Quote of the day :
Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we’re not. In either case the idea is quite staggering.
~ Arthur C. Clarke
Picture of the day :
As it was the birthday of sci-fi author Arthur C Clarke today I’ve chosen a picture that’s a little reminiscent of a scene from the 1951 film The Day The Earth Stood Still (by Edmund North).
Yes, tenuous connection at best, but it gives me a reason to use this photograph, taken in Crosby Sands, Liverpool last year.
Youtube video of the day :
As it was his birthday today, take a moment to relax with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4Tr0otuiQuU]
On this day…
Born today :
- Composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770)
- Queen, Catherine of Aragon (1485)
- Author, Jane Austen (1775)
- Actor and playwright, Sir Noel Coward (1899)
- Scientist and author, Arthur C. Clarke
- Author, Philip K. Dick
- Musician, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
- Actor, playwright, and compose, Noel Coward (1899)
- Actor, Ben Cross
- Actor, Christopher Biggins
- Chemist, physicist and philosopher, Johann Wilhelm Ritter (1776)
(The first person to electrolyse water and among the founders of electrochemistry) - Actress, Anna Popplewell (Susan in Narnia)
- Songwriter and pianist, Benny Andersson (Abba)
Also on this day in history
In 1653 Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.
The last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan happened, 1707.
1773 marks the start of the War of Independence when the locals – fed up with taxes by Britain and heavy-handed British soldiers – held the Boston Tea Party. Rather than napkins, scones and Earl grey in china cups it was marked by burley locals is disguise dumping a ship load of tea chests from the dockside into Boston Harbour. For a more complete picture you can read the entry on Samuel Adams on Wikipedia.
Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony had its world premiere in New York City, 1893.
In 1901 by Beatrix Potter self-published her book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, after it was rejected by several publishers. She had 250 copies made for friends. See also this interesting post, with images : First editions of Peter Rabbit. If you are curious to value, the few remaining copies of the initial 1901 version sell for over £35,000 each, while the publisher printed runs from 1902 are only half as valuable, fetching a mere £17,500 or so each.
Sime Silverman published the first issue of his show-business weekly, Variety, on this day in 1905. In became a weekly in 1933 and, in print at least, saw the last daily printed edition on the magazine shelves on March 19th, 2013. You can still read daily news and subscribe for more on the Variety website.
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Not a great deal!
