Kenneth Grahame’s childhood with boats
On this day in 1859 the author Kenneth Grahame was born. Known for The Wind in the Willows, Graham drew on his own childhood experiences... 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
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
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
Frederic Chopin’s country idyll with George Sand
On this day in 1789 the composer and pianist Frederic Chopin was born in Warsaw. Chopin’s name is much linked with George Sand, the diminutive... Read More
Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s fireside moment
On this day in 1809 the Drury Lane Theatre, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, was burnt down. Sheridan sat in an armchair with... Read More