Rabindranath Tagore gives up his knighthood in protest
On this day in 1861 the Bengali poet, artist and writer Rabindranath Tagore was born. His family were Brahmin landowners and Tagore spent time travelling... Read More
Karl Marx played the stock market
On this day in 1818 the political economist and philosopher Karl Marx was born in Germany. Reportedly a jovial companion and a loving husband and... Read More
Mahatma Gandhi meets King Edward VII dressed in a loincloth
On this day in 1930 Indian politician, lawyer and writer Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned by the British. It was not the first or the last... Read More
Niccolo Machiavelli puts realism into politics
On this day in 1469 Italian writer and politician Niccolo Machiavelli was born. In the turbulent times of the Renaissance, Machiavelli gained personal experience in... Read More
Leonardo’s fifteen masterpieces
On this day in 1519 the Italian artist and polymath Leonardo da Vinci died. His biographer, Giorgio Vasari said: “In the normal course of events... Read More
Joseph Heller couldn’t write another bestseller after Catch-22
On this day in 1923 American author Joseph Heller was born. Heller served in the US Air Force in the Second World War, an experience... Read More
Adolf Hitler’s last days
On this day in 1945 Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. His Götterdämmerung moment had been a while coming but had been foreseen... Read More