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1
British author Edgar Wallace was born in Kent
British author Edgar Wallace was born in Kent. Although most of Wallace’s works are out of print, he was once the most popular writer in the United Kingdom. In his 56 years of life, Wallace wrote 170 novels, 18 plays, screenplays, poetry, and almost 1000 short stories. Wallace is best remembered for creating the King Kong legend. (April 01, 1875)
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2
Émile Zola was born in Paris, France
Émile Zola was born in Paris, France. Zola popularized the literary form of Naturalism through his plays and novels. He risked his career and his freedom by publishing “J’Accuse!…”, a condemnation of the French government for practicing antisemitism and condemning an innocent man. Zola faced libel and had to flee to London for a short time, but he was eventually exonerated. His accusation was a turning point in history, showing the power of journalism and intellectual thinking. (April 02, 1840)
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3
Writer and historian Washington Irving was born in New York City
Writer and historian Washington Irving was born in New York City. Irving is most famous for his stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” as well as the first biography of George Washington, which was printed in five volumes. (April 03, 1783)
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4
Writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was born in St
Writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Despite urgings to get more involved in the Civil Rights movement, Angelou’s involvement kept getting postponed. On her 40th birthday, friend and activist Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Angelou channeled her grief into composition, writing and producing a 10 part documentary on race relations and composing her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. (April 04, 1928)
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5
Oscar Wilde lost his libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry
Oscar Wilde lost his libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry. The suit was in retaliation of the Marquess’ attempt to destroy Wilde’s career, after learning that he was involved in a homosexual affair with his son, Lord Alfred Douglas. After losing his libel suit, Wilde was arrested and found guilty on charges of sodomy, eventually serving two years in prison. He lived out his remaining years in Paris, but his career and reputation never recovered. (April 05, 1895)
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6
Playwright Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, was born in Paris
Playwright Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, was born in Paris. Rousseau is best remembered for his witty epigrams. (April 06, 1671)
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7
Poet and author William Wordsworth was born in Cumberland, England
Poet and author William Wordsworth was born in Cumberland, England. Wordsworth and his friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge are credited with forming the principles of Romanticism, a major poetry movement of the 19th century. (April 07, 1770)
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8
Novelist Barbara Kingsolver was born in Annapolis, Maryland
Novelist Barbara Kingsolver was born in Annapolis, Maryland. Kingsolver has written several fictional and non-fiction works, but she became famous for her best-seller, The Poisonwood Bible. (April 08, 1955)
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9
French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire was born in Paris
French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire was born in Paris. Baudelaire excelled in writing prose poetry and is credited with coining the term “modernity.” (April 09, 1821)
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10
Lord Byron convinced Samuel Taylor Coleridge to publish his poem, “Kubla Khan
Lord Byron convinced Samuel Taylor Coleridge to publish his poem, “Kubla Khan.” In 1797, after having a vivid opium-induced dream, Coleridge awoke with some 200-300 lines of poetry floating in his head. The words perfectly described his dream, a vision of Xanadu. Coleridge quickly began to write them down, but was interrupted by a visitor and he was unable to finish. Coleridge spent years entertaining friends with his story, until his friend Lord Byron encouraged him to have the poem published after a particularly moving recitation. (April 10, 1816)
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11
Popular author Kurt Vonnegut died in his Manhattan home, weeks after suffering brain injuries from a fall in his brownstone
Popular author Kurt Vonnegut died in his Manhattan home, weeks after suffering brain injuries from a fall in his brownstone. Vonnegut was the author of Slaughterhouse-Five and other books and stories and was one of America’s most popular writers, remembered most for his sardonic wit. (April 11, 2007)
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12
Award-winning children’s author Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon
Award-winning children’s author Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon. Clearly is one of the most celebrated American children’s authors, having won the National Book Award, the Newbery Medal, the National Medal of Arts, and a Library of Congress Living Legend award. Some of Cleary’s most beloved books are the Romana series, Henry Huggins, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. (April 12, 1916)
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13
Irish poet Seamus Heaney was born in Castledawson, UK
Irish poet Seamus Heaney was born in Castledawson, UK. Heaney is known as a regional poet of Ireland won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. His translation of Beowulf is also very popular. (April 13, 1939)
Absurdist playwright and author Samuel Beckett was born in Dublin, Ireland
Absurdist playwright and author Samuel Beckett was born in Dublin, Ireland. Beckett’s dark comedy and unique take on drama helped create the Theatre of the Absurd, and led to Beckett winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969. While Beckett’s writings are extensive, his most recognizable play is Waiting for Godot. (April 13, 1906)
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14
Poet Jericho Brown was born in Shreveport, Louisiana
Poet Jericho Brown was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Brown won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2020. (April 14, 1976)
Noah Webster published his two volume dictionary, containing 70,000 total words
Noah Webster published his two volume dictionary, containing 70,000 total words. He set the price at $20 for full set, but it sold poorly. Once he reduced the price to $15 sales picked up, eventually leading to the Webster series becoming a trademark name in dictionaries. (April 14, 1828)
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15
William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy went for a stroll in the Lake District and saw a field of daffodils
William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy went for a stroll in the Lake District and saw a field of daffodils. Upon his arrival at home, he penned one of his most famous poems, “I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud.” (April 15, 1802)
