January 2022

Happy birthday to Alan Alda! Today the star turns 86. Image: Alan Alda / Library of Congress He was born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo on January 28, 1936 in New York City, New York to Robert Alda and Joan Browne. The son of an actor, it was only a matter of time before Alda decided to pursue a career in show business. In 1972, he took on his most memorable role as Hawkeye Pierce on the… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the birthday of legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Image: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Wikimedia Commons Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl. A child prodigy, Mozart began composing music and performing before royalty at the age of 5. During his childhood, his father took Mozart and his sister, Maria Anna, on a grand European tour to perform at the courts of Munich,… Read the full story

On this day in 1882, English author Virginia Woolf was born in Kensington, England. Image: Virginia Woolf / Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University She was born Adeline Virginia Stephen to well-educated and well-connected parents. Her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, was a notable historian, author, and mountaineer. Her mother, Julia Prinsep Jackson, was best known for being a model for Pre-Raphaelite painters and for her famous photographer aunt, Julia Margaret Cameron. Considered one of… Read the full story

American writer Edith Wharton was born on January 24, 1862 in New York City, New York. Image: Edith Wharton / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution CC0 The youngest child of George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander, Wharton began writing poetry and fictional stories as a young girl. Although she had a thirst for knowledge and desired a greater education, women of her social stature were discouraged from intellectual pursuits. She would pursue her own education… Read the full story

On this day in 1845, Norwegian painter Harriet Backer was born. A pioneer for female artists, Backer became one of the most prominent Norwegian artists during her lifetime. Image: Harriet Backer / National Library of Norway, Flickr Backer was born on January 21, 1845 in Holmstrand, Vestfold, Norway and was one of four daughters born to Nils Backer and Sofie Smith Petersen. Her mother had come from a wealthy family, which allowed Backer and her sisters the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Buzz Aldrin! Today the legendary astronaut turns 92. Image: Buzz Aldrin / NASA The famous astronaut was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. on January 20, 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey. Nicknamed “Buzz” by his sister during his childhood, Aldrin would legally change his first name in 1988. During the Korean War, Aldrin served a jet fighter pilot. He later earned a Ph.D. in astronautics at MIT and wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital… Read the full story

Did you love reading the stories of Winnie the Pooh growing up? On this day in 1882, author and creator A.A. Milne was born in London, England. Image: A.A. Milne / Library of Congress Alan Alexander Milne was the youngest of three sons born to school teachers, Sarah Marie Heginbotham and John Vine Milne. During World War I, Milne served in the British Army and was injured at the Battle of the Somme. After recovering… Read the full story

Today we remember beloved actress Betty White on what would have been her birthday. White’s career spanned over eight decades and left a lasting mark on television history both in front and behind the camera. After making the transition from radio to television, she became a staple on American game shows. She also starred in several memorable sitcoms including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland. A cultural icon, White… Read the full story

Today the United States celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! On this day, the nation observes the birthday of the great Civil Rights leader. Image: Martin Luther King, Jr. / Library of Congress Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams. A pastor, humanitarian and activist, King played a pivotal role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. His inspiring work… Read the full story

Remember reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? On this day in 1898, author Lewis Carroll died at the age of 65. Image: Lewis Carroll / Library of Congress The famous author was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson on January 27, 1832 in Daresbury, Cheshire, England. He was the third of eleven children born to Charles Dodgsen, a clergyman, and Frances Jane Lutwidge. Growing up, Carroll was an avid reader and suffered from a stutter that would last most of… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus! Today the actress celebrates her 61st birthday. Image: Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born on January 13, 1961 in New York City, New York to Judith La Fevre, a special needs tutor, and Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, a French billionaire. Her second great grandfather, Léopold Louis-Dreyfus, founded the Louis Dreyfus Group, a commodities and shipping conglomerate. During World War II, her paternal grandfather, Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, was… Read the full story

On this day in 1628, French author Charles Perrault was born in Paris, France. Often described as the “father of the fairytale,” Perrault was known for penning some of the most beloved and recognizable stories, including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty. He derived many of his stories from pre-existing folktales and created the foundations of a new literary genre, the fairytale. Image: Charles Perrault / Rijksmuseum, Wikimedia Commons He was born on January 12,… Read the full story

Today we remember comedian Bob Saget, who passed away yesterday at the age of 65. Image: Bob Saget / Library of Congress Saget was born on May 17, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Benjamin Saget and Rosalyn “Dolly” Comer. After graduating from Temple University, Saget briefly attended the University of Southern California to study film. He dropped out after a few days and decided to pursue a career as a stand-up comic. In 1987, he… Read the full story

Trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier has passed away at the age of 94. The icon broke racial barriers in Hollywood and became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. Image: Sidney Poitier / Wikimedia Commons Poitier was born on February 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida to Bahamian parents, Reginald Poitier and Evelyn Outen. Born two months premature while his parents were in Miami, the family remained in the country for the… Read the full story

On this day in 1852, Louis Braille died at the age of 43. Braille developed a system of reading and writing for the blind and visually impaired. Known simply as braille, the system continues to be used worldwide today. Image: Braille alphabet / Library of Congress Braille was born on January 4, 1809 in Coupvray, a small town near Paris, France. He was blinded at the age of 3 after an accident in his father’s… Read the full story

Happy 76th birthday to Diane Keaton! The actress was born Diane Hall on January 5, 1946 in Los Angeles, California. Image: Diane Keaton / Firooz Zahedi, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Her mother, Dorothy Keaton, was a homemaker and once won the “Mrs. Los Angeles” pageant. Her father, John Newton Ignatius “Jack” Hall, was a real estate broker and civil engineer. After deciding to pursue a career in acting, she took on her mother’s maiden name “Keaton” to avoid… Read the full story

What was your favorite fairy tale growing up? On this day in 1785, Jacob Grimm was born in Hanau, Hesse-Kassel. As one half of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and his brother, Wilhelm, collected and recorded German folklore, which they would later publish as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Image: Jacob Grimm / Wikimedia Commons In 1808, Jacob served as royal librarian for Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother, Jérôme, King of Westphalia. Influenced by the growing German Romantic movement, Jacob and… Read the full story

On this day in 1793, abolitionist and women’s rights activist Lucretia Mott was born. A pioneering social reformer, Mott was a central figure of the abolitionist and suffragist movements until her death in 1880. Image: Lucretia Mott / Library of Congress Mott was born Lucretia Coffin on January 3, 1793 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Her fourth great grandfather, Peter Folger, was one of the first settlers of Nantucket and the maternal grandfather of Benjamin Franklin. This makes Mott and… Read the full story