Happy Birthday October 15

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.