Piet Mondrian’s abstract spirituality
On this day in 1872 the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian was born. Though he started by painting landscapes, Mondrian was greatly influenced by the work... Read More
Gabriel Garcia Marquez invents Magic Realism
On this day in 1927 the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born. Known as Gabo for short by his millions of admirers, he wrote... Read More
Archibald Primrose, Earl of Rosebery, fulfils his ambitions
On this day in 1894 Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, became Prime Minister of Britain. It was said that he was too patrician... Read More
William Carlos Williams felt upstaged by his friend TS Eliot
On this day in 1963 the poet William Carlos Williams died. Williams lived in New Jersey and was also a doctor, practicing medicine by day... Read More
Alexander Graham Bell considered the telephone intrusive
On this day in 1847 the inventor Alexander Graham Bell was born. Although credited with inventing the telephone, Bell always considered it an intrusion on... Read More
Tom Wolfe nearly made a career in baseball
On this day in 1931 the writer and journalist Tom Wolfe was born. Wolfe excelled both academically and at baseball – he considered turning professional.... Read More
Alessandro Botticelli’s unrequited love
On this day in 1445, the first day of Spring, the Florentine painter Alessandro Botticelli was born. Much of his work was done for his... Read More