Tiananmen Square rally shakes China
On this day in 1989 a pro-democracy student rally began in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Popular support for the rally grew rapidly and there were similar rallies,... Read More
Albert Einstein wanted to die elegantly
On this day in 1955 Swiss physicist Albert Einstein died of an aneurism aged 76. He could have had surgery but refused, saying: “I want... Read More
Chaucer the Canterbury pilgrim, was he murdered?
On this day in 1397 Geoffrey Chaucer recounted the Canterbury Tales at the court of King Richard II of England. The Canterbury Tales put him... Read More
Broadway continues what Sophocles began
On this day in 1787 the first play by an American writer was performed at the John Street Theatre in New York City. Entitled ’The... Read More
Sartre, De Beauvoir and “Hell is other people”
On this day in 1980 Jean Paul Sartre, philosopher and Existentialist, died in Paris. He refused the 1964 Nobel Prize for Literature saying that he... Read More
The Titanic – sinking of the unsinkable
On this day in 1912 the transatlantic steamship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. One of the greatest peacetime maritime disasters, around 1500 people perished.... Read More
Samuel Beckett’s cricket success
On this day in 1906 the poet and playwright Samuel Beckett was born. Beckett was a surprisingly good cricketer who earned himself an entry in... Read More