Sartre and de Beauvoir’s strange relationship
On this day in 1905 Jean Paul Sartre, philosopher and writer was born. Sartre’s name is always linked with that of Simone de Beauvoir. Though... Read More
Kurt Schwitters makes art out of detritus
On this day in 1887 the German British artist and writer Kurt Schwitters was born. He came to England before World War II and was... Read More
Blaise Pascal invents the calculating machine
On this day in 1623 the French philosopher, mathematician and writer Blaise Pascal was born. One of the profoundest thinkers since the Graeco Roman period,... Read More
Wellington slept at Waterloo
On this day in 1815 the Battle of Waterloo was fought. As the Duke of Wellington later remarked, it was: ‘A damned close run thing.’... Read More
James Weldon Johnson leads the Harlem Renaissance
On this day in 1871 the American lawyer, civil rights activist and poet James Weldon Johnson was born. Johnson was also a diplomat who served... Read More
James Joyce, Bloomsday and faulty plumbing
On this day in 1904 all the events in James Joyce’s book Ulysses took place; it is known as ‘Bloomsday’ because the book’s hero is... Read More
El Cid leads his army against the Moors in Spain
On this day in 1094 Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (known as El Cid), occupied the town of Valencia. When much of Spain was under Moorish... Read More