Tag Archives: almanac

Another long hiatus. Hey, I’m busy! Today in History: 1812: Charles Dickens is born. Fights broke out on the docks as people waited for the arrival of the latest installment of his work, including the criminally overlooked Pickwick Papers. For … Continue reading →

Today in History: 1880: Douglas MacArthur, hero of World War II, butt of the Korean War, is born. 1908: Stephane Grappelli is born. Jazz violin is a lot like rock flute– it works very, very rarely… but when it does, … Continue reading →

Today in History: 1627 – Robert Boyle is born. I remember him for his simple and elegant formulation pV=k which symbolizes that the volume of a gas increases as pressure decreases (and vice-versa). The form p1 V1 = p2 V2 … Continue reading →

A bit of a gap there… but that’s what the whole “intermittent” thing is all about. And it leaves me something new for next year. Today in History: 41 – Caligula is assasinated by his own Praetorian Guard, paving the … Continue reading →

Thursday, January 17, 2008 Today in History: 1605 – Don Quixote is published. Despite age and controversy, I still prefer the Smollett translation. Maybe because this is one of the few books my late grandma Ruthie was able to pass … Continue reading →

Today in history: 1559: Elizabeth I, daughter of psychotic Henry VIII and inspiration for a cult of virginity, is crowned Queen of England. 1622: Moliere (aka Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) is born. If you haven’t read (or been lucky enough to see) … Continue reading →

In history: 1832 – Edgar Allan Poe publishes his first short story, “Metzengerstein: A Tale In Imitation of the German” which demonstrates that Poe was fully Poe-like very early in his career. The whole story is given away in the … Continue reading →

Today in history: 49 BCE – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon. If he didn’t say “The die is cast” he should have… making him more badass than John McClane (at least until he was stabbed to death just 4 years … Continue reading →

Tuesday, January 8, 2008 Today in history: 1601 – Baltasar Gracian y Morales is born. I’ve quoted from his work before… there’s a reason The Art of Worldly Wisdom was atop the bestseller list as recently as 1992 (over 300 … Continue reading →

Today in history: 1891 – Zora Neale Hurston, a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and author of _Their Eyes Were Watching God is born. 1923 – Hugh Kenner, one of my intellectual idols is born. Among many books, including one … Continue reading →

Today in history: 1256 – Gertrude the Great (or Saint Gertrude… but never Saint Gertrude the Great) is born. She’s known for a prayer in her name, each recitation of which releases 1000 souls from purgatory: Eternal Father, I offer … Continue reading →

Today in history (a big day): 1463 – Francois Villon– poet, raspscallion and criminal– is banned from Paris. He would later write, at the time expecting to be hung with others of his criminal crew: Brothers and men that shall … Continue reading →

Today in history: 1643 – Isaac Newton is born. One of the most brilliant and strange thinkers of all time. He made more amazing discoveries as a byproduct of his interest in alchemy than most leading scientists do on purpose. … Continue reading →

In history: 106 BC – Cicero is born. Over 2000 years ago he wrote: “Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.” 1841 – Herman Melville begins an 18-month stint on the whaler … Continue reading →

Today in history: 1920 – Isaac Asimov is born. Allegedly, Asimov could type 90 words-per-minute with just index and middle fingers. It’s cool to dismiss Asimov today, but I retain a real affection for him, particularly the Robot and Foundation … Continue reading →

from today’s reading (Sophocles, Oedipus the King): “Now I’ve exposed my guilt, horrendous guilt, could I train a level glance on you, my countrymen? Impossible! No, if I could just block off my ears, the springs of hearing, I would … Continue reading →