The Examiner was a kind of Bible for the poet John Keats. On May 5, 1816, Hunt agreed to publish Keats' sonnet "O Solitude" in his magazine. It was the first appearance in print of Keats's poetry.
Percy Bysshe Shelley was introduced to fellow romantic poet John Keats in Hampstead towards the end of 1816 by their mutual friend, Leigh Hunt. Shelley's huge admiration of Keats was not entirely reciprocated as Keats had reservations about Shelley's dissolute behavior.
For more October 19th anniversaries, including the formation of the first American trade union, the conclusion of The Battle of Leipzig and the opening of the first Blockbuster video-rental store check out OnThatDay.
German-Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein was born on October 18, 1799. Schönbein was the first to isolate ozone during experiments on the electrolysis of water at the University of Basel. He named the pungent gas after the Greek for 'to smell' which is 'ozein'.
Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 18, 1926 to Henry, a contractor and deacon of a nearby Baptist church, and Martha a certified public school principal. He gave his first public performance in 1941 while still at Sumner High School. Nicknamed the "Father of Rock and Roll", Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. His song "Johnny B Goode" was chosen as part of a sample of Earth music carried on the Voyager space probes in 1977.
German-Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein was born on October 18, 1799. Schönbein was the first to isolate ozone during experiments on the electrolysis of water at the University of Basel. He named the pungent gas after the Greek for 'to smell' which is 'ozein'.
Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 18, 1926 to Henry, a contractor and deacon of a nearby Baptist church, and Martha a certified public school principal. He gave his first public performance in 1941 while still at Sumner High School. Nicknamed the "Father of Rock and Roll", Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. His song "Johnny B Goode" was chosen as part of a sample of Earth music carried on the Voyager space probes in 1977.
Lee Harvey Oswald was born in New Orleans on October 18, 1939, two months after his father died. An American Marxist and former U.S. Marine, Oswald assassinated United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. He shot Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository as the President traveled by motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Oswald was fatally shot by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby in the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters two days later.
For more October 18th anniversaries, including the first Asians to have a documented presence in the Americas, the invention of the automatic pop-up toaster and the first cat in space, check out OnThatDay
The actress Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Cansino on October 17, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest child of two dancers. Her father, Eduardo Cansino, Sr., was from Castilleja de la Cuesta, a little town near Seville, Spain. Her mother, Volga Hayworth, was an American of Irish-English descent who had performed with the Ziegfeld Follies. She was featured in over 60 films throughout her 37-year career and was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II.
The actress Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Cansino on October 17, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest child of two dancers. Her father, Eduardo Cansino, Sr., was from Castilleja de la Cuesta, a little town near Seville, Spain. Her mother, Volga Hayworth, was an American of Irish-English descent who had performed with the Ziegfeld Follies. She was featured in over 60 films throughout her 37-year career and was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II.
For more October 17th anniversaries, including the London Beer Flood, the conviction of Al Capone and The Beatles first TV appearance, check out OnThatDay.
American lexicographer Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758 in West Hartford, Connecticut to a politically prominent family. Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) in two volumes was the first dictionary to give comprehensive coverage of American usage, and his name survives in the many dictionaries produced by the American publishing house His books on grammar and spelling and American Dictionary of the English Language standardized the spelling of American English.
Oscar Wilde was born at 21 Westland Row, Dublin on October 16, 1854. He was the second of three children born to surgeon Sir William Wilde and prominent Dublin intellectual Jane Wilde. A playwright, and poet, Wilde is best known today for his The Importance of Being Earnest play, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and his memorable, witty epigrams.
American lexicographer Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758 in West Hartford, Connecticut to a politically prominent family. Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) in two volumes was the first dictionary to give comprehensive coverage of American usage, and his name survives in the many dictionaries produced by the American publishing house His books on grammar and spelling and American Dictionary of the English Language standardized the spelling of American English.
 |
| Noah Webster painted by Samuel F. B. Morse |
Oscar Wilde was born at 21 Westland Row, Dublin on October 16, 1854. He was the second of three children born to surgeon Sir William Wilde and prominent Dublin intellectual Jane Wilde. A playwright, and poet, Wilde is best known today for his The Importance of Being Earnest play, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and his memorable, witty epigrams.
For more October 16th anniversaries, including the the founding of Yale University, the marriage of JK Rowling to Jorge Arantes and the publication of Jane Eyre, check out OnThatDay.
The Roman poet Virgil was born Publius Vergilius Maro in the village of Andes, near Mantua in the valley of the River Po on October 15, 70 BC. At the time Andes was in Cisalpine Gaul part of the Roman Empire. Not much is known about Virgil's parents but it seems his father was a wealthy cattle farmer and beekeeper.
