Sandro Botticelli burns his paintings
On this day in 1510 the Italian painter Sandro Botticelli died. Very little detail is known about his life: he was apprenticed to Fra Lippo... Read More
Dr Samuel Johnson meets his biographer James Boswell
On this day in 1763 in London, Dr Samuel Johnson met for the first time his future biographer, James Boswell. It was not love at... Read More
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s corsets shocked the Turks
On this day in 1659 the English aristocrat, socialite, writer and poet Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was born. An independent and strong minded woman, she... Read More
Virginia Woolf’s stream of consciousness novel
On this day in 1925 the novel Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf was published. The action takes place in the course of a single June... Read More
Daphne du Maurier’s secret life
On this day in 1907 the English novelist Daphne Du Maurier was born. Her books Rebecca and Jamaica Inn still remain among the nation’s best loved... Read More
Florence Nightingale’s Rejected Suitor
On this day in 1820 English nurse and administrator Florence Nightingale was born in Florence. She worked in nursing in London and was sent with... Read More
Salvador Dali’s surreal lifestyle
On this day in 1904 Spanish painter Salvador Dali was born. Dali’s work was matched by his extraordinary behaviour. As befitted a surrealist, his publicity... Read More