Alexander Pope, Twickenham’s tiny poet
On this day in 1688 English poet Alexander Pope was born. He grew up extremely well educated, mostly through his own efforts and made a... Read More
Shakespeare’s sonnets – which is the most beautiful?
On this day in 1609 Shakespeare’s sonnets were first published in London. Shakespeare’s writings are well known for their many hidden meanings and illusions and... Read More
Malcolm X – the reason why he changed his name
On this day in 1925 the American Negro rights activist Malcolm X was born. His family name was Little, but he called himself Malcolm X... Read More
Bertrand Russell’s prison sentence at age eighty-nine
On this day in 1872 English philosopher and Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell was born. He won the Nobel Prize for literature after publishing his... Read More
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