The Roman poet Virgil was born Publius Vergilius Maro in the village of Andes, near Mantua in the valley of the River Po on October 15, 70 BC. At the time Andes was in Cisalpine Gaul part of the Roman Empire. Not much is known about Virgil's parents but it seems his father was a wealthy cattle farmer and beekeeper.
German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844 at Röcken (near Lützen), Saxony, Prussia. Friedrich's father was a country Lutheran clergyman and his family came from a long line of Protestant pastors. He was born on the 49th birthday of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and was thus named after him. Nietzsche lost his faith while attending the University of Bonn and he is best known for works such as his philosophical text Thus Spake Zarathustra, which challenged traditional ideas of morality.
 |
| Friedrich Nietzsche (circa 1875). |
The novelist P.G. Wodehouse was born Pelham Grenville Wodehouse on October 15, 1881 in Guildford, Surrey in South East England. Wodehouse was one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His novels and short stories feature elaborate plots and a unique writing style based on a combination of very formal language, references to classical literature, and contemporary club-room slang.
For more October 15th anniversaries, including the ending of The Siege of Vienna, the marriage of Gerald Ford to Betty Warren and the first use of the Mexican Wave, check out OnThatDay.
James II of England and VII of Scotland was born at St. James's Palace in London on October 14, 1633. He was the second surviving son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. The last Catholic monarch of England and Scotland, James' reign from 1685-1688 is now remembered primarily for struggles over religious tolerance. His attempted arbitrary rule and favor of Catholics led Whig and Tory leaders plot the overthrow of the king and invite his daughter Mary and her Dutch Protestant husband William of Orange to invade England.
James II of England and VII of Scotland was born at St. James's Palace in London on October 14, 1633. He was the second surviving son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. The last Catholic monarch of England and Scotland, James' reign from 1685-1688 is now remembered primarily for struggles over religious tolerance. His attempted arbitrary rule and favor of Catholics led Whig and Tory leaders plot the overthrow of the king and invite his daughter Mary and her Dutch Protestant husband William of Orange to invade England.
William Penn was born on October 14, 1644 at at Tower Hill, London. He was the son of English Admiral Sir William Penn (1621-1670). In 1681 he obtained a grant of land in America, in settlement of a debt owed by the king to his father, on which he established the colony of Pennsylvania as a refuge for the persecuted Quakers.
 |
| William Penn at 22 |
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, on October 14, 1890, the third of seven boys. As a child, he was involved in an accident that cost his younger brother an eye; he later referred to this as an experience teaching him the need to be protective of those under him. A five-star general in the Army and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, Eisenhower served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961.
For more October 14th anniversaries, including the shooting of the earliest surviving motion picture, the publication of Winnie-The-Pooh, and the first pilot to fly faster than sound, check out OnThatDay.
Aloha Wanderwell, the first woman to drive around the world, was born on October 13, 1906. Travelling in a Ford Model T as driver, translator and film maker for the Wanderwell Expeditions, she started and ended in Nice, France, between December 1922 and January 1927.
Aloha Wanderwell, the first woman to drive around the world, was born on October 13, 1906. Travelling in a Ford Model T as driver, translator and film maker for the Wanderwell Expeditions, she started and ended in Nice, France, between December 1922 and January 1927.
The UK's first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher was born on Friday, October 13, 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, to Alfred Roberts, who was a grocer, Methodist lay preacher and local mayor and Beatrice Ethel (née Stephenson). She developed an early interest in politics and, when studying chemistry at University of Oxford's Somerville College, Thatcher became president of the Oxford Conservative Association.
For more October 13th anniversaries, including the founding of B'nai B'rith, the oldest Jewish service organization in the world, the marriage of George Orwell and Sonia Brownell and the first game in the history of the American Basketball Association, check out OnThatDay.
Edward VI of England was the son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour. The birth of Edward on October 12, 1537 was difficult, and his mother died 12 days after his entry into this world. He became king aged nine when his father died. The first Protestant ruler of England, because he was so young, the realm was governed by a Regency Council. Edward's reign is mainly remembered for the changes made to the Church of England while he was king. He died of tuberculosis when he was 15.
Edward VI of England was the son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour. The birth of Edward on October 12, 1537 was difficult, and his mother died 12 days after his entry into this world. He became king aged nine when his father died. The first Protestant ruler of England, because he was so young, the realm was governed by a Regency Council. Edward's reign is mainly remembered for the changes made to the Church of England while he was king. He died of tuberculosis when he was 15.
 |
| Prince Edward in 1539, by Hans Holbein the Younger |
Lyman Beecher was born October 12, 1775. The most powerful puritan preacher of his generation in the USA, he devoted his later life to preaching to the pioneers in Cincinnati, where he held revival meetings preaching against drunkenness, Catholicism and religious tolerance. His daughter Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the best-selling novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on October 12, 1872, in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, England, the son of a clergyman. The dominant English composer of the early 20th century, Vaughan Williams broke the ties with continental Europe that for two centuries - notably through Handel and Mendelssohn - that had made Britain virtually a musical province of Germany.
Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on October 12, 1872, in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, England, the son of a clergyman. The dominant English composer of the early 20th century, Vaughan Williams broke the ties with continental Europe that for two centuries - notably through Handel and Mendelssohn - that had made Britain virtually a musical province of Germany.
 |
| Vaughan Williams c. 1920 |
Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935 in Modena in north-central Italy to Fernando Pavarotti, a baker and amateur tenor, and Adele Venturi, a cigar factory worker. During World War II they lived in the countryside on a farm. Pavarotti started to listen to his father’s recordings of famous tenors of the day such as Beniamino Gigli, Tito Schipa and Enrico Caruso. At around the age of nine he began singing with his father in a small local church choir.
For more October 12th anniversaries, including the opening of America's first mental asylum, the marriage of Marlon Brando and Anna Kashfi and the founding of Siemens, check out OnThatDay.
Second generation German-American, Henry John Heinz was born on October 11, 1844.
Second generation German-American, Henry John Heinz was born on October 11, 1844.
He began packing foodstuffs on a small scale at Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1869. There he founded Heinz Noble Company with a friend, L. Clarence Noble, and began preparing and marketing horseradish. Henry Heinz started manufacturing baked beans in 1895. He advertised them as "oven-baked beans in a pork and tomato sauce."
Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 at 56 West 37th Street, New York City, New York. She was born into one of richest and most influential families in New York. Her father was Elliott Roosevelt the brother of Theodore Roosevelt (who later became the 26th president of the United States), and her mother Anna Hall Roosevelt. In 1902 Eleanor was formally introduced to her future husband Franklin Roosevelt on a train to Tivoli, New York when he was a Harvard student.
 |
| Roosevelt as a child, 1887 |
For more October 11th anniversaries, including America's first naval battle, the marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton and an investigation into the Loch Ness Monster check out OnThatDay.
The English scientist Henry Cavendish was born on October 10, 1731 in Nice, where his family was living at the time. His mother was Lady Anne Grey and his father was Lord Charles Cavendish, third son of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire. Henry Cavendish was the first to recognize hydrogen gas as a discrete substance, by naming the gas from a metal-acid reaction "flammable air". He is usually given credit for its discovery as an element.
The English scientist Henry Cavendish was born on October 10, 1731 in Nice, where his family was living at the time. His mother was Lady Anne Grey and his father was Lord Charles Cavendish, third son of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire. Henry Cavendish was the first to recognize hydrogen gas as a discrete substance, by naming the gas from a metal-acid reaction "flammable air". He is usually given credit for its discovery as an element.
Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi was born on October 10, 1813, in Le Roncole, a village near Parma in northern Italy's Po River valley. The child of a poor inn-keeper, Giuseppe showed unusual musical talent at an early age. At age ten, he began attending school in the larger town of Busseto and boarding with a cobbler friend of his father’s. On Sundays and feast days, he would walk back to Le Roncole to play the organ for church services.
 |
| Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 |
Kermit Roosevelt, the second son of President Theodore Roosevelt, was born on October 10, 1889. He fought a lifelong battle with depression ultimately leading to suicide while serving in the U.S. Army in Alaska during World War II.
For more October 10th anniversaries, including the Battle of Tours, the discovery of Neptune's moon Triton, and the premiere of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, check out OnThatDay.
French composer and conductor Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was born on October 9, 1835, in Paris. When Charles-Camille was three months old his father died after which he was raised by his mother and an aunt, who taught him to play the piano. The precocious child composed a piano piece soon after his third birthday and he gave a full debut concert in 1846. His best-known works include Danse macabre (1874), the opera Samson and Delilah (1877) and The Carnival of the Animals (1886).
The Pentecostal evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson was born Aimee Elizabeth Kennedy on a farm in Salford, Ontario, Canada on October 9, 1890. She had early exposure to religion through her mother, Mildred (known as "Minnie") who worked with the poor in Salvation Army soup kitchens. McPherson used radio to promote her message in the 1920's and 30's. Her preaching style, extensive charity work and ecumenical contributions were a major influence to Charismatic Christianity in the 20th century.
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron was born on October 9, 1966 in Marylebone, London. His father was Ian Donald Cameron a stockbroker, and his mother is Mary Fleur (née Mount) a retired Justice of the Peace. He helped form and lead the United Kingdom's first coalition government since World War II. When the 43-year-old Cameron took office in 2010 he was the youngest British Prime Minister since the Earl of Liverpool 198 years earlier.
French composer and conductor Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was born on October 9, 1835, in Paris. When Charles-Camille was three months old his father died after which he was raised by his mother and an aunt, who taught him to play the piano. The precocious child composed a piano piece soon after his third birthday and he gave a full debut concert in 1846. His best-known works include Danse macabre (1874), the opera Samson and Delilah (1877) and The Carnival of the Animals (1886).
