Canadian author Alice Munro, a 2013 Nobel Prize winner for literature, has died at the age of 92. Munro wrote short stories for more than 60 years, often focusing on life in rural Canada. She died at her home in Port Hope, Ontario on Monday night, her family and her publisher have confirmed. Munro was often compared to Russian writer Anton Chekhov for the insight … Continue reading May 14, 2024; Alice Munro
Salvador Dalí was born May 11, 1904, in Figueras, Spain and died January 23, 1989, in Figueras. He was a Spanish Surrealist painter and printmaker, influential for his explorations of subconscious imagery. As an art student in Madrid and Barcelona, Dalí assimilated a vast number of artistic styles and displayed unusual technical facility as a painter. It was not until the late 1920s, however, that … Continue reading May 11, 1904; Salvador Dalí
April 2, 1968; “2001 A Space Odyssey” directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, premieres at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C. 2001: A Space Odyssey, American science-fiction film, released in 1968, that set the benchmark for all subsequent movies in the genre and consistently ranks among the top 10 movies ever made, especially known for its groundbreaking special effects and … Continue reading April 2, 1968; “2001 A Space Odyssey” premiers
Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14. Candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine and love. While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day … Continue reading Feb 14; Valentine’s Day
26th January Australia Day, a day honouring the establishment of the first permanent European settlement on the continent of Australia. On January 26, 1788, Arthur Phillip, who had sailed into what is now Sydney Cove with a shipload of convicts, hoisted the British flag at the site. In the early 1800s the date, called Foundation Day, was celebrated by politicians and businessmen of New South … Continue reading Jan 26; Australia Day
Twenty-three cars starting out from 11 different locations around Europe eventually converge on the tiny Principality of Monaco. The event, officially the Rallye Monte Carlo, was organized at the behest of Prince Albert I (great-grandfather of current Prince Albert II and grandfather of Prince Rainier III, who married American actress Grace Kelly). Like many motoring contests of the time, it was seen primarily as a … Continue reading Jan 21, 1911; The first Rally Monte Carlo
Dolly Parton was born January 19th, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, is a U.S. country music singer, guitarist, and actress best known for pioneering the interface between country and pop music styles. Parton was born into a poor farming family, the fourth of 12 children. She displayed an aptitude and passion for music at an early age, and as a child she was a featured … Continue reading Jan 19, 1946; Dolly Parton
International Kite Day started in India, where it takes place in the north-western state of Gujarat, and is most widely celebrated in the city of Ahmedabad. The festival is known as Uttarayan in the Hindi language, and it is also called Makar Sakranti in parts of India. It celebrates the changing of the seasons from winter to summer, as well the upcoming harvest of winter … Continue reading Jan 14; International Kite Day
On January 10, 49 B.C.E., General Julius Caesar entered Roman territory by crossing the Rubicon, a stream in what is now Northern Italy. In crossing the Rubicon, Caesar began a civil war that signalled the end of the Roman Republic. Julius Caesar was a very popular military and political leader who expanded the borders of the Roman Republic through what are today France, Spain, and … Continue reading Jan 10, 49 BC; Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon
Peculiar People Day is certainly an odd and strange day. This January 10 holiday exists to recognize the strange and quirky people in our lives and to gain an appreciation for unique and different people. Are you an “Odd Duck”? Many of us are. Un-ordinary, extraordinary, unusual, strange, odd, uncommon, intriguing, different, abnormal, and quirky. These are all things that we think of to describe … Continue reading Jan 10; Peculiar People Day
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