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
Yuri Gagarin fell to earth
On this day in 1961 Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space when he orbited the earth. Gagarin’s small size of 5ft... Read More
Vonnegut’s Survival in the Dresden Slaughterhouse
On this day in 2007 American author and artist Kurt Vonnegut Jr died aged 84. Vonnegut smoked untipped cigarettes most of his adult life, sardonically... Read More
General Booth’s Salvation Army band
On this day in 1829 William Booth, founder and first General of the Salvation Army was born. After years of work as a travelling Methodist... Read More
Du Fu, was he China’s greatest poet?
On this day in AD 750 the Chinese poet Du Fu was writing verse. One of China’s best loved poets, he was born during the... Read More