John Lennon was born at Liverpool Maternity Hospital on October 9, 1940. He was brought up by his Aunt Mimi at 251 Menlove Avenue, Woolton, South Liverpool. John lived there with her and her husband George Smith, until mid-1963 when he was 22 years old. Through visits with his mother, Julia, John learned to play the banjo and she gave him his first guitar in 1956.
 |
| Photo by Roy Kerwood. Wikipedia Commons |
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron was born on October 9, 1966 in Marylebone, London. His father was Ian Donald Cameron a stockbroker, and his mother is Mary Fleur (née Mount) a retired Justice of the Peace. He helped form and lead the United Kingdom's first coalition government since World War II. When the 43-year-old Cameron took office in 2010 he was the youngest British Prime Minister since the Earl of Liverpool 198 years earlier.
For more October 9th anniversaries, including the launch of the Russian battleship Potemkin, Uganda gaining independence and the marriage of Paul McCartney to Nancy Shevell, check out OnThatDay.
Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen of Norway was born in Grytviken on the island territory of South Georgia on October 8, 1913. She was the first person born and raised South of the Antarctic Convergence, Solveig also had claims to be the actual first Antarctica birth as that territory is sometimes considered part of Antarctica.
Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen of Norway was born in Grytviken on the island territory of South Georgia on October 8, 1913. She was the first person born and raised South of the Antarctic Convergence, Solveig also had claims to be the actual first Antarctica birth as that territory is sometimes considered part of Antarctica.
The photograph below shows Solveig Jacobsen standing (with her dog) in front of a whale on the Grytviken flensing plan. Photo taken by Magistrate Edward Binnie in 1916.
For more October 8th anniversaries, including the beginning of The Great Chicago Fire, the first chemical treatment for curling hair, and the marriage of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, check out OnThatDay.
English archbishop and academic William Laud was born at Reading, Berkshire on October 7, 1573, the only son of William Laud, a clothier, and Lucy, née Webbe. When the Personal Rule of King Charles I began in 1629, Laud quickly became a key part of it as his High Church views fitted in well with the monarch's beliefs.
English archbishop and academic William Laud was born at Reading, Berkshire on October 7, 1573, the only son of William Laud, a clothier, and Lucy, née Webbe. When the Personal Rule of King Charles I began in 1629, Laud quickly became a key part of it as his High Church views fitted in well with the monarch's beliefs.
 |
| William Laud Portrait by Anthony van Dyck c. 1636 |
Moses Fleetwood ″Fleet″ Walker the first African American to play major league baseball was born on October 7, 1857. He made his major league debut aged 26 for the Toledo Blue Stockings, a club in the American Association. Walker played one season as the catcher of the Toledo Blue Stockings. He then played in the minor leagues until 1889, when professional baseball erected a color barrier that stood for nearly 60 years.
Russian president Vladimir Putin was born in a middle class family on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad (now St Petersburg), Soviet Union. Putin had dreamed of becoming an intelligence officer ever since he was a child and in 1975, he joined the KGB, training at the 401st KGB school in Okhta, Leningrad. Putin has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously held the position from 1999 until 2008.
For more October 7th anniversaries, including The Battle of Lepanto, the founding of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, and Cristiano Ronaldo's professional football debut check out OnThatDay.
The Swedish songbird Johanna Maria “Jenny” Lind was born in Stockholm on October 6, 1820, the illegitimate daughter of Niclas Jonas Lind, a bookkeeper, and Anne-Marie Fellborg, a schoolteacher. When Lind was about nine years old, her singing was overheard by the maid of Mademoiselle Lundberg, the principal dancer at the Royal Swedish Opera. An audition was arranged and she was accepted into the acting school of Stockholm's Royal Dramatic Theatre.
The Swedish songbird Johanna Maria “Jenny” Lind was born in Stockholm on October 6, 1820, the illegitimate daughter of Niclas Jonas Lind, a bookkeeper, and Anne-Marie Fellborg, a schoolteacher. When Lind was about nine years old, her singing was overheard by the maid of Mademoiselle Lundberg, the principal dancer at the Royal Swedish Opera. An audition was arranged and she was accepted into the acting school of Stockholm's Royal Dramatic Theatre.
French aviator Roland Garros was born on October 6, 1888. He started his aviation career in 1909 flying a Demoiselle (Dragonfly) monoplane, an aircraft that only flew well with a small lightweight pilot. In September 1913 Garros became the first person to fly a plane across the Mediterranean (from St. Raphael, France to Bizerte, Tunisia). During World War I, Garros achieved the first ever shooting-down of an aircraft by a fighter firing through a tractor propeller.