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16
Lord Byron signed a deed of separation, dissolving his marriage to his wife of one year
Lord Byron signed a deed of separation, dissolving his marriage to his wife of one year. Lady Byron, a religious prodigy, was an odd match for the flamboyant and agnostic poet. However, her letters implied that she hoped to reform him and bring him to God. Their one year of marriage was tumultuous, as Lord Byron grew in financial debt, drank heavily, and engaged in numerous affairs. After the birth of their daughter, Ada, Lady Byron moved in with her parents. She sought divorce, which Byron refused, until she documented her reasons for seeking separation, including Byron’s homosexual affairs as well as an incestuous relationship with his half sister. Lord Byron agreed and emigrated to the Mediterranean, never seeing his wife or daughter again. (April 16, 1816)
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17
Playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder was born in Madison, Wisconsin
Playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Wilder won three Pulitzer Prizes in his lifetime for his plays Our Town and The Skin of our Teeth and for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey. (April 17, 1885)
According to scholars, this day is the date that Geoffrey Chaucer’s characters in The Canterbury Tales began their journey to the shrine of St
According to scholars, this day is the date that Geoffrey Chaucer’s characters in The Canterbury Tales began their journey to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. (April 17, 1397)
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18
Novelist Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple
Novelist Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple. Walker was the first black woman to win the prestigious award. (April 18, 1983)
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19
Poet Lord Byron died at the age of 36
Poet Lord Byron died at the age of 36. In his later years, Byron had become a passionate soldier fighting for Greek freedom from the Ottoman empire. Before Byron’s first military excursion, however, he grew ill and contracted sepsis. He died in Missolonghi and the Greeks gave him a hero’s funeral. (April 19, 1824)
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20
Shakespeare’s Macbeth was performed at the Globe Theatre in London for the first time
Shakespeare’s Macbeth was performed at the Globe Theatre in London for the first time. Most scholars believe Macbeth was written to reflect the new English king, James I, honoring his Scottish heritage. (April 20, 1611)
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21
Charlotte Bronte was born in Yorkshire, England
Charlotte Bronte was born in Yorkshire, England. Charlotte and her sisters Emily and Ann each published novels under male pseudonyms, but eventually went on to be accepted in popular literary circles. Much of Charlotte’s life is represented in her novel Jane Eyre, but unfortunately, her life was cut short in 1855. Charlotte had recently married and she died in the early stages of pregnancy, most likely from excessive morning sickness. (April 21, 1816)
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22
Norwegian-American novelist and professor Ole Edvart Rølvaag was born in Dønna, Norway
Norwegian-American novelist and professor Ole Edvart Rølvaag was born in Dønna, Norway. Rølvaag emigrated to America when he was 20 and eventually secured a teaching job at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. His novel Giants in the Earth depicted the struggles of a Norwegian family settling in South Dakota. (April 22, 1876)
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23
The legendary William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon
The legendary William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon. While Shakespeare’s birthdate was not recorded, he was christened on April 26, so most believe his birthday to be on the 23rd. (April 23, 1564)
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24
Novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren was born in Guthrie, Kentucky
Novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren was born in Guthrie, Kentucky. He won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel All the King’s Men, a political tale based on Huey Long. Besides his work as an author and poet, Warren is remembered for his work in civil rights, as he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists and was a vocal supporter of racial integration. (April 24, 1905)
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25
Daniel Defoe published his novel Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe published his novel Robinson Crusoe. The book is the second-most translated book of all time (second only to the Bible), and it is considered to be one of the first novels in the genre of realistic fiction. (April 25, 1719)
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26
Poet Vicente Aleixandre was born in Seville, Spain
Poet Vicente Aleixandre was born in Seville, Spain. Aleixandre received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1977 for his surrealist poetry. (April 26, 1898)
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27
John Milton sold his masterpiece Paradise Lost to a publisher for only £10
John Milton sold his masterpiece Paradise Lost to a publisher for only £10. Milton was promised an additional £10 for the second edition, but unfortunately he died shortly before this milestone was achieved. (April 27, 1667)
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28
Christopher McCandless was last seen by a local electrician outside of Fairbanks, Alaska
Christopher McCandless was last seen by a local electrician outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. After hitching a ride, McCandless set off into the Alaskan bush to live in the wild. The electrician, Jim Gallien, expressed worry of McCandless’ meager rations and lack of supplies, even offering to bring him into his own home. McCandless refused, however, and set off into the wilderness. His emaciated body was found on September 6, 1992, but it is speculated that he died nine weeks earlier from starvation, possibly brought on by food poisoning. McCandless’ life and death was depicted in Jon Krakauer’s award-winning book, Into the Wild. (April 28, 1992)
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29
Peter Roget released his Thesaurus, the first ever reference work of that kind
Peter Roget released his Thesaurus, the first ever reference work of that kind. The first edition had 15,000 words, which Roget compiled in his spare time as a natural word-lover (he was a physician by trade). The thesaurus has since grown to be a staple in classrooms, publishing houses, and writers’ studies worldwide. In fact, Sylvia Plath once admitted she would choose the thesaurus over any other title as her “desert island book.” (April 29, 1852)
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30
Charles Dickens published the first of 31 installments of his novel A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens published the first of 31 installments of his novel A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens’ installments appeared in his own weekly periodical, titled All the Year Round. Since its publication, A Tale of Two Cities has become one of the best-selling novels of all time. (April 30, 1859)
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