Friday, August 12
Invention of the sewing machine in 1851 and the first successful test of the space shuttle in 1977. Birthday of William Goldman (b. 1931), George Soros (b. 1930) and Cecil B. DeMille (b. 1881).
Saturday, August 13
Anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall erected in 1961. Birthday of the first English printer, William Caxton (b. 1422), Alfred Hitchcock (b. 1899) and Fidel Castro (b. 1927).
Sunday, August 14
Anniversary of Pakistan independence from Britain in 1947 and the passing of the Social Security Act by FDR in 1935. V-J Day in 1945. Birthday of Russell Baker (b. 1925), Steve Martin (b. 1945), Danielle Steel (b. 1947), Lynne Cheney (b. 1941), Gary Larson (b. 1950) and Alice Adams (b. 1926).
Monday, August 15
National Relaxation Day and beginning of National Aviation Week. Religious feast day of Assumption of the Virgin Mary, completion of the Transcontinental Railway in 1870, anniversary of Woodstoock in 1969. Birthday of Napoleon (b. 1769), Edna Ferber (b. 1887), Sir Walter Scott (b. 1771) and Julia Child (b. 1912).
Tuesday, August 16
Anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley in 1977 and of the Harmonic Convergence of 1987. Birthday of T.E. Lawrence (b. 1888), William Maxwell (b.1908) and Charles Bukowski (b. 1920).
Wednesday, August 17
First balloon crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1978. Anniversary of Indonesian Independence Day in 1945. Birthday of Evan Connell (b. 1924), John Hawkes (b. 1925), Jonathan Franzen (b. 1959), V.S. Naipaul (b. 1932) and Alexander Theroux (b. 1939).
Thursday, August 18
Bad Poetry Day and anniversary of the sale of the first birth control pills in 1960, the printing of the first mail order catalogue, by Montgomery Ward, in 1872, and the passing of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Birthday of Lewis Meriwether (b. 1774), Robert Redford (b. 1937) and Alain Robbe-Grillet (b. 1922).
Friday, August 19
Little League World Series begins in Williamsport, Pa., National Aviation Day, Afghanistan Independence Day in 1919, birthdays of Ogden Nash (b. 1902), Ring Lardner (b. 1915), Orville Wright (b. 1871), Coco Chanel (b. 1883) and Frank McCourt (b. 1930).
Saturday, August 20
The day on which plutonium was first weighed in 1942 at the University of Chicago. Birthday of H.P. Lovecraft (b. 1890), Al Roker (b. 1954) and Jacqueline Susann (b. 1921).
Sunday, August 21
Poet's Day, celebrating all writers of poetry, the anniversary of the admission of Hawaii as the 50th state in 1959, and the founding of the American Bar Association in 1878 in Saratoga, N.Y. Birthday of artist Aubrey Beardsley (b. 1872) and Robert Stone (b. 1937).
Monday, August 22
Be an Angel Day, National Punctuation Day, the anniversary of the first performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1847. Birthday of Dorothy Parker (b. 1893), Ray Bradbury (b. 1920), and E. Annie Proulx (b. 1935).--Edward Nawotka [ink@edwardn.com]
Invention of the sewing machine in 1851 and the first successful test of the space shuttle in 1977. Birthday of William Goldman (b. 1931), George Soros (b. 1930) and Cecil B. DeMille (b. 1881).
Saturday, August 13
Anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall erected in 1961. Birthday of the first English printer, William Caxton (b. 1422), Alfred Hitchcock (b. 1899) and Fidel Castro (b. 1927).
Sunday, August 14
Anniversary of Pakistan independence from Britain in 1947 and the passing of the Social Security Act by FDR in 1935. V-J Day in 1945. Birthday of Russell Baker (b. 1925), Steve Martin (b. 1945), Danielle Steel (b. 1947), Lynne Cheney (b. 1941), Gary Larson (b. 1950) and Alice Adams (b. 1926).
Monday, August 15
National Relaxation Day and beginning of National Aviation Week. Religious feast day of Assumption of the Virgin Mary, completion of the Transcontinental Railway in 1870, anniversary of Woodstoock in 1969. Birthday of Napoleon (b. 1769), Edna Ferber (b. 1887), Sir Walter Scott (b. 1771) and Julia Child (b. 1912).
Tuesday, August 16
Anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley in 1977 and of the Harmonic Convergence of 1987. Birthday of T.E. Lawrence (b. 1888), William Maxwell (b.1908) and Charles Bukowski (b. 1920).
Wednesday, August 17
First balloon crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1978. Anniversary of Indonesian Independence Day in 1945. Birthday of Evan Connell (b. 1924), John Hawkes (b. 1925), Jonathan Franzen (b. 1959), V.S. Naipaul (b. 1932) and Alexander Theroux (b. 1939).
Thursday, August 18
Bad Poetry Day and anniversary of the sale of the first birth control pills in 1960, the printing of the first mail order catalogue, by Montgomery Ward, in 1872, and the passing of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Birthday of Lewis Meriwether (b. 1774), Robert Redford (b. 1937) and Alain Robbe-Grillet (b. 1922).
Friday, August 19
Little League World Series begins in Williamsport, Pa., National Aviation Day, Afghanistan Independence Day in 1919, birthdays of Ogden Nash (b. 1902), Ring Lardner (b. 1915), Orville Wright (b. 1871), Coco Chanel (b. 1883) and Frank McCourt (b. 1930).
Saturday, August 20
The day on which plutonium was first weighed in 1942 at the University of Chicago. Birthday of H.P. Lovecraft (b. 1890), Al Roker (b. 1954) and Jacqueline Susann (b. 1921).
Sunday, August 21
Poet's Day, celebrating all writers of poetry, the anniversary of the admission of Hawaii as the 50th state in 1959, and the founding of the American Bar Association in 1878 in Saratoga, N.Y. Birthday of artist Aubrey Beardsley (b. 1872) and Robert Stone (b. 1937).
Monday, August 22
Be an Angel Day, National Punctuation Day, the anniversary of the first performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1847. Birthday of Dorothy Parker (b. 1893), Ray Bradbury (b. 1920), and E. Annie Proulx (b. 1935).--Edward Nawotka [ink@edwardn.com]