Frederic Chopin’s country idyll with George Sand
On this day in 1789 the composer and pianist Frederic Chopin was born in Warsaw. Chopin’s name is much linked with George Sand, the diminutive... Read More
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s emotional pain
On this day in 1807 the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born. An academic and for a time a professor at Harvard, he is... Read More
Victor Hugo gets an Avenue
On this day in 1802 the French novelist Victor Marie Hugo was born. His father was an officer in the French army. These were interesting... Read More
Pierre Auguste Renoir’s prolific output
On this day in 1841 the French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges. As a youth, he worked in the famous local porcelain... Read More
Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s fireside moment
On this day in 1809 the Drury Lane Theatre, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, was burnt down. Sheridan sat in an armchair with... Read More
Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon
On this day in 49 BC Julius Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon (it was illegal for a general to bring an army into... Read More
Isaac Asimov admired Tennyson’s Sci-Fi poetry
On this day in 1920 the author and academic Isaac Asimov was born. A brilliant thinker and leading science fiction writer, he was fascinated by... Read More